The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-05-19

Tares there are perhaps tares there
must be-in the best guarded fields ot
grain, but it is an enemy" that sows
them, we are told and woe be to that
Church which, for the sake of boastine
and transient appearance of deceptive
bloom, is in this matter its own enemy
Nor is wealthy, necessarily pros,
porous, Church. Other things being
equal, an opulent membership might be
indeed justly regarded as occupying an
important vantage position which it were
folly to despise. Property sanctifed is
property servicable; and the more of this
kind the better Otherwise, however, it
may become even a source of weakness,
by fostering a worldly pride in the soil
where heavenly humility ought alone to
grow. Money is power and power indis-
pensable, but it is not always helpful
power; being such only when expended
purely for the Master ssake who has Him
self taught us that He is better pleased
with the small gifts of the money unosten-
tatiously dropped into His treasury, than
with the larger offerings of the few who
regard the noisy applause of men as
above the silent praise of God At any
rate, His wisdom is illustrated in the fact
that the controlling mass of His people
is composed of those who have compare
lively little of this worlds goods-evinc-
ing that He, certainly, knows how to
render Church prosperous without the
aid of such riches as other kingdoms de-
pend upon. Men of wealth there are
among His chosen ones whose heart, as
literally disposed as their means are
plentifully bestowed, reveal them to the
eye of thankful admiration as truly
noble specimens of consecrated Christian
devotion but mot many" of these are
called: only enough to show that even in
the most difficult walk of tempted life
divine grace has power to subdue and to
transcend. Assuredly, as things are, no
Church is called to mourn over its pow
erty as II this were fatal calamity, nor
on the other hand to rejoice in the pos
session of distinguished affiuence as if
this were principal good X X
II. | now pass, however from con-
slderation of what does not constitute
Church prosperity, to some suggestions as
to what does; although knowing before
hand that | am thus about to enter upon
territory less secure to the foot than the
ground have Just left, and that l might
herein walk far without fully overtaking
the precise object of my search
L. In the first place, true prosperity
is found in the thoughtful purpose of all
who represent the Church to maintain,
in its unabridged integrity and in its un-
Acknowledgements, a well defined evan
gelloal. doctrine. Happily for us we in
herlt from our fathers a scriptural or
ganization whose shining distinction has
been its steadfast adherence to the entire
revealed word of God, as that exclusive
standard OF faith and duty apart from
which religious belief has nothing valua-
bic to affirm and religious practice moth
ing laudable to achieve So that almost
the whole history of Presbyterianism is a
history of battles under the banner on
which was emblazoned this order: " hold
fast the form of sound words" To such
an extent is this true, that it has even
been content to suffer reproach on ac-
count of the tenacity with which. with
both hands, it has clung 20 the thus it
Is written, and for it's readiness to meet
with sharp controversial zeal all those
whose pseudo-ch charitable folly has pre-
sumed to loosen single nail or obscure
a single opening i'm the sanctuary of di-
vine inspiration We thus derive from an
ancestry whose labors and endurances on
the changing field of polemical disputa-
tlon have served to shed a lustre imper
ishable upon our Churchs annals, albeit
the contention was sometimes over what
might seem nothing more nutritious than
a dry bone of metaphysical opinion. In
these latter days, however, has EMERGED
disposition, visible here and there. to
relax the bonds of theology, which. al
though fixed in the holiest experiences of
Gods people, is believed not to be broad
enough for covering the advancing steps
OF modern thought" Let It be soft
ened, therefore, some are ready 10 crv
be toned down to q le#er KEY, be relieved
Of its Jagged points, made more humane
placed nearer to the demand of enlipbt.
ened reasonl
Fidelity to the whole body of inspired
truth, is TO any Church, not more a die
tate OF wisdom than necessity Of exist
ence. Let us have Gods word, or none !
1t His all-directing voice shall become
faint amongst us, let every other voice ex-
cept that which is raised for the revival
Of His, become dumb
There is little or no danger on this
uOorn 90 for 90 3yo oro oc..oe...-.1 L