The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-10-20


F, those who argue that the first command
| ment IL more important than the second.
| that religion is more essential than mo-
rality, don't attempt to prove II by the
| words or Jesus. You will involve your
| self In a great difficulty.
To the novice In mountain climbing the
service OF a guide is more important the
last half Of the Journey than the first
This may be true In the Alps But II
one were TO start from Adirondack lodge
TO make the ascent OF Marcy he would
discover after the ascent that guide
was practically useless after the first
nour. In the beginning one fnds paths
running off from the trail now In this d.
reotion now In that. There are by-pa this
running or from the main trail by which
one Is led 10 the heieht where one can OBJ
serve the true relation between conduct
and religion
We have passed some Of these, but
there are two more that may confuse us
unless we point them out. To be made
aware OF danger Is to have already
more than half overcome II.
A NATURAL MISTAKE.
The first OF these has its source in the
church. This mistake Ia most natural.
The function OF the church Is first and
last 10 hold up the ideal OF the religious
life. The business OF the preacher Is to
emphasize II. Now emphasis here as else
where is dangerous. Just as the patient
recovering from a fever is In danger of
relapsing into a condition worse than
the first so the man who emphasizes a
truth Is always in danger Of relapsing in
to the disease of overemI Ihasis. This. too.
is a fever.
Just here we can pluck q lesson by the
way.
These lessons are like violets plucked
Journey. You can never escape the pun
ishment OF Gods law simply because you
break II In the interest OF a noble end.
These doctrines OF special Intervention.
and special creation don't hold water.
II God created the world In six days and
rested on the Sabbath and set Il aside as
a day OF worship. we might logically ex-
pect that on Sunday there would be no
rain. For the omniscience OF God must
have made II manifest that in the year
1902 In the city OF Providence there would
be great many people who would find
a strange incongruity between rain and
worship. Thus God by his own act de-
prives himself of the worship he seeks.
Let us not think OF law in this case 9TH
erwise we shall fall into the heresy OF
heresies. the doctrine of evolution.
The church OF God today suffers be-
cause II has violated the law of just and
right emphasis. 1t has plucked the tree
whence 1t drew all Its nourishment.
speak of right conduct.
A PREGNANT AND VITAL THOUGHT.
The reason for this is not far 10 seek.
This reason is important otherwise we
shall not be able to avoid II In the fu-
ture. II II found In another evil. a false
Interpretation of the word OF God. One
command has been laid hold OF as the
substance OF the teaching OF Jesus and
the others have been ignored.
Such text as the one we are now
studying has not been considered as hav-
ing anything to do with the question Of
salvation
IL has every thing TO do with Il be-
cause II represents the general attitude
and spirit OF the whole OF Christs teach
ing.
IL we have thought for a moment that
these words OF Jesus reach no farther
than guiding us 10 the right spirit OF
worship let us be at once undeceived. We
are dealing with the most pregnant and
vital thought that belongs 20 the church
We are trying 10 discover by what means
a man may attain unto life with God The
whole question OF salvation Is involved
here.
The answer 10 this question has been.
Is. and probably viii continue 10 be- for
some time to come, Believe In thy God,
Jesus Christ" To state my objections 10
II would be first 10 recall an objection
once urged against the term Holy Ro-
man Empire" My objections said the one
questioned, are First, II II not holy; sec
ond, IL is not Roman: thirdly and lastly,
Il IL not on empire. My objections TO this
command as universally applied are few
or In number In the first place Jesus
gave other answers TO the same question
and secondly and because OF this. when
II Is universally applied Il is not Chris
tian. IL IL not Christian because IL was
not the method OF Christ.
The point / urge is not that man may
be saved without belief I'm Christ, the
point Is. that as ~ Is usually interpreted.
a man can't be saved with ~.
The command taken alone and isolated
falls I'm line with the command OF Angus
tine: Love God and do as you please"
Both are true and right II we stop
and reflect that both the command In re-
lation to Jesus and the saying OF Angus
tine look at the religious ideal from one
side and only one.
Wordsworth cries out. "Oh. may my
weakness have an end" This II religion
looked az from the manward side alone
but when the psalmist says Against
thee and thee only have ! sinned." he is
looking az religion from the Joint OF view
OF the Divine.
FORMING OF IDEALS.
President Hyde tells us that the normal
boy and girl at about the age OF sixteen
begins 10 form ideals. In other words they
begin 20 reach the age which for lack OF
a better word. and the lack II serious we
call religious. II We believe in the life
OF Jesus Christ as the highest expression