The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-23
OPPOSE LIBERAL IDEAS
EXCEPTIONS TO THOUGHTS En-
PRESSED At RELIGIOUS CONGRESS.
President Goblin. of DePnuw. ut Me-
y. Berry, of Missouri, breaches.

neld at flymOutn JnurCH idsl Week III was
observed that but few local ministers of
the orthodox Christian churches lent coun-
tenance to the gathering by their presence.
Some OF them showed. however, i'm their
sermons yesterday, that they had followed
the press accounts pretty closely and more
than one of them preached sermons in an
swer to the theories and doctrines adj
vanced at the congress. Rev. II. A. Goblin,
president of DePauw University. was par
ticuIarly outspoken against the ideas being
advanced by some of the liberal writer's
Of the day. although he only referred to
the congress indirectly. At the morning
services at the Meridian-street NJ =.
Church he preached the subject. "rhe
Field Is the World" His text was Matt.
xiii. IS: 1.-The field is the world: the good
seed are the children Of the kingdom, but
the tares are the children of the wicked
one"
DR.. Goblin began his discourse by refer
ring in a general way to the constructions
that had been placed on the seven parallels
OF Christ. not for the purpose of advocat-
ing any one Of them, but simply to show
the strength of the conviction that there
Is an important unity in these great les
sons. He said that 1t was not surprising
that the disciples OF Jesus had a desire for
a further unfolding Of the meaning OF the
parable of the wheat and the tares. 1t
involves great mysteries and suggests the
great problems, who created the tares
why are they abundant, who is their
sower and why Is he allowed to contend
against the Son Of Man. the sower of the
good seed? Why is there sin, evil and suf-
fering in the world? The great lesson of
the limitation of knowledge and the re-
sponsbility OF man is found in the text,
he said.
The field is the world" he said. 1.-THE
origin OF evil Is not a question Of this
world merely. 1t belongs far back i'm the
ante-mundane ages of eternity. 1t Is ore
of the secret things which belong unto
God. This parable does not reveal 1t, but
II renders US more important service con-
corning it. 1t is more important to have
the right attitude toward sin than to un-
derstand its origin. This is part Of
general truth. The right use of imperfect
knowledge Is better than the idle rosses-
sion Of full information.
While this declaration, The field is the
world. limits fruitless speculation, Ii is not
without valuable suggestions respecting the
existence of evil The wheat preceded the
tares. He that sowed the good seed is the
Son OF Man.. All divine work is good work.
Even the devil was good when he was
created. In his original state he was not
a soMer of tares. He was q angel of light.
possibly one of the strongest and most
glorious OF all the hosts of heaven. That
Is one reason why he can deceive the very
elect by his DISCUSSES of intelligence and
innocence. We have no testimony concern
ing his translation from heaven to hell
The idea of Milton may be correct. He
to reign in darkness rather than obey in
the realms OF light. In some of the ruder
forms OF infidelity. tfc question Is satir-
devil?' The same thought has come To- rev
erent minds as strange mystery. Why is
not the presentation better than cure
well as human thrift? This is the first i'm
pulse of righteous zeal, ref)r,n sy imme-
date destruction. In the field of xiain
| date destruction of the ta-es involves a
greater loss than forebearance for a sea-
son So in the field of the verdi As a
rule we are not to look upon sin with the
| least degree of allowance. hut conditions
| forbid US to desire the destruction of the
but THE eSRs meth Sa Son not
came. not to destroy mems lives. but to
| save them. The same principle which
would require the extinction Of the deN il
/ as means or reforming the vol id would
reduire the destruction of every inferior or
| defective being.
You and 1 have reason to rejoice that
| TINS world Is not saved on the plan of the
extfrpation of sin by Staying the sinner
We were as tares In the field in those sad
times God was soreiy grieved with our 'e eVil
| doings. but he did not cut short our doing
| by blotting. us out Of life. We cannot tell
| when or where the first tares grew We
| cannot tell why they ever had a beginning.
We are sure they abound in our field But
we have something better to do than grieve
over the tares We are growers of wheat
| We are the sons of the sower of the good
| seed Let us rejoice that our field is fertile
| for the good as well as the evil Behold
| the ripening grain.
THE PAGAN RELIGION
N IL
literary people have begun to write in high
praise of the excellencies of some of the
great pagan religions. 1t is claimed thai
| religion is like language. the product OF
local and material conditions. EthniC
traits are more dominant than revelations
doctrines. or ordinances 1t is declared tina
Mohammedianism Is better for the Turl
and Arab. Brahminism for the Hindoos Con
fucianism for the Chinese than is Chris
tianity. 1t is conceded that the gospel Il
best for Europe and America, but it is no
wise TO attempt to transplant its institu
tons into the exhausted soil of the Orien
or amid the redundant flora of the south
ern hemisphere. Others suggest that tn
coming religion will be an elective faith
choosing the chief excellencies of all tn
great beliefs and weaving them into a new
fabric of strong scientific doctrines an,
beautiful ethics. They urge that we cal
now no more predict the worlds ultimat
religion than we can formulate its fina
philosophy or describe it's latest politica
institutions.
The value of faith Is not measured b.
the grandeur OF it's temples. the order an
| precision of its ceremonies. but it's elevatin
| power in human lives. BY their fruits y
| shall know them By this we distinguis
| not merely between sincerity and hyprocisy
but also and especially between the divin
| and the human. The prophets OF inferio
| beliefs may be very eloquent i'm a congress
| OF religion. they may point to an ancien
| literature Astounding in beautiful maxims
they may refer to the excellent virtues o
| devotion TO country. parents and friends
they may exhibit many specimens of ar,
rare. useful and elegant. but these are no
| adequate. They are nothing but leaves
The fruits are more vital to true. spiritua
| living. They are not incidental accomplish
| ments, but they are high and strong con
| victions Of duty and responsibility. The
| are not manifested in frivolous mirth O
elaborate sports. but in patient and faith
| full service to God and man. BY such
test the superiority of the gospel Is as evi
| dent as the bread of wheat Is better tina
the bread OF tares. Moses in his gloriou
song gave beautiful expression TO this fac
! For their rock is not as our rock eve
our enemies themselves being Judges w
! cannot therefore allow that any country
so supplied with religious truth that We ca
consider ourselves excused from carryin
to il also the good seed of the gospel bles
sings.
ii GODS MYSTERIOUS NATURE.