St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-12

tend as spectators while witches should
/ be burned, or agree to the imprisonment
of good Baptists. This form of bigotry,
| thank God, has we'll nigh passed away
| from Christendom. But is there not
the lurking suspicion, which sometimes
becomes profound conviction, that
our particular church has somehow Sc
cured corner upon Gods grace, and
has been made the special depot of sup
plies through which God sends His
medicines for Sin-sick SOuls2 How would
it do for the churches to apply to this
matter Christ's method of judgment? II
preme test? And so long as real saint
hood is manifested in every church com
muniOn, does it not seem plain that
there is no single pathway over which
human feet must pass in their effort to
get to God? One of the
MEASEST FORMS OF BIGOTRY,
is that piOus resignation which turns
over with great meekneSs all our OPP
ponents to the test of the Judgment
throne. 1t is true that we ourselves do
not burn heretics, but we grow very
comfortable in the persuasions that God
certainly will, and our omissions in this
regard will all be made up on the other
side of the great river. Before the mil
lennium comes the world must also be
rid of this.
There are three other methods by
which may be treated Emergencies Of
churches. The first is indifference,
made up of good nature, good digestion
suavity and smiles. To this brother
one church is as good as another, and so
he does not catch on anywhere. The
tremendous facts of conscience, sin,
pardon, comfort, are too divinely
earnest to be treated in this way.
The second method is that Of conces-
sion; and we have now elegant peace
makers in different branches of the
Christian church. protesting and manu-
featuring union, to which each church
shall bring something, and in which
each church shall surrender something.
This new cosmopolitan creation will
never get itself born, because it has no
life in it. The vital movements of the
world have been essentially unconscious
and unprecedented. You cannot make
universal church out of such patch
work as an ecclesiastical crazy quilt.
There are two streams OF tendency.
One upward, and the other downward,
''He that is not against us, is for us"
said the Master. 1t is by results in the
moral domains that forms OF church
life will be judged. There is here
also a survival of the fittest. The
useful is to be the lasting. "By
their fruits shall We know them" Who
ever casts out devils, by whatever
measures he accomplishes his task, be-
longs to Christ's party, land no other dis
eiple dare forbid him. This recogni+
ton of good work in others, furnishes a
basis for real fellowship. The practical
work of Christ in the world, may be
done without debate. Romanist or
Lutheran may give cup of cold water
to thirsty lips. Episcopalian or Metho-
dist may feed the hungry and minister
TO the sick. 1t is Gods method that
there shall be Emergencies in church
life. We are set indeed to the task of
provoking one another, only we must
provoke one another to good works.
The true emulation is not in the height
OF church spires, in amplitude of church
treasures, or in length of church rolls.
The true test is, do we cast out devils?