, 1897-04-23

The following eloquent sermon wa.
preached by DR.. Sage of the P~resbyteri
an church on Sunday evening. April 1
and by request Of members Of his churcl
it is reproduced in these columns:
"A little leavcn lelvencth the whole
lump" Gal. SO.
The great apostle TO the g~entiles il
here speaking Of the church OF Chris
N thefreedOm into which its members
are called. The church, us Paul taught
is the repository and conservatory O
truth-'the power OF God unto saliva.
ton" AS an external organization. il
may include only such as nave attained
20 a certain place of thought, or who ac-
cept Il prescribed method of work and
worship. But the church of Christ is
more h an organization. As the Mis-
slssippi compared with the Ohio, so is
he church compared with any of its or
ganized bands Of believers. 1t gladly
accepts all the richness poured in from
these tributaries, while it flows on be-
yond the aim Of their grundest reach.
Having to do with the moral and spiri-
tual nature. its boundaries extend to the
utmost needs Of that nature: the object
being the triumph OF the spiritual over
the material, as the true purpose OF hu-
man existence.
Truth, in its ministratlons to human
need, employs various forms or meth
DDS of procedure, even us IA wise teach
er suits his methods Of imparting in
structiOn to the capacities OF his pupils.
common error has been to mistake the
form Of truth for truth itself-tne means
for the end. This is childish, since, like
the child, it can see in the conditions
OF today no preparation for what the
morrow may bring.
The Roman Catholic church commit
ted this mistake in the incipiency of its
organization, and it still adheres to it.
But who will say, when he considers the
splendid charities of ''th mother
church. The many whom it has blessed
the waits it has snatched from poverty
and degradation and helped on to edu-
cation and responsibility, that the church
OF Rome, through all the years of its
existence, has been destitute of the leav-
en- of truth? Its forms We're and are help
tul as channels through which truth
may reach certain conditions of mind.
The mistake, as said, is in accepting the
form as an end instead OF as Il means,
and Il means adapted to the needs OF
men only in certain conditions of their
progress. This is such n mistake as il
would be to apply the kindergarten
methods to old and young, the developed
and undeveloped alike.
Nearly every church organization has
commitsed Il similar error. Its forms,
~embGdyins al essential element Of ruth,
have crystalized until to reject the form
has come to mean, in the estimation OF
those who adhere to the form. II rejec-
ion of the truth.
But the world moves; in a measure il
has passed out OF this condition of intel
l"ctual and spiritual childhood. From
the history OF his development, what
is the outlook for the church? Watch
man, tell us Of the night,
George EliOl said, Prophecy is the
most gratuILous form o. error" We &C
knowledge that, Ior the u%ninspired
prophecy is likely ~ prove Il hazardous
business; but in u study OF the signs OF
the times" as indicating what the i'm
mediate future logically must be, one il
Foster is sometimes called a weather
prophet; but it is a mistake. Today, he
has reports from all over the country
concerning atmospheric conditions. He
knows where the storm centers are, The
directions in which they are moving
the velocity Of the storm current anC
all the intervening currents, and having
made these a matter Of study, from tht
data thus gathered, his calculations be
come certainties. He knows about where
the storm, sweeping up from the gull ol
down from the lakes, will be within the
next "a hours. This is not prophecy
but a prediction from known and exist
ing data. You consult Il physician. He
tells you what the trouble is. He sees
what is coming. You are in the path
of some dangerous fever. You must get
out of its a or you will o ma
yourself at the storm center. There Is
a certain element in this which enters
into prophecy. but is not prophecy; 1t IS
a prediction, having for its basis a
knowledge OF your temperament, physi-
cal condition and the influence which
certain surroundings must exert upon
Won. So. from Il study OF humanity,
noting with care h tendencies OF pres
ent currents and counter currents OF
thought. we may be able to form rational
conclusions rs to what influence these
currents OF thought must exercise in
shaping the conditions Of the church.
One thing, at least, rs evident. the
leayen OF truth is in the mass. and It is
working. Truth must prevail. "a little
leaven leayeneth the. whole lump" Who