The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-04-09

mas established. When the lspel Is, BY It,,
are naturalis ID into It. They we're added 10
the church when baptized into, Christ. aud as
faithful esap D The hsy
trlne, and fellowship and In the breaking Of
bread and In prayers" The Church had con- on
selousn1fs that IT was BODY n tb d,s'oifnteea
body. What was the lawT La answering this
apeshon lot g note more prs{nseay the
statutes and its psnalies... Il can compel
obedience or punish dsobedience. It
can aud does cay to every citizen: Do this
pliance, willing or unwilling, with the law
which i accepts for itself. Il BROOKS no re-
fueal; II does not argus and persuade; II acts.
But with all this. 1t cannot transform bad ottt-
sens into good ones. And thts the transform
ing Of men-in life aud character ~ their
osSdm and s w e he Ss P
emit in. kind from civil law. It, comes
not to destroy mems lives. but 10 save them II,
the lipes OF coercion aud rstributlve penalty.
The obedience II seeks Il willing, spontaue Gus
obedience. the nlial action of q child, not the
iect. Owl Kingdoms ask for conduct. the divine
kingdom for character, In II love is the fulhll.
ing, Of the law, II has. indeed, Its ideal
always a on Tho regard Of those Who. by msaas
of habitual, thoughtful action, are to acquire
character: end Christianity is pre-eml ,ently
the teacher of duty, the instructor In righteous
When we inuulre. then. as to the law OF the
the law OF a ather for His children: u law ua-
changing In its demands. but plant In Its ad
minietration. and one which cannot be obpyed
The Kingdom of God Is the Fathers
house. and the object Of its continued opera.
ton 10 the developn Of the children Into
the controlling idea of that kingdom which
was set up on earth by our Divine Lord: .
bearing on the matter Of orggssnis sti9n will be
trastea methods and PRINCIPLES Of 9 OWL king
se have often ppS gsse in %se historic ,hs
family Of H loving and faithful Children dlsap
peared from the world as an exist mt fact. men
sought Ia the civil State the typical prineioies
Of compact. powerful organic .tion. aud ap-
oiled them to the Church No. doubt that
bsen adopted aud used II Administrative power
can be centralized and upuuestio ting obe-
divIdual thought and Judgment be placed
under ban, and free action suppressed as
ual penalties that terrorlz, the soul the result
is organization which will challenge the ad
mirable In the, subtraction Of intelligence and
moral quality by reslstless power, II II organi
cation. but It is not Christianity. 1t is not the
the promise and sanction Of the Son of Man
the Divine Liberator. the Revealsr OF the
Father. The idea Of discipline and compulso-
cure united ecclesiastical action. ia not In place
Ia that system which asks not only that men
shall do right. religious and helpful things,
choose them. That. truth Indicates for "a
the fn%ap s of 1 ana
notable words; The love Of. Christ conssfaineth
u.s." ln this view the KINGDOM is a body which
CORPORATE activity, .gatheriug up individual
thought. purpose. Judgment and energy. into
concentrated forms, Of expression. and thus ex.
not be supposed that In thus speak II Y we do but
picture an ideal which is useless % cure the
weakness OF kingdom whose very disc ase it ia
of unity. We have more than a lame Mt to utter
here: aud we dare not say that the love of
Christ has disappeared from the hearts of this
There ie, believe. In history itself, an ex-
planatory reason for that disorRaniz .lion, the
results Of which are always before Us to be de.
plored. The reformation of religion In the
sixteenth century. was u recovery of freedom
for the individual man; successful revolt
a a and ne I'll
to think on matters of highest moment: to think
soberiy. reverenty, ,hu nbly, indeed = but to
t Vaon Ell saa od a oS biz .s
an overshadowing spiritual despotism. It was
seen clearly that the Kingdom was made Tor
And under tue sway of this principle the In
terests OF the Kingdom as eueh, have been
81 eatly subordinated.t In our Protestant fought.
surance OF pardon through faith IN the living
christ, There can be NO doubt that Protestant
hss been dseat In sayos 70 the
Jesus Christi while il has been g M
par.etive,ly remiss in enforcing the Divine
" nS the y al world the and nS p1saei t
us an IDEAL Of ohristise living es wSles
cody bshayor H the daily walk Tor fSr devo
ton to things that are pure and Of good report
but Il does -, no. ask earnestly and urgently
public piety which gives to the Kingdom the
gives to the personal life, We see the need
in the house; we do not rightly feel the need Of
the city set on an hill. the compact and ordered
city OF God that ashes Its Concentrated lights
out on the darkness of earth.
!, There u recorded noinjunction of the Master
that Christians shall assemble themselves on
the LORDS Day to pray anu praise. That is
OF salvation. But there. is recorded HE
POI tive direction to His church. the kingdom.
to do Kingdoms work to evangelize the world;
would not know 1t for their Office. would not
know the true method OF action, would not
know IT to be the divine, school of love. of hui
express inttmation given by our Lord. Aud
look npon the commission givea to the APOSTLE
church rather as the Founders counsel than
as the, Hugs decree 1t is an instruction
Ia method, addressed to the willing. rather
than an order which assumes reluctance aud
disinclinaion. For the desire to communicate
the GOSPEL must naturally exist In the hearts OF
those who have rightly received the Gospel
and our great meet is to understand once for
ali that the kingdom exists IN its organized
form IN order to fu,fli that desire; to make q
helpfully to its blessed Object It is
necessary. TOO. that We should learn
afresh that holy labor In the kiugd m. and
through the Kingdom. Is not work of super
appurtaining only t. a special class |
Of devoted dis aiples. but that 1t is as truly the
practice of piety as truly part of the life al.
scripture study or sacramentai |
Worship, i is itself means # grace aud |
growth in Christian virtues. such labor reacts,
aud was meant to react, upon those who engage
N It. Il ts the normal regultrand healthful
play of the religious principle By 1t the
Christian mind is drawn away from pomps
comes opportunity for sscriflce strangling the
'ovetousnsss which is idolatry. By 1t emss
owe as a living principle not a passing emo
ion. and that breadth of mind which arises