The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-26
The Mission of Christ.

| return to our Creator pure and undenled.
TRENTON Nov %. PoIMEN LAoS.
The Mission of Christ.
To THE EDITOR OF THE sUS-Sir! You
| recently published letter OF mine asking
some Of tn" scholars and theoiogians who con-
| tribute to your columns for an explanation OF
the declaration OF Our Lord In Matt. XIV. Il am
not sent but unto tho lost sheep OF the House
OF Israel" so far as such declaration bore on
the fundamental principle OF Christian the
| ology that His coming was for the redemption
OF the whole human race. and was 40 intended
| from the beginning and forctold In numerous
| prophecies. Your correspondent "Poim en-
| Laon" IL good enough to offer me an explana-
| ton in "a letter which, II seems to mo. does not
| explain at all. One-halt OF his reply ia devoted
! to statements respecting Scripture and
the Syro-Phpniclan woman. which. while
! they are no doubt interesting and In
structlve In themselves have no real rele-
vancy To the subject.
Passing those statements and coming to the
substance Of the reply find "Poimrn Laon'
stating that our Lord Tds sent 20 the Jews
| only that He was not sent by God the Father
as an Apostle 10 the Greeks and Gcnties ana
| could not work miracles for them without CIV
! ing offence 10 tho Jews. and that he restricted
the labors OF Himself and his Apostles TO the
| latter unit after His Resurrection when He sent
! them to tho whole world
| This Ia fair and accurate summary OF
| "Poimeu Laon's explanation. Iii ia correct.
| fits the explanation" Of the text the peopls
! who read the text as do have not misunder-
| stood Il. Our Lords mission was primarily
! designed solely to the lost sheep OF Israel and
| the extension OF His work. teachings and re-
| demption 10 the rest of mankind was an after
| thought and was not dssghed from the begin
| ming. and tho prophecies and doctrine that
! they were 81 designed are erroneous and with
| out foundation. Your correspondent "Oxonl-
ensis" Is even more direct and explicit than
"Poimcn Laon" He expressly states that
: Christs mission before the Resurrection was
only to tho jew and IN no wise To- the Gentle"
and cites st. Paul and St. jerome to Justify hs
! statement
| II IL thus clear that the explanation OF both
! these gentlemen. who so kindly volunteered to
instruct me. u nothing but an admission ofthe
! correctness OF my construction Of the text
Ny thanks are offered to 'Alpia Mu" for his
| ingenious and torcble argument to prove that
/ Our Lords words were spoken and are TO hs
I taken solely with reference to His then en-
, ployment and purpose. That, am sure is the
explanation that will DO gladly received by all
who believe our Lords coming was designed
db iI,itiO for all mankind.
| Perhaps "Poimen Laon" and "Oxonicnsls"
will now inform me II II really is Christian doc
! trinc that Christ was to come to save all man
/ kind. that His coming and salvation were de-
termined from the beginning and that they
are considered IA being foretold by prophecies
literally fulfilled. TENTH NEW JERSEY.
NEW York. Nov. -.
Two Eternaliy Diverse Concepts of Religion.
To THE EDITOR OF The SyS-Sn: | still
! M intnin In npnps IL n ~ rDr
spondents. that any system Of thinking or be-
having that does not present the alternatives
OF eternal gain and eternal loss. sharply and
definitely, cannot meet and satisfy the in
stncts OF religious consciousness. Scientific
accuracy in other particulars has no bearing
upon this condition. OF course. IN it's most
degraded forms-fctchism and asceticism-
the concept OF eternal consequences IL OBJ
scured by considerations Of temporal acts and
| efforts: the most prominent desire being n
negative ono to ESCAPE Divine displcasure. In
! Chr stianity. and to a certain extent In certain
heather PHILOSOPHERS the diverse positive
considerations desire to attain to union with
Gods emphasized.
Now. II We are to base our estimate OF the
nature and authority OF religion upon observed
facts and marshal all material and relevant evi-
dencc. We shall find that ''rationallsm" has "A
heavy task ahead to defend it's assumptions.
II we assume with Dr. Savage that God Is in
all men. pagan and Christian" how is II that
union with God has ever appeared. historically.
as dcsideratum. and religion as q striving to
attain III II DIR, Sayage's dogma Ia u fact man
kind has never yet discovered II. and among
tho Hindoos whose pantheistic philosophers
are now quoted in opposition to Christian
claims. the anxiety to attain this blessed ess,
as he says. Is desperate and terrible"
Rationalism cannot supplant humanity's de-
sire for an unrealized personal union with God
by any such miserable apology" as the notion
OF u natural union, affirmed to exist already
Borrowing Christianity's expression OF faith
and hope. "sonshlp In God, II seeks to recon
ce the soul to an order OF alleged natural
blessedness." which II must share with the
beasts OF tho field and the trees OF the forest by
virtue OF a mere derivation OF life from the
Source OF all things. Thus 1t fills the place OF
real religion only by vociicrously attracting
attention TO directions completely foreign to
religion. 1t meets the passion for God. Unborn
In the soul, by dogma which denies the
need and propriety Of satisfying IT,
Christianity afirms tho need OF personal
union with God. as against any notion Of mere
natural derivation OF being. 1t knows OF no
desperate and terrible anxiety" to attain God.
except In those who know not Christ, and ap-
poals to the eternally free will OF man to choose
between building on the rock Of Gods eternal
truth. or on the shifting sands OF human self
sufiiclency. Herein is the love OF God made
manifest" He does not condition the
will In any manner, but offers free sal
walton from all sim sorrow and Limitation
in blessed partaking In the Divine Nature
with Christ. who expresses the power and glory
OF God In terms OF human life and comprehen-
sion. II, however. a man prefers to cherish the
deluslve lie OF Gods complete and sufficient
imminence in man aud nature" there Is no
coercion that can compel him 10 another view
OF life's relations. He Is satisfied to remain In
the state o: nature. along with the beasts that
perish" and God allows him to reap the conse-