The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-06-09

is no choice left but to accept His words
as true, or baspheme the Son OF God Per-
haps he did not mean what he said, per
Laps he was speaking IN metaphors When
ever His meaning was not plaill ne always
explained IL when requested He was asked
to explain those. What explanation did lie
givc2 Read st. Johns gospel vi, 52-d-a.
Six different times He says In substance.
II not literally MY flesh is meat Indeed
and my blood is drink indeed" But inc
pedant and the coxcomb and the triler aud
the shutter say, 1t is u mystery which we
do not understand and therefore we eau
not believe. DO you understand how you
move your foot or blink your eyeg No,
aud you never will. IL is mystery. yet
you believe It. There Is more mystery to
drop of water grain or snnd, u pinoe
OF grass than all the scientists can ever
solve Give them all the light ard shade
and heat and color they need, give them
ten thousand years to work ana all thC
scientists of the world put together could
not make a single blade of grass. II nature
has kept mysteries TO herself, nature S Goa
has more right to keep them to Himself
1t Is only through the working OF such
mystery that He can realize that saying
Of Divine love "My delight Is 70 he with
the children Of men" He Is with us IN
Intimately IN communion May our Souls
be ever so pure. bright, virtuous and limo
cent as never to turn that delight INTO plI-
terncss or cast the NORWOOD or human
love.
us BAPTISM ESsENTIAL?" r. w.
Brickert. Central Christian church. AS long
as truth be truth. 1t makes diff
ference In what men believe. Only truth
enlargeB and develops the mind aud heart
In righteousness. Error curses every heart
IN proportion as 1t contains 1t. A million,
or a billion, Of men bcloveing thing does
not make It true The more sincerely a
man clings to an error, the more detrl-
mental 1t "a to him. 1t Is to be deeply re-
GREETED that one should mud 1t necessary
to discuss this question at this time IN tue
history Of the world. But either sEepu-
cism or Ignorance on the part OF some
church members make It necessary. II Is
the same as discussing tho question, rs
obedidnce to God essentlalF OF Is RAIN
essentialy" For Jesus said. He that be.
licyeth and is baptized shall be saved.
HI Joins these with the connective ana;
and elsewhere The Book says, 'Nnat Goa
has joined together, let not man put
nsundcr" The real question at Issue here
is faith in and the authority Of the Lord
Jesus Christ. If oua has absolute faith ia
Christ and believes HIS authority supreme,
he will accept all OF the Masters teachings
without question He viii not he looking
for uon.essentIals If Jesus taught us TO
do something that Is non.cssontial He was
either practiclug a joke upon Us on made a
mistake. and can not conceive OF our Lord
MS doing either Life should be filled only
with necessary things. II believed bap.
tism TO be a non-essential l should never
practice il. When | see man doing an
unnecessary thing | pity NM for ne Is
either ignorant or careless. But when ! see
a man raise his hand ana close MS eyes
and do an unnecessary thing In the name
Spirit shudder; for he seems TO me to
be densely ignorant or blaSphemer. Jesus
said, "Veilly, verify l say unto theG, ex-
cept man be born Of water aud the. Spirit;
= t.,ta fIAa 4 fg,gI dam gft
John III, 5. He also said, He that
believeth aud Is baptized shall be
saved, hut he that believeih not shAll og
damned. "-Mark xvi, 10. When men asked
their sins forgiven, He said Repent
and he baptized every one Of you IN
the name of Jesus Christ for the re-
mission OF sins. and .ye shall receive the
gift Of the Holy Spirit. Acts H. IS.
Paul said, "As many MS have been hnp'
tzed Into Christ have put on Christ -
Gal H. q So ths1 i ye want 70 tb eat re,
mission of your sins; II we want TO put on
Christ. Christian baptism is essential
SYMBOLISM IN RELIGIOUS LIFE"
Rabbi Barnstein Temple Beth israeli
| Symbolism plays a very Important role In
reli gous life; a symbol VIII convey to the
mind Of a worshlper certain spiritual truths
OF which he may need to be reminded, what
we sec, what we hear, what We smell, what
We touch impress MS most. Judaism Is rich
In symbolism. The booth. the Menornh, the
Chaunkn Lights. the Passover bread, the
Lamp Of Memorial-Al bring to our minds
certain events In our past history or cor
tain spiritual truths which might without
| them have lain dormant And vet there
| are thousands Of people today who decrN
| the use Of symbols AS dolatrous and super
| stitious. They have outlived their time
| say they; VIC used them when we we're IN
| our intellectual Infancy, but now We have
/ no need for any outward symbolic remind
| ers: our religion should be dcepseated In on
| hearts Such an argument may be tru'
| when nnpued to some Of us, but to the
| vast majority II Is untrue, For look how
! we carry the use Of symbols into our every
| day life. Why do we experience lu emo
| tional thrill when the Stars and stripes arr
! waved aloft? Why cheer n piece OF rag
| For that simple piece Of stun there is M
sacrifice wo would not make. Why Is this
Because that Gag symboiizes America
| greatness; because we know that whereVe
! Old Glory floats there exists liberty ant
| freedom But It Is only symbol, And ye
| when we wish to employ symbols to quick
| en- our religious zeal, we shrug our snol
ders and confess ourselves Skeptics' Wh
| Is this? Because the religious sentlmen
has been allowed 10 sink below zero; 10
svmbolism can not create an emotion;
can only intensity It II II already exists
! 1'he love OF country already exists aud s.
| we cheer the outward symbol; TO French
| man the stars and stripes would mea'
| nothing But we remain cold 20 a religion
| symbol because there Is no religious feel
ing within our hearts. Symbolism II ne
| sunerstlticus unless the symbol conveys