The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-09-23
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.

n. REoPENING ISL STEPHENS CHURCH
Rev DR.. Dalton. rector of st. Stephens
parish. who has lately returned from Europe,
held the first service since the. church wa,
renovated yesterday.
The repairs and alterations were described
In full In the PRESS of September II. Since
that date the finishing touches have been
added, and the carpets furnished by the la
dies of the parish laid, so that with very
few exceptions the church is entirely re-
paired.
After morning prayer DIR. Dalton made
fitting illusions to the improvements in the
church during his absence and the pleasure
1t gave him to be at home again.
Then taking his text from Deuteronomy
XXXIlI, %; Happy Art Thou, o Israel"
| he proceeded to speak Of the pertinence Of
the text to the feelings of a thoughtful
American In Europe. Israel was pronounced
blessed In comparison with other nations,
not because more populons or powerful. out
| because more favored with religious privi-
| leges and instructed in higher morality In
| like manner, although. Europe has an older
civilization than ours, grander cities, palaces
and churches with which ours bear no COM
| parison for beauty or glory, the American is
| profoundly impressed by few facts which
| more than c0unterbalance these advantages,
and make America happier country than
any other. England is perhaps an exception
but only for the reason that life goes on
there very much as here. England is highly
cultivated, and the people prosperous be-
cause moral, industrious and free. England
is one great workshop in which all are busy
as bees. They are well fed and clothed.
The churches are numerous, we'll attended
and cared for. England is perhaps the only
country now In Europe where the intelligent
classes are interested In religion, and active
ly engaged In religious work and worship.
The habits Of the English are almost the
same as ours. The American is perfectly at
home there.
On the Continent 1t is different. The
things that impress an American most are:
Flrst-The surplus population, and the
poor condition OF the laboring classes. They
earn just enough to keep soul and body to-
CRATE as otherwise they would, when intelli-
| gent enough to think about it.
Second-The risk OF wars always impend-
Ing, and growing out Of race hatred, appar-
emily as vigorous today as ever. and most ac-
tive between France and Germany. Europe
| Is observing AMI armed neutrality. The
| streets are full of soldiers. and preparations
for war are going on all over Europe. Ev-
| cry third man is soldier and has to be sup
ported by the other two.
Third-The Continent is divided between
two camps. politically and religiously, the
party of the past and the party of the pres
ent. Their mutual hostility Is bitterest of
all. Today 1t will display itself in the ma
tional election in France, and will continue
to rage till, by one or the other, a final vic
tory is secured.
large congregation was present, great
ly interested in the rector'S address, and
many favorable comments were made on the
changes in the church.
SECOND PARISH CHURCH.
AT the Second Parish church last evening.
Rev. Dr. Whitaker, concluded his interest
ing series of lectures upon the Bible, the SUBJ
ject being the Influence of the Bible" DIR.
Whitaker said in substance:
Who can measure the influence of the
Bible? Written in three different languages
and translated into $50 languages and dia-
| lects; 1t has given a language to at least 40
peoples and the rudiments of civilization to
24O peoples. 100000 copies have been
sent to all quarters Of the earth except the
interior OF Asia and Africa, and wherever it
is sent, revival Of the national literature
follows. One feature Of the influence of the
| Bible is the power 1t possesses of furnishing
a foundation for human reasoning. Reason
Ing must be based on primary, "a fundamen-
tai truth, and IN constructing a system on
such foundation we can go no further than
our materials allow us. The Bible presents
the primary truth OF the existence Of God as
a personal being In the capacity of a gov
ernor, father, Of the possibility of the for
gveness of sin, the resurrection of the body,
the Immortality Of the soul and the brother
hood Of man..
The force of these primary truths may be
seen by watching to see IL men act as IL they
believed that God was watching them. The
old heather philosophers, having no Bible
for foundation, became only more con-
fused the longer they CROPPED after a &c God l,,
second influence is the demand Oh the bloie
for the examination of its evidences. Pagan
priests may lead and demand blind faith,
but Christians are exhorted to Investigate
and prove for themselves that the Bible Is
real and this may be seen in the fulfllment
of its prophecies and its history.
A third influence is the demand for the In
vestigation Of its truths. The Bible was
written by between 40 and 90 different men
IN all the walks of life from kings to fisher
men and day laborers and every chapter
9 pears the imprint of its writer perfectly.
Inc more the Bible is studied the more APP
Ranent TINS becomes and at the same time,
LESSONS aos and passages form and impress
"oniseiVes more and more strongly on the