The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-04-07

Rev. DR.. James Mcleod, pastor Of the
First Presbyterian church, last night
gave the first Of n series Of brief SER
mons dealing with some phases Of the
early history of the Christian church.
He chose for his particular topic.
1.-THE Fathers" and briefly sketched
the life history Of a few of the men
who dominated the thought of the
Christian church during it's first four
centuries. Nearly all of the men who
are commonly called Fathers Of the
Church." he said, have been canonized
as saints by the Roman Catholic
church and are claimed as belonging
to that church alone. The Fathers, DR..
Mcleod said, belong to no particular
church, but to every denomination
which believes in Christ as the Son Of
God.
The doctor took up the lives Of some
of the fathers who lived and flourished
in Alexandria, when that ancient city
was in the heyday of its commercial
and intellectual supremacy and told
briefly of Clement and Of Origen, his
pupil and of the Christian schools
they founded. Clement was famous as
a preacher. the doctor said, but while
sincere was not an ideal expounder of
Gods word, being too allegorical in his
style.
FOUNDER OF EDUCATION.
Origen. on the other hand. was FAM
Gus as being one Of the founders Of
Christian education. as a disputant
and as u learned theologian. He died
in Tyre in 254. aged 20 years. having,
as the doctor said, "kept the faith and
earned crown of glory"
He briefly sketched the history OF the
Arian heresy which was founded by
Arius. an Alexandrian presbyter who
with "specious reasoning" admitted the
Godship but denied the divinity Of
Christ. The doctor told of the great
council at Meal, held in 1876, at which
Arius was ex-conlmunicated and his
doctrines condemned. This was at
tended by 31S bishops from all parts Of
the Roman empire. and was presided
over by Constantine, the Roman en-
peror.
One of the men who attended this
council, the doctor said. was the great
Athanasius. then only deacon twenty
five years old. but a man Of superb in
telligence and possessed of a real and
living faith. 1t was his creed. now
known as the Nicene creed, which was
adopted by the great council as the
best expression Of the doctrine of the
Christian church.
Athanasius, the doctor said, was
model bishop and a model theologian.
He told of the prosecutions he was
obliged to suffer after he became bish-
op of Antioch. and of how he put all
his enemies to flight in the end. The
lives of Jerome, Ambrose, Basil and
Augustin would, with the other great
fathers. furnish topics for dozens Of
sermons, the doctor declared.
ARE OUR FATHERS.
"The Christian Fathers" said he in
conclusion, "are our fathers and goodly
is our heritage. They We're not perfect
in all things, and for this we can love
them more. These saints of God We're
Christ-llke in their lives. but they We're
swayed by human passions. like our
selves and this fact brings them closer
to us. They were not inspired, nor
were they infallible, but they We're men
of pure lives with high and lofty ideals.
Judged by the age in which they lived
they We're heroes and they have left
behind them that which the Christian
world would not willingly let die.