New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-07
A LAY HOMIIY.

"ybat wo need TO DO" said an English preach
or the other day, rs TO get the nineteenth cen'"!
"to look at Christianity as the first century 'ooh'"
",t II" The remark sounds well until one pe-
gins TO analyzc 1t. and then 1t falls 10 pieces
The thing that this speaker desires Is rs i"ipo''
siblc rs II would be to go and i've on the hoo"'
Christians to-day, Of course, can accept WIFI
,hov conceive TO be the beliefs OF the primitive
Church. and that certainly Ia the Intention OF
all eornest Christians: bnt even so, those bellefs
MI, hoor mon them the waymarks OF the cent'i-
rios that have come between. These marks are
,nofrocc,ble. but admitting that they could be
rubbed out. the primitive beliefs themselves
,,,ou,d still have 70 be fitted somehow into our
nineteenth century grooves Of thinking. Every
age has its own peculiar modes OF fhoueh'. ""oil
M ono in that age can wholly avoid using IL
has Its own pet ideas. too. which II Is apt !"
oxo,t ot the expense Of other ideas equally i'm
portnnt.
Now Christians today cannot avo" 'hihh'"1
In general harmony with the Christian CONSCIOUS
ness OF the age; and even II they had any nccu'
rate knowledge Of first century ways OF APP
preaching truth which they have NOT they SILL
piv could not adopt those ways. Inc Iirs' cen
tury Christians reached conclusions by methohS
that would be alien TO the modern MIMI. W"
are the children Of our age; ana the age II one
OF Questioning aid doubt. That Is the groove
into which all modern thinking must Inevitably
run. The Apostles heard the message Of reveal
tlon. and their answer to It was the confession
81 believe" When the modern man hears th'
same message his answer comes IN the question:
"IIow shall | know that the message Is true!
We would not imply that this age Is Iai'hiess'
far from IT, 1t has in 1t the capacity Tor Tue
h;ohos, and hest kind of belief. But IL cannot
find belief by JUST the same road 'hat sa''s"'"
preceding ages It's creed necessarily taxes some
Of its coloring from the complex atmosphere oi
the age Men today cannot. II they would, trans
mort themselves back into the in'ellectual anu
spiritual atmosphere In which 81 faui H'el
any more than he could have pro)'c'ed himself
forwarI into the spirit OF our own age III
sense II Is literally true that no one can uhuer
stand the past History merely preserves Ger
| tain olgrbraic symbols of It's hrobblng life, mo
which we breathe our own Interpretation OF
| ,hem Most Christians probably will admit that
| ths faith best fitted FOR today must be colorru
| ny the needs and circumstances OF today, ana
| must fight against the living foes that encompass
| I, today using the old weapons. II may be. but
IN. old weapons fitted and accoured for the war
| fare VI today.
II - n common error in every sphere or
Thought 20 assume that the past was necessarily
noblcr fuller and more perfect In It's life ana
ideals The past always has the willing ear OF
tho unthlnking. n was In the past that the sons
Of men grew to be giants and the Golden Age
| of happiness and innocence hourished. 80 IN 'he
early wears Of It's life Christianity has been
/ 10 oil Qf IL
man weakness or blemish The man is churl
| who would mar that picture-vbrant. as II u.s.
with lofty impulse But It may be said that just
because it WAS primitive Christianity II cannot
no exactly reproduced to-day. For to reproduce
| Il would he TO reproduce also the age OF WHICH
=, was the harmonious outcome. When the pres
| en;-day Christian thinks OF ~. PAU ne thinKs Oh
him "a living in an ancient world. world
/ charged with Divine power. a world or poetry
OF legend. OF spiritual portcnt. But to -. faui
| himself lighting against the powers OF evil Ms
| own age seemed rs intensely modern ana rs
| sorlM rs does our age 10 us. Ana doubtless he
| ,oo may have felt sometimes Ike signing for the
good old days ~ the patriarchs. But II So h'
| r,prcssrd the feeling. lie was a practical man
| and nm up to-datc Christian. Forgetting the pas'
and It's ideals. he made 1t his supreme aim to dc
tho duty Of the present in the light furnished Dy
the present And because he did that he was
| able 10 say at the close Of his life: i nave
fought a good fight; have finished my course
| 81 have kept the faith 1t is the confession OF
Christian: but In Its spirit it must be the con
fcsson Of every one who has wrought well and
truly in the vineyard OF NE
Not in looking backward and wishing for th'
DAYS OF Christ, or in looking forward and sighinl
for the pcarly gates of Heaven. but In meeting
life day by day in the spirit Of Christ-this Is {
type OF Christianity that has within 1t the prom
isc and potency Of incalculablc good to humanity