New-York tribune., 1900-08-11

which eve had not seen those things into which
at once into those hidden ways Of God. into the
depths Of the divine nature. into those secrets
tion OF the world until they were manifested In
We look back on the pathway Of the divinely
guided Church for the last eighteen hundred years
tian doctrine. First. naturally and necessarily.
fi SUInes 5he 9pes"I, non ba9nf aa md rrJs Sr di
cussed and compared views. until the doctrine of
result Of this profound thought BY earnest Think
sentences are weighty and wonderful
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.
Then, as naturally and necessarily. came the doc
trine Of man, and under Augustine and Pelagils
SyIa ,hS G1aciIsi1I '1 % I9eo G , @ Ia Iea as 70
God. Then, naturally arose the question How
What is the way By which the awful interval be-
tween these two can be spanned2 Their natures
can dwell In the closest possible union Can sin
was the answer 20 this question. and important
as Is the answer, and familiar as the doctrine Is
suffered the cross before the truth OF Atone
received as the doctrine Of the Church
sfs Taen ~ The bs question was asked I How can The ~
And since that time the doctrine Of justification ~
the Lutheran Reformation has been the SUBJECT q
STUDY and thought and prayer the theme Of sermon
and song. OF prayer and sxhortatiOn.
Thus far the Church has clearly been led: on the
stantial agreement but there remaineth yet -sach
Iand TO be possessed; there are many points on
the promise Of Christ and In hisforv Of he 5h~cb
assure US that nat He viii carry on His wor of
mature and complete in all the wiz Of God
There Is a tendency in these days. very much 20
Be 6e deplored to uaderyalue the work OF the risen
words often heard. Back to Christ Back 10
the Gospels The human life and the human
ment OF His divine nature and life and necessarily
medium Of conveying Christian truth. and as
authoritative and trustworthy expounders Of he
ton turn into words OF scorn when the names are
1ilt6 menti9ned Of men wh9 under God have led the
course and have created new epochs OF Christian
Which u Augustine and Ansslm and IutRar ani
Calvin cannot be mentioned without sneer-
GROWTH NOT COMPLETED.
That these men attained to the fun and complete
perfectly satisfactory expression Of spiritual
goI5 10 1Ci : 4 a, Se t g =
were true That there remains much hgAt yec 70
God. be doubted for moment; yet rejoicing in the
PI0SpeCt OF new hslshtS 20 p retcAesi uIItI me
Us not forget past blessings. gifts OF gracious
thought and shaped and controlled Christian lives
Honor thy father and thy mother is as bind
ing on spiritual children as on natural and
gratefully the debt We owe TO the giants who have
IouEnt our battles I4r Us aHa won ths n-lgnis on
taken possession in the name OF the LORD THe
come, men If keen spiritual intuitior who are 70
lead the hosts Of the Lord 10 greater triumDhs and
grander possessions
STUDY OF THE EPIsTLEs.
the I predeon cd e4G oG Of 5s @ gadaRes Of @ @ spirit T5
Church begins one body, and until the Gospel
Acts in the singular number After the ad-
in the consImmation of ali things there will be
but one Church. So the EpiStles begin with What
addressed 10 churches and they conclude with
tjn7A W. f1lInI, TSe Ire cF anisfs 70 ~ cbrc6e-
those written by Paul the Apostle 10 the Genres-
with The primal conception OF a Christian converted
from heathenism He mas turned from idols 70
Son from heaven This is the sir5ie point OF view
and in this Epistle every duty aad every danger
sPrtngs from This one conception o. TesIlz iroE.
these to which heathenisn is prone, and the
dangers are the peryeTscn o. Jne attitude OF eS-
P9ctants OF christ imme,.Je nm - return Tle- -
tb S7,,,rt ~ christ is FREE from bondage 10 ali
the Fpiste Of freedoms written In IL the Chris
tlan Is son and heir His position % am and reaIion
The Christians spiritual relation as opposed 70 IaI
both To 70 Judaism 65 43d an no 10 R5 6-61hn the dominant
Idea is expressed by the constants re2e3Je pHI5s @
which we meet here t9F me IIS1 TINE N Ie >gw h
/ believer with Christ determining all his relations
( TO the organic world OF sin. In thlS EpSl.e are
tate the Church-the topics of discussion are the
sae sane ~ef 65 faconS Of the SUBJECT and manner Of
preaching, OF marriage and divorce OF paTsiclpS5-
/ lie worship. Of spiritual endowments and glIlS.
I of Resurrection. there Is not question aSl-
tated among US with reference 10 our c3iL-e' @ o. ~ =.
/ the world in which We are but OF which We ate
/ not hut is discussed in this first EDtstle 10 the
Then comes the Epistle TO the Romans: the time
has arrived for the intellectual expression or S7
faith of the Church. satisfactory intellectual con
/ ceptIon OF spiritual truth is demanded when that
/ truth has become conscious part OF the ne i
/ cannot come before. truth must be eNperl5heed
mands the Justification by the intellect OF It's deep
/ est affections and admirations
| ONE STAGE OF PROGRESS ENDED
| Thus far the Church has come and these Evan
| degree mastered This last abiding place has been
the dwelling of the Church for the last tFTgr nun
tians have been the study The doctrine OF juStt-
fcatiOn by faith has been the pivot centre around
which all our thOughts nave revoIvsu, Put @ - !, =
evident to the watChfUl observer that We nave
| come are coming 70 the end OF ms slaee y. =.
Christian progress The FORCES Whlch Were 9 49,
powerful fail 10 meet the demands OF Ine s,
Intellect and heart The evangelical ChriStian II
the Church OF England. the party Of SIMON ana anu
Wilberforce and Hannah Moore, so mighty ~
good In their generation in the first third OF t1lS
century could satisfy the earnest souls IN ne
thrties and forties. who became the leaders II lhs
new movement in the English Church
With only two exceptions every one or the Ittc-
tartan leaders, and without an exception every
Evangelical II would be invidtOus 20 speak IN &c
tail Of other leading Christian bodies. OF their dis
here 10 here OF the various alurements held out
here ana there to the dissatisfied The manifesto
tions are abundant and everywhere In many quar-
come 10 be workers ana givers: hut II is soon aP
| and be very unlOved Christian, most Uncom1ort
able in all his relations except those which ad-
a pastor. may be utterly Unscrupulous toward hls
| neighbOrinE pastors very far from oving them
10 Christian enterprises. and be nothing more than
| what Christ calls benefactOr-everythin but a
| abundance while the other may be the throatS
of other striving for success in the same me