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CHRISTIANITY ABOVE SECT.

The first of a Beries of monthly lectures on subjects of present interest in the religions world was given by Kev. Dr Roseby, on Snmdaj, in the <Vmgrepational Church, Moray place. The subj ct of the lecture was "Christianity above Sect." The rev. gentleman began by pointing out that man's knowledge of religious truth depended upon two things— ton God's revelation (in the many forms which that assumes), and man's own capacity to grasp it. He then showed more in deta 1 to what this fact really amounted. He dwelt upon the variety of men's capacities of apprehending truth, and (at some length) on their varieties of natural character and predisposition Some men were by nature cold and severely logical, others dreamy, spiritual, .and mystic. !Some, with a Btron< political preconception, had a great idea of the Church as an organisation—their watchword was order; others regarded order as of quite secondary importance, believing that the chief point in a Church's constitution was the f ■ ee play of its independent life. Some had a great idea of external aids to devoti -n; to others all external ceremonies we.ro a hindrance and a des motion. In some the erno'ional element predominated they loved lively music, ringing exhortations, demonstrative prayer. There were others to whom any great expression of emotion was utterly distasteful. Their sense of religion was that it was a 6ober and deeply reverent thing. They were impressed by solemn music, giave discourse, and (in the case of one Of the most reputable sects in Christendom) ity a devout and aweful silence. The lecturer then showed how these varieties of capacity, of predisposition, of culture, tradition, and circumstances had had a marked effect upon the development of the Ohurc 'a life and the course of her history. Ho adverted to historical examples of this, and pointed out modern and present instances of it. then signalised the fact that all theße sectarian differences were just the natural and inevitable expression of the varieties \>t character existing in th-J Church's membership. Take two such men as John Keble ;nd Charles Hodge. If there had not been already in existence the two diverse forms o' the Christian 1 fe known as Anglicanism and Presbyterianism, these two men would have effected such a division. Let God give a Calvin to the Church : they got a hard, clear, logical system of theology in consequence, asjnaturally as the acorn bears the gigantic oak. Let God give a Wesley to the Church : Weßlcyanism was as natural a development as a field of wheat a'ter the sowing of the spring-tide grain. Let a Dean Stanley arise in the Church : a broadening of the Church's thought, and an enlargement of her charity followed as surely as . aylight doeß the sun. And there was absolutely no room for raising any question about the honesty and integrity of the - en who founded, or who now sustain, these diverse form* of Chur hj life and I hurch polity. They differed ; but they were equally honest, equally truth-loving, equal j God-fearing, equally Christian men. The Westminster divines ditt not understand the saintly and goo i Bishop Hall, nor he them. Our Puritan ancestors held as a pri oner a. man whose fame as a divine remains still unrivalled for rich and learnei eloquence even afti;r the lapse of two centuries- the matchless Jeremy Taylor. Kowlan' Hill called John Wesley "an old fox tarre 1 and feathered." To th's day the strife continued. ih' I'usey accused (God forgive liim !) the noble Fred Maurice of blasphemy ; wbil< some religious papers, which had exhausted every epithet of laudation on Messrs Moody and Siinkey, were (the lecturer observed) having a me»n kick at that dead lion, the late Charles Kiugsley. It was all a mistake. Tho hearts of all these good men beat as one (if they had but the charity to recognise the fact) iu love to God and to hi« Christ, in zeal for God and compassion toman. They were now prepared (continued the rev. gentleman) to answer the question: does Christianity identifv itself with any one of these forms to the exclusion of the nst ? He answered, No! The honesty of all those c at-ses ho had mentioned, their love of God, their live of Ciivit-t, forbade the exclusi m or my one of them irom the Church of Christ. What then? There must bp Another t hurch, ■••road e> ough to embrace all these withiu its ample bounds, and even preaching far beyond the united capacity «f all df ih«m rtmfemtfs,

Such a Ch«rch there was- -the invisible Church of Ged—subsisting not in sameness of dogma, but in unity of spirit; a Church where membership was constituted of those who in every age and nation feared God and would righteousness; a Church wherein thoso holy men who had divided the world with their controversy, and made the ages ring with the din of war, would at last find themselves as brethren together. The lecturer then justified his doctrine of the Church from Scripture and conscience, and closed by two quotations, one £° m , K , lc | iarfl Ba *ter, and the other Jeremy laylor s beautiful Apologue on Charity.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18750921.2.12

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Evening Star, Issue 3924, 21 September 1875, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
866

CHRISTIANITY ABOVE SECT. Evening Star, Issue 3924, 21 September 1875, Page 2

CHRISTIANITY ABOVE SECT. Evening Star, Issue 3924, 21 September 1875, Page 2

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