Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-20
SERMON.
THROUGH OUR KNOWLEDGE !
BROTHER MAY PERISH.

H.
Rev. w. r. Proctor, pastor of Nc
Kendree NJ. e. Church, preached to a
large congregation last Sunday night
| from first Corinthians, S-11. Text:
Through thy knowledge shall thy
weak brother perish for whom Christ
ded?"
The speaker said in part: The Corin-
THAN Church was one of the largest
the Apostle Paul founded, and perhaps
the most troublesome. Soon after his
inspiration he received intelligence of
certain errors and Irregularities which
had crept into the church. creating dis
order and confusion among the mem
bers. a source of contention was the
use by some Christians of meats which
had been offered In sacrifice to idols
The text is Il part of Paurs advice
to those converts to the Christian
faith who had knowledge that idols
were nothing, and would eat with i'm
punity the meat in question. They had
no conscientious scruplcs on the subject
and felt that they were not spiritually
hurt. There were other converts to
Christ who thought 1t sin 30 partake
of such food, believing that it had been
defiled by It's association with idol wor-
ship. The more enlightened class set
at naught the feelings of the weaker
brethren and shaped their conduct by
| the law of personal liberty rather than
by the law Of love. The Apostle agrees
with them in this contention that there
| is but one God; that idols are but
works of mans hand, yet at the same
thine advises that knowledge is safer
when tempered with love, and as the
N fr nT hn t,,Tsn Il n MI
them 10 God, made them neither better
or worse, for the weak brothers sake
for whom Christ died. it would be bet
ter for them to let it alone.
The incident has u PRACTICAL bearing
upon the church life of to-day Our
attention is frequently arrested by
questions of personal rights concerning
certain points OF conduct. There is not
n unanimous concert of judgment
among the most conscientious church
people rs to these points. To instance,
some claim that there Is no harm In at
tending the theatre. playing n game of
cards or taking a glass of wine. They
will tell you tlat such practice does
them no harm. and therefore they are
ut liberty to please themselves. The
speaker said that he seriously qucs-
toned the Judgment of such. He be-
llicved that the influence of the theatres;
| of our country is dcmoraliZing, and
that the card-pfaycr and the modera to
drinker were subjecting themselves to
great risks. But for the sake of the
argument he would accept the opinion
of those who so contcnded and would
call their attention to the weaker
brother whose soul would be ruined by
such conduct for want Of knowledge
and sef-control. Man cannot fulfill
his Chris tian duty without considering
his neighbor and before he INDUCES
in any questionable practice the ques-
ton should be: "Will my example
here injurc my brother? If so. should
let it alone" The law OF love impcls
to such course. The life guided by
such law will share instead of making
heavier the burdens of Gods weaker
children.
Mr.. Proctor emphasized the teaching
of his text and appealed to his hearers
to see that no weak MrOther for whom
Christ died persisted because of their
attitude towards so-called morally in
different points of conduct. He thought
that Christians should be very careful
of the influence they eXertcd over 9th
ers. When they consider us great
power for evil or for Woe ones inlu-
ence speaks. walks and grows with liim
but II does not sleep with him; neither
will ii die with him.