The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-04-24
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
FIRST uNryERsA11sr CHURCH.

The Rev. j. r. Simmons of Webster, Mass,
occupied the pulpit yesterday. His sermon in
the forenoon upon the text from the First
Epistle of John, second chapter, 9th verse, and
Of the fourth chapter, Goth and 21st verses of
the same, was an eloquent denunciation OF
creeds as a substitute for the broad religion
that the Savior came to establish, and fervid
plea fof universal brotherhood and love.
He first examined our reasons for belief in
the Messiah, showing the impossibility for any
natural man to have even conceived in his
imagination life of such incompatible purity
and sweetness as that chronicled by the Scrip
lures as having been passed in Palestine by
our Lord-this perfect life possible only to the
true Son of God. While there is much that is
good in all forms Of religion, Christianity en-
braces and includes all such good and infinite
ly more. Creeds, when expressions of mans
convictions, and approached through the New
Testament, should not be condemned; but
those rigid creeds which never soften or
broaden are the bane of humanity and the
foes of Christianity and men should be thank
full for any influence that would lead them
away from them. For example, does man
wish to become Calvanist. He may be filed
with the hard Calvinistic creed and If he
dares to question it the doors of orthodoxy are
closed against him. And who is this John
Calvin, Ttose creed is thus substituted for the
Lord Jesus? Did he ever seek Christ? His
opportunities were not SO good nor his sur
roundings so favorable as ours. He did not
love his enemies; his was rather the religion
of revenge, the religion of those who perse-
cuted the Savior One of the happiest lndlca-
ton of our times is that, the best thought OF
IL. old
theories. AT recent New England orthodox
conference it was the general sentiment that
rigid adherence to them was suicidal for the
church. Nor as Universalist has man,
however thoroughly convinced that the gov,
eminent of God moves ever toward universal
love, any right to insist that MS Calvin neigh
Dor shall accept his views.
All creeds are nothing unless founded in
Christ and when they sink below the level OF
Christ men should seek to abandon them. We
must permit no creed to stand between Him
and ourselves The one word embodying all
religion is love--love of Christ and our fellow
man. Christ came to reveal this love, ana
human responsibility. No life not really NOV
ed by love is following Him. The presence OF
hatred in the heart shows the absencsd of
Christ We have but TO look at the life OF the
Saviour to see what our lives should be, what
human relations we should sustain. There are
men who deny the existence OF unselfish love,
insisting that the correct course in life is to do
unto others as they do unto you, but convinced
that there is good in all men, we will believe
that those who express such cynical views, in
their hearts hold the contrary. Most of our
troubles spring from the fact that humanity
expects more than it is willing to give. Let
man get new heart and then he will find his
neighbor's heart all right that it is just as
good as new. We should love God not from
fear, but because He frsS loved us. He loves
us too we'll to let us find pleasure in sin. Every
sting of retribution is but an evidence of this
love Remember that though He is SO great
that the heavens cannot contain Him, yet He
may dwell in the heart of tie humblest fol-
lower and remember that He who saith he
loves God, yet hateth his brother, is liar.