Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-03-09

sldcrS We must drop all tcChnicalities
out Of our religion When we talk 20
people about the hypostatic union and
French encyclopcdianism and erasti-
anism and complutensianism we are rs
impoitic and little understood as if u
physician should talk to an ordinary
patient about the pericardium and in.
tcrcnstal muscle and scorbutio symp
toms Many Of rs come out of the theu.
logical scminarics so loaded up that we
take the first ten years to show our peO.
plo how much wo know, and the next
ten years get our people 20 know ~
much rs we know, and 40 the end find
that neither uf US knows anything as wa
Ought to know Here are hundreds Of
thousands Of SHINING. struggling and dy
ing people who need To realize Just ono
thing-that Jesus Christ came tO save
them and will save them now But we
90 into u profound and elaborate defini.
tion Of what justification Is. and after
all the work there are not outside Of the
learned professions :, 900 people in the
United States who can tell what lustiii.
cation j. Twill read you the definition;
Justification Is purely a forensic act
the act Of Judge sitting in the forum,
IN which the supreme Ruler and Judge
who Is accountable 10 none. and whc
alone knows the manner in which tho
ends Of his universal government can
best bo attained, rcckons that which
WAS done by the substitute. and mes -
account OF anything done by them. but
purely upon account of TINS gracious
method Of reckoning grants them the
full remission Of their sius -
The Multitude Of Skeptics.
Now. what Is justification? will tell
sou what justification is. When sin.
ncr believes. tod lets him of One sum
mcr III Connecticut went TO a largo
factory. and | saw over tho door writ
ten the words. No admittance
entered and saw over the next door,
NO admittance OF course | en-
tered got inside and found it a
pin factory, and they We're making
pins very scrviceable, fine and useful
pins So the spirit Of exclusiyencss has
lAtAA ~ AAAN NAAAAttA wv Allt bhNFAiAt hpNA
Of many church. No admittancc. "
And If the stranger enter he finds prac.
tlCally written over tho second door,
mo admittancc, and if no goes in
over all the pew doors seems written,
"No admittancc. while the minister
stands in the pulpit, hammering out his
little nicetics Of belief, pounding out the
tcchnicalities of religion, making pins
In the most practical, common sense
way, and laying aside the nonesscntials
and the hard definitions Of religion. go
out on the God given mission, telling
the people what they need and when
and how they can get it.
Comparatively little effort ~ yet has
been made 10 save that large class of
persons in our midst called skeptics, and
he who goes To work hero will not be-
building upon another mans founda.
tion. There is - great multitude Of
them. They are afraid of Us and our
churches, for the reason we do not
know how To treat them. ono Of this
class met Christ. and hear with what
Tenderness and pathos and beauty and
success Christ dealt with him: Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with
all thy mind, and with all thy strength.
This is the first commandment. and the
second is like To this--namely, thou
shalt lovo thy neighbor as myself
There Is no other commandment greater
than this. And the scribe said 10 him,
well, master. thou hast said the truth.
,or there is one God, and To love him
with all the heart, and all the under
standing and all the soul, and all the
strength. is more than whole burnt Of.
fcrings and sacrifices And when
Jesus saw that he answered discrectly
h. said unto him. Thou art not far
from the Kingdom of God so skep.
tic WAS saved in one interview. But few
Christian people treat the s2eptic in
that way Instead Of taking hold Of him
with the gentle hand Of love, We are apt
20 take him with the iron pinchcrs of &C.
clesiasticiSm.
You would not BE- 80 rough on that
man if you knew by what process he
had lost his faith in Christianity. I
havo known men skoptical from the fact
that they grew up in houses where reli-
eion was oycrdonc Sunday was the
most awful day Of the week They had
religion driven into them with u trip
hammer They were surfcitcd with
prayer meetings. They were stuffed and
chokcd with catcchiSms They were
often told they We're the worst boys the
parents over knew because they liked
To- ride down hill better than to read
Bunyan's Pilgrim Progress " When.
ever father and mother talked Of reli-
gion, they drew down the corners OF
their mouth and rolled up their eyes. II
any one thing will send a boy or girl To
ruin sooner than another, that is il. II
had had such father and mother
tear ! should have been All infidel.
When ] was boy in Sunday school. al
one time we had teacher who, when
we were not attentive. struck MS over
tho head with a New Testament, and
there is way of using even the Bible
so rs 10 make il offensive.
Others were tripped up Of skcpticism
from being grievously wronged by some
man who professed to BE- a Christian.
They had a partner in business who
turned out To be "A first class scoundrel.
though professed Christian. Many
years ago they lost all faith by what
happened in an oil company which was
formed amid the petroleum excitement.
Tho company owned no land. or IL they
I did there was no sign Of oil produced,
hut the president OF the company was q
Presbyterian elder. and the treasurer
was AN Episcopal vesiIyman, and one
director was Methodist class leader,
and the other directors prominent mem
hers Of Baptist and congregational
churches Circulars were gotten out tell
ing what fabulous prospects opened he
fore this company. Innocent men ana
women who had little money 20 in
vest, aud that little their all, said, 81
don't know anything about this com
pany, but So many good men are at tn,
head Of il that IL must be- excellent, anC
taking stock in it must DO almo"' a;
good Is joining the church "
- they bought the stock and perhaps
received one dividend so ~ 10 keep thom
still. but after awhile they found thai
the company had ruorganized and has
different president and different treas
ur,r aud different directors. Other en-
sagem'nts or i'll health had caused TIN
former offices Of the company, will
many regrets. To resign. And all tina