Kansas City daily journal., 1896-11-16
WORLDS DEBT TO DISCIPLES.
Rev. n. n. Tyler Discussed This Sub
tect at the First Christian
Church Last Night.

DR.. B. B. Tyler, Of New York, who has
taen conducting a series Of revival meet
ings at the First Christian church, closed
his first week last night with a sermon on
..The Worlds Debt to the Disciples Of
Christ" of which the following is
synopsis:
aThe marvellous success Of the Disciples
in gaining adherents is evidence that there
was a place for them and a work. Be
ginning in the early part OF the century,
they now number about 100000 souls. The
New York independent last January, IN a
statement including all the churches gave
the Disciples more than 10000 COMMUNE
cam The rayidity of their growth is un-
par 1ale7 N the history OF Christianity.
Not even the great Methodist revival of the
last century equaled in the first fifty or
seyent live years Of its existence the Dis
ci-les Of Christ IN the rapidity With which
converts were made. What nave the
Disciples done and what are they doing to
enlist this interest and move the people
after this fashion?
IN the first place, they are teaching
their brethren in all the churches how to
handle the Scriptures in a more rational
and satisfactory manner They have been
pioneers in che study of the sacred litera-
tu~e. calO7 The Bible in which such in
CIliries as Who said this2' TO whom did he
say it?' AT what timer Under what cir
cunsrances% In what cOnneCtion| For
what purpose?' are prominent. The Dis
ciples were the first to call attention to the
fact that the purpose of the Gospels was
to furnish evidence that Jesus is the Son
OF God.
IN 1887 or 'SS. the Methodist Book Con-
cern. of New York. published A volume in
which the writer called attention TO this
purpose Of the Gospels. a reviewer spoke
OF this feature as original The thought
he claimed was unique: 1t belonged to the
writer of that volume alone. The review
was 50 highly esteemed that IT was pub
iiShed in the form of a tract and widely
distributed At that very time, the Dis
ciples had been for full half century
calling attention to the fact that the Cos
pels were calculated to produce faith; that
the book OF Acts was intended to show be
levers how to come to an assurance Of
pardon and how to become members Of
ChriSt's holy church; that the general pur-
pose OF the Epistles was to show the ap-
plicadon OF Christian principles TO the
solution of lfe's perplexing problem while
the Apocalypse. OF book of Revelations.
was intended to show forth, after the
Oriental fashion. the glories OF the future
life. The Disciples have from the first
called attention to the fact that the re-
llgion OF the Jews is described in TIE Old
Testament, while the religion of the Chris
tians IS set forth in the New: that the Old
Testament IS divided into the Law the
Testament is divided into the Gospels the
Acts. the Epistles and the Revelation. The
world owes debt of gratitude to the
Disciples for their work in this depart
ment
The Disciples. TO their honor be It said,
discovered in modern times brought out.
exhibited, explained and showed the place
Of the creed OF Christianity. They said:
Christianity has its creed without reference
20 its denomlnational divisions. We have
the Greek. the Latin. the Anglican. the
Protestant conceptions OF Christianity. and
IN Professionalism We have the Lutheran,
tie Presbyterian. the Baptist the Con
EreEational. the Methodist and other con
ceptions OF Christianity hut behind all
these and beneath is a statement of the
essential faith TO which all with one voice
subscribe. The creed Of Christianity is
This: Jesus Of Nazareth is the Christ the
Son Of ;fC living God and the Savior Of
mon. All who profess and call themselves
Christians subscribe 10 this 1t is the only
creed to which -he Disciples adhere T~hey
claim that n heart subscription, rot a
merely intellectual. hut a heart s1Ibscrfn-
ton to rhis creed is 50 Far as faith Is con.
si5ers5 sufficient 70 make one a Christian
The greatness OF this discovery IS not We;
fully appreciated To cut loose as did our
fathers from the great historic craa,is Of a
divine Ch-istsniom and anchor themselves
ssa.wr 'V 20 N" ou- divine creed was ar
urra~a'l.' fear in fhe history Of re-
iigi0n This creed inclurss all or ess=r.f IA
CHRISTIAN truth Il answered the rurDos.
or @ cree IN the Apostolic church Il
answers that purpose now. and viii do g
10 The ausE q time. The world is in debt Il
Tho TF.@..Dl.S al mis- rD5D-