The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-08-07
/ THE OLD And THE NEW. I

1 We give below an extract from a sermon
delivered by Rev. Fl. NJ Simmons ia tht
Unitarian Churchslas Sunday morning. Tho
attendance at the, services was quite large
To him who thinks and observes is reyealed
the need, at the present day, of zeal, not
in disseminating thepeculiar doctrines of "a
sect, not in explaining mystery, but in pres
ent obedience to known laws. ss31a
I'VE @ 6I EXTRACT. aeGu.
"a Thus the spirit at work through nafur
and history is ever repeating the old words
of Christ I am no come to dest, on bat
to fulfill" 1t works through he DIS and
churches and all INSTITUTIONS, bursting
husks and shells enough, but only to see
the kernel within and SO fulfill the II " of life.
Its method is not destruction nor creation,
but gro,Oth, ever unfolding the new out OF
the old. AZ & sasu, ra.nst
q Religion must not break with the past,
but fulfill it, The tree Of life like ali 9th err
trees, will shed it's leaves many times, but
only to assume better ones as it grows. ever
sending its branches wider and higher. We
hear much of The decay, of the old faith 1t
is not decaying SO much as unfolding INTO a
larger growth. "F'a ""ao"7~h J." 1850
There is great God'' says the popular
to define Him. YES" says modern thought,
80 great that we cannot define Him, and
had better reverently leave Hin altogether
undehned." This thought is not SO new but
that 1t joins with old Richard Hooker in say
ing: 'Our sonndest knowledge is to know
that we know him not as indeed he is,
neither can know him and our safest clio
quence concerning him is our silence, VIII en-
we confess without confession, that his
greatness is above our capacity and reach.
1t behoveth our words to he wary and lew"
The thought is still older and Joins with
Moses in calling Him Jehovah" II am
the bare affirmation Of resistance, the
grandest name ever given HIM, because it
says the least. a.
but" says the popular faith "God has
spoken to us through the Bible" wv " u
Yes" saws the new faith. ''through the
Bible and all good books, through the
earth which is full of his goodness, and the
heavens viii CHI declare his glory. Yet the
earth is oGly his footstool. aud the heaven
of heavens cannot contain him. The word
of God is infinitely vaster than any spoken
language has ever told it." a"oG&-
"But" says the popular faith, why do
you transgress the tradition of the elders ~
The new faith has only To repeat iChrist's
answer, "why do ye also transgress the com
mandment Of God By Jour tradition %
God revealed himself in Christ" says the
popular faith. s5-1 -sa-.- 5. s.. IS .ty,r
Yes" comes the answer, lie reveals him
self in all good men," asa
"But Christ wrought miracles in proof OF
mis- d,yinltV.'s aa #ra
"Yes, purity and moral greatness always
work miracles, aud show themselves divine .
"Bu- Christ's sacrifice was for the rednmp-
tion of the world
YES, all self-sacrifce for the truth aud
men, Is for the redemption of the world"
"Well, says the popular faith, I'VE must
follow Christ" HfH rae
"Certainly" answers the new faith, follow
him, NOT sit still and look backward at him,
but follow that spirit Of justice and love aud
sacrifice as It goes on marching and battling
through the world" bs slaat
"But we must be converted"
"Ot course, converted repeatedly every
day and as many times day as we CAM
born over and over again out of the old into
the new, out of the lower into the higher,
with never ending growth" 'Had.
land baptized" continues the popular
faith" ''H p. ~a ."2 ~ Io ataI
"By all means" comes the answer, a"dee o.
er than he skin, by thorough spiritual
cleansing that goes to the very soul. 1t is
the pure heart who shall sec God"
But we must pray. -" .o'al
p above all things, not with-much speak
ing" and "vain repetitions as the heather
do" but with minds which hlmbly seek to
learn the will of God, lnd with lives true to
what is learned - r., IA. +
So tn new faith goes on charging the old
or 1t is come not to destroy but TO fulfill,
HOW HE SPOILED An ITEM.
~ sHa.1# rGa. So. b..