The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-17
AN ELOQUENT ADDRESS
Delivered by Rev. Mr.. Goodfriend
at the Presbyterian Church.
CONTENDING FOR FAITH
The Church Should Reach Down to the
Heart Of the Most Wretched and
Abandoned and Teach Them
the Upward Way.

Emmanuel Presbyterian church held
crowded congregation yesterday
morning and the assemhlage listened to
a strong, interesting sermon by the
Rev. Mr.. Goodfriend who spoke on
"Contending for the Faith In sub
stance DR.. Goodfriend said:
"Contending does not mean conten-
ton. On the plea of contending for
the faith sermons have been preached
on the Instability Of the Pope on
Apostolic Succession, on the Infallibil
ity of the Bible on Immersion on
Sanctifcation,' and what not. For CEN
turtles the churches have wrangled and
waged a bitter warfare against each
other and in the name Of religion have
inaugurated prosecutions that stain the
pages of history with the blood of the
noblest of the race who dared to i'm
peach and to question these man-made
dogmas as doctrines authorized by
heaven Defending the faith does not
mean either the defense of ecclesiastic-
al pretensione. traditional theology or
any of the human creeds. 1t is not
even a defense of the Holy Bible as the
word of God. Truth needs no defend
| bTS. 1t Is 1f1lSHlS anu dll
without the aid of bishop or priest.
Truth is divine and is mightier than the
throne of the monarch and the sword
of the tyrant. All the powers of evil
cannot prevail agains; it.
Then what is it that we are to con-
| tend for?
First, we are to contend fer the idea
that the world is Gods world. and not
the DEVILS. 1t is not a sin-cursed world
| baliava CnG
never cursed anything he had made.
The only thing that is cursed is sin in
| the heart If man has the curse of sin
| in his heart the world becomes curse
under his touch. No. the universe is
one of splendor, beauty and benefici-
ence, whose builder and maker is God
1t is a stream of blessings flowing to
the heart of men, through sunshine
and shadow, through hill and dale
through stream and waving harvest
fields. Let us therefore look upon this
world as the university of God, en-
dowed with infinite volumes of deepest
thought, each expressing not only ar
intelligent creator, but a great purpose
TT is for US to read the handWritings
of duty all over the great tablets Of the
| universe. There we find the highest
love, the deepest wisdom. the Creates
| utterances of science. Evidently the
| purpose of creation is to minister tC
the soul. The beauty of nature does
not exist for the horse. What does the
horse care for a bouquet of flowers, OF
for a grand landscape? Man is the AL
pha and Omega in creation. 1t is ours
to strive to pick up few of the COLDER
sands of truth and beauty from tbs
boundless wealth in the universe Of
God.
Again. we are to contend for the
rights of humanity. l am not urging
the question That all men are borr
equal l am simply touching upor
social injustice l see very clearly
that it is impossible. to prevent in
equality. But ought it to be impossibl,
to prevent injustice, oppression. selfish
ness and courteousness? Society to
day has thrones and purple and golt
for the rich, but rags and starvation
for the poor.
This is an age of Capitalization. in
creasing luxury, joint stock corpora
lions and power is rapidly drifting il
the hands of a few-the aristocracy o
wealth. l am not crying down a ricl
man because he is rich. l am simpl,
speaking of the thousands and tens o
thousands who are anxious to work 70