The herald., 1895-03-04
A CHURCH WITHOUT ISMS
Claims to Be Free of the Tolls
of Theology
OUR DELIVERANCE FROM SIN
DR.. Moody Tells How to Live
ChristIike Life
Sermon at Unity Church on christ's
Food Drink and Ctothes-Y. n. c. A..
OUR DELIVERANCE FROM SIN
Food, Drink and ciothes-Y. n. G. A.
Services--Notcs

At the Church of the New Era the
lecturer w. G. Bowman discussed the
question, What Do the Unbelieving Be-
lieve? He spoke substantially as follows:
Man is so constituted that he must hold
and cherish some kind of belief and prin-
ciplcs, in order to lead well regulated
and worthy life. This necessity exists not
only with reference to religious questions,
but all questions involving human inter-
ests and destiny And in this respect it
matters not as to the correctness of belief.
which is another matter. Correct or in
correct. beliefs firmly held and cherished
as vital truths impart tone and vigor to
life itself, which nothing else can supply.
Without this, what is called character
can have no existence. The best definition
of character is strong will and fixed
principles. The man who succeeds is the
man who settles his principles of action
and adheres to them through all sorts of
weather. Little George Washington set
tied the principle OF truth-telling and on
1T built a monument high as heaven and
firm as the stars. Even with those trans
cendental questions in the realm of re-
ligion, such as God, immortality and a
future life, it is needful to hold some def
mite views. Some may think we should
not concern ourselves about the trans
cendental. TO me it appears that the more
transcendental the realm, the more appro-
pirate is it to the nature and dignity of
the human mind. speak only for myself.
Others must do the same. For me it is
needful to cherish some definite senti-
ments on these great subjects. Not, in.
deed a comprehensive understanding of
them, for then they would cease to be
greater than myself, and lose their power
over me.
1t is not in comprehending the definite,
but in comprehending the infinite that
the soul mounts upward. Nor is it
negative beliefs about these things, but
the mind and lift the world. Negaton is
weakness, darkness and death. Affirma-
ton is light and life and power Even
false views, firmly held, give content,
while true ones, held doubtfully, bring
unrest.
and terrible as it u.s. have kind of happi-
ness in their faith He'll is fact-but it
is for others, not for them. The majority
will be lost, but they are all right. Thus,
even selfishness yields sort of blessedness
through faith. But in this age of rea-
son the people are thinking for them
selves and breaking away from the, old
ity for truth, they demand truth
for authority. In this new era of liberated
thought and discovery, it has happened
in religion, as in science, that what APP
peared to be truth in the old twilight has
proved to be error in the sunrise of the
new day, and the minds Of thinkers are in
revolt A moral earthquake is shaking
the world, and the old ivy-hung walls and
castles of dark age superstition are top
ping to fall and though hereditary
priesthood, with white aud tender hands,
IS straining every nerve to prevent the
crash, their doom is inevitable. The storm
is raging, the pillows are dashing and the
wormeaten ships of the old navy are GO
ing down, and the crew is flying to the
life boats of reason and common sense.
But now having abandoned the old,
what shall be the new? Again speak for
myself. My own transition from the hor-
rors of trad tional theology to the
rational teachings of evolution has
been coming up through great
tribulation' and mental anguish. The
change was so tremendous that it could
not be accomplished by one remove.
From the lower story OF orthodoxy came
up stairs to universalism and unitarian
ism-a great change-but still | felt the
limitations Of the ism, the one book idea,
the one Savior idea, and was still in the
tolls of theology. Up another fight of
stairs, and found myself in the third
story-absolute free thought-with all the
universe for my Bible, all the helps in the
universe for my Savior, the soul of the
universe for my God and the brotherhood
of humanity for my religion. The Church
OF the New Era is not a religion, hence not
an issue. 1t is more than a religion; it
freely investigates all religions and all
pihlos;0 ntarest and all questions Sna;st
with perfect individual liberty to accept
truth and reject error, whether they come
from science, religion, men, angels or
gods.
Y. n. c. A Meeting
The Gospel meeting held at the rooms
of the Association, 1O7 North Spring
street, was led by DR.. Kate G. Moody of
the First Presbyterian Church. Miss
Oliver presided at the piano. At the
Cross was sung in opening. Miss Fern
West sang a beautiful solo1 entitled At
Benedicti0n. Miss Morse offered prayer.
DR.. Moody took for her subject Our De-
liverance, From What and by Whom. Her
first question could be answered by one
word, namely, sin. She then spoke more
in detail of the particular forms of sin
and temptation that beset the one that
is striving to live a Christanlke life.
To begin with, many Christians make the
mistake of thinking that the help they
receive from God must come in the way
| that they wish it to come and so fail to
see His hand leading them. 1t is not
always the purpose of God to remove a
| trial but rather to teach endurance by
| patient submission to it. DIR. Moody said
that Christians were often petulant and
| cross because they could not correct all the
| evils about them and this spirit impaired
| their usefulness. She spoke of the reluct-
ance of some 70 lay aside the pleasures OF
| this world, never realizing that there was
| another point OF view, and from that
| point Of view the satisfaction was far
| ahead of the sacrifice. The delverance
| from the wrath to come was far-off
| question which should not concern us
| nearly as much as the daily and hourly
| deliverance we need from our own selfish
| ness We should follow Chrst's example
| In not thinking of our own comfort.
| Then from our burdens the matter rested
| largely with Ourselves-whether we let
| Him bear them Or carry them with us
| to the detriment of Christian life, From
| fear OF death perfect love casteth out fear.
! Stand ia therefore in the liberty where
| by Christ hath made us free.
In closing DR.. Moody said our deliver
| ance was by the Lord Jesus, the only one
who is able to keep us from falling and
present us spotless at the throne of glory.
We will let Him be our deliverer
Prayer and the singing of Out OF Nv
Bondage and the Christian Endeavor
henediction closed the service. Miss
Elizabeth Stowell of Pasadena will lead
the Gospel meeting next Sunday at 8 AS
On Tuesday night there will be opened
at the Industrial school, corner of jackson
and Lafayette streets, branch of the Y.
W. @. A. work, which it is hoped will
yrOw into largo and r1eafu1 ,>,<.t~, l., :, O.