Morning journal and courier., 1889-11-18
TRINITY M. Il. uHURom.

TRINITY M. X. CHURCH.
4 Powerful Discourse Last Evening |
BIZ Rev. DIR. mcChesney-The Morn.
ing Missionary Sermon.
At Trinity NJ. e. church yesterday morn-
Ing Rev. DR.. McChssney delivered powerful
sermon on the necessity of vigorously sus-
tanning the benevolent and missionary insti-
buttons of the church and cards were circu-
lated in the pews for donors to take home
and bring back next Sunday with the amount
Of their donations written therein. The
churoh takes its collection once year for the
above objects. Last year this church gave
5000 for these objects. This year DR.. Nc.
Chesney said that as the membership was
now 900 or more the contribution ought to
average 81 head or 5000.
Dr.. McChesnsy, pastor of Trinity Metho-
dist Episcopal church, preached last evening
on, 1.-THE Revelation of Gods Infinite Love-"
course:
The wise without Christianity cannot re-
veal the love of God.
Eternal unchapgsable love implies the
eternal existence of more than one person
between whom that eternal love exists in
reciprocal exercise. The doctrine of the
Trinity is one of pure revelation, and not as
some have seemed to imagine, an expression
Of human theological mathematics. Unitar-
ianism VIGOROUSLY lacks impulse. It's mis-
sionary enterprises are failure, because it's
conception of the love of God is that of an
indefinite sentiment, and therefore it's adj
herents have no personal indwelling con-
seriousness of Gods overshadowing, such as
prompts them to declare it, and 80 ex-
ali an
the love of God to their souls
cannot live among them. Just now the Pres
byterian church 10 passing through the cru
cial period of her history. No one that has
the cause of Protestant Christianity at heart
will entertain other than the kindliest SYM
pathies for that church, during this truly
critical period. And what is the meaning Of
this crisis9 Simply this: The leading thinkers
Of that church have discovered that their
creed needs revision. A large portion of the
Westminster confession of faith has stood
the test Of centuries of examination.
But how about those sections relating to
the decree of God which represent God as
providing salvation for the elect only, and as
passing by all the rest, non-elect infants in
oluded; passing them by without redemp
ton and without the bestowment of the ell
cieut or sufficient grace to make salvation
possible to such; and that this election and
non-slsction is of Gods sovereign decree,
apart from any foreknown obedience or dis
| obedience on the part of creature. This
is the way the seventeenth century talked
and wrote concerning Ged's purposes of
grace. But recent action of Presbyteries
has shown that the nineteenth century has
gone back upon the seventeenth century state
ments. One of the noblest men in the Ameri-
can pulpit, of any denomination, in DR.. Guy
| Ter of Brooklyn. As reported in last weeks
Independent, he recently said, would cut
my right hand off before would preach
such doctrine before an audience of uncon-
verified sinners. Again says DR.. Cayler, there
is most lamentable lack in our confession
of any clear and cordial declaration of Gods
infinite love of sending his son into this
world to die for sinners. Other men nearly
an prominent, insist that the Westminster
confession emphasizes the sovereignty Of Ged
at the expense of the love of God, and 80
| there is no help for 1t.
Itseems to be a foregone conclusion that
seventeenth century doctrine of the DEGREES
| truth has changed, but mons conception of
truth has changed, and so long as that
change is In the direction of an intelligent
effort to magnify the love of God in redemp-
ton, all Christian minds should rejoice in it.
1t ia not a triAe for great historic church to
change her creed. But 1t seems the inevita-
Bile that the Presbyterian church is about to
uhd0Athh0 GhuI oCAtChto Cub0Ipk Al
Christians ought to rejoice in the prospect
that Christian body Of such importance to
vital Christianity Is determined to express the
love Of God as never before, and in such q
way as not to do violence to his reign Of law.
This ts sign OF progress. Scarcely GEN.
tury ago the venerable Timothy Dwight, the
truly great man, who in his day did SO much
to build up that great institution yale col
lego, was preaching to the people of this Sec
ton of country and to the students of Yale
that same old seventeenth century doctrine
Of the deeress of God. In the fifteenth SER
mon of his body of divinity he laid down and
defended this proposition: "That all things,
both beings and events, exist in exact ae-
cordance with the purpose, pleasure. or what
is commonly called the DEGREES of God" In
work / and this remark: Perhaps
be useful to make it subject of
very frequent discussions In the pulpit"
Remember, IL is nearly century ago when
he said that. II he were living to day, who
oan doubt that q man of his comprehensive
mind would take his stand nobly by the side
of men like DIR. Cuyler and Crosby and help
to create . more just conception Of the in6n-
lite love of God. How does modern Univer-
salism read our text Is Is not after this
fashioni God so loved the world that he
gave is only begotton son, that whosoevsr
livsth-nct believeth-but liveth might not
perish. but have everlasting life. An so
men quote Universalism Is an excuse for not
believing and for not living life Of prayer
and selfdenial, in short, as an excuse for be-
ing irreligious.
Universalism never had q theology or sys-
tenn of thought. 1t IL chiefly an emphatic,
clamorous negation-a fragment of thought
to which 1t clings, and which it defends
chiefly by appealing to prejudice. and which
wicked men can conviently claim for their
creed as shelter to ward off their religious
conviction.
Such fragment Of thought can never have
the force of creed. There Is not any hope
for q revision of Universalism.
There 10 not enough of 1t to make 1t q sub
ject of systematic revision. Its theory of the
love of God 10 that of universal careless COM
pliance.