New-York tribune., 1898-10-17
UNION SQUARE
NEW YORK
DR.. PARKHURST PESSIMIST1C.
HE BEGINS SERIES OF SERMONS on
MANS DEGENERACY.


THE DESTINY or EVERY CHURCH. AND
ANOTHER LUTHER Is NEEDED.
The Rev DR.. Charles II Parkhurst In his ser
mon yesterday In the Madison Avenue Presbyterian
Church said that it the tendency Of men 20
go morally from good 70 bad. and from bad 10
worse" He announced that yesterdays sermon
not in Itself complete. and that it would be
followed by others which would carry the subject
further DR.. Parkhurst selected for his text the
II Kings XVII. 16 And they left all the com
mandments OF the Lord their God. and made them
molten images. even two calves.
God worship yesterday and bull ;o-day-an ex-
treme drop. but made easily aid expedtiousy'
began DR.. Parkhurst The incident epitomzes
Hebrew history IN general The scientists think
they discover in the world tendency In things 20
become better. Animals OF low degree certainly
preceded animals OF higher degree. Even the
first chapter o, Genesis IS Darwnan 70 that ex-
tent But Darwinism loes not work we'll on moral
ground. Scripture IS voluminous Illustration or
the tendency OF men 70 go. not from bad 10 good
but from good 70 bad and bad 70 worse and IL no
truer 70 facts OF ancient Hebrew lie than II Is 70
what goes on among nations and individual people
now. Water down hill and tends 20 continue
running I'll IL reaches bottom, and II j does not
succeed IN reaching bottom Il IS not because ten
dencv breaks down but because something or other
has run foul Of tendency that keeps II from going
a FAR as {, would Ike 20 and ties 20.
Dr. Parkhurst then related some notable IN
stances OF Biblical backslIdng. Behaving ones
self regularly makes tired. he proceeded
There IS no kind OF work a man does where ne 80
soon feels the need % A vacation the work OF
being good. ! not urging this In support OF any
particular doctrine maintained by the Presby-
terlan Church. but simply as fair statement o'
what any man will discover when he disnteresed-
~ scrutinizes his experience or when he stud
les history inpartially whether Il be Bible history
profane history.
Wherever you put man. matter how high.
ne Will be likely TO work down into condition
that is lower Whatever character you give him.
no matter how pure and slness Il Will not be long
IN all likelihood before he will oetray symptoms
OF depreciation. The first thing know ot mans
doing after having had Paradise given 70 him was
10 lose Il. and after many thousand years there
,s not even yet any very distinct prospect OF !ts re-
covery These paragraphs. let e D. understood. DO
not proceed nv part. from any recent or sud
den discouragemen but IN dealing with ourselves
as moral creatures and IN dealing with the world
as a moral world It ia ot preliminary importance
20 understand whether the inherent tendencies OF
things are toward what IS better or what is worse
sreakng on Noah Or. Parkhgrst continued
browning the world Is scheme possessing such
merits of simplicity and thoroughness that f. might
almost seem strange that the Lord has not re-
sorted % II with greater frequency. Although
doubtless necessary. one man and his family sur
vived The Bible ,es us of Moan that ne Tas
Jus; man. perfect in his generation. and that ne
walked with God That might all b. and stil ne
was a man. Inherently possessed Of the same ten
denc!es 20 20 from bad TO worse that MS great
urogenttor Adam had. The Flood such a
cleanser and the Reformation was such a cleanser
,ha, IN both cases q appeared though things
~ "a ~ <orge, that neither water nor the Holy
sn3rt is sbe % show Itself IN ne world a; least
as 4 perfect antidote 70 mans tendency 20 apos-
rstize and 70 grow worse and worse
And ne tendency toward te;eriorat!on mat be-
gan 20 work even during the apostolic age or ne
Church has been working also lust - d!siinc;Iy.
even II not q rapidly. perhais snc- it- DAYS OF
Ian people know 70 oe true "nrn say ma ,ie
ESTABLISHED church or Ensish cnlrca stands TO-
5sv ms, a. rnucn In need - LLiae! 20 r"coNr: j.
from IL -oullessness and aposts-y ana srhressI
| mummery a. tn CAuIcA nerdrl N M ~. ~
Confessiona!s j., j. in sp!ri; as Romish az Rom@.
apostate only lacking ine c9ur4ee 81 ~ 1yb
Ihsre IS M rudee agains: the Anglican Papacy.
t,,J.t;9pacy ~; and ,he Remaining tendencies of u
90 no, IN mis- way fhat they illustrate large
! 80 snd Win startling consp.cuity wha, the
S9Tces are nat are at work In ;he World Waen
6~n1l,nion practically OF ;he edge o; slough!ng on
,to The Church % the Jesui;s and the lnquis.ton.
vou may not take very mucn 20 heart tne s!iuailot
! - that particular comH.un;on ott "e oueht al 81
s going on IN ;h4t communion Is simply specis.
everywhere T. may nave goh- -,,.st r.ttno,...7 ~
Anglican church man /; nas gone IN ne hPiscpphi
! fshu-rf Ot America or rtr ii-0yf
So. pom. Il the destiny q every Chlrc p oy "Alcn
- M .he natural impulses o; ChurcnIna y
~ uorc IN q broad sense ar o., tn- "ofio-
- 1e .uiritual formal and spectacular sor, ~.
,}e PornIsn Church Just maichH- II 3 .ss.si 'yT u
/ -. cLr,rch 20 arrange performance tneH N =
so- - "a worship God AID hold iisef qIet4y tNos'
! bap.isn OF the Holy Gnos; - -, ...4.-
,,es are corrupt tendencies and me .ongrr ne, -
! .Soa-e4 - rsve their Own nay ne worse "o.A
80 make O. Us Sky centuries o; human H-
! ,re loaded 70 the muZzle win i..u-traioNs IA
,-hoie world and the men and orsa!lza l.(ts g.
! 'L,',cb.s ma have nIe1 & ar SO nuch Bio 49,
,benicat.ng The fac: There f. more 'hat "a -
| to-day