New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-08
SERMONS WORTH READING.
XVI.
THE INCARNATION CONSIDERED.
A DISCUSSION OF THE SUBJECT BY THE REV
r. HEBER NEWTON, THE RECTOR OF ALL

A DISCUSSION OF THE SUBJECT BY THE REV.
X. HEBER NEWTON, THE RECTOR OF ALL
SOULS PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH!
The last of series of sermons upon the Incarnation
was delivered by the Rev. r. Heber Newton, the
rector Of All Souls Church the memorial church Of
the Rev. II. Anthem yesterday The particular subject
considered was The Incarnation as Interpreting
Modern Thought" the text being the words: "Thst
was the Hight which nghteth every man that
! cometh into the world" He said:
Through long series Of sermons have led you
step by step 10 the point whore could that the
true, the original doctrine of the Incarnation was q
doctrine which we not only can receive but need TO
welcome the key to problems In this nineteenth
century. The doctrine of the Incarnation reconceived
from unconscious desm, Is seen to be the symbol
Of tho Divine Immsnency and the Christian E forms
found to be the far older human forms Of expression
FOR this same mystic tsogsh ChargsS Nth VIZ a .Ss
in whom the Word is made flesh. the Divine thought
Of man is spoken into individuality
The doctrine OF the Incarnation as reconceived 10
the light OF thesm and found to be the symbol Of the
Divine Immanency reconcles the two opposite poles
OF the thought of God which apart from this doctrine
have been brought into harmonious adjustment
Deism presents God SCI arate from nature, apart
from IT, and In no living connection with u, the
thought out Of which engendered the difficulties which
beset theology today. PsnthesIn presents u GSa
who is immersed in nature absorbed In IT, so % speak
lndlssOlubly bound up with It, so that He cannot be
distinguished nom ~ soul of the world which would
creation the Infinite and Eternal Mind which thinks
vitally omnlpresent in nature The indwslling inte
Eence which sustans and energies IT, Christian
immaneni. as finding supreme manifestation in an
historic individually Jesus Of Nazareth the Incarnation
that incarnation which Is creation and humanity.
This thought Of the Incarnation reconcfes the two
way achieved. The Churchs traditional Interpretation
OF the Creed has not reconcIcd these two opposite
humanity Of Jesus have drlfted away from hs divinity
today for the Indsputabie truth that he was bone Of
To orthodoxy we owe the preservation Of the true
divinity Of Jesus Each has been right in It's afirma
Of the indwellinS God gives us the thought Of the
Inc arnaton which concllates both of these conflicting
aflrmatOns.
FINDING THE ESSENTIAL CHRIST"
Again, this thought Of the Incarnation unItes the
views OF Christ which have divided the church be-
tween the mystics and the ecclesiastics To the
myshcs Christ has been the Light Of the World, the
Divine Word IN the human SOUL TO tho ecclesiastcs
Christ has been the light embodied in Jesus of Naza-
reth the Divine Word In historic revelation. The
mystic has been in danger Of nebulous religion,
while the ecclesiaStlc has need In equal danger Oh
carnaton which is being restored 10 tho church, We
have these two views beautifully blended in the doc;
the essential Christi In the light lighting every man
that comoth intD the world, while teaches to find
dTIduaItv The historic Christ All the more urgent
problems within the Christian Church itself are pam
" such find their Hoy In this doctrine, when rightly
understood There Is no contrast between nature
and tile supernatural. Nature and the supernatural
tho same mystery. Natural and revealed religion are.
then not two different and opposed realHeS' 1 hey
religion which Is taught through nature is revea-
ton, an unvethng OF the God who Is mamIest In erea
in the natural evolution OF religion when great in
dtviduates renew faith and inspire men, when newer
and higher truths come into the world and we say,
rightly, that we have new revelation
There IS no contrast then between natural ana 10
Es o6c a1d the same course Of training through Which
the Divine Instructor Is educating man, Reason ana
faith do not stand apart one from the Other IN d mg
implanted power by which the mind discerns truth.
S NOT 0S ITSELF to Ss though It
convinces his reason that II is forever above compr
man iS participation in tho Divine intelligence which
Is the soul Of the universe. All faith must be reason
On the other hand my individual reason Is far rom
composing the mysteries OF the universe; Every
due Difference to that concensus OF human reason IN
which Is the voice of God Reason therefore, dictates
OF realities which We cannot prove and cannot explain
q conviction concerning mysteries winch arc, per
sppEec the ancient Hndoo poet Children only not
the wise, speak Of the saukhya trationaR and Yogs
(deVOtiODaD religious systems as inherent ne WHO
sees their unity sees indeed" Miracle and law do not
stand in mutual opposition. He fails TO understand
the significance OF the Incarnate Word who, in the
namc Of that word, now called Christ asks for
miracles; since that Word himself is the very rar
ttonal Of creation the indwelling principle Of
order within all life. The question Of inspiration is
no longer problem 10 him who dScerns the hidden
wisdom concerning that Divine Word which is the
manifestation OF the Unseen Father IN nature and in
man, the shining of the sun, the water flowing from
the fountain, the perfect thought in the Infinite and
Eternal Mind spoken forth into creation.
THE MEANING OF THE AToNEMENT.
All races have their sacred books, all races have
their inspired men-clse how would they have within
them the beams of that light which ghteth every
that cometh into tho world The atonement which
IS wrought by tho man who, as embodying in per
sonal character the divine thought Of the good man.
Identified with the word OF God, must be only the
highest expression of that aonement which is being
wrought wherever Gods thought comes to educate.
inspire, upnft man, and thus redeem him out Of evil.
The atonement is then the sacrlhcla work which is
forever being carried in the evolution Of lfe as
the Divine Being stOOps beneath the burden Of the
imperfect creation struggles upward with every form
OF existence, leads life above Its manifold imperfec-
tlons carries forward TO completion that education
OF which IS the true story of history The retf-
button of sin finds its truo Interpretation in this
doctrine OF inc Incarnation. Given the belief in the
indwelllpg Cod and have given q belief I'm n
constant presence OF saving helpfulness, which at
once engenderS the hope Of restoration and makes
the traditional hell q moral impOssibirty.
Is theology q finished system, or Is IL an over
growing thought Of God This is another great diff