Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-07
SOME SUNDAY SERMONS
IN FORT WORTH CHURCHES ny
EMINENT DivINEs.
The Power of Organized Labor-For-
Eivenes--Invtted to the Feast.
The Payment of vows-Lnrge
Il Audiences at all Churches.

llt iOOh lbI iliH AtAA VIZ ANhf IS 49,
NTH verses of the fourth chapter OF
Etclesiastes.
when thou voweat vow unto
God defer not to pay It, for he hath
no pleasure in fools; pay that which
thou hast vowed"
Better Is u that thou HhOrldst
not vow than that thou shouldst
vow and not pay"
In opening, he snid he was not go
Ing to speak generally OF the church
vowH. but Of that lone in particular
which members took 10 support the in
sututions OF the church. He said he
aid this Mt the special request OF the
stewards OF the church. He dis
liked preaching on anything looking TO
the raising Of finances. but ns II
WIS a scriptural subject md he had
been specially called upon TO do II,
he felt he could.
He then dcfEed the church invisible
AZ consisting Of the whole body OF
spiritual believers, In whatever ngc.
country or denomination they might
be found and the invisible church MS
consisting OF congregation OF the
faithful In which the pure word of
God was preached and the sacraments
duly administered
The Church Visible.
The latter portion Of this definition,
thnt OF the church visible. implied. he
said, order. organization. power and
the right OF self-regulation. Al minor
mattois pertaining to the church gov
eminent. he continued, were not de-
fined in the scripture, but were loft
60 be determined by the individual
churches for themselves
Enlnrglng upon these general propoa-
itlons he described the intimate con-
nection between the church spiritual
or Invisible and the church visible and
tho general uHnnuAana.a of far
upon tho latter for ts continued ex-
ihtence and progress.
Christians We're, no said, disposed 10
go to extremes IN one way or another
when considering the church In It's
according 70 HIS View. paid too much
attention to the visible church lie
Thought II was true Of the Romnn
Catholic church, and to some axtent
or the Anglican church, that they de-
voted themselves to external forms
and ceremonies. The fault that he md
10 find with Protcstnnts generally was
That. on the other hand, they Thought
70 much Of tho invisible church that
lhey did not At all times manifest auf.
helent interest IN the, temporal and
slnlhle church. and the duty OF main
aiming It's organization
How Christians Are Made,
He then described the projects by
which Christians become members OF
The twofold church, Experience OF
Ernce In the heart he sud. would
put one Into the Invisible church, no
matter what the circumstances OF his
conversion were, Whoever hnd gonti.
Inc saving faith In Christ became a
member OF tho invisible church. re.
EardleHa Of the forms and coremoniea
peculiar to the visible church.
Few saved Outside the Church.
Continuing. he nnid that while II
might be that hero and there man
VAS saved outside OF the Visible church.
mo chances Were that unless he be-
zane n member Of the visible church
" Christ he would bncksllde ID yyns
lrldum that a man who had been
mved even through the special Inter-
session u divine grace was preserved
10 eternal salvation except throueh ma
~ means OF tho organization OF Chris.
haha, known as the visible chut1,h
inv convert following the rulc, en-
titd INTO the visible church by ban
usm and the assumption NJ church
tpWs which the speaker explained were
grounded IN Justice and right No
man, he said WAS forced TO ioln the
church or To- take itH vowa Therefore.
ne said, these vows. thus taken, were
% the most binding character posalhic
These VOWS contained ones utter re-
auhoiauon OF the world, the flesh nnd
The devil The obligation of upse
Fhurch VOWS was dweit upon. the min
htor declared with cmphnHlJ that the
man who assumed th0m and thcn light
Y broke them was guilty OF perjury In
ne sight OF God, These vIwa. he con-
hnued' promised subjoctiol to the dis
ripline OF the church, AttcLdnnee unon
Us ordinances and the support Of ia
lnnututlons. No man, he said, who mad
laken these vows had the right To an
tent himself from amy OF the porvlces
o. the church or TO fnil to contributes
pI nus means to the financial support
Of the church
The LAW on the Subject.
Having thus enlarged upon the dutloa
or members In regard TO maintaining
The church organization by their indi.
vidunl influence and more eapeciniiv
financial obligations tho minister
quoted nom the discipline OF the Al
~ Church South TO show what was
meant by supporting the institutions
The quotation which was from para-
Erhphs sos and 500 of the discinllne
lalu' Ihe church conference may ndont
w. own method OF raising the monev
Unless otherwise ordered by the church
conferences the stewards shnil adopt the
plnn OF assessment with conaont 40
provided IN the following pnrnpr,nh
So' Each member Of tho phut,h N
expected 10 pay according 10 hls ar
her several ability for the mnpport NJ
me ministry. aud the stewards OF ennh
tthtlen or circuit shan Determine
Nhether payments are TO be made
weekly, mnnthly or quarterly durInv
me year. They shall thon aseertnin
now much each member is able md
willing TO pay In the installmonta nxed
~ the stewards. ana whatever caeh
member agrees to pay. he or abe ahnIi
De- under solemn obligation 10 nav ANA
AN only be released from this ohlirn-
non by the order OF the stewards ~
py vote OF the church conference, for
FOOD reaSonH shown"
A Reproneh 60 Rciision,
The minister dwelt at length upon
mia quotation from church discipline
md insisted that II was the d,itv a,
very member OF the church 10 ,,Ive
recording 10 his ability and 10 follow
ules and usagcs OF the church In Me
payments pointing out tho emharass,
LII entailed upon officers OF the
,nulSn VINO We're unable to meet its
,pnsntlnns IN the regular way when
r. members deferred the payment of
hesr dues TO the end OF the YEAR ns yyns
frequently done. II was. the pnstor ~.
yeated. oftenfimes n strain unon ~
ueuh o. the church not to n. mile ~ |
nset its bills promptly, and ,Vas No.
n nnes reproach upon the gcueion or |
Rev. A. n. nuehanan.