The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-08
Churches Re-0pened for the
Fall Season With Big
Congregations.
DR.. SCUDDER' SALUTATORY.
A Strong Common Sense Sermon on
Religion--Dr. Mitchell's
Discourse.
ST. LUCY'S NEW SCHOOL.

A large congregation listened to AN
eloquent sermon at the Tabernacle last
evening. The Rev. John L. Scudder.
bronzed and somewhat stouter as a re-
suit Of his summer vacation, occupied
the pulpit. The choir sang with its usual
excellence and perhaps more than usual
verve A new Brussels carpet and other
matters of interior decoration gave the
auditorium CHEEKY appearance.
Mr.. Scudder chose his text from Titus,
IL, IL. His subject was, "Christian life
includes piety, honesty and common
sense" He said:-"The impious man
stands guilty of one of the gravest
offences. He persists in committing the
profoundest sin of omission known to
human thought. He shows no Difference
to the Almighty. 1t there is anything
that makes our blood boil and
our fingers tfngle it is TO see
children treat their parents with
discourtesy and rudeness Now man
who, in his everyday life. utterly ignores
his Heavenly Father and treats Him with
disrespect by failing to acknowledge
Him, is living hard hearted life. All
the affection of kind God is wasted
upon him. All Gods mercies are received
without even THANK you.n The man
can get and give in return nothing but
haughtiness and a scornfnl indifference.
1T is our duty to develop ourselves in
every department. of our being. A man
whose religious nature has died out for
want of proper care is truly a pitiable OBJ
ject. He is only half a man. His soul is
like the truncated pyramid of the ancient
mound builders, sad. sad monuments Of a
glory passed away.
''There are thousands of people who are
more religious than they are willing to
admit. Judging from church statistics,
we should say that the impiety of man
kind was overwhelming in it's propor-
tions; but church statistics are not cor
rect criteria. Some entertain the absurd
notions that piety is a sort of weakness:
that religion is well enough for women
and children, but unbecoming the inde-
pendence and iron strength OF manhood
How often, in spite of all this false phil
osophy, men will harbor religious thoughts
away down in those recesSes OF the soul.
A man is often serious and thoughtful
when all the world. and even his own
family, think him as cold as a stone Per
haps the more seriously he thinks upon
these rhemes the more ne laughs 10 throw
others off the scent. and to disguise his
own feelings. A great part of religious
feeling in this world is covered up. 1t is a
cowardly piety. Still, it is piety after all.
You have heard people sing when they
were alone, and sing Justify, affectingly,
too. But ii they think someone is listen
ing to them, how suddenly the music
stops. just the same way they are
ashamed to be caught with tear on their
cheeks. / confess my inability to under
stand this widespread reluctance to testi-
fy to the noblest sentiments and affec-
tlons of the SOUL l fail to see how any
one can claim to be a fully developed
man who is not avowedly religious.
Every religious man, looking into his
OVID experience, has often felt himself
between the centrifugal forces of tempta-
tion and this centriDetal restraining
force of allegiance to his maker. For ex-
ample, you own a piece of property, and a
man comes to you with intention TO buy.
and asks you how much you consider it to
be worth. You answer $1,000. But if
the assessor calls you say about IS, 900.
When the customer approaches you look
at your possessions through telescope.
When The tax gatherer arrives you
deity reverse the telescope and ask the
This love of the dollar runs in our
national veins 1t is in the blood of the
American people and crops out every
where. A lawyer told me he was one
day running for a ferryboat and snagged
his shoes. They were his pride. He had
paid $14 for the pair. But said he, i
uidn't pay for the new pair which I was
obliged to purchase Who paid for
themS' l asked My client, he replied,
with a true lawyers smile.
"Glance into politics. What world of
chicanery here; so much of it that the
word politician has become an op-
probrious epithet. The average politi-
clan looks upon an Office in the light of a
mine. From it he expects to reimburse
himself for all expenses incurred in reach
ing it, and to feather his nest most luxur-
iantly during the days of his occupancy.
How few politicians nowadays who can
not be swayed by bribe? 1t is said one
of our legislators was offered bribe to
vote for certain bill. what, SIR he ex-
claimed. you take me for one who can
be bribed? You insult my sense of honor.
But, in case / should vote for that meas
ure, how much would you give meY"
In concluding Mr. Scudder decried grave
and sanctimonious faces as unnecessary
to religion. He opposed monasteries and
and nunneries as non essential in the
effort to shut off worldly temptation.
Christ was an all-the-world'S man.
The intense excitement. which in
the name of religion is cotton up at GER
tain reviyals, was nonsensical," he said.
Said he, 81 believe in revivals l believe
healthy glow of the soul rather than q
white heat of excitement and buster in
which all sound Judgment is burned up.
do not believe in this pretending to be
more than we are. those mannerisms and
whining tones. They are species Of
spiritual disease Then, again, there is
bigotry. 1t is q parasite abstracting the
sap and retarding growth. The sooner
it is cut off the better believe man
has lost his common sense when he
afJirms that he is free from sin, that, like
the angels, he is living in a state of entire
sanctification. He is either weak, or has
assumed cloak of perfection for vii
lainy. Religion is not fine art. 1t is
not resolvable into fine singing, literary
culture and imposing architecture. 1t is
not addressed to the imagination, daz-
zling the mind with costly shrines, bril-
liant candles and almost regal pomp; nor
is it morbid sentimentelism whose only
pleasure is an intensiteasion ssI Of s feeling.
hates hates It is a spiritual development. a
growth in Grace and likeness to Christ
until finally corruption puts on incor-
ruption, and earth is swallowed up in
Heaven"
MISSION AT ST. JOHNS.