The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-07-16
A SUNDAY SERMON.
THE CHURCH AND TIE WORLD.
observation-disclosures os the Consistent
Christian Contrasted With the

World.
NEW YORK CITY.-Dr. Henry G. Swent-
Eel, rector of st. Luke's Church. Clinton
avenue, near Fulton street, preached Sun
day on THE Broadmindedness of Chris
tianitv." He took his text from Psalms
cxix:96: "Thy Commandment is exceeding
broad" DR.. Swentzel said:
The Son OF God las called men into n
place of liberty and has set their feet in a
and His whole tone illustrate and prove
His observation-disclosures. No one who rightly
appreciates the Gospel can we'll 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 Danish 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 comprehensiyeness Of His
thinking and the perfect sanity Of His
conclusions. He is the broadest being
the broadest religion that man has known.
a religion which is not racial, national or
provincial, but worldwide. 1t is intended
to inspire the most liberal ideas and to
make the largest men. 1t is the embodi-
ment OF broadmindedness in doctrine and
ideal, in it's outlook, its estimate of posi-
bilities, and its conceptions of human des-
tinv.
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
not intolerance.
We all do well to take account OF the
Lords edmonton 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
and hippant lips. Breadth" is one of the
words against which people sin most often.
so that earnest souls have almost reached
the point of suspecting it's tenor whenever
they hear it. In common parlance 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 have broken with Christianity,
has no definite religious principles, no
clearly stated rules of right and wrong.
and has 10 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 scrupu,ous about ones amuse-
ments, to encourage irreligion. 10 disregard
the sarrtities OF Sunday. It ia supposed
to be "broad" 20 saw and to do nothing
that would indicate that one has religious
feelings. to put himself in the attitude of
sympathy with bad things. IT 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
gospel mean as little as possible, to reduce
terms at all. Thus the noble word is
have. When people tell of a broad state
ment' they mean a statement which is
suspicious. if not inaccurate. When they
refer to a BROAD story" they mean a story
which is not quite decent. 1t were well
to distinguish between a true breadth and
a 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 a sou
Of God.
From whatever standpoint itSs viewed
the religion of Jesus Christ is rlScacterlzed
for it's broadmindedness. 1t is to-day the
only world religion. and the church looks
forward to the time when all the people
of all the nations viii 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.
fession which is so ample and liberal and
comprehensive as the Nisene creed; It is
great in what it says and in what it does
not say, in what it defines and what it re-
fuses to define. Its expressions and its
reticence are significant and impressive. In
it technical terms have been reduced to a
minimum. and it stands as an unfailing
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
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 th~eologian. 1t
upholds the virgin birth of Jesus, His
worldwide office and His omnipotent en-
deavors "for us men and for our salvation"
but without the CLOSES of a mistaken
devotion. 1t proclaims the continuity
Of the church Of the apostles. but without
the speculations and dicta Of the ~ecclesi-
%ologist. 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 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