The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-12
THE CHURCHES.
Another BE autifully y
Bright Sunday Causes
Good Congregations.
SERMON FROM BISHOP DUDLEY OF
KENIICKy.
Church No = aud General Mention.

Yesterday was a beautiful day and s
perfect Sunday The sun shone out
brightly all the day, while the tempera
ture was just cool enough 20 be bracine
and comfortable The churches were all
well filed with the usual congregations
and as a rule the pulpiis were filled by
their respective pastors.
Probably the most interesting event
occurring in the church world was a ser.
mon By
THE RIGHT REV. THOMAS L. DUDLEY,
Bishop Of Kentucky. Tie presence OF
this eminent divine was known TO but
tew Of his numerous friends in Rich
mond. and ii was quite a surprise Ia
many Of them TO see him seated among
the congregation at the Monumental
Church Yesterday morning. This sur
prise was considerably heightened when
Rev. Dr. Newton, rector Of the church
announced that the Bishop would preach
at the afternoon service, beginning at
4.30 O'Clock.
At the hour named quite a large con
gregation gathered, and after The usual
beautiful and impressive services of the
church had been concluded the Bishop
ascended the pulpit, taking for his text
the 9th verse Of the 10th chapter OF Ro-
mans: III thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe
in thy heart that God hath raised Him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved
Saint Paul, said the preacher, in using
these words defined ths whole gospel Of
Jesus Christ. That gospel is not a spec
ulation, not theory, but a real fact. Its
words are high TO Va, and no theme OF
inspiration, science or anything else can
do away with their truth. But can We
believe IT. Tha, is the question that has
been asked all over the country to day
Can wc believe that Lazarus after he had
been dead four days was restored TO life
aud walked the earth, and can we be
lieye that Jesus, after being consigned to
the tomb rose from the dead and lived
again in the world after his ascension into
Heaven
What answer can We make 10 these
questions when the champion Of disbelief
is flooding the world with beautifully
written blasphemies, We can say that
just so surely as Jesus stood by his 0p,n
scpulchre and spoke with Mary, so surely
has He spoken 10 our hearts, as lie
stood by the shore of the lake and told
His disciples where 20 cast their lines so
that they might gather the greatest
drought Of fishes, so He has told rs how
TO act so as 10 secure our final award.
And when any ligh, Of our life has gone
out, we can say that our faith and hope
have revealed Him to our minds, and
strengthened our faith in Him.
But then will come the reply: 81 do
not deny that what you say may be true,
but have seen no vision, nor any spirit
return TO earth. want something tan
gible, which | can understand, weigh
and analyze." Shall We, in response TO
this. offer him the Bible, which has been
preserved as if by a miracle all these
ages when IT'S contemporaries have been
destroyed The answer H. Your Book
has been torn all to pieces; lis statements
have been disproyen, and many claims
made for its authenticity have
been shown 10 be grOundless.
Many man has been captiyated by
this subtlest Of delusiOns but there is
some response that can be safely made
There are three books in the Bible whose
genuneness cannot be gainsaid, and they
are the epistles of ST. Paul TO the Ephe
slams, the Galatians and the Philippians.
These contain the gospel and teachings
Of Christ as fully AS the rest, and then, if
further witness is wanted, there is the
Catholic Church Of Jesus Christ, whose
feet stood with Him and who has spoken
as witness Of Him from the earliest
days Of His ministry 10 the present time.
The church is not intended TO he merely
a beautiful specimen of Gothic architec-
lgfe nor a place for beautiful and bril-
liant ritual, but 10 teach and bear witness
TO the truth that the gospel Of Chiist is a
fact and not theory
The church began with that gathering
in that little room at Jerusalem, when
Peter said that the death OF Chris, was
foIeordaincd Of God from the beginning
Of the world, and the scripture must
needs be fulfilled. That was The smg Il
beginning Ok the church, bat what is il
to-day: The power Of the world, the
guardian and promoter OF civilization,
which it has done since il left Palestine
more to advance than all The songs and
writings of mankind. How is this
shown Ii was formerly the custom to
expose every child bora crippled in body
or mind upon mountain TO die. The
survival Of the titiest WAS the only rule
then known, aud the poor unfortunate
who cou'd not serve the State either in
war or council was left 20 perish as unfit
10 live But after Chlist came and taught
our mother the church said Give me
Uch children, they are Gods creatures,
and since ii has been taught that lie
was made man all men born into the
world are sacred" Not until after Christ
vas born was there even the conception
Of such a thing as an orphan asylum.
And then how comes It that woman is
so large a plaything, or made TO do the
most menial work, but is loved and re-
yered by the civilized world: Because
such has been the case ever since Christ
consented to be bonn Of woman. Neither
In the laws of the world nor the songs OF
the Greek slave civilization up TO that
time guessed the world would speak OF
woman's exaitation, but when the proc
lamation went forth that the Son OF Man
was content TO take flesh from the Nir'
gins womb, from that moment IL was
declared that all womanhood should be
blessed These aud every other pariicu-