New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-11
UNCONVENTIONAL FREEDOM.


covet earnestly the best gts ana yet snow unto you
a more excellent way"
What is that he began, which was better than these
"best giftsw We are LEFT in doubt whatever. Ia the
fore part OF the chapter may be found the whole frame
work Of the Christian Church Its ordinances its creedS
its officers polity. its method, were undoubtedly in
cluded under this general term OF gifts" Tney are all
spoken OF not only with respect but there is the impll-
cation Of relative ex seuce in tnem and men COM
nanded to desire the best OF them; but there is some
thing that is better than all OF them and what is shat
IL is expressed IN the 18th chapter OF COriathan',
which have read to you so often that am almost
afraid Won will tEink kno7 no other place III h5 Bible
though speak with me Tongues Of men ana OF angels
etc IL is then, the living force OF Christianity the nv
Ing power OF God in the human soul; and THINK thlt
would be Paul's Interpretation OF TINS passage II ne
present and should interpret II IN th2 gnt OF inc
present OF facts aud feeling In the Christian Church
The WORK of God In the human soul IL infinitely varied
but it is the same Goa wnch woihe,h az IN an lhrtG -
no inherent sauttity III these thlngS Ihey are 0thng
i'm themselves Dut their value Is 10 be graded ny inc
prot there is in them TIey 10 BIS measured by the
nrt they are CAPABLE OF beStOwing NOl nave no rlglt
10 rdicue these old d. men who preach solid doctrine:
Tnere is u place aud a use Tor them 1Oi nay say teY
lock like! great knots hard ana stpess on tree very
likely they do; but most beautiful Inrniturt IL made out
OF veneers sawed ont OF these very Ehols ino io5
which Dl brings men IL superior to the cNterni iots
OF the church. think these chaptcr9 are ho h stun
led enough, when there are events occurring Miv ~,
moi be properly judged except by the loiy Irihcpcs
Fr mere IL ample recognition of the need Of church
institutions in tbs New Testament. IL Is tue our
COiDaud MS disciples 10 IOrll
Ii is true that there Is not on record one shse he
which prescrbes to tho New Church as distinct from
the II would seem the hight of historic phantay
10 declare hdt CHRISTIAN emu 81 Ndr JUN ic '''u -
scribed by the Lord Jesns Nevertheless, there was
church and there we're religious Institutions. Ihey
we're accepted Implied, ana ihc lhonent my apO5los
gan to preach, and especially outside OF Juea whcre
there was no temple aud no synaSIsne' thsy were OF,
gauizcd they we've officers; there came 10 pe laws y
methods gifts and usages The apostles cominln ol.
them, interpreted them, ranked them 1herSiole, II
any man say that there Is any "aIIdn ~ tc nOlt VI
God for any church Organi1ation thnk no misses the
mark as much the neldrch misses IL VINO cidre5
that there was specific FORM Va Organization III th1
secondly il is recognized that there perfect freedom
In taking up laying down the ordinances Tue us9-rs
the laws tte customs ana nstrltIlh2 mctloJ' ol
the New Testament HOu can make your election
among them. We nave hDsrty OF JulSH nv hoIlS III
INTERPRETATION liberty in action within the sphere or
Christ likeness, and no man mas right To Judge dhotAer
III regard 10 his usaSes, ordinances, lOrM'' Chutth
sinZItigus aId hOds OF Instruction. 10 MS own
Master stands or falls Now excessive independence
brings men into position WAtre they are IKE Isolate
PARTICLES Of sand aud are OF very h5li9 poWIc
70 me aSgregato H s'ot ,t eemnts are to Do
studied IN church fe-tne element NcrShS tOHlrd lhic
pcndency and that tending 10 restrain men lllte,
Tae rghU OF men To associate Tor certain dOcrina sys-
tens is not to be denied because there mas Deen an
men to-day rdicue crecds and dogmas. II have
seemed have share in TINS untOWard speaking IL
has been the over action Oi intensity rather tbih from
any deliberate pAtIo5j, Occaso ~ ii, ", va t'h
10 any purpose VINO does not thlnk dOsmatlcalyi no
man thinks consecutyey who does not think systeati-
cally; nevertheless, Wheh dogma, become lnperoI''
then creels become oppressive. now L VIndlcLte tho
right to associate tAtF Known any
line OF Thought, whether % III scGo OF III any Vi ls
departments. l maintain thg riEht OF man To-
OF any man TO PeaSiinlsin II he DaheVe5 l.,
TO semiPc dglanisu, or 10 den.seinl-f tldglaulslh
he believes H. don't believe these tInss are iniis
peusabe however nor that we should be forced to be-
leVe. don't believe infant baptism Is insisted on In
the New Testament Tue nearest you can Iot 10 u Is
