The Penn's Grove record., 1903-07-17
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ON CHRIS.
.TlANlTY's 6ROADMINDEDNEss."

NV 6GO0OINt VI" SETNiSs
TlANlTY'S BROADMINDEDNEss."
The Rev. DIR. Henry C.. Swentze1 Contrasts
the Church With the Narrow-Gauge
Average Man-One of the Miseries of
I~rreligfon Pointed Out in Detail.
New YORK CITY.-Dr. Henry e. Swent-
eel, rector of st. Luke's Church. Clinton
avenue, near Fulton street, preached Sun
day on "The observation-disclosures of Chris
tianity." He took his text from Psalms
cxix:96: "Thy Commandment is exceeding
broad" DR.. Swentzel said:
The Son of God Las called men into a
place of liberty and has set their feet in a
large room. His example, His teachings
and His whole tone illustrate and prove
His observation-disclosures. No one who rightly
appreciates the Gospel can well contend
that it seeks to make human nature smaller
and feebler than it is. or that it would
lower the dignity and lessen the freedom
and banish the opportunities Of human
life.
In the observation-disclosures 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 broadcast being
who has trod this earth and He has given
the broadcast religion that man has known,
a religion which is not racial, national or
provincial, but worldwide. 1t is intended
10. inspire the most liberal ideas and to
make the largest men. 1t is the embodi-
ment of broadmindedness in doctrine and
ideal, in its outlook, its estimate of posi-
b~ilities, and its conceptions of human des-
tiny.
Every follower of Christ should divest
himself as far as possible of narrowness and
pettiness 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
clamor for the return of conditions which
were well enough for a younger civilization.
but which should not be installed in the
twentieth century. Religion is not super
~stition. faith is not bigotry, goodness is
not Intolerance.
We all do we'll to take account OF the
Lords admonition 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 frivolities. Other words which
should be used always seriously and with
the utmost accuracy are connected with
the announcements of %garrusaus 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
they bear it. In common p~arlance a
broad" Romanist is a Roman Catholic
who cares little or nothing for his church
or for the religion which it breaches. A
broad" Christian is a man who, though
he may not nave broken with Christianity
has ito definite religious principles. no
clearly stated rules of right and wrong,
and has no fault to find with a propaganda,
the success Of which would mean not
only the overthrow of faith but the ruin
OF society; 1t is. supposed to be broad
to be not too s%crupulous about ones amuse.
ments, to encourage irreligion, to disregard
the sanctities of Sunday. 1t 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 aAa pack of lies. to make the
gospel mean as little as possible, to reduce
religion, not to its lowest terms, but to no
terms at all. Thus the noble word is
clothed with a sense which it ought not to
have. When people tell If a "broad state.
mentn they mean a statement which is
suspicious, ii not Inaccurate. When they
refer to q "broad story they mean a story
which is not quite decent. 1t were well
to distinguish between a true breadth and
q spurious breadth, SO that we might be
OF q 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 a son
of God.
From whatever standpoint it is viewed
the religion of Jesus Christ is characterized
for it's observation-disclosures. 1t 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 e~rerlast.
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
fession which is so ample and liberal and
comprehensive as the Nicene creed. 1t 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
retlcence are significant and impressive. In
it technical terms have been reduced to q
minimum, and it stands as an u~nfailine
source OF truth and aspiration which shall
bless and enrich all classes of humanity un
~ the close of the latest age. 1t proposes
the divinity of the Trinity and the trinity
OF divinity, but not in the forms of phil
osophy. 1t declares the Fatherhood of God
the Sonship of Christ, the perpetual min
istry OF the Holy Ghost, but not in the
elaborate phrases of the t~heologian. II
upholds the virgin birth of Jesus, Hi:
worldwide Office and His omnipotent en-
deavors FOR us men and for our salvation
but without the CLOSES of a mistaken
devotion. It proclaims the Continuity
OF the church Of the apostles, but without
the speculations and dicta Of the ecclesi
oiogist. 1t announces the nearness Of God
children in every world, and the blessed
life OF endless felicity which awaits the
souls that He has redeemed, but without
the fancles and guesses and v~agaries which
have vainly tried to explore the hereafter
These truths are not only re. arkable 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 a 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. Its por
trayai OF Jehovah is in harmony with His
Irvine majesty; its account of Jesus has
che sweetness and reverence of the gospel
according to st. John; its Interpretation
OF the Holy Spirit is a comforting and in
spring doctrine for the needs and sorrows
and possibilities of the present; its deciara-
ton OF the church marks it as a society
OF grace and blessing which was founded
BY the Lord, and. like a -eautiful angel,
It points to the life of the world to come
These are the dearest of all doctrines, the
best and the brightest, the largest and
most liberal. Whatever else they are, they
are not contracted or paltry, but as cath
olic as God and as universal as man. In
deed. our religion is the only thing in the
worldth1t PROCESSES to desire the allegiance
OF everybody. It has the length and
breadth and depth aud height of the love
Of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. 1t does
not give ussviews or conjectares,. but only
the commandment of God which is Eek
ceeding broad"
The clever pettifogger can make(it diff
cult for rs to defend anything. Though we
may be infallibly sure Of its truthtalness.
lhe cross-examiner may succeed as Var as