The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1886-06-12
N THE MIDST OFrHEA,


Meaning Commencement Exercises.
The Baccalaureate, Lectures,
Contest, &c.
Commencement week has com,
again, and with it the usual number
of distinguished visitors, bouquets
complimentary remarks, and prophe
sizes Of respondent futures. What
ever else may or may not transpire
Commencement week comes with
the regularity of clock works, and il
the one great event in the yearly
routine of Morgantown's history
This year the exercises up to dat,
have been very interesting and tn,
remaining two nights and a day Civ,
promise Of even fuller houses ant
exercises more interesting becaus,
they will be the grand finale, full
and strong.
THE ''PREP." CONTEST
was the first of the series of Com
mencement time exercises, and wal
very well attended, indeed Chape
Hall was crowded. The declama
tions were all creditably rendered
and the interpolated music by the
Morgant0wn orchestra was well re
ceived. The contestants were r. l.
Fleming, of Monongalia county; J
L. Montgomery, of Fayette county
L. NJ. Jaco, of Monongalia county
F. J. Knee, of Mineral county, and +
w. Stifel, of Ohio county. The prize
was awarded to Mr.. Stifel. The
judges were Joseph Moreland, Esq.
Rev. A. NJ. Buchanan and Rev. C.
Crawford. Mr.. Stifel, the successful
competitor, is quite young, but he is
a pleasant, natural and graceful de
claimer, and deserved the prize
that he won. Some of the other per.
formances were also well rendered
Mr.. Fleming's, especially, being
worthy of commendation.
After the contest in defamation
Mr.. Richard W. Dawson, of Union
town, read the Reagents prize essay
a paper clear, strong and sensible
The subject was 1.-THE True Relation
of Capital to Labor The prize fol
the essay is $25, and for the decla-
nation $40. The contest in decla-
nation is open to students in the
Preparatory department only.
THE BAccALAUREATE SERMON Z
was preached in Commencement Hall
Sunday morning by Rev. DR.. Lewis
of Westminster, Md, and was an
eloquent and powerful discourse
The large hall was full of attentive
listeners, and all were heartily pleas.
ed with the eloquent young divine
We give a synopsis of the sermon:
That may know Him.-Phil. lilo
DR.. Lewis introduced the
subject by showing that this
text was a declaration of the
revised and deliberate ambition of a
man who went the whole length OF
affirming it unto death. 1t came at
the close of remarkable career and
was the issue of most remarkable
combinations of opposition. To all
who admire persistent and success
full life, the secret of Paul must be
interesting and profitable. That
secret he declares in the text and
may be shared by all. 1t is the tri-
umphant refutation of agnosticism
which is the latest form of the denial
of Gods existence.
Agnosticism was then examined
at length as to its nature and effects
and compared with true Christian
gnosticism.
l. Agnosticism processes not to
deny Gods existence any more than
it afiirms it. 1t simply says, 1--WE dc
not know But out of this profes-
sion of ignorance it frames a creed
which declares 1--WE cannot know
This pretended humility really AFRO
gates to itself not only the power OF
knowing all the powers and capabil-
tiles of man 50 as to say, "there is
nothing in man that can take hold
of God" but even to so fully know
that being it processes not to know
as to say that He has no method OF
reaching the very nature He has
created; not only that we cannot find
Him out, but that He cannot find
us out and reveal himself to us
Now Christian gnosticism or true
science of God does not profess to
know Him by demonstration, but
yet it claims all the characteristics
of real science If l am able to
know matter by its contact with that
which is material in me; if / may
know the intellectual by bringing to
it that which in me is intellectual
why may I'not also know Him who
is spirit by the witness of His
spirit with mine? Christ calls us
what Plato called his followers
disciples; and for the same reason
we are learners, we follow ON tt
know the Lord" In the Christian
sanctuary then we are still in the
temple of science.
2. Our knowledge Of Christ comes
to us through every knowing faculty
of man; through the senses in the
incarnate Christ; through the intel
lect in the evangelistic Christ, and
through the consciousness in the
witnessing, assembled Christ. II
thus vindicates itself as certain
knowledge in contrast with every
other science whatsoever ..
8. Agnosticism is moral leprosy,
Not to know God is not to know virtue
is to obliterate all moral distinctions
The effect Paul expected from his
knowledge was "that / may be found
in Him, not having mine own right
eousness which is Of the law, bu,
that which is through the faith o.
Christ, the righteousness which is O
God by faith
4. Agnosticism is spiritual bank
ruptcy. To deny the power to know
God is to deny consciousness and re
fer all knowledge to the senses and un
derstanding. To deny consciousness!
is to deny Immortality, for our I'M
derstanding darkens and our bodies
crumblc to dust. To know Him il
''to know the power of his resurrec
ton and ''to attain unto the resur
rection of the dead"
The discourse was summed up al