The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-12-23
THE PULPIT YESTERDAY.
Rev. Mr.. Pnlian Tells Why He is a Con
gregationa1ist.

Rev. Mr.. Pnllan Tells why He is a Con-
gregationalist.
The Rev. F. B. Pul1an, of East Orange.
| completed yesterday morning the series
of denominational sermons that have been
| running at the Tabernacle. His sermon
was designed to explain why he is a Con-
g~regationalist.
Mr.. Pullan is a man of forty. light COM
~plexioned, vigorous and forcible. He
chose for his text Matthew xiii-s:-"One
is your master. all ye are brethren"
Second Corinthians, xii-i3, For what is
it wherein We were inferior to the rest of
the churches and Revelations I-20,
'"The seven candlesticks ARE seven
churches"
EQUALITY OF THE CHURCHES.
The first point made by the Minister
was that Jesus, when He rebuked
| Phariseeism. announced the principle
upon which the Christ power in the lives
of Christ'S people would declare itself. Be
LEVERS in Jesus are to- be one toward
Christ, and equal toward each other.
His second point was that Paul declares
the equality of the seperate churches
| which he in his pioneer work in the
Gospel had founded. The third point in
his argument was in the revelations OF.
| John, 1.-THE seven separate churches are
QAb0GItu IubOd d UlCSJCa GIN w III ~ 1bhO
presence of one like the son of man walk
ing in the midst of them, each church
| standing in its place like a candle stick
holding up the enlightening truth to give
cheer and comfort to all that are in the
house"
This word of Christ as to equality of
the believer under one Supreme Lord is
an indication of the independence of sep
arate churches, and the spiritual ono of
fellowship which John saw in the vision
combine with it to indicate the ground
work upon which the line of thought
shall proceed at this time.
H PERSONAL REASONS.
Personally | am a Congregationalist
because of that guidance and control
which God has in the affairs of all men
and each man." said the minister, my
Christian life in early boyhood began in
a Congregational church, and has con
tinued ever since. = It's Christmas
tide once more. The meaning of Christ.
mas is that the King first set His footstep
in that kingdom of Heaven which he set
up
tIts beginning was with Christ. The
characteristics OF it are loyalty to the
King Himself. 1t necessltates perfect
unity when fully developed; it is ever
lasting; it is a kingdom whose contest is
with the darkness and talsehood of sin.
In its manifestations on earth the follow
ers of this kingdom associate together in
the WORK III lOCdl CHuICuGo, abIlGSC iQCdt
churches in the beginning and in the his
| tory of the visible kingdom on the earth
are the evidences of its presence here.
The constitutional principle of the Con
gregational theory of Christian life is
the independence under Christ of each
fully constituted local church OF Christ,
Each local church governs all It's lnstitu-
tions and determining the questions that
arise concerning the constitution.
"This theory of the Christian church is
the latest in its historical development,
while it's the oldest in its first principles.
I am a Congregationalist therefore from
satisfaction with the theory which under
lies Congregationalism."
The First Christmas Morning.
Yesterday was an exceedingly interest
ing day for the members OF the Lafayette
Methodist Church. In the morning the
pastor, the Rev. ?. G. Blight preached an
excellent sermon on the first Christmas
morning. He began his remarks by re-
ferring to the great joy which the birth
of an heir to a crown brings to a ~reigning
family, and said that if we was to seattle
gladdest event OF time we must look
backward eighteen centuries, when, at
the birth of Christ, the angels brought
good tidfngs to the shepherds.
THE advent of Christ. Mr.. Blight said,
was glad tidings to all classes of man
kind. 1t brought good tidings to the
slave, glad tidings to the humble and the
toilers of the earth. We live in an age
when the dignity of labor is recognized,
and let it be remembered that there vas
never heard a word about the dignity of
| labor before the advent of Christ.
The advent of Christ revealed three
great truths: God, man and immortality.
| The aid religions and philosophers left
man %foundering in The dark. The best
the teachers could afford ma was the
maxim Of the stoics:-"Eat, drink and be
merry for tomorrow we die" /.
But at the appearance Of Christ the
darkness disappeared. He stood beside.
the grim monster death and drew the
white line of Immortality across his fore
head.
In the evening the Sunday school held
appropriate services in the chapel, which
was beautifully decorated with ever
greens. There were singing and recita-
tons and Mr.. Blight and superintendent
Wheeler made addresses.
Dear Mabel, did you see those sensible pre- s
ents for Christmas at c.. j. McCabe's, No. ~
Montgomery street. II is the safest place in the
city 10 buy smokers fayorites.