Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-05-20
THE PRESBY7ERIANS
p,scsediass Of Tho General Assembly
This Morning.
CHIEF GRACE OF CHRISTIANITY
IN. sulJ Of The S'rmon by the
Retiring Moderator, R,v. John
l., WilhrOw.

John ~. WINhi"W W >N,
firing MODERATOR, opened the proceed-
inc. Of the Presbyterian general al
,embly this morning..
,npREss BY THE RETIRING MoDER'
AToK.
The subject OF DR.. Withrow was
wTbs Chleiest Grace of Christianity
and he took as his text "And above all
tbiuss have iervent charity among
Yourselves" l Peter, 4: s.
He first examined the nature OF the
grace, saying that not fow confined
the idea OF charity to aims giving.
But there was more than aims deeds
meant by the Holy Spirit when He
hid us "abovs all things have fervent
charity among ylurselvas." The sub.
slsutive term in the orig nal, trans
lated charity in the text, was
ans OF two that stood fer love
40 our language. 1t was not
love as defined In Tucker's philosophy /;
not ne described in Tennyeon's gract-
full verse. II was not such love that
Holy scripture extolled and cal cd
upon us TO have among ovrselveg. The
line OF definition muet be dropped
many q Iatpcm lower to touch the
bottom senee OF this divinesl term.
And when we did take sOundiDgs In
the depths OF Scripture, what riches
were found reposing in that one little
word love. For It ana 1t alone Of the
words OF the language was ample
enough to comprehend, complets and
crown our conception Of God, for "God
is loye.O Eliminate from the Gospel
what 1t has concerning the love Of
God, and nothing left would serve a
human heart more than an empty
cupboard would o hungry man. To
make the message OF Gods love I'M
preesively plain was the supreme
Responsibility OF those who knew IT..
mole than to do Anything else.
Here, then, was discover tie source
and spring OF the charity whicn
the text demanded. IL was the deel.
est pulse OF the lie OF the Deity, which
must BIZ kept heating In every one who
would hOpe TO pass the great cries
which were yet TO come on Christians
and the visible church. 1t was but ~
We Slowed one another" that "God
hoIGGtn a. nrs AL01 4utbtlUu Oh
ones tolerance towards uthers OF
opposite opinion, practice ana prinoi.
pies was made criterion OF Christisn
character.
de next considered the greatness of
the need OF this grace and said It's pos.
eession alone proved one to be a mt m.
her Of tho Loru's body. Eloquence OF
Christian pr fsssion did not prove the
81 nj t.tt al
Though he should subscribe his belief
In every vowel paint, paragraph and
portion of tho Hebrew Scriptures, d
to every accent and formation OF the
received New Teslamen,; and though
he were ready to drive out OF the
church, or to put to death any who
would not agies TO such an extreme
coclrine OF Inspiration, yet II his neart
werenot gentle anu tolerant n nd tt nder-
ly careful OF the faith anu feelings of
Others, then he WIS nothing--"ouden
elm"-of no account, according TO
Paui's estimate Of what 1t took to make
u Christian. Let cOnsGisDcs do It's
perfect work and place each where he
belonged, whether inside or outside
tue line Of believer.
We lived In the most restless age
our earth has hsi since Auam came
upon II. Everywhere there was dit
quiet and dissatisfaotion with existing
civil, economic, social and reiigio us
osnuitions. Idolatries were dying ana
atheism was succ. edipg In heaihen
States because nothing better than the
dhcorded belief was offered iul Their
stead. And In countries where the
CROSS OF Christ hau supremacy over
all other insignia OF religion, there
was o Withholding OF acceptance oil
Christianity, and a Iooseness Of loyalty
In many who did accept, which might
we'll awaken apprehension for the
future. Anu there. was enough evl.
dence to indicate that the Intelligent
and thoughtui were apprebe, sive.
what plentiful devils, o were invent.
cd 10 Induce the uhchurcnei to come
Int the iolo2 Even the sobriety anu
soIemnities OIL religion was sacrl iced 10
senssIi0Dalism in the hope OF catching
the careless. But the uecoy did not
tucoesu more than iairly well with
such az showed q studled shyness OF
me church. What would draw them?
Womb wider learning anu sharper
criticism OF cresd0 multiply the fol-
lowers OF Christianity? WITT all the
service that learning mad rendered TO
Chrislianity 1t HAD never been SUI.
nclent OF itself to Ill the empty psws
% sunday isnor greatly multiply namts
On tue sacramental ioil,. Still II was q
most common remark tnat something
was wanting more than they had to
recommend the religion they protested
W Ihose who were passing 1t by. Was
mere any reasonable grounds for
uonoling that the topic pointed to the
supply oil the need. "Above all things
nave fervent love among yourselves,n
Gould anyone estimate the ssiutary
,uect 1t woulu have upon th0ee max
hg no claims TO the Christian
name II from this day on there
sutuid never be heard ono harsh word
oNlWeen those who profess 10 be
ote,hetn In Chrisl2 Divergence of
sWs there must % arising out OF
constitutional anu educational causes,
ou' what whs needed was such ter.
AZ. cnsf'ty among them that CON
n nn between Christians would BIZ
ahhoWn. When such a condition
e 81 prevail among Chrlstians. men
"o Woriu would not meek at the
49,, 'Behold how good and how
pisasaht II Is Tor brethren to dwell
wR,ther In unity" For they would
~ longer see faction pulling the hair
VI Iaclion ss soon as the Amen endeu
pious service Of prayer aud song.
10 mat happy and haicyon day,
moleh they might hope Tor, this world
sueiae the church, tosssd as the
N'''a was with tsSnbIous thou his and