The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-08-14
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ON CHRIS
TlANlTYS BRoAoMlNDEDNEss."

NEw HoBK ClTY-Dr Henry q. Swcnt
eel, rector OF St. Luke's Church, Clinton
avenue, near Fulton street, preached Sun
day on Tho BroidmHdedness of Chris
tianitv,' lie took his text from Psalms
cXiN;06: 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 broadmIndedncss. No one who rightly
appreciates the Gospel can we'll contend
that 1t seeks 10 make human nature smaller
and feehler than it IS. or that 10 would
lower the dignity and lessen the freedom
and bonisn the opportunities OF human
life.
IN The broodmindedness of Jesus is one
oil His most notable characteristics. lie
lived in the OPEN and His every word
indicates the comprehensiyencss Of His
thinking and the perfect sanity of His
conclusions. lie is the broadcast being
who has trod this earth and lie has given
the hroadest religion that man has known
a religion which is not racial. national or
provincial, hut worldwide. II is intended
to inspire the most liberal ideas and 10
make the largest men, 1t is the embodi-
ment of hroadmindedness in doctrine and
ideal, in its outlook its estimate OF posi-
Utilities, and its conceptions of human des-
tinv
Every follower of Christ should dvest
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 younger civilization,
but which should not be installed in the
twentieth century. Religion is not super
stition, faith is not bigotry, godliness 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 garrulous brains
and hppant 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 hear It. In common parlance
broad Romanist is 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 10 definite religious principles, no
clearly stated 7ules 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. 1t is supposed to be "broad"
to be not too scrupuiOus about ones amuse
ments, to encourage irreligiou TO disregard
| the sanctities of Sunday. 1t il supposed
| to be "broad" to saw 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
! 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
| Nlothed with a sense which it ought not to
! have. When people tell of a "broad state.
ment, they mean a statement which ia
| suspicious, If not inaccurate. When they
refer to a broad story" they mean a story
which is not quite decent It were well
to distinguish between a true breadth and
a spurious breadth, so that we might he
| 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
l'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 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 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 amD'e and liberal and
comprehensive as the Nicene creed. IL j:
great in what it says and in what it does
not saw, in what it defines and what it re
fuses to defre. Its expressions and it:
reticencP are significant and impressive. II
it technical terms have been reduced to
minimum, and it stands as an unfaiins
source OF truth and aspiration which shall
bless and enrich al classes of humanity un
til the close of the latest age. II proposes
the divinity of the Trinity and the trinit,
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 tn,
elaborate phrases Of the theologian. ]
upholds the virgin birth of Jesus. Hi
worldwide Office and His o1hnipotent en-
deavors "for us men and for our salvation.
hut without the CLOSES of a mistaken
devotion 1t Droclaims the continut,
Of the church Of the apostles, but withoi
the speculations and dicta of the ecclesi
ologist. 1t announces the nearness Of God
children in every world, and the biesse,
life of endless felicity which awaits tn
the fancies and guesses and Yacaries whcI
| have vainlv tried to eNnlore the herearter