Evening journal., 1890-03-24
BISHOP COLEMANSSUNDAY
HE VISITS CALVARY, ST. JOHNS
AND TRINITY CHURCHES


Notes Of Intsrest From the Churches.
Right Rev. Leighton Coleman, d. D.,
IL. b. bishop of the Diocese Of Delaware,
PREACHED three sermons in this city yes
terday. in Calvary, st. Johns and Trinity
churches, respectively in the morning,
Afternoon and evening. he was greeted
by large congregations with great atten-
tion.
At Calvary Church, Third and Wash
ington streets, in the morning Bishop
Coleman chose as his text, St. John viii,
46: (which of you convinceth me Of sin3
And If say the truth, why do ye not be-
lieVe me9 The sermon was an exposition
of the intellectually of Christ and his
ability in logic and reasoning. Those
persons who say they believe in Christ,
and yet do not follow his teachings, re-
ceived a strong rsbuke for their lack OF
true faith.
The discourse, in part, follows: "We
are too apt to think of Christ rs only
good man, but he was more. He had a
stronger intellectual character than any
other man before or since. We are apt
to overlook this fact. We think Of Him
as a kindly amiAble man, going about
doing good, the deliverer Of the world !;
we ought to take into consideration his
depth of thought. When he spoke to
thelpeople He used simple and not neces-
sAriiy logical language. His parallels in
their simplicity are understood by the
scholarly man and appreciated by the un-
educated. But when He was oppressed.
ANNOYED and hArAssed by the unkind
questions Of those who desired to entrap
Him He seems to have given them q
strictly intellectual discourse, full OF
irresistible logic and discourse, which
completely disarmed His questioners.
Such we're the circumstances which
caused Him to say the words of the text,
Which of you convinceth me Of SIM
And il l say the truth, why do ye not
believe meT Notwithstanding, the way
in which He was instructing His dis
ciples, and His own blameless life, there
were many who did not believe Him. He
confounded the sophistries of the most
cunning speakers when he answered
them, and they were forced to initiate
Him.
MANY people did not.believelbecaust
his words were wise and strong
and true. This is an encouragement fol
clergymen when we find our hearers
going on and on without apparently
feeling the spirit of what we say, tbs
reason often is because we speak thu
truth. They did not want to do whAt
he told them they ought to do; so they
went as they had gone before. Thu
clergyman might ask them (which o.
YOU convinceth me of sini-'falsehood
is another translation of the last word
and If l speak the truth, why do you no
believe meg" Although the moderi
preacher knows how he has endeavore'
to lead an upright life, yet he also know
how far he lacks being perfect man.
''Christ gave the challenge to his hear
ers, Which of you convinceth me of sin
You have known me for thirty years
from my boyhood; / have gone in ant
out among you; have been lodged b,
spies to entrap me; have probed to tn
bottom the hypocrisy Of the present age
have not refrained from telling yo
your faults; and after all your efforts I
find aught against me- which OF you cor
vinceth me OF sinT He was not afrai
. | of one of them. Not one Of them dare
! to point finger against him. On oth'
occasions no one dared TO accuse hin
even PLATE found him TO be q perfeS
man.
''The fact that no other man has eve
made such challenge, proves that Chris
! was divine. Think you, had he bee
/ simply q model man-as some person
call him, to get out of exposing thei
unbelief-had he not known that he wa
more than man, that he would hav
dared to challenge the scrutiny Of tn
, inspection of his enemiesg This is on
4 of the strongest proofs Of the divinit
> of the Lord and the best answer to thos
4 who do not believe that he is the Son {
I God. Either he was the Son of God {
he was the most immoral teacher tI
a world ever had there is no getting ava
from that dilemma,
/ lone can imagine the abashed loo
4 of his listeners when he made the cha
\ lenge; they would say oh Lord, v
a know that there is no wrong in YOU an
be totally unprepared for His conclusion
n why, then, do We not believe met The
did not want the light, and many sou
are dying to-day because they have shJ
out the light of Christ. Christ say
a Except ye be born again of water an
) the spirit. ye cannot see the kingdom (
Q Heaven. The world says it is form so
d is form, conioined by Christ. If you {
J. not believe in it, you mean that the Lol
IS is liar; you cannot mean otherwis
II Again, He says: Except ye eat Of m
body, and drink Of my bloo'
Ys cannot enter the KIM
dom of Heaven That meal
IS If yeu are not con
It municant there is no life in you. Do "
10 believe it? If you do not you call the Lo
y liar. But You say that you do not wa
q to be elassed with those who do not b
n lieVe. II you believe why do you not a
cept himf II you can prove that Christ
bad man you are all right, but If y,
cannot you are All wrong. You cannot 9
fe ford to be mistaken in this matter. The
r. are many here to-day who should
I6 among those who are confirmed. TIL
!. should ponder deeply over those words
N Christ: And II say the truth why
We not believe meF and come and open
show their adherence to Him."
The candidates for confirmation we
Is to the chancel rail, during the singing
= a hymn, and after the brief respons
/. were confirmed by the bishop. Fourte,
women and four men were in the clal
Bishop Coleman made brief address, a
monishing them to stick close TO the
:. pattern, and giving them IS their te
the tenth verse of Psalm Iii: 1.-The fe
of the Lord is the beginning Of wisdol
q good understanding have all they th
do His commandments; His prai
IS endHreth forever"
SERMON AT ST. JOHNS.
..I am Jesus, Whom Thou Persecutesi