The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-05-05
MANS IDEA OF GOD
Profound thoughts Uttered by
Reverend Wells.
JESUS EMPHASIZED LOVE
Visit to Paramount a Pleasure
10 the Visitors.

Saturday mornings session Of the gen
eral association Of Congregational
Churches of Kansas opened with a devo-
t-onal service led by Rev. Chas. ~ Shell
!, Con. In the course OF his remarks he
said. Communion with God IS the larger
privilege OF our individual relation 10
A7od- lie who has communion with 600
las q source OF strength and comfort
(which makes him unassailabie. The min
2ster ia Wichita who feels il his duty to
preach righteousness in his pulpit and to
oppose the saloon may find himself, 70
some extent. alone. but communion with
600 gives him strength and courage
Rev. Fitch. pastor of the CONGREGATION
a church at Atchls0n, addressed the
association on An Interpretation of the
Basic Facts OF Religion" Important
among the many valuable thoughts were
these.
"The idea Of God is fundamental in all
theological thinking. When a man has
defined what he means by God. he has
IL effect written his whole theology
IN every Christian conception OF God,
Perhaps In every other conception, two
Ideas exist. sometimes vaguely suggest
ed. again clearly revealed. These two
ideas are law an6 love, OF Justice and
mercy. But these are abstract ideas. and
Il is IN the endeaVor TO make them per-
fonal and concrete that theological differ
eaces arise. in the endeav0r to make
this abstract conception G law and love
personal, two facts OF human experience
must be considered: first, the 1hreef0ld-
ness Of mans experience OF the divine
life; and. secondly. the innate tendency
toward unity of ideas in mans thought.
Neglect Of the first has resulted in think
ing Of Christ and the Holy Spirit as
something less than divine and only a
higher form OF creation. Neglest OF the
eecOnd has resulted liz q trinity OF inner
distinctions and inner relations, making
three Gods rather than one. The solution
81 the difficulty is found in the idea that
God is one aud manifests Himself. or eX-
hibits Bis activities as Father Sen and
Holy Spirit
In the endeavor TO make the abstract
conception OF law and love concrete great
cimerences have arisen IN lle0l0Ey from
mere difference Of emphasis on law as
the chief element or on love It IS the
distinction Of Jesus, that more than any
other, he emphasized love and gave TO
men the conception Of god, "our Father.
When this idea Of God is really grasped
and held by Christians everywhere II
VIII mean that the complete reconstruc-
ton Of theology on the simple basis OF
Gods love for His children. Christ VIII
he no longer the Judge or the Victim,
bat our Elder Brother: when God is in
ceed the Father of All. all men VIII be
brethren. and Gods purposes viii no
longer DE limited TO the election Of few
hut broadened out to the ultimate saliva
ton of all
Rev. ~. s. Crouch. pastor Of the Con
gregational church Of Maple FInl spoke
OF war and -4issions." In view OF the
latest developments OF missionary history
the address was very interesting In
fortant thoughts were:
'To ordinary minds nothing would ap-
rear more remote from war than mis-
Eions- That the organized efforts Of the
disciples of the Prince OF Peace to dis
seminate His gospel should anywhere
s among intelligent men create the impress
lon that Ia amy sense they are related
- cause to effect is iucomprehensihle.
20 not many months since Lord Sails
lury complained in q public address that
the established order seemed to be first
the missionary, second the consul. third
the gunboat. The explanation of the APP
parent relationship would be that the
rev spirit and nobler ethics created and
taught produce dissatisfaction with old
paganism on the part eff the new con
vcrts, with resulting persecution from
the unchanged heather, especially those
in authority, as in China today where
not the converts bat the conservative
heather rulers are the authors OF perse-
cution and war. The opponents contend
that when such conditions exist no aid
should De rendered To the imperiled mis-
sionaries by any Christian government
bat that the missionaries should be left
10 suffer or triumph on their respective
fields. as did the missionaries of the early
church under Nero. The al-suficieut
answer to such criticism is that 10 IS abb
horrent to the primary Instincts of hue
man nature No civilized government
could possibly be indifferent to fhe tor
ture and death Of its est citizens. who
had gone beyond the limits OF fits juris-
diction on crranos Of mercy to suffering