The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-16
S KNOWN BY ITS FRUIT.
What Religion Is and What 1t Has
Been.
ABLE SERMON BY REV. J. NJ. IlAISELL
The First Of Series Of Sermons Oh
Church History to be Delivered
In This City,

terday by Rev. j. NJ. Halsell, pastor OF
the Cumberland Presbyterian church In
q this city. His text was from Matthew
xvi, Is:
And say unto thee that thou art
Peter, and upon this rock will build
my church and the gates of hell shnli not
prevail against It..
commence today a series OF sermons
on the history OF the New Testament
church and OF the doctrines as taught 10y
Its most prominent ministers from the
days of the apostles ana early fathers 20
the present. II Is my earnest prayer Jana
: ! hope ] may have the prayers Of my
people for the same objecO. that / may
be guided by the spirit. Of God in the ~
yestigation OF this subject and in the
presentation OF such relevant facts
may be gathered from the history OF the
different periods In the chwch In the
controversy between religion ami irreligiou
II will be sufficient only to show that in
the history that religion has made. its
fruit has been good and TINT II has been
a blessing 20 humanity. This done. it's
adyocnies need not say anything further
in its favor. The tree is known hy its
fruit. said its author, ard this principle
will not be disputed as to Its application
of Christianity has in the light OF past
history. brought forth good fruit what
reason IS there for any other argument ln
its favor Fruit is what j. San,e.l--resul,S
are what ought to be demanded H. when
he time comes for fruitsee
llclous fruit. pleasant To look upon ana
desirable to the taste. II IA unnecess ar-,
and would be the work Of supcrcroEati1n
TO enter into an argument 70 prove 10y
any sort of reasoning that II was "a good
tree. Ii would not he necessary 20 prove
by analysis that the Juice called san as
cended from the root OF this treo and that
the assimilation Of the sap takes aiac,
in the leaves and furnishes nutrition and
causes the tree to bud and 10 flower ard
TO br.n. forth fruit. The fruit is the
axiom; with al men the fruit VIII super
cede the necessity for any rhlosophv AS
10 the structure OK the frec or the nature
OF its production This Is therefore the
nearest way to 4 solution Of the question
ss 10 what the Christian religion has d11e
for the world We may cet LOST III Iha
may lhhyr.nths of reason aua come TO
Nnong conclusions. bur when We sae
the luscious golden fruit hanging
uHon the hOuEhs Of tire ir.c and n IS
Pleasant 10 the taste AMI good for f1n1
we know We are not mistaken about tne
tree. The fruit is tie ularsug rahi. arrl-
nsent for TIE goodness e. The tree Tie
Judgment Of a child WING fas tasted the
lfult is Worlh aa11frd philosophers
VINO have not tasted &c. u tha historian
shows US mat Christianity iy the Krs attest
blessing that has ever bHon bestowed
upon the race aud that it is al tina. ,-s
friends claim Tor IL. there ia uo room letr
its opponents Tor any argument le4fr4t
y Al argument against M good qualify
OF the tree fl sight Of -ht fran; aId after
fhe fruit had h1e- tasted would r., is
appropriate ard as reasonable IDS After
naFAss seen the fr1it of Csristiarit, .o
r.
The first argument would ba o. slrc ta
carr ccnvicHor as the las, e--e Cy ea.r-.
both Of than must fan Is is % v-ry sm-
PIE quesil9p-cre ~ cause ana rGrri. -
ihf eGact g. GOOD 81. z.. .-f- vet-tg- d, s.
0uabt as % ta csr-r 10Y fnl -aft-.- sr
nut rro4a1s Eorl rssu,is ary more thar
TIE snhiect might 81 fa.-ly Stated RI
TING logical formula, That 7-hie So has
been III greatest blessing r7 mankind
ought 20 Pee ac uf-i- Chr-s-ia-t.s t-s
hst1 the greatest slsssIr- 20 mankind
Therefore q lristiartt. Cu-ft TO a. r
cePte1 T. ir -he Iight 90 history. C.r5s-
fiuriiiT i.ls h-tn e greater bisseise q.
ns1al5as ttzr s,y-a.-.c ss. ra.-. esa b..
DO argument against r.
AL tfNs the1- co-4 ha ary llsrate
aes,.4t between ire frie15- ans ne .te-
;Tlsss - C-1rytianIty v-oell e -. -1 80
trGlh o. -ha statement st.sf % r.. He.s.
2 srea.s- tlasslus 70 tte vet.l t.4a ans.
uoll5 be rtqli-s-I - p-5sf its f-l,-
To history rte~.fufs 80. s1..lsI f.r .s..-
osrce OF tne sneri.s ri r0l3ur auN ~ tN.
church. The his;ary % fa- chur.n j. tl.
oGrgroNih % religion - is th- frrt &c
which religion b. tn. 49,. -,t. t-.-- j
Phillip Schof sass '.Tts r.s.r-,- ,1 "a
church : the r3s. ANS uf1rr.s- ~ rn,.
kinEdofn Of heaven uuon c5--n M 81.
glory Of God ard che s.r.a+ir.-. ~ ,H
woriu. CONSIDERED as f. biological science
and ART church history i rhe fatffr.5l ans
liselike d.srr.uflru a. .ra e-4.i. .,i
progress Of this heavenly Einsd1-r." MS
o;,iafons and u,r7...fi -. -f tl'oaa mos ~.
for-nula;iou Of snv lo-f,.r.. "a ta..'.-. B.
mar be. in poIities or raiis-icr IL -,-.'.,s-i,-
regarded a. amor 2 tn best l,j 54'TIrss ~
Iafinz 10 tnaf 40 trtre In n $3.50. ~
presumption mat the fo1-,c.rs ~ ,.lit,
system ana ;hos- ,rn-etr,.,rr.r,. ,,ifb
these fouglicrs 81 IL are tbe Lest .',5.o,,,,,;s
of that system. The retr..ssutattyas ~
the great political uarries mar ,,os, ~,
IA this eounfry md tgat rave ..xtsfnd 49,.
ever since the fouudatior.s 81 isis .-r,ve,.f-
ment have Ia their eontrot,er. 49, f,s. ,,oi;tt
cal SUPREMACY ef,uaaI.-. 10 30 fo,ti,,i.-,
and fathers for ffeIr ,-,r,rs - ..s,,,-',i .
the ones that seem ~ ,.r,t.1.gi,- q. -
form mos. Of the p,-ircir,i.s ,nct5irsrAi g..
their fathers and fouadsrs ~ ~
launched our great sbsr ~ r,a,e "a -.
direction to our Government ar. sr.,st,seJ
and sustained 1he advocatss ~ e;tat.t
rights have always snnaalet Va -iro,,,e.e
Jefferson, the writer al IN. pa9is ia, ~
Independence ana thss srron.,ss. al
vocate for state soye,ctgn7$ al
while Others who belieye m a ,,-as, ,..
power in the Federal government bst. an,
peaied TO the Adsueses Inc s,r,n'stss, -
earliest advocates for mar dnctr3-. ,.,t
the opinions OF both renr...e,t,nrf, ~ -.
do their different Theories ~ s,ots.,,,,,co9
are generally accepted az ~. hi,~,,.tt -
thority by those who believe IN Inc -
Dries OF the one or the nfher l., A., ~
settlement OF questions ~ Eft,,a,, ill.,, :.
men and courts have nnn.ai..T 80 ~
Magma Charta, when was ,,I,sst..d frg,,,
King John In 1915 By the Ia rnns ..,d -
many and faaear4rv. 80 tt,.-.t.,''-t 70"