New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-08
RECONCILIATION WITH GOD.
THE THEME OF THE REV. CHARLES
TOWNsEND'S SERMON IN ORANGE
CoNsECRATED LIVING AND NOT THEOLOGICAL
OR ECCLESIASTICAL wRANGIING is THE NEED

OR ECCLESIASTICAL wRANGLING Is THE NEED
OF THIS PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT.
Orange. June (specaD.-The Rev. Charles Town
send, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church Of
Orange preached yesterday morning from tho text
II Corinthians, V. 20: BE ys recondled TO God.
He said:
In these words. however you may choose to In
terpret their meaning. Paul is urging men to under
take some newer better relationship with Goo tnai
they had enjoyed before; some relationship
more unified. more symmetrical. more harmonlous.
IN faG oTe wins men can Recanca ton with
God Is evidently not another name Tor the process
q being born again. the process OF regenoraSu on
accomplishment OF human powers what then IS ~
see household, we'll app'!hted and well regu,
smoothly and orderly; there's woman at the helm:
each day has It's duties. each hour It's functions.
toms. It's unwritten laws Of accommodation Now.
on certain day there arrives a welcome visitor Al
that home. Immediately the whole system OF the
household begins 10 accommodate itself TO the guest
In dozen ways there comes the indehna bic read,
harmony between the old conditions and the new.
This readjustment Of the household Is in fact Its
Here is a man conducting a drygoods business.
Everything is orderly and smooth and mechanical:
gins to read1ust Itself. New goods are displayed;
new price lists made out; new advertisements sent
to the papers, new signs hung up; What Is TINS
but the reconciliation" Of the shop TO new de-
mands.
Reconciliation. therefore is the striking of a new
balance because Of the addition Of now weight; 1t
and fresh factors brought into its conditions
II says. Il must adjust my business methods
with God II he says. II must adjust my thought;
my private so1duGt to purity he Is a adtns y
opinion Of men to charity he reconciling himself
to God. II ne says. Il must adjust my religious
llfe to some religious work. ne Is recohcins NM
/ can recall two great periods in the history Of
necessary because great and new aspects OF truth
had presented themselves: One was at the advent
light OF truth. new spiritual truth The world
could have cast Him ont. ard made no ,,o az;
bcgIn to reconcile tsef to Him and HIS truth and
de ess the days when everything in connc.
and in darkness were the very proof that the world
Itself 70 Christ.
Two, or three hundred years after Christ. the the
esicai ewii besan 10 wind its arms around true
Iel'ron ana undehled IT filed the world OF sacred
and bloody handed through the mediaeva! ages
Abou, A. D. 1890 there was universal need for some
reformers as Luther. Melncthon and jerome. OF
Prague and fIuss and dozens OF other magnflceT.',
process OF prosecutions and Affections. and bitter
meas that always comes when the world Is trying
TO adjust itself 10 anything new ,.
another great period o. adjustment that at asi tne
ree' rene Of ourselves to new truth The die:
cov@ries 0, geology TO tho age OF tho earth ana
the antiquity OF man the great sc!enihc theory OF
evolution Including the teachings or Darw1nlsm.
compel we are told adjustment OF religious
thought demanding that the Church should throw
overheard once the view that mankind lies under
the wrath and curse OF God because Of the fa'l OF
man the incarnation OF God in Christ. the miracle
OF regeneration, the eternal heaven OF tho saved the
eternal absence 70: the lost, the infal'bliyOt IN
sprei Scriptures ~, 81,
process that mus, &c through with IN order 70
be reconcllcd 10 truth to-day. Nevcrtheless, TINS
must not cloud the fact that the needs and wants
OF to-day demand that each one OF US should recon-
Gle and adjust ourselves 10 nineteenth century
wants? What men craving for? what are
the masses hungoring after? dogma OF me la
OF Adam? A dogma Of foreordination! dogma
% Inspiration? A dogma OF retrlbuuon? dogma
AZ ".eullnary control? No While Church leaders
are trying 10 reconcile themselves to dogmas. feed
dust and breathing X ana then wondering Shy tney
sre.ze spending their time on theological and phil
osophical dsqusiiions. wranging and fighting over
the fountain heads of Church authority. the sex or
a conference the proper title or presiding oishop:
Thousands OF men and women. with an nflnity or
soul needa are wondering why the Church Is not
greater help to them
| don't care much how the Church IS going 20 adj
lust isef 10 literary criticism or evolution FOR
realize that the world IA anxiorsly waiting for
re- Cancellation or an adjustment that Will raise the
average of all good outside ;he Church as well as In
H. Tho length o; a working day IA more OF vital
problem to the Church ard 10 the world IMAM the
duration Of The millennium. The thing for us to do
a. Christians is adjust ourselves 20 the demands
OF a more c0nsecrated lie. TO be more faithful more
Ioval more praverfu more workful. more charir-
able moro selfsacrlhc!ng and thus Will We be round
Tecancing ourselves TO God.