Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-03-10

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very unpleasant for some intrepid thinker
| who saw more clearly and spoke more
fearlessly than the rank and file. The
Methodist Church in our leading New Eng
land city is to-day exa,tng the spirit OF
| the Pharisees instead of the spirit of the
| Wesleys in trying to eXcommunicate its
| leading scho.ar, just as Presby byterianism a
| few years ago i'll prosecuting its chlet
scholar went back dangerously near the
standard OF $50 years ago. raised by its
| il'ustrious ancestor, John Calvin, who in
eva for doubling the equality Of the per-
sons of "the Trinity and the validity of
infant baptism. Christ dealt more loving
" with heretcs. TO Thomas He unveiled
His side and loved him into the necessary
belief Phariseesm, on the other hand,
cructed Christ ard stoned Stephen to
death. Loving as brethren those within
the church; to'erant as Christians toward
those without IS the ideal that should rue.
How refreshing to reflect upon such a
passage Of Scripture as that which stands
at tho head of this sermon. 1t is n plea
for religious toleration and sets before MS
standard of religious liberty it would be
we'll to live up to. We are so inclined to
become narrowed in our views of truth;
we are so prone to live under the shelter
of some creed that the vistas of truth
stretching ahead Of us everywhere become
narrowed and hidden, ard before we arc
aware Of it the peculiar dogma we cherish
or the certain fact we advocate is magni-
hed into identification with the truth it.
self. There is at least danger here. Thus.
how ncodfui to be often carried out into
the broad fed the Gospel opens up. Look
at the scene revealed here. Jesus is hav.
ing another Of His oft-rerurring talks with
the PFa!isses; but, rs Of Oh, they do not
understand Him. lie is fanatic. or at
best, stubborn partisan. who, whi'c pro-
Tossing to lead them into larger freedom,
seems only to break up their honored in
stitutons. SO this peculiar saying falls
from HIS lips. As he speaks how precious
the outlook. fhere He leads His follow.
ers through the Old loved feds. ont under
the blue sky, their lie and His identified,
bound together by a common fidelity OF
row IN view Of what s vet to come. These
are Nv sheen, He says, and for them Gv
down My lie; but also other sheep have
which are not of this foid. and as we con
temp ate the words. TIE range of our Wis
ion is extended, the feds through which
they pass widen. the visible horizon that
henmed us in lifts, the blue dome Of the
heavens expands until we see all truth
loving souls everywhere. known by manv
n different name, coming in AS the sheep
our stems homeward resoIving in fntnre to
br mora tornr,n+ for thn N.stn,,s eola
, few wneks aoo an attendant urnn nur
cbnah lovar Of trnth La1;rvnr IN
Cn,;.t bnt who had npyC, ,,a,lr an nnpn
,r,fos. sion ri rrlirio, as',eI me wha+
houaht constituted a Christian and if
did not think it meant to he a church
member, and a Baptist Church member. 1t
thpee srrmons Whot .+iintes n Chr;s.
tian9 No ngogress can I've mala IN o,r di..
rnssion m+;l we sptt'e that nucstirn Is II
to he p rommnnicant of onv rhurchq Is i
TO subscribe 70 any crccdq A hund",l
times mo- All lr,stworlhv sources make If
tn hn , hn'iarer j., Ch,.i.t What do
you mean hy br1ief II Chrjs+2 Wail what
10 v,u ,nna,, when Won tcN = nerson Won
5ol;ryc in him tSa4 y,r bn};cyo Lr j. y
rood citiaen a foithin, husl,nd q Iov;nr
rathr2 Ynu may brFeve in HIM ~ oiI
.hat vet NOT Lo w;,linr +n tTn,t hi,, with
, dor,r ort of vo,,r s,ubt ar o,,on vonr
NOT mast nn,ess w;l,ina to tru.t h;m Win
money nprnnntcd yn,,r ,,oaI ra'nc the
sorv secrets of vnur lrarF brlief tbat
l,as mot c,.r,esa ;tsoif i, conGIonne docs
.,ct count for n,urb All olsn il n,ld i'm.
1hr;st less than you word your friend. A
2ecf in the historic Christ only never |
'avcd a soul. any more th1p a belief in !
'acsar or Luther or WASHINGTON. even
houqh YOU believe Him as more than a |
eacher sent from God. more than a pro- |
1het, even the very saviour of the world |
ust as friendship j. more than an nteIec- |
ual opinion. even a possession Of the life. |
lust as love, the divine essential in all !
eIf.ceatrcd. se;t.rircumieranccd cooclom.
ration and the home den. DENYING its
,wn existence, is virtue OF the heart in |
tead Of a secretion of the hran; SO re'ig.
on has lis abiding mace !, tine heart, else
Nowhere in the life at all.
To be believer in Christ then Is no
liffcrent than to be A believer in man.
Fell HIM whom yon profess to call your
riend vou believe in him. When You will
lot confde IN him. when in perplevitv YOU
eel; anoihpr's counscl and in ,orroty an
,thcr's sympathy, and vnu have insultcd
aith. and fricndshin has become in vour
land an cmptv name If YOU believe in
nan trust him az all men demand Won
hoilId Nou saw Won love- show il hv
owing and rnauifestinr the self.denial love
emands Else vour profession is a sound.
NO brass an en,nty name. a da,t,ralv ef
air
NJ ,,o,, 1o1;o,.o j.; C,l,a,o cl,,, - H.,
no YOU & pt''e'e III NH,,', hI'2w ,,.1 ~ n1y
VIZ ,lWs.' ot'''!n,t'' you oe'isNc GUY
~. ',,'iao,.t".'S un" unn' n'I"''s i'I r; w
w manI :" we t'ee '"ueii @ ~ VI" "''i I'm =:
erchancc Won start to follow Him from So
,nerdcial a motive be not surprised if the
rst time Ills demands conflict with your
lans vou turn traitor and swear YOU
ever knew the man. The test ia. My
heep hear Nv voice and ! know them and
hev follow Me, That is the test-to hear
lis voice and follow Him,
Now, what is the purpose of a church,
nd in how far does church membership
onstitute Christian? Chnrch member
hip constitutes n Christian lust so far as
Christian constitutes church member,
20 church. whatever its name and inhu-
nee, has of itself power 10 make a man
Christian, unless the Roman Church, and
hat is only in its own estimation. We