The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-08
AMONG THE CHURCHES
Rev. DIR. COultas's Sermon on Con-
servatism Applied to MethOdism.
Rev. DIR. Sims's Sermon at Meridian
Street ". Z. Church Rev. w. 4.
Taylor Again Takes His Pulpit.

The subject of the discourse at Roberts
Park yesterday morning was Progress and
Conservatism as Applied to Methodsm."
Rev. DR.. Coultas spoke from the text Phil
ill., 16: Nevertheless whereunto we have al
ready attained, let us walk by the same
rule: let us mind the same thing" The
sermon was heard by unusually large
audience. Mr.. Dan Davis, of Terre Haute,
who is TO sing with the choir ct Roberts
Park during the year, was present yester-
day and assisted in the rendition of the
solo and quartet, Sweet Is Thy Mercy.
Lord The solo was sung by Miss Ida
Sweeney. MY Pilgrimage" solo partic-
ularly adapted to the tenor of Mr.. Davis,
was also one of the features of the morning
music.
DR.. Coultas advanced the thought that
sensible conservatism is compatible with
the spirit of advancement, and that IL is
necessary TO make that advancement genu-
Inc. He did not believe that God has given
the right to any generation OF his people
to bind in a slavish way all the genera
lions that are to follow, to certain faiths,
politics and rules Nor does he believe
that God has revealed these so certainly
at any time. that any one division of his
church or generation of his people can un-
it is not to be changed. He thought that
when the church ceased TO reverently and
thoughtfully hear the voice of the fathers.
telling what God did in their day and some
thing or his manner of doing it, Ii is In
danger OF loosinS its power. The pastor
stated that he looked upon the catholicity
OF our doctrines as one Of the great ele-
ments of strength and he was not bigoted
enough to believe that Methodism is alone
to-day. He believed that the spirit of sec
tarianism in this day is at a very low ebb.
lie felt that time will not fail to answer
the vast good that Methodism has done for
civilization, and pointed to it's influence
upon England in making that great polit-
ical and social revolution of the eighteenth
century peaceful and progressive one.
The Methodist Church has ever been out
spoken in expressing her temperance senti-
m fne Methodists may have made made mis-
regards the dogma of sanctifcation, or GER
tain feelings in reference to the details of
no mistake III setting before her people as
a gospel privilege the love of God with all
the heart and making this necessity in
order to the complete holiness of life.
'Methodism Is an altar with a fire on it;
it is a body with throbbing heart in it;
1t is machinery through which the Holy
true, the work of Methodism has scarcely
more than begun. She stands to-day face
to face with universal humanity. Her work
Is before her. and that work will lead her
among the lowest classes and the highest;
among the most neglected and the highest
favored. The Methodism of to-day has
greater opportunities and greater capabil-
tiles, too, than that of the past. Our
fathers were despised, while the Methodists
of to-day are respected. Our fathers, many
Of them, were uninstructed. The Meth
odist of to-day is educated. Our fathers
were poor and without many advantages
possessed by the Methodists of to-day.
Those means and methods, those doctrines
and duties. those experiences and prac-
tees, which meant much by way of
power and success in the days OF our
fathers-let us not dispise them nor reject
them in the work of the present or plans
for the future, but 'whereunto they at
tanned, let us walk by the same rule and
mind the same things for that human
nature which the gospel Is to transform
does not essentially change"