The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-05
THE BASIS OF JUDGMENT.
Christ's Prohibition and His Direction
by Which We Are to Consider Others.
Rev. 0. G. McCulloch's Address to Young Men
Concerning Their Relations with the
Church-Dr. Hunter at the Rink.



Rsv. J. Albert Rondthsler's Morning Sermon
at the Tabernacle Church.
Rev. j. Albert Rondthaler, of the Tabernacle
Church, yesterday morning preached an able
and intensely practical sermon on the
relations of man to man, from parts of the
first and twentieth verses of the seventh chapter
rof Matthew: Judge not
Wherefore, by their fruits We shall know them
The sermon was as follows:
These two sentences are emphatic in their di-
ffections concerning that part of our rellglon
which has to do with other people, and very I'M
p0rtant department of Christianity it Is. Where
our life touches upon God is always or the great
est moment to every soul that realizes an exist
enee above and beyond this present state; but
how our life touches upon the lives around us is
ever a question of prime Importance to every
one who has any throb of divinity in him or any
likeness to Him who came to this earth for this
worlds good. TIE careful Bible reader is con-
annually impressed WITH the large place Gods
word gives to defining the true relations that
ought TO exist between man and man. Of the
Ten Commandments four tell our duties to God
and six define our relations with our fellows.
When Christ came to prepare these two tables
He said they were OF equal Importance. The
first of all the commandments is: Hear, y
Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord, and thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.
with all thy strength. This is the first COM
mandment And the second commandment is
like unto it: Thou shalt love they neighbor as
myself. There is none other commandment
greater than these. More than half the Sermon
on the Mount is occupied in establishing
Just and harmonious relations between men.
In the after development Of Christianity there
is not an epistle of Paul. Peter or John but
deals literally in the same matter The first
part of Romans, to the end of the eleventh
chapter, is magnificent argument on the plan
of salvation. defining mans standing before
God, and his relation to Jesus Christ The
five following chapters are almost entirely taken
mp in developing peace and harmony among
men. In Corinthians we have the remarkable
psalm to love in the twelfth chapter Ephesians
and Colossians give the reciprocal duties be-
4ween husband and wife, children and parents
masters and servants. So in Peters epistles
we have the constant recurrence of the same
line of teaching. In James we have the sturdy
protest against partiality, and his summary of
pure religion and undefiled before God and the
Fathers. no visit the fatherless and widows in
their Attic ms and to keep unspotted from the
world. Joyd's epistle is so interviewer with love
to God and love to man that they form one
twist Of thread through the whole letter. He
argues back and forth from one to the other that
you can scarcely tell where true Christianity,
according to his idea begins or what is its prin-
Gpal form of Observation-Disclosures up toward
God or out towards man. "He that loves God
will love men" mo one that does not love
God can love men," If God loved US we ought
to love one another John makes our relations
I'VE know that we have passed from death unto
life, because we love the brethren" And 80 on,
through the epistle
Is it not strange that the great theologians
and commentators should have given, compare
fively so little attention to this department
when it occupies so important place in the
Bibleg Volumes upon volumes have been writ
cen shout the doctrines of the free will" pre-
destination, 1.-THE origin of SIM" probation and
reprobaton," and all that. but the reciprocal re-
lations of humanity, the outgoing of sympathy,
helpfulness and love, occupy but little space in
general theological literature. The statesmen
of the world. the political economists, and the
modest philanthropsts have done better than
that Taking the incisive declarations of the
Bible as great foundation blocks, they have
built upon them the good structure of our pres
ent civilization, which, while it Is not perfect is
very liberal in it's recognition of individual
rights and gives the largest room for the exercise
of all those faculties that compose the social
part of our nature. Meanwhile, ecclesiasticism.
j will not call it Christianity the church, has
been very busy with matters altogether out of
the sphere of the practical. Men have quarreled
with each other, and split up into factions and
parties on the nature and effects of Adams sin;
on the question of the real presence in the bread
aud wine at the communion table. Men have
been expelled from the church because they had
peculiar views about baptism and the Lords
d
ira! because a man was hard, cold, selfish,
mean, or grasping2 70 express a doubt
about some abstraction or speculation sets in mo-
tion the whole whir Of ecclesiastical machinery
but to be masterful. arrogant, sharp in your
judgment of others, harsh IN condemnation
passes without rebuke protest Whenever it
comes to these things people say. "Oh. we are all
fallible. No one is perfect. The church is
meant for sinners. 1t is a school in which we
are to be trained into graces" And that's all
III IVA or rhaca hiYpc T
see the consistency in being outraged and full
of quaking fear that the foundations are going,
and the whole thing is wrecked when some body
questions the phraseology of some abstruse doc
trine whose settlement never makes any one
better or happier,
Controversies about forms and ceremonies
have resulted in fierce wars and bloodshed; but
NO one has ever fought with another because he
loved his tellow-man too much, Or spent himself
Zoo much Tor others, or was too careful of their
rights. Whoever heard of council or presby-
tory trying man because he had hating
heart, or because he was sour in disposition, or
harsh in his treatment of his fellows2 Heresy-
bunting has run altogether in the line of alb
stract theology and philosophy. Mind heresy
has been damned again and again; heart heresy
receives no attention either from ecumenical
council, general assembly. or general conference.
Men and women, il we would escape the vapid-
ness of mere theory, and the impracticabilty
that results from controversies and questions
about distractions and specuations, we must
take the broad, large, liberal Bible view of re-
lision. which clearly and emphaticaiy defines
our relations to God, and also earnestly directs
that we weave into our faith and practice care
full thonght for our fellows-just treatment of
them merciful dealings with them, charitable
associations among them. Our attitude towards
them must be generous helpful and sympathet-
&c. Give everybody fair play; honor the right
and true. am sure you will get that out of
our Bible reading. whatever else comes to you.
You will not only get the more genial disposition
and the kindly feeling, but also the clear-cut,
sharp distinction between right and wrong. We
are 70 be ready with tho smile of announcement
and the word in season to HIM that is weary the
tear of sympathy for the sorrowing, the out
stretched hand for the fallen; but s well. also.
earnest in warning emphatic in rebuking what
deserves censurc, Jealous in rightipg what is
wrong. and fearless in ey<sything that tends
vidIaL Morality centers upon self, and is care
full not 10 invade the rights of others the