The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-10-28

comp:lS.tES.
Toleration is long advance from intol-
erance, but toleration easily becomes u IN
difference, and both are utterly made
ouatc to express the ideal relationship be-
tween bodies of Christ's followers: Toler-
ate? Endure? Be Indifferent? Shame on
those who would thus cruelty the Christ
afresh! Like a mighty army moves the
church of God" shoulder to shoulder,
heart beat answering to heart beat, steps
swinging in time to the martial music OF
the church militant and the church trlum'
phant, "Like a mighty army moves the
Of conviction, but above the flag of the
regiment, the flag of the army above the
| standard of the denomination, the white
| banner of the Captain of the host. the
| Commander of the armies of the faithful,
| the King, omnipotent and eternal! Not
intolerance. not toleration, not lnditer-
ence but fellowship, is the rallying cry,
and we may believe that it finds q sympa.
thetic chord in every heart of this great
company.
A good beginning has been made. Fed
Grafton is fellowship put into practice.
Federation of churches and of Christian
workers has ceased to be dream; 1t IS
far from uncommon to-day, in single COM
nunities, in counties, in States. Let me
| indicate q very few of the lines which have
been suggested and actually followed in
| this federated work. A religious census OF
given community, resulting in q religious
directory, showing church and Sunday
school membership and attendance; Chris
tian citizenship efforts. including those
against the legalized saloon, and against
| the desecration and humiliation of the
dav of rest, buwark of our national life
| now thrown down and .trampled in the
| dust-our brethren under other national
| flags are not free from the bitterness OF
| this assault; q common rallying for the
preservation or the securing Of an ideal
public school system; where it can be done
a wise direction of denomlnatIonal enter
prises in the way of the founding of new
churches, thus tending. to economy OF ef.
| fort and wise stewardship of resource, but
invaluable work of the church universal in
| evangelization, this above everything else
the Joining hands of those who believe
| that the world is lost without Jesus Christ
in harmonious and loving fellowship, OF
action for the worlds salvation. In all OF
these endeavors we may work together,
our hearts beating as one in our common
love and loyalty to our common Lord.
Let me suggest two thoughts which may
strengthen us in our fellowship. 80.
| First-The enemies of Christ and LIS
followers are neither dead nor sleeping.
| Luther said, as representation OF the
church in his day: "Who would paint a
picture of the present condition OF the
church let him paint a young woman IN a
| wilderness, or in some desert place. and
round about her let him fglce lions, whose
eyes are glaring upon her and whose
mouths are open to devour. her substance
and her beauty That is the natural CON
dition of the church. When the church
| - l,+ ,oa fhio INV nCp truly
alive, and is fulfilling her destiny, she will
| find about her, as of old. men more cruel
than ravenous beasts. The gospel means
battle. 1t is rightly on the offensive. not
the defensive. The gospel divides, when
it is manifested in disciple whose en-
bodying of the gospel is strong enough to
divide anything. The block will bear al.
died by the feeble fin 'ers Of an infant, but
! the axe goes cleaving through the wood
when the edge comes down under the
sweeping power of strong mans arm.
| True, multitudes of nominal Christians
| live on most amiable terms with the
world, and know next to nothing OF any
tribulation or opposition occasioned by
their profession O.: Christianity: But that
is not because there is anv real alteration
Jesus. 1t is because their unio is so very
slight and superficial. The world loves its
own. and what can it find to hate in the
shoals of people whose religion is confined
| to their tongues mostly and has nothing to
do with their lives? It uls not ceased to
be hard thing to be real and thorough
Christian.
To be sure, opposition finds different
foes to-day than in some other days. You
know to what lengths IL has gone. The
Inquisition, the massacre Of st. Bartholo'
NEW, the reign Of Philip II: OF Spain, the
Netherlands. the fires Of Smithfeid, these
ere not so far in the past that mists of
oblivion have shrouded them. But let
us understand, nv fellow Christians, that
| the world and the flesh and the devil are
against Christian building and Christian
living still, just as they always were.
| I do not believe in people looking TOR
trouble, searching for some one who will
consent to persecute tlyem. but l have an
idea that the sting of Smithfeld fires and
the wrenching of Torquemada's rack, il
those experiences could be repeated, might
correct some vagaries OF modern theology.
| The laundering summons of the enemy
| at the door might be wholesome anti
| dote for some conditions in our churches
| of to-day. There is something in the. call
| to battle, battle for a cause which IS
righteous and supremely worthy, which
stirs the deepest and the. best in us. Is
it true that there is to-day little of the
heroic in religion tc appeal to men! Alas
| for us if that be so.
The statement comes from some. OF our
| theological seminaries that there is some
dearth of candidates for the ministry.
Why? Why is it that the ministry does
not appeal to every stalwart, able. earnesti
| unselfsh Christian man in his college days!
| 1t does to some. A part Of the product
of our seminaries to-day was never sur:
passed. But why does not the claim OF
| this great vocation press upon every SUCH
an ore until it is soberly settled one way
or the other? It is not because young
men are afraid. There was no difficulty
in filling up the ranks of the Rough Rider
regiment, though every man knew that he
was taking his life in his hands when he
volunteered. There was no lack of volun-
tecrs for service when the Merrimac was
to be sunk at the mouth of Santiago har-
bor,, though it meant voyage into the
Jaws of death. Eight men were needed;
you know the response to the call for vol.
unteers.
Second-Tbe insistent call for. service
has not ceased. Dean Frederick W. Far
rar, who has but recently passed from
among us, has said: "1s not this fatally
true, that the lives of very many are friv:
olous, useless, egotistical; that the lives OF
very many are wasted and self-ruined by
their own vilest passions; that the lives
of some are like o mere poison and pesti-
lence to all around them; that it is the
lives of few only which are noble and gen:
eroas. brave and unselhsh, merciful and
just, pure and true? And the main curse
of most lives is that they think only, Of
self and live only for self" l hope that
the words contain an exaggeration. l can
but believe that each of us knows in his
own circle lives which, though they be
are "brave and unselfsh," pure and
I.,,oO p,+ 4Lo ,,orJ. of +bo rroof ohurnh.