The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1902-12-05
WHY SEPARATE I
OURSELVES FROM !
The W0RtD7 /,
OUR SUNDAY SERMON.
to be done on the Sabbath day?

Va NOuAcC lbCg
At no time in his remarkable career
did Christ show the least symptoms
of being bigOt.
He was liberal, broadminded and
tolerant in the noblest acceptatiOn of
those terms, aud, in the highest de-
gree, charitable of the faults and
weaknesses of sinful men and wsmen.
Why, he did not even condemn the
woman who was taken in the very
act of adultery.
But while he gave her his forgive
ness and his blessing he told her ITO
go and sin no more"
He was not rigid in his severity.
There was but one class of men
against whom Christ's Indignation
was thoroughly aroused and it was
against those long faced fellows who
carried on their cOuntenances the
brand: 81 am Holier than Thou"
Those men whom he denounced as
hypocrites, who stood on the street
corners uttering long prayers and
afraid to mingle with the world for
fear of being contaminated by it.
Those women who gathered their
skirts closer about them as they pass
ed others along the streets no more
sinful than themselves.
We do not believe that it is Gods
method to give man eyes and punish
him for seeing, or ears and punish
him for hearing.
He that "hath ears to hear let him
hear" and "eyes to see let him see."
That is the command.
Is it possible that in his very crea-
ton God has given man certain appe
tites and shall punish him for crafty
ing them.
God cannot be unjust.
But this sight, this hearing, these
appetites, must be gratified and salts
fed in a reasonable, rational and in
telligent manner-nOt as dumb
brutes.
License is not liberty-abuse is not
qualification.
God fashioned man in his own
image aud he must be like God, very
God.
In ii Peter, and in other chapters
OF the sacred volume, We are told how
this is 10 be done.
We must obtain knowledge, for
knowledge Is power.
We must exercise virtue, temper
ance, patience, charity, love.
Why?
Because these things make life
worth living.
If men had continued the practice
of locking themselves up in cells ana
cloisters, scourging their backs and
mutilating their bodies, under the
false notion that these things are
pleasing to God, what today would be
the condition and the outlook of the
world?
Does any one believe that it would
be fit for human habitatiOn.
The world is ours. 1t was created
especially for US. Man was given
dominion over it. Over the beasts of
the field, the fowls of the air, and the
fishes of the sea. Over every creeping
thing.
The world was given to US for our
enjoyment. 1t is our duty TO make 1t
more beautiful to men and more
pleasing to God.
Despite Pharisaism, Puritanism,
fanaticism, intolerance and persecu-
ton in every form, man has done that
AMI is doing it today.
Think you that Copernicus, Bruno
and Calico, in attempting to explore
and explain the mysteries of life and
creation, the harmony OF the spheres,
the spherical form of the earth, and
the orderly movement of the heavenly
BODIES, We're not more pleasing to God
than were their intoIeraut ecclesia-ti-
cal inqui-itors and accusers, who
condemned them to imprisonment,
penace and death?
BY following the example of these
men rather than their accusers how
beautiful the world has been made,