Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1905-04-16
THE PULPIT.
a BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
The REV. Or. ~ c. SwENrzEL
sDhjeets The Divinity of Christianity.

Jesus Christ" the Rev Or. Henry q.
Swentzel. rector OF st. Luke's Church.
Clinton avenue. near Fulton street.
preached sunday on The Divinity OF
Timothy III: The Glorious Gospel
OF the Blessed Cod DIR. Swentzel
said In the course OF his sermon:
Christianity shows the credentials
OF divinity. II Is not n set OF doctrines
and principles which men or even the
best OF them have invented. but IL
Processes TO come directly from the liz
finite Jehovah Himself. 10 is not sim
Ply one among the worlds religions
It stands alone and Is unique I'm the
manner ana method OF IFS origin. IL
was not whispered into the ear OF a
seer by the Almighty. it is not the
result OF visions. it is not the product
ot learning ana piety. It comes direct
~ from the infinite God who actually
adopted human nature in order that He
might talk with mankind face % face.
II is UNNECESSARILY more divine than
the religion OF Moses and the prophets
because 10 was delivered personally hy
the incarnate Lord Himself The
themes of which He treats are OF such
tremendous moment that any solution
OF them ought 70 bc carefully scrutin-
ized. Who and what is Gods Who
@ANAAA NA.tAA - man - AAAN ~ NANfr TT MN
ideal for the preScnts What is the
outlook for the futurc2 What Of im-
mortality ana hcavene To these in-
tCrro-aforics the Lord speaks with
tones of infaliihiIity which poDcS and
SyDodS have not dared 20 initiate or
even GO claim. The author or tho Ser
mon ora the Meunt was the eternal Son
o. God and His religion Is nothing less
than "the glorious gospel OF the blessed
Col"
To say that Jesus OF Nazareth is n
divine Being is not Synonymous with
tie error which calls Him q divine
man. There have been many divine
meu-meu who had n mission and s
message from the Most High. men who
were called 60 lead humanity % better
and nonler things. sons ~ men who
were hled with Gods spirit. and
counted not their life dear % 10 were
spent in His service prophets OF re-
FORM. prophets 81 liberty. prophets OF
philosophy or literature or art. IN
the han 81 fame stand tile images az
the vast army OF divine souls who
have been the champions OF Gods
cause and the captains ~ HIS hosts
l every CLINE. Tn q far lofuer sense.
"a literal sense which Warrant, u0
lucg.cry OF words ana uo legcrdnmaiu
10 .'A NI..~. was Jesus
Gol'S son. His only Son. The Chris
uan Scriptures propose this sublime
truth which should bc hailed with unl-
ver~al acclaim. H. iS constantly ass
summed ln the four gospels even as 10
was ny Himself. that though He was
born oi the Virgin Mary. Ue was stIl
in tle later language az the Niceue
Crced. God OF God. Light 90 Light.
Very cod 81 Very God
In one way or another our Lord de-
clarcd His divinity time and again.
He made Himself Gods equal with
such p.a.unc>s that even His enemies
could not mistake it. They accused
Him az sacrileSe 50 strongly that they
wrung from Him the weli-rememhered
reply. say yc % Him whom the Fac
Their hath sanctihed ana sent into the
world. Thou blasphemer. because I
said I am the Son ~ Godc" IL is true
that lie loved Co speak 90 Himself as
"the Son % Man. but chat title really
was his assertion OF deity. lie might
have been son ~ man without being
divine parsonage. but He could no-
be truly the son of man unless He
were more than an the Son of Cos.
II is zoo wonder than when Tie people
belcld His moral perfection and saw
Ills works and listened to the truths
as they seemed to come from Tie
mouth of God. they asked. ~Who is
TINS Son OF Man: The record OF the
memora bic interview. which has often
been conspicuous in the church's re-
gard. should not lightly Dee uut aside.
The Lord said 90 His disciples. "W-nom
do men say that ]. the Son of Man.
am- Whom say go that I amc Then
u was that simon Peter made the great
confession. Thou are the Christ. tie
Son ~ the living God" In advance -
HIS birth The archancel gave this ass
surauce 10 the Virgin Mother That
holy thing which shall De born OF thee
shau be called the Son OF Cod" And
when the end came and Jesus had
hreathed out His life ON the Calvary
cross. the words of the Roman Centu-
ron were hitting finale FOR the record
OF his mortal career. Truly this man
was the Son OF God"
The divinity OF the Founder Of Chris
tanltE JusuieS the gertrude % His
disciples This absolute gertrude
should be appreciated We should will
lnSly take the Lord at His word. And
YET He does not demand that the dis
ciples shall enSlave themSelves-He
Who came 10 make them free. 10 give
them THE liberty OF the glory OF the
children OF God That liberty Is s,ire-
" not dead letter. The Divine Mas
Ter would not put Shackles on the
human Intellect lie does not dis
4 courage the conservatism which dis
dams TO consider the present OF 10
look Tor golden age in the future
II lie be heard Alright He VIII stimu-
late thought and investigation. bet
SteT than ourselves did He know that
the real advancement OF the multi
tuces Is ia harmony with His plans
and that the period OF the finest piety
; VIII be a time Of the greatest enlight-
eminent The divinity Of Christ sbould