The herald., 1895-12-02
Religious Services Largely At
tended in the City
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
Subject of the Right Rev. Bishop Mont
gomery's Sermon
Addresses by Rev. J. S. Thomson, Rev. Burt
Estes Howard, Prof. Bowman, Dr. J. A.
B. Wilson and Others-Notes

bl80Up 4nOHtSOhCiy '" 49,
at the cathedral yesterday evening upon
the subject of the holy scripture, from
the text, "Heaven and earth shall pass
away, but my words shall not pass away
Luke, xxi, 33. He said in part:
.'There are three classes of opponents
of holy scripture, who are very dissiri-
lar, both in their methods and III their
motives. There is the shallow, soothing
infdeI: there Is the educated and Gull
tured upbeliever, and there Is the consci-
entious but misguided advocate OF the
private Interpretation of Gods word. OF
the first VIC have a conspicuous example
in our own country, whose name snail
not mention in this pulpit, but whom
cverv body knows. He mad his prototype
in VoItaire. but ne has not NOltaire's
learning II is no honor to this country
TO have gwen him birth. and 1t doss still
less honor to our intelligence, our educa-
ton and our sense of the respect due TO
the opinions of others that he can speak
to crowded houses throughout this land.
He and such as he, are the worst enc
mics of our country and its institutions,
for thew are founded upon religion,
which be scorns and SCOTS at.
Tho intelligent and educated unbe-
lever does not stoop to rldlcule ana buit-
oonery, and whilst We feel that he, too,
does irreparable harm to faith in God
and religion and helps 10 undermine the
yery foundations of society, still, Tor his
grave and considerate manner, the Chris
tian accords him certain respect.
Finally, tho conscientious ana sincere
advocate of private Interpretation of
Gods word, a principle that is not ad-
mitted even for municipal ordinance
by q board of county supervisors or CITY
council. He, too, unintentionaily, OF
course. but most surely, Is Undermining
the divine character OF holy scripture
and furnishing weapons to the protested
opponents of Gods word; and for him
We can have only a profound sympath 3.
and pray to God to show him the harm
he IL doing.
These We shall consider in order. The
text chosen, Heaven and earth shall
PASS awa;, but nv word shall not pass
away not only furnishes the theme for
the series, but supplies the undying con-
fdsnce in the Christian heart that moth
ing shall ever be able TO overthrow the
religion of Christ or thwart the overrul-
ing providence OF God. No other monu-
mepJ on earth is comparable to the holy
scripture. If it had been human pro-
duc3ion it would have long since been
forgotten. Every species of antagonist
possible to imagine has risen up against
il, and yet it fills the earth. Nothing
else has served as a text for so many
commentaries, some in love, some in
simple admiration, some in solemn hate.
The holy scripture and the literature
that has grown out OF it make up half
the libraries OF the world. Here we
might aptly apply the words OF the
learned Gamaliel to his fellow doctors OF
the sanhedrim, touching the teachings OF
the apostles: If this counsel be of man
it will come to nought; but II 1t be OF
God you cannot overthrow it.
"The attempt to overthrow that coun-
sell has been made in every conceivable
fashion. but still it survives as the SOL
ace and hope OF the world. Heaven and
earth shall pass away. but my word shall
not pass away. The very attempts to
overthrow it do but root it all the more
firmly in its place, just as the attempt TO
falsify the prediction OF Christ that he
would rise from the dead served only to
nut The resurrection beyond reasonable
doubt. Ths word OF God shall not pass
away, because it is not only true, but 1t
is truth; and truth is eternal. Christ
does not say that men will not reject his
word men reject many truths, but their
rejection of truth affects not the truth
itself. but those who reject it. This
thought should furnish matter for the
proud unpeliever to ponder upon. When
Christ teaches moral law He simply
teaches truth existing in God and in
nature. And when Mr.. Spencer teaches
that the M oral law is nothing in ITSELF
that it Is simply conventional thing, a
ideas vary, he undermines, not only reli-
gion as far as in him lies, but ne under
mines as we'll the foundation of the So
cial order itself. In such a principle
there is neither right nor wrong, neither
vice nor virtue; and the Law that pun
lshss so-called crime is tyranny. for there
csn be no such thing as crime in the log
ical construction of the Spencerian gos-
psl. This very fact will ultimately re-
dound to the good OF Gods word, Tor we
may always depend upon society seek
ing its own fundamental good 1t some
times suffers an alteration of mind on
the subject, but has TO come back to first
principles and restore the religious rrin
ciple. / do not mean by this inherent
life in the holy scripture that we can
afford to be indifferent to the evils of
infidelity. There is not In the range of
parental duty q more pressing burden
than the necessity Of shielding the young
from.the Iniidel literature snd.the in tidel
lecture: and no greater benefit can be
conferred upon society than to furnish
antidotes TO its subtitle and insidious
poison. Mind and heart must be
strengthened, and taste must be cult
waited for the true and pure literature.
When the master of the field silent an
enemy came and oversowed the field with
cookie. The Christian must be sleepless
and untiring in his watchiulness over
the great truths vouchsafed him by AL
mighty Cod.