The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-25
THE MODERN PHARISEEs.
DIR. Tanner, the Faster, on "What 1t
Is to BE a Christian"

DIR. Tanner, the Faster, ON "What 1t
Is to BE "a Christian
DR.. Henry S. Tanner, the famous faster,
who has taken up a permanent residence in
Indianapolis, addressed an audience at the
Progress Club rooms yesterday afternoon.
His subject was What Is 1t to Be a Chris
tian?" In part, DR.. Tanner said:
''The history of the church from the be-
ginning has always been a comedy of errors.
have been busy correcting the errors of the
preceding generation and at the same time
making others for the next to correct.
Church history is only, as it were, a record
of the worlds mistakes. Every doctrine
which to-day is a fact becomes a mere
theory Tomorrow; the next day myth;
human leaders and follow Christ The
church that is needed to-day is a universal
one; one that plants itself squarely on the
New Testament, digest of which we have
in the two commandments; or love to God
and love TO man."
This tendency to unite theory and prac-
tice Is causing great confusion among all
classes Of men, and is increasing the great
est theological agitation the world has ever
known. Man sees by testimony that he pro-
duces in himself that much of what he has
believed to be true, simply because it origi-
mated with q Calvin or ArminiuS, Luther
or Wesley, does not bring him happiness.
The old theologies do not bring the peace
that passeth understanding
lone hundred and thirty-three presbyteries
out of 2l3 organizations of that order in the
United States are demanding a revision of
the Westminster creed. Revision is in the
air The predomnating feeling, even in the
most conservative of all the orthodox
churches, is that If there was less theology
ana more evangelzation, less dogmatical
hair-splitting and more Christian work in
the ecclesiastical courts so recently engaged
in trying such so-called hereticS as DIR.
Briggs the world would be better off, We
forget that our highest ideal of a man was
the son or peasant girl and carpenter,
r.fl
would in these days be called a tramp, a
vagrant, without a place to lay his head :
reformer, an iconoclast, and in the opin-
ion of his fellows, a teacher of seditious
doctrine that in these days would brand
him an Anarchist. Such was the life OF
Jesus. We have surrounded it with poetry
have placed a halo of glory about it. To
be q disciple in those days was to be de-
spised and neglected. Discipleship meant
great hardships, and finally the arena, the
fagot, the torture chamber, perhaps stoning
to death. Were many of the modern dis
ciples placed in the same unenviable posi-
ton that Peter was at the time of the
arrest of Jesus, there would be thousands
that would deny their leader before the
cock had time to crow once.
ITO be church member in these days
requires neither sacrifice nor self-denial; il
does not require the abandonment of any
earthly pleasure; it means an addition in
social value; 1t means an added endearment
in family life: a comfortable seat in some
attractive place of worship: eulogy when
men or women leave the world, IL OIten
means an epitaph on their tombstone false
enough 10 make the marble blush Church
membership is a good investment for con-
ISOLATION and happiness in this world, with
a freehold of perpetual happiness in the
next. But what of the future of those who
are anticipating an entrance into heaven
on fowery beds of ease? Many SUCH /
fear Will come TO recognize the significance
OF the words OF the text: Not every one
that sayeth into me, Lord, Lord shall en-
ter into the kingdom, but he that doeth the
of my fat hpr in II oft rrv IN
picture the humble NaZarine standing In
the midst of the social conditions of to-
day. How would he view the great social
distinction among the churches of our age?
Think OF the humble NaZarine standing on
some fashionable street of Chicago watch
ing the long line of equipages, with thou
sands upon thousands spent by their owners
In individual pleasure and luxury, and long
hours frittered away in the care of pet
dogs or in securing the smile of some royal
parsonage or some person OF great social
distinction