Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-11-09
IN ABSTRACT
Wthe Sermon Preached Yesterday in the
Winthrop street church by Rev. J. r.
Leland.

1
Winthrop street church by Rev. J. r.
| Leland.
Tex: He gave some to the spsssiss ;
sn1 some, peoDhsts; and some. svansetises /;
and some, pastors and teacher; 10, tts
pesfetd1g Of the Saints, unto the work o.
niniaeri1R, urso the building up Of The
Boy Of Cnriss; I'LL We all asta;a unto the
unity Of the faith, N Of the knowledge OF
The Zen Of Got-E H. 4; IL. IL, ID.
| Tbs 10 the moot comprehensive stste-
nsne, to BE- found in the scfipsafss, Of the
work that God has called msn 70 al.
Is states how shey are used; the purp,se
Tor a hica they are used and the erd 70 b.
stsaissd.
They are used - spostles, p,ophsis
evan geiists. teachers, pastors and In The
work Of ministesiag.
The purpose Of their YORK 10, the up
building Of the body Of Christ; and the end
TO be stssired is, tie unity Of the faith IN
us ali Ard the knowledge Of the 5 10 of
I'd Now we know What apostles, prorh
els, evspgeiisss, tea chers snd pastors are
ve have an idea shas the work Of mini :
tsrins and the peifecting Of the sAia,.
means; but what Is meant by tn. body q
| Christi"
Certainly the apostle does not m san tb
building up Of the physical body Of Christ.
This seems to have been fayori,e tsfm
! with the apossle, snd from the freq lent se
which he makes Of Is We shall expect him
70 somewhere In bis voluminous writings.
| eIpisan its meaning, which he has done, in
the l2.h chapter Of bis Letter 10 the Chris
| tians 10 Corinth.
He says TO them, ''Ys are the body OF
| Christ, and severally members thereof -
Then in the following verse be calls il tbe
| church from which We understand Paul 10
mean that the body CT Christ and the
church are one and tue same.
| This also explains whst be means when he
spears Of ''tbs building up Of the ,dy oil
Christ thss is the Church. This MAKE.
the chareh equally important with sheC hri,t
Our relation to the church il identical with
our relation to Christ We cannot b. re-
lated to one withou. being likewise felste3
10 the ether. there are hist Of people
who imagine that they would willingly do
| ell things for the inv ft4ble bed Of Chris
| IL IL were only presens among men, IS it
| was centuries ago. We read of
untold thoussnds, who, during the past
summer, visited . foreign city to look
81 an old coat, which tradition ssys WI.
worn by the Christ. How much more would
they d, for the real body of jesus. We
cay We would do all in our power for h =,
| pody Of Christ. Certainly We would rot
cruelty it. Yst how easy it 10 for US TO
cruelty what We think is the church, when
ever we become displeassd with things in
| relation TO II.
But, let US ask, what 10 the church,
You perceive that the difficulty 10 to keep
the snsver to tina. question free from h1,
man selfshness. or from giving definition
founded on merely individual ideas Of
Christ aud truth.
| This ls ads 70 sno her difficult encountered,
when IN attempt 10 made TO answer TIE
| question By pointing to some tangible OBJ
ject, or organization, and asserting, this
| that you see is the church; !" for then the
Catholic would point to the Catholic organ
izstion and say that Is the church, while
the Protestsnts would point to the particular
| organization to which he gives allegiance
and would say, this is the church, ihIs
there would be ~ many different answers
| as there are organic itions.
/ But how must the true Christian answer
| the question:
To him. Christ and the church
Slb OnS anu hut 5Afuts luW huu iOEtfHI.
To him, love and truth. and goodness are
snifeststions of the Christ among men /;
| and wherever these are seen thsfe is the
| Christ and there 10 the church. Moreover,
these manifestations Of the Christ among
| men cannot be confined to any man ar
ranged organization.
Says Canon Fsrrsf: II look upon orga; j.
zation as q secondary mstter, and not es-
sentisl to salvation"
Jesus did not form organizations among
His followers, nor did He command others
to. The orgsniz alton is but convenience
adopted By men as means Of order.
II is never an end but means which
The church is to use in attaining
the end for which the church exists, AMI
fo- which Christ Is in the world that is, TO
teach men to practice love, truth and good
ness Hence the arrogance OF those who
seek to make the mere organization the all
10 ali.
Some seem so imbusd with the idea Of the
superiority and righteousness Of their or
gsniz,tiou that they do not hesitate to use
any means, even bring those Of ether
Christian bodies. especially the young, to
come to them.
Recently = little boy in Que Of our Sun
day schools, told me he had been offered
certain amount Of money per Sunday to
me to these people when they knew /;
would take him from the religious services
which the parents wished him to attend.
How the Christ must denounce this pros
ttution Of Law, truth and goodness to the
Molock Of o'gsniz stion.
Thu trouble with such people 10, thai
they place the work of their own hands.
III organiz .tion, above thu love aud truth
ana goodness Of Christ, which are essential
10 salvation.
Our tex. indicates successive steps in the
Christian work the upbuilding Of the bod
Of Chrit lesds TO the next step which istilI
we all stain unto the unity Of fsith.' OBJ
serve, 1t is unity Of the faith and not of or
gsnizstion that the spostle speaks. Faith in
Whist? Jesus answers, aye believe in God
believe also in me-" "A new command
ment give unto you that as l have loved
you so ye also msy love one smother. BY
tbi, shall we know that sc are my disciples,
IL We hsev love one for smother" Here is our
faith and our duty. We have no right to
assume that any one organization is "ths
church and declare that all others are
but volunteer limitations AMI then
| .elishly refuse to unite with
them in worshipping God because they 90
not belong to our organization; for such
course tends to confusion and subverts the
| purpose for which the organic ston exists
| which is, as means 10 help "upbuild the
body Of Christ" the church, Till we all
ausin 10 the unity Of the faith Better all
otsanizlions be sunk in OBLIVION than that
they should be the csuae Of constant strife,
and division among those who prefer to
| foil3w Christ.
Jesus said. II sm with you slway:" GER
tainly net in the I hy steal body, for that long
.iocs cessed to sppesr. But in love Ard
tru h sad goodness he is always present.
We have none Of u, the full measure OF
these virtues. There is far greater dis
lance between the best Of US and Christ
than bstwee the best and TIE worst Of men.
The good of earth have far greater dis
lance TO 70 to attain to the full knowledge
| of the SON OF Col ,hsu have the mssness
o. ear h 10 att ain TO what the good COW
are. Then let US cease our selfish oosstias
about '',he church, and oil strive to a'fsil
to the unity of the faith.
| Saturday, Nov I, quite numb'r Oh
| b;vs wers tpj,yiog a skate on the ice OF