Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-09-30

all our woes r why permit the entrance
and continuance of that sin which breeds
more sin, and entails all Its dread conse-
quencesP In brief, why was | made thus,
and not with another nature, whose tenden.
cies should all have been In the direction of
right The answer OF the Christian is faith,
which temporarily holds the place of knowl-
edge, and suspends Inquiry which If 1t had
answer could realize no profit. The man of
sense represses speculation which, when not
impious, is yet devoid of practical result,
and accepts as a final fact human nature
and the moral laws which govern being
Nor does 1t require religion, but only the
highest form Of the rational, to receive that
system as the best infinite wisdom could
have devised. Speculation, always fruitless,
may pass from its negative form, the agnos.
tic, into the aggressive and destructive; cast
ing away the souls last anchor, or raising
its arm against the heavens. Perception is
liable, 10 such case, to be misleading, be.
cause only one side is shown. Intuition
into being, its vast concerns, its ultimate
end, has its force in derivation from the
Power directing the agency in harmony
with design. For this reason the learned,
the philosophical are easily vanquished by
the ignorant man taught from above. Call
II by what name you will this feeling Is the
source and the strength of religion. With.
out it a man may reach GnOsis, which is
an empty possession; as John Sterling puts
ii, "a box OF title deeds to an estate which
is covered with lava, or sunk under the sea"
Angels have not been permitted to look into
the plans nor scrutinize the motives OF the
eternal Sovereign, and the only proper pos.
ture for men is reverent silence:
Measure not with words
Tn Immeasurable nor sink the string of
thought
Into the Fathomless. Who asks doth err,
Who answers, errs. Say nought
Proper efforts at reform must be limited
TO matters of life and conduct All we'll
directed effort toward the Detterment of
human conditions deals with the individual.
The pattern is set by Moses and Jesus.
Thou shalt or thou shalt not, is the address
IN law and gospel. Personal sin, personal
retribution. Personal recttude, personal
blessing. Reclamation extending to the
person, not TO the community. RESPONSE
bility resting on one man, not upon his neigh
bors. No dictation as to his physical tastes
or moral haOits from society or government,
but referring the whole issue TO the ultimate
tribunal. Plain commands, reiterated warn.
ings, powerful persuaslVes, but no compul-
sion This the divine order and action
prove Gods methods, and sets greater
sinner to Judge his fellow. Viewed in his
most benetlccnt character, the reiormer has
no power to save souls. Only God can do
that. Trlte as the sentiment is, 1t yet needs
age-lasting reteration, that reformation Is
not regeneration, and that the fountain of
Christian morality is In the renewed nature.
Myrlads OF church members have gone down
TO hell on the superstition that the two words
mean the same thing; and myriads more are
on the way. The faithful expositor will
anger but cannot arrest them. But the
genuine reformer IS capable of infinitely
valuable service 10 the individual, to society,
and to the State. To the individual, because
he lays upon him the restraining hand, pre-
venting actual transgression, assisting the
effort at repression, changing the direction,
reinforcing resolution, founding character.
This picture OF giant with his hand upon
the tigers throat and his arm around his
weaker brother is the subimest ever mortal
or angelic eye rested upon. Not Judge,
prosecutor, or betrayer, but Savior This
Is why Good Templary formerly commend
ed itself to every lover of his kind. Proven
ton, reclamation, preservation was its aim.
Until the dirty politicians laid their filthy
hands upon II, its line Of work was parallel
TO the general plan OF God.
The relormer serves society because an
influence which deters and impels Is gen.
Grated The morality Of single man, ex
ternal though IL be, makes weight in world
Improvement. IL il better TO have faithful
husbands and chaste wives, even though
they are not Christians; better that the out.
ward manifestations Of innate wickedness
In forms OF violence shall be suppressed, in
the absence Of saving grace Oh service 10
the State in begetting high ideals, and los
terng pure principles TO produce the up
right, honOrcd citizen. The reformer who
impressing first single man, through him
a group, finally nation, with the belief
that there is something worthier than 10
guzzle, and swill, and hoard up pelf, would
himself deserve coronation, and lead a whole
people 10 historic Immortality, framing their
deathess deeds in fadeless glory
1t is not only permissible but mandatory
10 reform dogma; but 10 pervert doctrine Is
deadly sin. The first Is Of men, the last Of
God. Buried beneath mass OF rubbish
confessions Of faith, schedules OF opinions,
inventories of conventions, tablets OF mis-
belief, forms of worship liieless from dry.
rot-lies the simple truth of God, which, If
any man would find, he must dig. The
ages have presented q man here and another
there, separated In time, but one in heart
and power, whose mission was 10 sweep
away the refugees of lies, overthrow the false
and empty form, and restore the saving sub
stance. At the cost Of obloquy, hatred, and
isolation, IL not of life, this man must con
tnue, iii God and he shall win universal
victory. Doctrine is power. Belief creates
the life and actions. Conformity Ia proof
OF genuneness. A man speaks, and acts,
and suffers, and conquer., as he believes.
Tongues upbrad, but all hearts confess him.
| lie is king, by real right divine.
The form Of worship may be objection.
able, but is not idolatrous unless IL have
substituted for God another object. Truest
worship il bare Of all form. The word Of
the Master, Neither In this mountain, nor
| 10 Jerusalem" has given liberty 10 New
Testament Christians. The reform now
needed like the need OF rescue from death
peril is 10 get religion into any OF the prevalent
forms Of worship. What is popularity styled
"the church" has lost It's power with It's
identity. II believes nothing, not knowing
what 70 believe. It's half. beliefs, It's notices,
It's death in-life continuance, are matters Of
mere heredity. II was never 80 snowy, II
was never 80 vain IL was never 80 loud, II
was never 30 empty. Men have lost faith
in il, because none can believe In corpse.
The cadaver is more hideous because decked
in tinsel. Faith must now centre In the in
diyidual The solitary example is still
mighty. Around him shall crystalline the
reformation. The pit shall swallow up the
fraud truth endures foreverl