New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-21
4 PLEA FOR CHARITY.
THE SERMON OF THE RETIRING MOD.
orator

DIR. WTTHRow SPEAKS ABOUT WHAT HE TERMS
THE cHIEFEsT GRACE OF CHRISTIANITY"
CONTROVERSY THING OF THE PAST.
Warsaw. Ind. May 2O-The sermon Of the re-
firing Moderator is the chief feature OF the OPEN
ing day OF the Assembly next to the election o,
the new presiding officer. The keynote of the
present meeting is love and good will. Dr. with
rows topic was. The Chiefcst Grace Of Christi
,anity, his text being And above all things have
fcrvent charity among yourselves" q Peter ", So
After showing the nature of the grace of charity or
love, he proceeded TO emphasize the greatness OF
its need upon the Church, upon the unchurched and
upon the General Assembly. lie said in part:
We live in the most restless age our earth has
had since Adam came upon it. Everywhere there is
dlsquet and dissatisfaction with existing civil. econo
mic. social and religious conditions. What throne
Quake Mere ere ready to oVeftr S ' Whai policy
OF government has anything like general accept;
atheism is succeeding in heather States, because
nothing better than the discarded beliefs is offered
And in countries where the Cross OF Christ has
Is a Withholding OF acceptance Of Christianity and
looseness Of loyalty in many who 90 accept
future And there Is enough evidence 10 indicate
that the intelligent and thoughtful are appre5;
Even the sobr,e,es and solemnites Of religion are
the careless. But the decoy does not succeed more
hen 52 fe f har gh What as foT draw hm VIII
wider learning and sharper criticism OF creeds
multiply the followers OF Christ?
HAIR:PULLING NOT DESIRED.
Can any one estimate the saotary effect it would
have upon those making no claim TO the Christian
name If from this day there should never be
heard one harsh word between those who profess
TO be brethren in Christ? Divergence Of views
there must be- arising out of constitutional and edu-
cati9nal causes Nor Is i needfu that harmony
syllable Of belief in order TO exhibit that oneness
in Him which Jesus declaIed would Sohv n in I
that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Ne"
But w9a Is neSoga Is snc9 bTans Woud bo u
known as discords are unheard when Gods atnos-
phere plays upon the Aeolan harp in your open
When such a condition shall prevail among
we use the text Behold. how good ana how pleas,
ant It is for brethren TO- dwell t Tg ,heY IN viii WITTY no
longer see faction pulling the hair Of facon as
and and song. In that happy and haicyon day which
we may nope for the world outside the Church,
civil conynIsons. VIII see such conditions Of ari,y
ard calm within the communion OF saints as VII VII
did a safe harbor Thus can the world be won. and
by other means. The poor heart OF nu'n 1 ny
power Of charity and In the felicity OF fervent love
70 nd { his to exPecs f and most from Hose who
claim to be His who said ths: i cornHahu !ou'
that we love one another
PREsBYTERIANs AND CHARITY.
But if all Christians need this chiefest grace to
prove their title clear and TO give them winning
influence over those without. may we not add
that Presbyterian Christians need 1t prominently
Come to think OF IT, other churches have ways and
means which we have TO depend upon. Through
twelve consecutive centuries the Papal Church has
educated the world with the idea of their claim
that the voice of the Vatican is the voice OF God
and that obedience 10 the Church Is the first con-
dition OF ever entering the kingdom Of heaven
Hence whether there Is CONNECT or quletnesS WIZ a
in their Church does not affect the good VIII ana
confidence of those they would influence
And something similar may be said Of other
churches, where preatc authority, elegant ritual
and stately ceremonials satisfy the ear and eye
and the religious sensibilitios with beauty ana
grace So that IL disturbing issues do arise ana
6i,isiva do prevail. they DO not seem 10