Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-15

iore ne can be persuaded to admit GENTLE
Into the Christian society. Even Paul must
first be blinded by light from heaven be-
fore ne can shut his eyes to the difference
between the Greek and the Hebrew, and
care no more about it
That there could be varieties of faith and
practice in the same church was q thing
winch to many good people in that old day
was as Incredible. as undesirable, as dan
gerous, and as pernicious, as it is to good
many good people still The very first
tnlng which the Christian religion did was
70 turn Its back upon exclusion and uni
formity. Alone among all the religious
teachers of his time, Christ recognized the
divine right of human differences. Christ
saw that one man differs from another. One
would think that anybody must see so
PLAIN fact as that. But every division into
which the church of Christ is to-day shame
iu!iy divided is testimony to somebody's
blindness Every single sect means that
somebody sometime failed to recog-
nize this inevitable fact of human
difference, and quarreled with 1t. You
might as well quarrel with the law of gravi-
tation. One after another, the Christian
church has turned her children out of doors
by trying to make them all exactly alike,
and disowning all who failed to fit the
standard.
The Division Into Sects.
Those party names of ''high" and fsbroad"
and Glow" which we hear more often than
we like to, represent absolutely unchangea-
BILE and eternal difference in human nature.
They symbolic different WAYS of empha-
sizing religious truth. There always have
been and there always will be people with
whom the most important part of religion is
that side of it which looks toward God, and
finds expression in worship. There always
have been and there always will be people
with whom the most important part Of re-
igion is that side of it which looks toward
There always have been and there always
will be people with whom the most impor-
tant part of religion is that side of it which
looks toward the world about them, and
finds expression partly in an extension Of
Christian charity and in the uplifting of the
bodies, minds and souls of men, and partly
in an endeavor to state religious truth so
that it may commend itself to everybody's
reason, and get hold of everybody's will.
That is, there have always been "high"
churchmen and Glow" churchmen and
''broad" churchmen; and there always
ought to be, and there always will be. But
somehow we have now these many centu-
ries been behaving as if all men were made
suading ourselves that everybody who is
not exactly of our kind is wrong, and ought
to be put out
Heresy Hunting, Past and Present.
And we did put out Low-Chureh Wesley,
and we did put out High-Church Newman,
and We are busy just at this day trying to
find some good 'broad" churchman whom
we may put out after them. When the
Chyie{ ,,,is r; ov,1
Christian missionaries from Wales met in
pagan England they agreed that there was
q great work for them to do, work
that needed all the energy they had. But
the French said to the Welsh, First, be-
fore we can work together, you must cut
your hair exactly as we cut ours"
When the slow" churchmen, who were
then called "Puritans," met the orthodox
of their day in conference at Hampton
Court the orthodox said, "It is indeed a
blessed thing that brethren should dwell
together in unity, but dearly beloved if
you would say your prayers with US you
must above all else wear the same kind Of
prayer gown that We wear. Not one of you
must be seen without surpIice." The
result was the PRESBYTERIAN communion.
What we all need to recognize is that
uniformity is impossible and that variety il
the law of nature and of God. There are
differences of administration, yes-but the
same Lord. What we need to see is that
the matters about which We differ belong
wholly to
Tho Outside of Religion.
They really have no more to do with tho
heart of religion than the paint on an en-
yine has to do with the running of the
wheels. Questions as to the ecclesiastical
government, whether by bishops or by
presbyters; questions as to clerical dress,
The most trivial, one would think, of all
things which might interest the mind of
man; questions as to ritual, much or lit
lie water, standing or kneeling, singing
hymns or singing psalms-how is it that
Christians can snake these matters synono-
nous with Christianity.
People are different, let them think diff
'erently. Whatever really helps is right,
Whatever hinders is wrong. And what
linders one may help another. IF the
church is sect, if it is little petty re-
igious confraternity then set Procrustes'
bed at the door of it and measure every
,omer, and cut off all the tall peoples feet,
md stretch out all the short people. But
( the church is o great broad catholic !
,hurch, such as Christ meant it to be, let |
everybody in and keep everybody in who
owes Him and wants to serve Him. There
8 q place In the wide church catholic Tor
very honest man that breathes
Simple Facts Back of It All.
We 60 back behind the difficulties Of |
heology and the differences of tempera-
nent and we find the "same spirit" and !
he '.same Lord" and the "same God which |
yorketh all in all" And it is as clear and !
imple as the universal sunlight. When |
he minister stands by the bed of death to |
ell the Christian message over again, it |
loesn't much matter who he is, 1t is one
imple story.
Christ is Christianity. Religion Is part
aith and part love. And the love part of
t is simply o following in the steps Of
resus Christ, trying to be as like him a. We
an, going about doing good as he did. All
he ethical precepts of our religion are
ummed up In the example of Christ And
he faith part of it is simply trusting Of
he words of Jesus Christ. He said he
new. And he told US plainly that God is
ur Father and that there is q life beyond
be grave. And we believe him. We take
is word Of teaching as Q child takes the
Tord of his father.
To try to live as Christ lived, to be con-
ent to take as true what Christ said-how
imple that is! 1t is the beginning, and the
,iddIe, and the end of all religion.
GEORGE HoDGNA