New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-15


DIR. DOUGLASS SERMON.
Part OF the sermon preached by DR.. Douglas
was as follows:
by what authority doest thou these things?
And who gave thee this authority st "S''''e"'
This question was put Jesus Christ and Ch hrst
perried the question must notice who 'neS chrf
among the Jews who laid their main stress on me
Now II was they who as the term is usually en-
ployed were most authoritative on th eH Ie5bsbIy
term the dogmatic position AT first sight. there.
fore IL might appear as IT. our loru wa iaranI
AVOIDING great SPROrSh to- may We'll
that He should decline 10 star .ho HAS
was was Supposed, by themselves at least to be IN
favor Of the dogmatic method IN reiglSSn' 9sa is
authority. why then does He decline to do SO 10
this deputaon Of the CHIEF priests tS,s an ease r. dis
closed when compare II with previous paSs"bS ~
in the same Gospel Which nrGw Se sermon On on the
Mount we are told: 1t came to pass when Jesus
had ended the o oT he sT taught them as
having authority and not as me sGrpes; ho Scribe.
should here be said not to teach, with authority
for according 70 our conventions Dac Of their
,horty in Tg Sa 6ef ' Was his Whatever
maxim they enjoined Whatever pracceb e .cs
b bafe upon pony an appeal the traditions Of their
Church and the prestige or Moses hv ia SSr,on
on the Mount we find that our Lords me t9d
apparently the f snch things t have been said
by them Of old times but say unto you ,,d u hS
re sed nnSn f decide whether Christ the Chief
Prjest Gould the more properly be described as a
fs~oT Of the Chief Priest Obviously. therefore,
When the people said of Jesus that He tseI taWs spd
snegestng an idea Of authority really Is
Aud here
on point most Important to Christianity IN an
tmesnthe s naas notion OF what constitutes au
thorty and the New Testament idea
MEANING OF AUTHORITY.
The word authority as Its derivation sho"s'
conveys the idea of the personal SELF IN ac'ion' ia
production. AN author is person VINO creates Vi
produces something His vital self has haiu III
II otherwise he is not its author man SPEAKS
with the supremest authority possible TO him VINO mo
speaks himself his whole self; straight out; and the
wCiSht Of his personality and connections. An ao-
stract idea Is an idea severed from us autno ..i
a. cornes IN us in and across some living being
Won sneak Of thought Of art, Of love. of religion
OF nie se The vague impression difficult seize
and easy to argue about unconvincngly. But set
reiig,ous" a living human being, and instantly we
know what you mean. The myster! OF lhe ma" ~.
I'm not Ioyer speaks with authority Of love the artists
with authority Of art the thinker Win 1he az j
linking als Wv truly religious man exercises
an NJ unnstakable authority in religion-an authority
which other men reject, but when they cdnHppt
gansayls preSsey ms scercs e IS f the apparent un
reality of religion the sceptical soul such souls
are net G2ns o mos o. oheE people Who cali them
selves religious does not satisfy the sceptc. but
once let a truly and entirely religious person live ano
move before them and instantly religion acquires
real authority in their eyes The authority OF 1t
other authority 10 which he prefers to bow; but at
any rate there Is now genuine, actual authority
pressive personal being. This, is the original sig
method whereby the children Of the Church derive
their religion from their fathers and teachers with
So strong is the instinct Of mankind as to this
quality OF true authority-it being the embodimennt
10 convert the world may be largely ascribed to
the Church's failure TO embody thoroughly IN ner-
of the truth to which she witnesses. In spite OF the
validity Of her main traditions ne word Is lin-
only in proportion as the Churcn is herself i'm
Pressye by her reai aSEGo n 10 cbIrc that
fears love God with all her nina fears under
Ghrs udoRes to mr. nIesa nT hogr Ike tRe
Foolish Virgins sleeping with their lafnps-such a
church lacks authority In the eyes Of sinners and
must lack IT always.
THE TRUTH NOT TO BE BURIED.
Or TO refer TO another Of Chrlsts parallels when
our Master ntrusted with such solemnity to His
authoritative Church the Deposit Of His truth for
all time and gave His promise that the gates OF
hell should not prevail against her not TO the ehd
Of the world. Christ gave that Deposit not to be
hidden in a napkin or buried in the earth. but TO
be put out over again and again at interest, In
trusted to living, oiling. thinking progressive men
made TO grow with their growth OF his people
new Knowledge that should be youchsafed to them
I'm the days of the years OF their pilgrimage. ,,,
may not be PASSED by to-day for it conveys a
solemn and searching lesson TO us The New
Ties tbat wen
His intrinsic authority was dependent for me
effect of HIS authority upon the character ana VIII
declares that He came unto his own Wand ana ms
Scribes he exercised little authority in practice.
and even of the people who honestly felt His
power-who perceived that He spoke with author
ity and not as the scribes-even OF these he made
few converts because of he har 0 b OF tRsr
does not coerce il. The devil we are told, be
ity How seldom when We speak Of personal or
ecclesiastical authority, do we take in the import
is the very Son of God living in human form;
walking; teaching, PRAYING among the children OF
acter Yet after a life OF three and thirty years
there are but twelve men whom He can strictly
f And ' Hs Is Amehy Cod Who created man and
holds him in the hollow of His hand. II is God
spectng The individual free will and free intellect
Of His creature Yet it is the 5sndeaSy b OF eye5
convictions to assume toward others an attitude
together Is it not for example, extremely diff
cult for most parents and teachers, who feel sure
that they know what Is best for their children and
pupils-is it not difficult for them TO act upon
Christs principle that even the authority Of abso-
lutte truth can do nothing with those who are not
ready for It?
And say that II you wish 10 admit the authority
| OF Jesus Christ with your whole free intelligence
such admission is to undertake now so noble, so
servceable elevated and so devoted & lie That
whether the certainty that Christ Is what He
claimed to be, and that you are what He said you
| are-God's child-does not break in on your mind
| and soul we are all agreed in our better moments
as TO the beauty and the ideal truth OF Christs
maxiins Of practical conduct. The Sermon on the
Mount IL common ground nowadays-common to
the Socialists and the Positiviss and the Agnostics
and Christians too. far as the Ideal OF the thing
! is concerned.
Dr. Briggs will start for Europe on Thursday
| next and on his return in the autumn will be
| assigned TO work connected with the Pro-Ca-
| r,-iii MI hn,rnNar reepn his