The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-10-17

Every organized cnurcn mas nau
its planting, its days of small things,
its season of weakness, longer or
shorter Every church had to be
planted. And l begin to think that
we are not fully planted or not right
ly planted. Our roots are too much
atop of the ground. They are not
sufficiently rooted in the Master, and
hence our slow growth. A parish
orga lization is not enough. 1t does
not meet the requirements of the
New Testament. 1t does not fulfill
all that Jesus required. He estab-
lished what are called church or
dinances. And there are plenty of
reasons for believing that these ordi-
nances were designed to be perpet-
ual. No branch of the church has
had any notable growth except its
organic law and custom embraced,
baptism and the Lords Supper-and
except it held in force TIE religious
rule of discipline recorded in Matt.
xviii, 1917, or its equivalent.
1 have commended no church or
ganization in La Grange because the
place of worship has been so out of
harmony with the sacred associations
connected with the church ordinan-
ces. l think it was the wrong
policy. If we can worship in this
place-if we can pray and preach
and sing and exhort each other in
the things of the kingdom and so
quicken our love to God and men,
l know not why we should not
lawfully practice the church ordin-
ances to the same end, and in the
same place. If we have scruples
about the matter land | confess that
l have had) we may lay aside our
scruples when reason is against
them.
What Good?
But the great question of all is
What is the utility9 Chi bono?
What good? And my first answer
would be,-If the church organiza-
ton and its ordinances fulfill the
wisdom of Jesus, would con-
fde in the polity. Christianity has
proved itself the wisest and best of
all religions. Its divine origin is
substantiated by its fruits. The
glory of it's blessings surpasseth all
things which the earth has wit
messed. No part of the human race
have been lifted into such splendor
of achievement as the nations who
have walked in the footsteps of
Jesus. He made no mistakes as to
the principles of his religion. Can
we not trust him as to its ordinances?
While the fruit is so glorious shall
we bubble as to the texture and fit
ness of the leaves? On the assump-
ton that Jesus has founded the
church and prescribed its simple
ceremonials, We may rest content
and do as he bids us, without haste
to add or diminish, to annul or re-
construct. Confidence in our leader
and lawgiver should be complete and
firm. We know that we follow a
Christian prescription. In faith we
can wait for the cui bono.
But more specifically. One of our
ordinances is an initiation ceremoni-
al, and the other is a perpetual re-
minder of duty. The whole world,
civilized and barbarian, recognize the
force of ceremonial. No king, no
president, no emperor, no official, mo
bride, no groom, assumes new and
important relation to his fellow
beings without ceremonial.
And if the ceremonial had no vi
tality, if useless as the Wondering
leaf, why its administration? There
is mighty legal force in seal,
signature, public oath of office, in
kiss of the Bible in court, in the for
malities of secret and open orders. At
almost every turn and step in the
busy life of individuals, of kingdoms
and republics, we meet with some
ceremonial or formality. Jesus there
fore did but conform to the usages of
universal humanity in civic life and
religion when he ordained a simple
but impressive ceremonial for the for
NAL initiation of candidate into the
original body called his church.
Shall we not grant the formality the
same force that human nature exper-
fences in the legal or fraternal for
malisms of the world9 The purpose
of the ordinance of baptism is to
cement contract, expressed or i'm
piled. As the cement which binds
the foundation or the walls of
building, so this wise ceremon ial
does help mankind to cleave closer
and longer to the obligations which
ill., koro Al g, =