The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-07-30
SELECT RELIGIOUS READING.
LOYALTY rnE rrsr OF LIprnrY.

With the growing disposition in the church
to break away from old Fixed codes of be-
lief and conduct. and to regulate personal
thought and practical ethics entirely by the
dictates Of the individual conscience, the
question has inevitably risen In earnest and
devout minds "What Is now the test of
Christian lldelity2 Are we not all adrift, so
far as "a definite standard " religious belief
and conduct Ia concerned? Who shall de-
terminc whether this man belongs in the
church or out Of Il? Yea, am a Christian
or not? ~ To all such troubled ques-
tiOnings there seems TO bo but
one adequate and convincing reply.
Since authority Is no longer the tribunal to
which the belief AMI conduct of each and
every Christian may be referred. we must
observe the life of the individual ITSELF and
Judge belief and conduct according to their
effects upon Christian character. Loyalty to
Christ l. the crucial thing. IL the newly
found liberty of the believer of today shall
seem tu impair In any degree his fidelity
10 his Master, that has the new dispensa-
ton. 50 far IA this believer IA concerned,
been proven inferior TO the old. III there
Is less earncstnesS. less moral stamina,
less unselilshncss and devCtedness In any
Christian life because of the greater
freedom OF thought and action which has
recently come Into the church. then IL were
veil II we could return to the old reeds and
moral statutes at once. But II. IN the other
hand, the liberty of today does stand the
test OF loyalty II Christians IN general ars
ust as pure, and earnest, and self-sacrifc-
ing. and devoted as they over werc-nay.
are more Christlike In these respects than
tormerly-then, we say. ali this so-callcd
new departure" H. religion, this broaden
ing Of horizon and loosening OF
restraints. Il step. and u grand
step. forward toward the millennium.
How, then, does modrrniZed religious lib
erty. in the church Itself. seem to stand tho
test OF loyalty 60 Christ ls the church
doing less for the Master than she used to
doY Look at the grand expansion of mis-
sions, OF charities, of organizations for be-
nnvoleA,e and for Christian culture. which
has gone hand in hand with the great lib
eralizing movement In the modern church.
Look at the magnificent the astounding ac-
ccssion OF enthusiastic young people to the
wort.ng force Of the church. Look at the
practical devotemcnt Of time, talent. energy,
resource, to work among the poor aud
uncducated. Look AT the present 49,
prit de corps of the whole religious repub-
lie. Look at the new, Chrlstliko love and
fellowship springng up between the de-
nominations, which are all. rs we now see,
children OF one mother. whose only atlrCnt
To each other IL that they have. one by one,
gone out from the paternal roof and raised
and sheltered n family of their own. Truly.
there IL no more reason for sects quarrrlng
thnn for married brothers and sisters and
the more Chrstlikc Christianity Of today Is
beginning to see II. SO .as tho tcsti-
mpny OF n general outlook goes,
there IL yet no fuling-on In loyalty
to Christ because " the liberty
which has come into the church as the re-
suit Of aggressive modern thought. But
ust ~ soon as devotion t. Christ Is seen To
be falling OIL In the least degree among
Christians, 1t will be time TO question the
healthiulnes5 of the religious atmosphere
10 ask. "Is not too much liberty weakening
the moral fibre and leading to indltter-
enco ~ Loyalty the test Of liberty tina,
is the principle which We must apply.
True 30 Christ, true 70 oneself, and true to
the church.