The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-11-02
THE DIVINE ORIGIN OF CHRISTI
ANITY.
Rev. Mr.. BIanchard's Second Lee
ture.

Rev. Henry Blanchard delivered the sec
ond lecture on 1.-The Divine Origin of Chris
tianity indicated by it's historical effects on
Friday evening last in the vestry of Congress
Square church.
The subject was 1.-THE New Conception of
God introduced by Christianity" The lect-
ure began by referring to his first lecture in
which he gave the reasons for the delivery
of the course. Among these was the patent
fact that the old arguments concerning
prophecy and miracles were being sensibly
doubted by many, and wholly rejected by
others. The speaker wished, therefore, to
show that there was line of argument indie
pendent of the arguments from miracles and
prophecy In this connection, he spoke of
an editorial on his previous lecture which
had appeared in 'Zion's Advocate, and
quoted the words of DR.. Storrs declaring his
acceptance of the arguments from prophecy
and miracles.
Mr. Blanchard then proceeded to define
the new conception of God introduced by
Christ 1t is this-there is one, personal,
sovereign, eternal God, pure in character,
hating and Furnishing sin, but lovingly ssolic-
all He can to redeem the sinner from his
sin. To understand this idea, it is necessary
thoroughly to study the condition of the Ro-
man Empire at the advent of Christ The
philosophers had no real faith, in one, per-
sonal, loving God. The people were sensu-
al, debased. Froude says that the Romans
were only powerful animals. Degradation had
gone so far that monsters like Claudius and
Caligula were deified. In this hour, when it
seemed as though sin would utterly destroy
A.. Do, Ehrict vii
of God. He was indebted to the religion of
his race, but he.enlarged and ennobled the
idea of Deity. The belief in many gods
tends to immortality. The belief in one God
tends to nobleness of life. Christ empha-
sized the unity of God. History shows the
good effect of that idea.
He taught the personality of God. Men
are always troubled about the idea OF Cod
There is always a tendency to deny person.
ality to Deity. But personality consists IN
in his teachings, speaks Of God as having
thought love, will. He, therefore, speaks of
personal God. History shows the effects
of this idea.
The sovereignty and the eternity of Deity
are also taught by Jesus, and the effects OF
this teaching are seen in History. Above all,
Christ taught that God was pure. The gods
of Greece and Rome were not pure. 10
show sovereign God who was pure-Wno,
therefore, hated sin, but loved the sinners
bne unparalleled HllSSloH VI JcSliS NuiioS Ii
himself, also, was the revelation of Gods
desire to save from sin. The Son showed
the Father To seek all, to love all, to do
all, even to sacrifice of self, was the spirit of
the Son and therefore of the God. The ire
mendous influence of this conception is de-
clared by history We cannot account for
Christ in any theory which leaves out Gods
inspiration. The child of the prophets-the
product of his times, indeed, he was, but he
rose above the prophets and his times The
.fax 80 10 ic hnf
was the agent, the medium, through which
God spoke. The Christ announced what
science corroborates. He, in his far away
hour, when science had not spoken, announ-
ces that God was one, personal sovereign.
eternal. Today, science confirms his word,
To have announced his great idea of God,
this peasant teacher of Nazareth must have
had the aid of God. His idea is the one
which uplifts the world, We may well be-
leye it came from God.