The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-10-02
Continued From Page Eight.

| Ieai uaHger from bad theology today
Is less In the creed and more in the SER
mon. The people forgot the creed. but
the sermon they have always with them.
| we need first OF all 10 define the terms
we use and understand their meaning or,
falling i'm the attempt, drop them from
our vocabulary. The pulpit abounds in
stock expressions that are empty of all
| content.
There are a number OF these use for
one and the same supposed reality. Only
short time ago A clergyman OF rsputa-
| ton In one OF our largest New England
| cities began his discourse by saying that
! there was but one way I'm Heaven or on
! Earth by which a man might be saved.
viz: by faith i'm the blood OF Jesus
| Christ.
I'm attempting TO expand his thesis he
| stated by the use OF stock expressions two
| other ways by which a man might be
| saved III he had been pressed for IN ex-
| PLANTATION he would have probably said
! that faith IN the blood Of Jesus. tho SUR
render OF ones will to the Divine viii and
the indwellng of the Holy Spirit were All
one and the same. just what faith I'm
! the blood OF Jesus means l am not the
oloRfan enough 10 explain, but have
dim suspicion that IL might mean some
thing quite different from the surrender
OF ones will 10 the will ~ God
'"rhe physician must diagnose the case
, with precision and treat IL with skill. The
lawyer must face the Jury with facts and
convince with irrefra gable logic To the
clergyman alone ia allowed the right ef
juggling with terms that mean nothing
10 his hearers and which have become 80
/ common upon his tongue that he is Gn-
conscious of having uttered them Yet
there are some who still insist that the
clergy has no privileges
I'VE need not only 20 deGnc our terms
and drop those without rneanine from our
vocabulary. but we need 10 humanize
those we do use. How often do men IN
sist upon faith IN the great doctrines of
the church. the Incarnation. the Atone
ment the Trinity; and so define these
out OF all relation TO human life as 10
make faith in them utterly impracticable.
II the Incarnation means nothing more
than that | am TO believe that once Coo
incarnated himself in man, can DIE
pense with that II the Atonement has
no more universal application than Is
usually taught | shall trouble myself lit
tie about sacrifice and suffering. II they
needs must come, | will accept them, but
certainly shall not court them.
What eternal truths are irnbedded In
these words 80.
of Jesus. How universal Is their appli-
cation How much they mean 10 every
human soul that longs for the nnnite'
10 every life that lays itself upon the
altar Of humanity; 10 every soul that
serves and waits and suffers But the.
olosy has too often robbed them OIL all
meaning and application 10 life In the
blind faith that divinity could be exalted
only by the debasing OF humanity
NEED OF NEW DEcALoGuE.
But there is a third need. a need OF
a new decalogue alongside OF the Ola.
AT least such an Interpretation of the OLD
ancient times designates.
I'VE thunder against the vices which
not one man In a thousand ever commits,
and wink at those things that, because
they are so common, are wen hlsh
deemed virtues The sins against when
Jesus Christ hurled all his strength WITH
holy impetuosity are committed day by
daY IN the church as well as without ana
the sinners go scot free.
THE sin of sefishness. of hate. or
hypocrisy and can't of cold-heartedness,
OF mindng every ones business except
ones own. of public and private scandal
of innocent gossip. of harsh judgment
of disloyaity TO friends, OF uncharitable-
ness 10 all men, these are sins that
flourish In the midst OF Christian com
munities but which met the bitter scorn
of Jesus equally with murder. theft and
adultery
''He did not condemn the woman taken
in sin that to-day would H0r oHTy TX
clude her from the communion of the
church. but from the charity of the
world But We hypocrtes. how shall
YOU escape the condemnation OF hell2
I'm that dignihed paper. Harper's
Weekly, an account was given a short
time ago OF a young clergyman who. be-
cause OF the criticism OF the ladies In
one OF the societies OF his church. COM
mitted suicide lie had committed the
objectionable sin Of marrying n young
lady I'm the choir. instead OF one OF
score that had been selected for him by
the kind-hearted motherly ladies of his
congregation
rs Il not time that the members OF our
churches be called TO an account for
these things. and that we realize that 1t
II Just such action that calls down the
Just vet bitter criticism or men and wo-
men who are not nomlnaly members of
the church but who have too much re-
spect for themselves and humanity TO
soil their characters in this fashion?
ut IS necessary after this cursory
glance az the schools of theology and the
theology itself 10 say word concerning
the church and its functions. There can
be no question but that the needs OF the
hour require OF the city church wider
activity than a service ~ song and praise
on the Sabbath. As some one has said
walk up and down. look At OUR churches;
nothing 10 Indicate on tne "ulrlue lhht
there is anything going on within. The
onlv use we make 81 the walls Of the
church Is BACKGROUND for an under
takers sign. as though religion was q
hearse 10 carry out the dead Instead of
chariot in which me living are 20
triumph.
This was said IN the interest ~
larger advertisement Of the work of the
church. But. II we are 20 advertise.
there must be something 10 he adver-
tised. What these new functions are 10
he will depend upon local needs. but u "
certain that the endorsement of the
church's activity will lead ~ the one thing
needful IN the life of the Christian com
munitv. the union ~ MANY small. strug
Cling institutions OF different denomlna-
iions into one ~ perhaps No denomina
tion except tha. ~ Jesus Christ.
This viii be Imperative. for. 10 increase
the work of the church will mean an