The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-01-09
CHURCH UNITY.
Bishop s.itilejohn ON the Dire Tempta-
tatfOa OF the Clergy In Modern Times
York Wofld

Bishop sitiIej"hn on the Dire Tempta-
tatfoa OF the Clergy In Modern Times
New York World.
In the church of the Heavenly Rest
yesterday, Bishop Littlejohn, took his
text from that passage in the sixth
chapter of St. Psu's epistles where the
apostle asks prayers that he may be given
utterance to preach the mysteries of the
gospel. Having explained the position
occupied by st. Paul when he cried for
help, realizing the combined oppos','
of Jews and Gentiles against the
teries Of the gospel the bishop ssic Ia
the stewards of Gods word VS. Today
similarly circumstsnced. To-day the
mysteries of the gospel, which were to
the Jews a stumbling block and to the
Greeks foolishness, having come down
unchanged through all the ages, offend
alike men who have creeds ard men who
have none, because of the absolute and
exclusive supremacy of the truth which
they teach. The opposition of to day is
founded in the sect spirit, which is the
child of intellectual cDnceit. "This
spirit" said the bishop, "has made
schism so familiar presence that it has
practically dropped from the catalogue
OF the possible Gins of the nineteenth
century. When We see how the oouy vi
Christ is torn and divided in this genera
tion by differences of opinion, how
earnestly should we not pray to the
Head of the church to send a thousand
Pauls to preach the mysteries of the
gospel. 1t is impossible for any man to
preach these mysteries and not preach
against the sect tendencies of the day
Much of our christianity has fallen into
fragments-no, not fragments, for those
might be gathered, repaired aud put
together sgain-but into ruins. If the
gospel has any right to hearing it must
be dogmatic OF nothing. 1t must offer
truth to the human mind and heart by
authority, or it is nothing. When reason
can follow it it will be in accord with
reason, but when it branches off reason
must yield to the guidance of faith,
which is the substance OF things hoped
for. Now, partly on the ground of
reason and partly on the ground of faith,
the gospel demsnds belief in person.
This is the great question OF the day.
But lust this is an offense to what is
called the liberal and advanced thought
OF the times 1t is the fashion of the
hour to sheer at dogmas and disparage
all truths uttered in the form of 'CredO
i believe And with this fashion as
an essential goes the general disregard of
moral and spiritual truths. The age is
becoming materialistic, and the ten
dency is to revive the old fITms of pagan
pleasure-worship, and to plunge the world
back into that dark gulf of sensuality
from which it was rescued eighteen
hundred years ago by the cross. Oh,
let us cling to the catholic fullness OF
the love of God and 10 GODS truth in
all its dogmstic preciseness. We as
ministers are compas sed about with sore
temptations. We are tempted to please
rather than offend men tempted to feat
with the current; tempted TO preach
morality rather than religion. Already
these TEN ptations have told sadly upon
the morals of some OF US. Net a few
pulpits in the land have yielded. Say
not cOldly and harshly, brethren of the
laity, that we should easily rise superior
to these temptations. 1t is trial at
this day as it was in Paurs day to preach
the mysteries of the gospel, and those
who surmount it find too often martyr
dom-the martyrdom of cold looks and
desert1on Let the clergy and laity
unite in going before God to ask that his
ministers may be given the boldness to
preach the precious mysteries OF the
gospel, ard that their hearers may be
given he grace to receive the same,
believing that it is a message from God
and not the delivery of man.