Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-10-23

upOl WHICH, Tile Olu CuuTCucS anu
Christian Scientists agree, but that |
have not told you anything about the
many points upon which they do not
agree. The failure to do this was not
an oversight. 1t is a part of the
ethics of my profession, that a lawyer
shall willingly, smiiingly, even glee-
fully lose his case, rather than de-
liberately slaughter his own logic [
have made the effort for few
moments at least, to satisfy you that
upon the essentials of the religion of
Jesus We do agree. 1t is apparent to
US all That if you have the essentials
of that religion, and we have the
essentials of that religion, then we
each have all the gospel supplies, and
| it is just as apparent to your logic as
to mine that if we are in accord
| respecting the essentials of the
religion OF Jesus. then there is not
anything essential for US to disagree
about and there never is All opportune
time TO discuss nOn-esSent lais.
Again you might ask ''If we are in
harmony respecting the essentials of
religion of Jesus, what is the necessity
for new church, why do you. as
nine-tenthS of the Christian Scien-
| fists have, 60 out of the old churchcS?"
| If we really believe alike respecting
these essentials, there is no answer to
| the question, there would be no reason
| for new church, or rather al the old
churches would be new, transformed
by the renewal of your mind" all one:
for when all the people think alike
and think Alright of the one only living
and true God, there will be and can
be but one church, the heavens it's
dome, the Lord God Almighty and
the Lamb its temple: the redeemed
nations shall walk in it, and the glory
of God shall light it.
You will observe, however, that in
| my comparison of the old churches
belief and ours, speak of declarations
Of belief: and there is a vast difference
between what one SayS,he believes and
what he really believes. Religious
| belief, belief in God cannot be
ascertained from human speech.
What you do, not what you say,
| determines the status of your real
| belief in God. your concept of God. A
declaration Of belief in the Infinite is
| but a futile attempt to express in
| finite language the creatures obedi
encc to God, trust in God, and
| reliance upon God. There is no human
language, tongue, or speech, image,
sign or character, that can express it.
''God is a Spirit, and they that wor-
ship Him must worship Him in spirit
and in truth" Your worship of God
is the infallible test of your belief in
God. | venture to illustrate my
position, Suppose some gentleman
should arise and say to this splendid
audience, "My friends, [ believe that
alcohol has brought more sorrow into
this world, more heartache and heart
break, has deSolated more homes,
wrecked more lives, drawn more tears
than all other things combined. l
believe in my very soul that every
place where Intoxicating liquor is
sold as beverage is but a ticket office
to He'll, and that the face of every
honest man and woman should be
turned as flint against this horrible,
CHASTITY practice" and having said
this, should go out of the house and
stop at the nearest ticket office of this
character, and buy few tickets for
| himself and some for a few dear
friends, from whom he does not wish
to be separated wherever the trans
portation might carry them, would
you not know, every one of you, every
child in the house know, that that
man did not state his real belief, or if
?, he did, that he was amazingly at
tracted to the lurid terminus of the
transportation purchased. The illus
tration | have employed is not far
fetched. Few of US indeed have
escaped furnishing example of the
sane inconsistency. Apply the test
to yourselves: AS the years have come
and gone, you have said so many times
with Paul, SIN God we live and move
and have our being" which is simply
saying and only saying in God we
have life, health, and Immortality.
Yet, you have gone from every such
declaration to the doctor, the druggist
or climate, for the life and health that
you declared you had and had only in
God. Do you then believe it? If you
say that you believe that your life and
health is in God and then GO to some
human agency, some dull clOd Of earth
| for your life and health, would you be
greatly surprised if your neighbors
should say that you are either mis-
taken in your belief or that You place
a very low estimate upon the value of
what you have in God? How many.
many times have you all joined in
that most beautiful invocation, LET
the words of my mouth and the
meditatiOnS Of my heart be acceptable
in thy sight, o Lord my strength and
my Redeemer?"
Do you really think you believe that
God is your strength and your Re-
deemer, and yet hesitate to go to God,
and God only, day by day and hour oy
hour, for your strength and for
redemption from every i'll that comes
to humanity? Ii you do, | am sure
you are mistaken in your belief. Your
belief. your trust, your faith is in the
agency you go to; your real belief is
that the doctor is your strength, and
the druggist your Redeemer. You
cannot serve two masters, and you
cannot escape the memorable rule,
"By their works We shall know them. !"
| What you really believe you do. "AS
a man thinketh, SO is he
Christian Scientists believe that
their life is in God, that God is their
strength and Redeemer, and know
they believe it, demonstrate their
belief, by going TO God and God only
for life, strength, and redemption
from all sickness, sorrow and sin.
| You say you believe that God is the
| great physician who heals all our
| diseases" but do you really believe it?
If you do not go TO 1.-The great physi-
| clan" men will think and God will
know you do not believe it. If the
question were asked, every one of you
would say that you believe that Jesus
was sincere in his every declaration,
said exactly what he meant, and
meant precisely what he said. Do