Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-08-07
AMERICANS IN LErPs1o.

hoV. DaVlo y. GuWAIu5, pastol VI LILO
American church In Leipsic, Germany,
preached very interesting sermon yester-
day morning before fair-sizsd audience
in the United Church chapel where the
services of this church are being, held
during the month of August. he chose
for his text the words of Paul found in
Ephesisng iii: 14-19. "For this cause
bow my KEGS unto the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family In
heaven and earth is named, that He would
grant you according to the riches of His
glory, to be strengthened with might by
His spirit in the inner man; that Christ
may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye
being rooted and grounded in love, may be
able to comprehend with all saints what Is
the length and breadth and depth and
height; and to know the love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge, that ye be filed
with all the fulness of God"
One of the main points of his discourse
was that Christianity is not the church.
He spoke also of the danger which some
feared might result from controversy in
| the-church. "But," he said, Controversy
ana COuI6utlOu6 hI0 6lkuS VI AChASuy
church life. They show an interest in re-
| lieious affairs. They show that there are
men of brains and life in the church; men
| of decided opinions with courage to ex-
press them. A great many others think
that persecution is result of the church.
But prosecutions come long before the
church. It is good thing to gee conten-
ton in a church when there is some rea-
sonable cause for it-something to fight
against. Thus the contention which we
find in the Roman Catholic church
is founded on good cause and reason and
will undoubtedly bring to that church
greater liberty and freedom. On the other
hand that in the Presbyterian church Is
equally foolish. Some feel very much dis
turbed because DR.. Briggs has been forced
better that he leave. If he had remained
there would have been final division. I
| believe 1t to be the duty of Christians to
| reduce what they believe to an intellectual
expression. Now do not be afraid of the
| word "creed" even If it has been made an
| instrument of torture. I affirm that all
this talk against oreeds is sheer nonsense
| You all of you have ereeds, even though 1t
be not even a written one. But believe
that Christianity is larger and embraces
more than any creed. For you cannot
measure the Infinite God by the finite
man.
| Greed is philosophers telescope by
| which he can search out religious truth.
Most minds are 80 constructed that they
cannot accept the higher truths. For many
minds are lasy and those accept blindly
and without reason what they are taught
But they fight for and hold steadfast te
their beliefs. But most of us get beyond
what our fathers and mothers teach US
and we have to have a reason for every
thing we believe. Thus personal faitt
or creed Is gradually developed. I hav,
often thought what happy state of MIND
one would be in If he only could simply &C
| cept his parents teaching without doubt o.
questioning. But the real Christianity i
ito be filed with the fullness of God"
Christianity Is Christ, and Christian
know that their very hearts are being sub
dued to the quality of their Lord Yo1
say you know Chopin, Beethoven, William
! of Orange and many others who have beel
great. But Christ is brought home a
powerfully as they. Christ was revela
tion-a revelation by person. That /
the secret of Christianity. That is Christ
Mahomet said that heaven was reached be
meath the flaming of the cimetar. Chris
said love would bring one to heaven. Thu
the love in the personality of Christ is re
vealed of the power of God.
A great many come to doubt the powe
: of Christianity. They say that Christian
, | ity has 'played out" But Christianity wi
never BE- played out" until the love {
GOD ceased to be imperative on the hear,
8 of men. Love is the magnet of huma
. nature and draws all to 1t. 1 shall nevt
forget remark Of your own pastor, D
Munger, where he says: "Ail creatio
swims In an ocean of eternal love-" Tt
, | revelation of God is a revelation of Del
Q sonal love, which can be appreciated b
any child.
Of course 1t Is true that character cannt
be impaired from one man to another. B,
) character can be strengthened and slim
lated into life by the love of Christ. Thu
Christianity will never be "plsyed Out
q until love is dead In the hearts of me,
Christianity-thatis you end I, my friend
| trying to overcome our secret sins, tryin
l to love our fellow men, trying to put dow
Satan under our feet. Christianity-it
o the hospital, the home for the friendles
the many bands of men and women WI
Z are bound together everywhere to try an
D help put down sin and relieve miser,
Christianity is soul life above body lif
or faith, this Identification of your so
, with the spirit and love of Christ is tt
q | real test which shows you what you ar
f And it Ia a part of our duty to bring o,
brothers to Christ. And If we are firs
with that fervent love of Christ and fide
@ ity to duty we would not be satisfied unit
a we had brought others with us uni
4 Christ. Let us all take these truths HON
to ourselves, that through us Christianii
may proceed onward and be glorifed.
Mr.. Edwards in speaking to CoUR1z
: reporter of the church and the work whic
D Is being carried on in Leipsic said: 'It
cal. ALI the people of the English speal
ing world, including many Jews an
Roman Catholics, have the benefit of tt
ministry. 1t Is attended by about q
students both in the university and tt
conservatory of music. The difficultie
t with which we have to contend are tt
absence of any home life or religior
y training for the students, and II
. social difficulties of the place. Thes
8 social difficulties are, might say, tt
: principal obstacles which we have t
' surmount. The reason of this is due prir
oipally to the manner in which the Co.
mans live. A great many live in one room
Sometimes family have a sitting roo,
where they can all meet together for socil
: intercourse. But if an American esntl,
8 man wishes to call upon an American lad
: who may be student at the oonseryator
he Is, In nine cases out of ten, liable
have to go to her room, for he may ne
wish to see her before the members of 81
German family and speak English whe
all the rest are speaking German. Nov
the Germans are even moro conservstiy
and strict than we are in their ideas {
: proRriety, consequently hea.-America
students often give a name tbs
, is undesirable For there 1t
not considered to bs proper for
; lady and gentleman to walk upon til
, street together unless they are engaged an
the engagement has been published. Neitt
er is 1t proper for lady and gentleman t.
go to church together without a chaperor
Thus 1t is my aim as pastor Of the Amsl
lean church to try and obviate these diff
oulties, to try and get place where tn
young lady and gentlemen students ma
meet together in healthful, home-like, &C
cial intercourse. So the social element Il
cur work is a strong one. We hav
prayer meetings Sunday afternoon whicl
are attended by thirty or forty of them
We have q short social season after
ward. In the evening at 8 o'clock "
meet together for social sing and afte,
ward We generally have some essay b,
some of the students on some ethical o
philosophical subject. And we have ha
some excellent ones too. I feel safe In say
ing that If you could publish them in tn
, columns of your American newspapers
they would make better reading than
great deal of the matter which appears il
them. Thus in fine our aim ia to help kee
alive the home faith of the students, +
make social life healthy and attractive, i