THE NEW CATHEDKAL,

Otago Witness, Issue 1148, 29 November 1873, Page 5

THE NEW CATHEDKAL,

TO THE EDITOB.

Sir— The Rev. Dr Begg's sermon, on the in» teresting occasion of opening the new Krst Church, ought to be printed in golden letters.

The topic of his discourse was the supreme value of the soul, whea viewed in. the light of eternity, as contrasted with the whole world and all its evanescent possessions. In these material, istic times, the super-excellence of the immortal mind of man cannot b too often enforced and illustrated upon public occasions. Pagan philosophers, on this great question, put us all to shame. As Young says, in his Night Thoughts—

In Christian hearts, Oh ! for a Pagan zeal, A needful, but opprobrious, prayer.

If the soul, with its precious freight of thoughts, ideas, and towering aspirations, be lost and left utterly uncultivated, then, though we may be masters of all the material world, like Csesar, Alexander, or" Napoleon, all is lost that is worth a wise man's trouble. During the peroration of his noble 'sermon, the doctor excelled himself. He held forth fearlessly and perspicuously the leading characteristics of the Gospel, and denounced very plainly and unsparingly the impious conduct of such as depart from the simplicity of the revealed Word of God. Popish infallibility, Protestant innovations, and vain desires to render attractive the service of God by the introduction of elements and instruments at variance with the Divine command, were successively specified ;and condemned with the logic of a master.

Like the great controversialist o? the Christian Church, to wit ChilliDgworth, Dr Begg holds that the Bible alone is the infallible religion of Protestants. Baptismal regeneration, Episcopal presumption, worship of God by machinery, lordship in the Church of Christ, were all scathingly condemned. The perfect equality of all the clergy was ably argued out. We are to observe all things whatever Christ hath commanded, and not what may be permitted, because not expressly forbidden, in the New Testament. The New Testament Dispensation I is characterised by supreme simplicity, as contradistinguished with the cumbrous ritualism of Old Testament times; Christ is the vital head of the Christian body, and not a fallible and sinful man. The maintenance— even to death — of this glorious truth has been the distinguishing excellence of Scotland, which, though small and barren as compared with other nations of tha earth, has accordingly produced the moat pioua and learned and enterprising men of history. Dr Eegg referred to the comparative purity of the Church during the first eight centuries, as contrasted with the growing corruption of subsequent time 3. The impious innovators of our holy religion, Dr Begg frowns from his presence and from the Church in the words with which Christ rebuked the nvost fallible of all tha apostles, even Peter— the so-called first Pope — " Get thee behind me Satan," &c. We are to introduce nothing into the Church, for which we cannot produce chapter and verse to authorise even, the most minute departure from primitive Apostolic times. We must put our finger upon the authorising text and say, "thus saiththe Lord." This is true consistency, if we believe the Bible is the word of God. We are not to tamper with it to please men, render worship attractive, and compromise our faith. Like the Volume of Nature the Boo 1 * of God contains many mysteries ; but the way of salvation is so clear, that the most simple-minded cannot err. As I was leaving the great congregation, an in telligent Irishman, and a prominent member of the Episcopal Synod, remarked to me that they had not heard such an evangelical and powerful sermon since their departure from Home. Dr. Begg can tell the citizens of Edinburgh, grey with a thousand years, that he stood in a pulpit in New Edinburgh. — only.a quarter of a century of age— a pulpit the equal of which ia not in all Scotland.— l am, &c, J. Q, 8. G&AST. Dunedin, November 231