Orange County observer., 1903-07-23
A SUNDAY SERMON.
THE CHURCH AND TIE WORLD
observation-disclosures os the Consistent
Christian contrasted With the
World.

World.
NEW YORK CITY.--Dr. Henry G. Swent-
avenue, near Fulton street, preached Sun
day on The Broa admindedness of Chris
tlamty. He took his text from Psalms
cxlx :96; Thy Commandment is exceeding
broad. DR.. Swentzel said:
The Son of God has called men into
place Of liberty and has set their feet in
large room: His example, His teachings
and His whole tone illustrate and prove
Ills broadmlndedness. No one who rightly
appreciates the Gospel can we'll contend
that 1t seeks to make human nature smaller
and teebler, than it is, or that it. would
lower the dignity and lessen the freedom
life
In the broadmindedness of Jesus is one
OF His most notable characteristics. He
lived IN the open, and His every word
indicates the comprehensiveness of His
thinking and the perfect sanity of His
conclusions He is the broadest % beins i1ls
who has trod this earth and He has given
the broadest religion that man has known.
2 religion which is not racial national or
provincial, but worldwide It is intended
to inspire the most liberal ideas and to
make the largest men. It is the embodi-
ideal, in it's outlook, it's estimate of posi-
blltles, and its conceptions of human des-
tiny. ~ - ''''' >A~'
Every follower Of Christ should divest
himself as far as possible of narrowness and
pettlness in living his life and doing his
work. Let him be thoughtful and honest
and industrious and brave; let him be
sane, broadminded in his ideas. generous
in his principles and loyal in his conscience.
He is not called upon to emulate the
paltry disposition of the past, or to try
to restore the regime of a bygone age or to
for, fhn
were well enough for younger civilization,
but which should not be installed in the
twentieth century. Religion is not super
stltion, faith is not bigotry, godliness is
not intolerance
We all do well to take account of the
LORDS admonitlon concerning the use of
language. He has warned us that we must
answer at the last for every idle word we
speak. How many idle words are used,
and how massive is human guilt in this
particular. Even those words which
should be pronounced with reverence are
mixed with frlvolities. Other words which
should be used always seriously and with
the utmost accuracy are connected with
the pronouncements of garrulous brains
and fippant lips Breadth" is one of the
words against which people sin most often.
SO that earnest souls have almost reached
the point Of suspecting its tenor whenever
ne aahley i,e bear r It, In common parlance a
who cares little or nothing. for his church
| Or for the religion which it breaches A
| ,"broad' Christian is man who. though
he may not have broken with Christianity,
has no definite religious principles, no
clearly stated rules Of right and wrong,
and has no fault to find with propaganda,
| the success of which would mean not
| only the overthrow of faith but the ruin
| of society. It is supposed to be "oroad'
to be not too scrupuious about ones, amuse-
ments, to encourage irreligion. to disregard
the, sanctities. of Sunday. It is supposed
to be 'broad" to say and to do nothing
that would indicate that one has religious
feelings, to put himself in the attitude of
sympathy with bad things. 1t is supposed
to be broad" to upset the Bible, to cast
discredit upon the church, to brand holy
traditions as a pack of lies. to make the
religion, not to its lowest terms, but to no
terms at all. Thus the noble word is
clothed with sense which it ought not to
have. When people tell of a "broad state
ment they mean a statement which is
suspicious, If not inaccurate. When they
which is not quite decent: It were we'll
to distinguish between true breadth and
spurious breadth, so that we might be
spared from the ills that follow in the train
OF a mere catchword. and have the blessing
and the power which are impaired by the
breadth of thought and sympathy which
is one Of the very finest marks Of son
| of God.
From whatever standpoint il is viewed
! the religion of Jesus Christ is characterized
for it's broadmindedness. It is to-day the
only world religion, and the church looks
forward to the time when all the people
OF all the nations will become the Lords
disciples. An examination of the theories
or schemes which have been set up in
opposition to or rivalry with the everlast
ing gospel will disclose their essential mar.
rowness, both as to ideas and life. In con
trast with the notions held by those who
stand aloof from Christ. how broad and
strong is the platform of Christian belief!
In all the world there is no creed or con
fesslon which is so ample and liberal and
comprehensive as the Nicene creed. It il
great IN what it says and in what it does
not say, in what it defines and what it re
fuses to define. It's expressions and its
it technical terms have been reduced to q
minimum, and it stands as an unfailine
source of truth and aspiration which shall
bless and enrich all classes of humanity un
til the close of the latest age. It proposes
the divinity of the Trinity and the trinity
osophy. It declares the Fatherhood of God
the Sonship Of Christ, the perpetual min
lstry of the Holy Ghost, but not in the
elaborate phrases of the theologian. Il
upholds the virgin birth of Jesus, Hi!
worldwide Office and His omnipotenta en-
deavors .sfor us men and for our salvation,
but without the CLOSES of mistaken
4 devotion. It proclaims the continuity
Of the church Of the apostles, but without
the speculations and dicta of the ecclesi
ologlst. 1t announces the nearness of Gods
children in every world, and the blessed
life. of endless felicity which awaits the
souls that He has redeemed, but without
the fancies and guesses and vagaries which
have vainly tried to explore the hereafter
These truths are not only remarkable in
the manner of their statement, but also in
themselves. They are the foundation on
which we are asked to build while we are
here, and the structure of our thoughts
and motives and efforts should be spacious
accordingly.
What an unspeakable crime it is to at
tack such belief on the score of its al
legged narrowness. It presents the largest
ideas that man has known, and it presents
them in the largest possible way. It's por
trayal of Jehovah is in harmony with His
divine majesty; its account of Jesus has
the sweetness and reverence of the gospel
according to St. John; its Interpretation
7 [ ILL ;o font oyaI IN,