iar-ieehed inference DO ~ however because thni
IL is beautiful Ordnance. You say " l. that the only
foundation you have for lti' That Is foundation
advocate the right of socts to organize and of bodies
TO govern Themselves. II body prefers to be governed
by priests and 10 nave them governed by bishops and
them governed by cardinals and the whole by
the Pope, let IL do So / have not word 70 say All |
say is that you must not turn around ana say THIS Is
the only thing 70 believe, aud yOu Will be damned II you
won't take ~" No! WON'T be damned, and | won't
take IL eher Laughter. Affirm the right OF a man
persuade me 10 eat vinegar and so long he simply
argues that il best for me- all right; but when he
comes to pat some on my plate, ana tells that
to it aud must like 1t, then propose 10 stand out
against IL. lL1ughtcrI
First no man has a right TO come into any Christian
communion for sake OF changing the authority doc
trino usages Of that church He must not the
Organic power OF the Church undermine 1t and break
IL up Secondly. man has right TO employ sectarian
organic for any other than the promotion OF spr
tua ends Churches are responsible to God for using
the Church separate from each other They are
TO bring men together, and not set against his
neighbor. Thirdly no man has a right TO impugn the
liberty OF those VINO excessive organization
May enter u sect when he does not hold 10
orthodox church does not believe In the doe
trne of eternal punishment 1 hold man has "a
ss,2s snri,nat nroat II Won can i've heiior Ih
tian life by entering that church. let him do IL. II he
don't believe in OF the doctrines preached he can
say TO himself, with perfect fairness, 81 will stand
of these things that don't believe for the sake Of
the good may derive generally and il the church is
willing 10 take him ill., on subecting him TO the
test all right If he IL not subjected test he does
need to promugate his doubts, aud it Is perfectly
fair for him 10 go IN.
church that has power in it, dead dry and habit
uay dessicating those that come into it, and is merely
spectacle and stupid In at the appropriate hours on
Sunday morning, deserves no generation. IL must
have sap, aud ygOr, and working power and must
the welfare aud Fellowship OF all It's members / plead
the right OF 10 stay in the church of bs fathers
provided he does not violate the fundamental organism
which he has foresworn IL had no other reason than
that my mother belonged TO "a certain church would
have right 10 pray for tnat church. and TO pros
perity and success
The churches in America great deal more aristo-
cratic than Europe, and is because the two great
wants OF men-the democratic want and the arstocratc
faith One wants its relief by civil institution aud
the other wants us faith through the religious nstit-
tiOn and 50 our churches constantly tend
Take any community OF two or three thousand people
they viii build church holding 800 people, and ii will
Accommodate all tat want To go 10 III because IN the
main 1t falls Into the habit Of taking the best families.
Average the churches OF NewYork and Brooklyn and
think can DO shown that the astOcrate prosperous
element takes possession OF the churches that the
great needy classes the poor If they 20 to them at
all. do not 10 TO them home. because the churches
do not satisfy their wants and cravings Tie churches
are not democratic as they are IN Europe Tney
largely Institutions for the mutual Insurance OF
porous families. llaughter.I
have said these things In order to bring the great
there Who by nature and culture, tend TO arst0-
cratic element They conscientOusly say, THIS the
genius OF the Church" Then there another body just
as sincere that represents the democratic element.
hey arc III the same church, born there they went
III carry III Is Their house much IL Is the others,
anu they say, " This church is TO be- administered
hpeIaly' democratically;" and then these two
ticmeHt' stanl ahd charge each other with insncery
Que saS -, iOu are gong to Rome" and the other
says lOu are going to independency." The newspi-
peIs when occasionally have something 20 say about
religious matters, sometimes come out win n a man
cannot stay Win Inc ruling spirit of the Church. why
does ne stay theref Why don't he 20 out 20 Now this
IL, 40
man Is III church Just as he Is In a hotel .
20 over 10 hctsons ana they pet me into a seventh
ing 80 down to pay my bill, and abandon that room,
but don't feel that nave abandoned my Doors.
where I can be comfortable. 80 think "A man should
stay In CHURCH where 10 wants TO- aud not be dryea