Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-05-11
WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN ?
"The disciples were first called Christians
at Antioch. Acts xi, 20.

v
at Antioch Acts xi, 20.
What is Christian, 1t ought no
to be difficult to reply to this question
but if one seriously sets himself to d.
SO he will discover it is one Of tn,
most difficult terms to define tia
there is in existence. What, for ex
ample, is the essential difference be
tween Hebrew elder and a Presby
teiian elder and an Episcopalian yes
tryman, assuming that all three, 81
far as their morality and uprightnes
of life go, are equala theoretically
tde difference between the Jew ant
the Christian, or between the man o
of the world and the Christian, ought
to be palpabie, but it is not.
Speaking broadly there have beer
three definitions ofthe term Christian
practically accepted. The first i.
what may be called the popular def
milton. In its Judgment it turn.
solely upon the degree Of goodnes,
which man possesses. If one i:
found to be so good-that is, so hon
est, and truthful, and pure, and kind
ly, and gentle-that he compels til,
admiration of men. they point to hin
and say that man is a Christian
This is the definition which underlie:
most OF the common speech upon The
subject.
The second definition is one which
obtains in certain very large and in
fluential circles of Christian people
themselves. 1t may be called tn,
emotional definition, to which way o
thinking the Christian is one Whose
life and character have been conscious
ly transformed by The force of an in
terror experience which is referred tc
as the influence of Christ working
upon the soul by the agency of His
Holy Spirit 1t refers this experience
as rule, to some definite point o
time and place. It says a Christian
is man who has been truly convert
ed. By that it means person who
has passed through at some time OF
other some definite, distinct series Of
emotions which he can recall TO hi.
memory and the stages of which IL
can rehearse with distinctness. This
is the definition which would be ac,
cepted by the Salvation Army and by
all who are in sympathy with its
mode of operation and speech.
The other definition may for con.
venience sake be called the ecclesias-
teal one. According to it a Christian
is one who has been made so by hav-
ing received the initiatory rite of bap-
tism and thus having been made a
member of the outward and visible
organization. The organization it.
self is clearly defined and is called the
Church Of Christ. The Christianity
OF such one is measured by the ac-
curacy Of his obedience to the rules
and regulations ofthe society. These
three dehnitions-the ethical. emo
tional and ecclesiastical-may fairly
sum up all the attempts that are usu.
ally made to define what is Christ.
ian.
Now will any of these or any com.
blnation OF these OF necessity produce
that sort of character which was FIRST
called Christian at Antioch?" We
reply that i'll the first place, all the
characters described above NAV be
produced and, in point of fact, have
been produced apart from Christ alto
gether. There have been and are
multitudes OF good men who have
never heard Of Christ. There are
myriads Of mel and women who have
passed through the most terrific up
heavals of religious emotion whose
lives are anything but what the
Christian standard would require.
There are luyriads OF members OF the
ecclesiastical organization who have
been made SO by regular process and
who scrupulously obey all the man
dates OF the association whose spirit
and temper are clearly alien to that OF
the little band of followers who first
came to be described as Christians.
The member of the society may be ut
terly ignorant and brutal. A man
whose raligio GUS experience has been
most cataclysmal may be deeply i'm
moral A man in whose character 10
flaw can be pointed out may still be
entirely untouched by the spirit OF
the Master. What, then. was the in
tention of Jesus. the faster, with re-
gard to his followers The reply is
at hand. 1t was to make them like
himself.
At this point mary hesitate; they
say: That is impossible. He, YOU
know, was divine. He approached
the stern problem of living with a su.
pernatural equipment in mind, and
heart, and soul, which is different III
kind and not alone in degree from
that with which the ordinary man is
compelled to regulate his life. " But
that was not his opinion. He chal.
lenged his followers to follow HIM
that is, to walk in his footsteps-and
he carried this demand to the highes,
power. He babe them to be perfect
not alone as he was perfect, but as
their Father, who is in heaven, is per
feet.
TO say, then. what is Christian it
IS only needful to look at what He
was; to see what His attitude toward
God, toward man, and iowa rd life.
What in fact, was the religion Of Je-
sus Christi 1t should not be forgot
ten that Christ was the first c. Tistian.
He set the standard and ilen are
Christians or not ACCORDING IL ,rhetl,.