The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-12

Rev. Frost Craft Points Out IA SOlu-
ton of the Industrial Problem.


ton of the Industrial Problem.
Rev. Frost Craft, of Bloomington, ILL.,,
preached to a full church at Roberts Park
yesterday morning, taking as his theme,
Love never faileth." He explained how
necessary it is for the traveller, the artist
or the architect to keep always before hun
the main purpose of his work. In like
manner he deemed it necessary that we, as
Christians, should keep before us the great
end of all our teaching For it is easy"
he said, working, as we do, in the obscuri-
ty of ignorance and prejudice and tradition,
to exalt certain phases of truth, to become
so interested in the development of minor
details, as to obscure and neglect the SUI
preme object for which we ought to strive
and pray
What is this supreme object? What are
we really seeking for ourselves and for
Others through all the agencies of the
church? Is it the acceptance of certain
doctrines the knowelge and belief Of GER
tain truths? Religion must be presented in
some intellectual form. 1t is needful to
know the truth as far as we may, and to
believe it; but this is not the end we seek
this is only the means to the end. We
might sincerely believe our doctrine, and
get all other men to believe it, and yet miss
the real purpose of the religion of Jesus.
Is fellowship in the church the object
sought, allegiance TO Christianity as an or
to the organization Of our choice, and sue
coed in bringing the last man within its
fold, and yet utterly fail Of the great aim
of our religion.
rs this object safety from the conse-
quences of sin, to escape the pains OF hell,
to secure the bliss of heaven? This is one
way of conceiving of this purpose. The ul-
innate aim of Christianity. no doubt is
that we might not perish, but have ever
lasting life Our Lord and His disciples con-
stantly present direct and immediate OBJ
ject the real purpose OF religion. The
one with which we have to do brings all
others into it's train. The object Jesus
sought for men was character. He came to
save His people from their sins, to make
them good to lift them TO life of true
righteousness. This is the object of relig-
ion still. With this attained we are safe,
in this life or any other.
But what is the character we are to
seek as the leading aim of religion? Can
Christians, divided as they are upon many
trifiing questions, agree upon what consti-
tutes this high character? Yes, there Is
substantial agreement. 1t is the great quail
ity set forth in this thirteenth chapter of
Corinthia1s-iove. This is the essence of
Christianity, this is its great purpose-the
enthronement of love in the heart and life
God is love- the object of religion is to lift
us to life of love and thus make us like
God If we are like God we can live in
harmony with Him here and anywhere in
His universe.
THE ZEAL FOR A DOGMA.
TT is needful to keep steadily in mind
this prime object, because it is easy to be-
come so interested in doctrine or the church
or something merely external or incidental.
as to lose sight of the lofty end our Master
would have US seek. Not many years ago
what men believed on the question of the
real presence in the eucharist-to US an alb
surd queston-came to mean more than q
heart of love and holy life, and separa-
ton and hatred and violence and bloodshed
followed. Men forgot their real purpose in
wicked contention over this physical idea
The real cause of the fall of Constantinople
and the triumph of the Turk was the
bitter quarrel in the Christian Church as
the Father and the Son or from the Father
alone. The great question asked of men
was not, Are you living a Christian life?
but What do you believe about the pro-
cession of the Holy Ghosts? This life Of
love was forgotten, and an obscure dogma
has been, and perhaps has not wholly
passed, when the form in which men re-
ceived the sacrament of baptism was sup
posed to count for more in Gods sight
than a life of love and goodness. Even
now, with all our boosted breadth Of view,
IL is a more significant thing with many
whether n man attend mass or worship in
a Protestant temple than whether the su-
preme law of love rule his life. FORM
a doctrine, has counted for more than the
great end of all form and doctrine.
I'VE need this power of love In daily life
more than anything else. We think We
need wealth, but we need love more. If we
get a little wealth love is the only thing
that will keep it safe. Without love we
must use force, and violence, and Pinker-
lection. The history Of recent Emperors