The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-10
"8oth hearing them and asking them cues.

Both hearing them and askingt them ques-
tions." ~
/ am not no much interested in the ques-
tons they asked him as in the questions
he asked them He asked the questions
not to get information from the doctors,
for he knew il already, but TO humble
them by showing them the hight and
depth and length and breadth OF their
own ignorance. While the radiant boy
thrusls these self conceited philosophers
with the interrogation point, they put the
forelinger OF the right hand to the temple
as though 10 start their. thoughts into
more vigor, and then they would look up
ward and then they would wrinkle their
brows, and then by absolute silence or in
positive words confess their incapacity TO
answer the interrogatory. With any one
Of a hundred questions about theology,
about philosophy, about astronomy, about
time, about eternity, he may have baked
them, disconnected them, flung them fiat
Behold the boy Christ asking questions
and listen when your child asks questions
lie has the right TO ask them. The more
he asks the better. Alas for tho stu
pidity Of the child without inquisitive-
ness! 1t is Christlike TO ask ques-
tons. Answer them il you can. DO
not say: 81 cant be bothered now" 1t is
your place TO be bothered with questions.
II you are not able to answer, surrender
and confess your incapacity, as have no
doubt did Rabbin Simeon and Illlel and
Sbammai and the sons OF Betirah when
that splendid boy, sitting or standing there
with garment reaching from neck to an
kle, and girdled at the waist, put them to
their very wits end. It's no disgrace TO
say 81 don't know" The learned doctors
whoenyroned Christ that day in theTemple
did not know, or they would not have
asked him any questions The only being
in the universe who never needs 10 say ~
do not know" is the Lord Almighty. The
fact that they did not know sent Keep
pier and Cuvier and Columbus aud
Humboldt and llerschel aud Morse
and Sir William Hamilton and all
the other of the worlds mightiest ma
lures into their life long explorations.
Telescope and microscope and stethoscope
and electric battery and all the scientific
apparatus OF all the ages are only questions
asked at the door OF mystery. Behold this
Nazarene lad asking questions, giving ever
lasting dignity 10 earnest interrogation.
But while | see the old theologians
standing around the boy Christ ana im.
pressed rs never before with the fact hat
what theology most wants is more of child.
ish simplicity. The world and the church
have built up immense systems OF theology.
Hall OF them try 10 tell what God planned,
what God did five hundred million years
before the small star on which we live
was created. | have had many q sound
sleep under sermons about the DEGREES of
God aud the eternal generation OF tho Son
and discourses showing who Melchisedek
wasn't, and | give q fair warning that il
any minister ever begins sermon on such
II subject in my presence will put nv
head down on the pew in front and 20
into the deepest slumber can reach.
Wicked waste OF time, this trying 10 scale
the unscaiaDle and iathom the uniathom-
able while the nations want the bread of
life and to he told how they can get rid of
their sins aud their sorrowA Why should
YOU and perpex ourselves about the dc.
crees OF God? Mind your own business
and God will take care of his. In the
conduct OF the universe / think he will
somehow manage TO get along without us.
Ii you want 10 love and serve God. and
DO good and useful aud got to heaven. |
warrant that nothing which occurred
hinder you minute. IL is not the DEGREES
OF God that do US any harm, 1t Is our own
DEGREES Of sin aud folly. You need not
90 any further back In history than about
1856 years. You see this is the year 1859.
Christ died ab3at thirty-thrce years OF age.
You subtract thirty-three from 1850 and
that makes II only !, $50 years That is as
far back rs YOU need 10 20. Something
nrpnrrsl IN that t,vI.. M. ...ts.......I
sun that sets us oil forever free ii with our
whole heart aud life We accent the ire.
mcndous prollcr. DO not let the Prcsby.
tcrian Church or the Methods, Church or
the Lutheran Church or the Baptist
Church or any OF the other evangelical
churches spend any time in trying TO fix
up old crccds, all Of them imperfect as
everything man does IL imperfect. move
new creed Tor all the evangelical churches
OF Christendon, only three articles Ia the
creed aud no need oil any moro. Ii had
all the consocraied people OF all denomi.
nations of the earth on one great plain,
and had voice loud enough 20 put Il 10 a
vote that creed OF three articles would be
adopted with a unanimous vote aud
laundering aye that would make the earth
quake aud the heavens ring with hosanna.
aH', ~ wv NANNh li'F!aS iVl hli Nhin-
tendom
Article FirS-"God so loved the world
that ho gave his only bcgotien Son that
whosoeyor bclieycth in him should not
perish but have everlasting liie."
Article Sccond-"rhis Is a faithful say
ing and worthy OF all accoplaton that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners, even the chief.
Article Thirl-"Worihy Is tho Lamb
that was slain 10 receive blessing aud rich.
cs and honor and glory aud power, world
without end. Amen"
But you 20 10 unkcring up your old
crccds aud patching and splicing aud In.
tcrlining aud annexing and sublmciing
and adding and explaining and you will
losc time aud make yourself targct for
earth aud hell % shoot at Lot rs have
crceds not fashioned out Of human lingo.
nui,ics but out OF scupluril phrasooogy.
and all the guns Of bombardmcnt blazing
from all phc portfolios OF inhdclity aud
pcrdiuon will not In n thousand years
knock OF the church of God splinter ~
big M a cambria needle. What Is most
needed now Is that we gather all
our thcologics around tho boy In
the Temple, the Celebrations around
the simplicilics, and the proiunditius
around the clarifies, the octogcnarian OF
scholastic research around the unwrinklel
cheek Of twelve year juycncsccncc. EEK
ccpl you become as little child you can
Ia no wise onter the Kingdom and OK.
cepi you bccome ~ a little child you can
not undcrs,Anil the Christian religion.