The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-03-30

the church; tolerant as Christians toward
those without is the ideal that should rule.
How refreshing to reflect upon such a
passage of Scripture as that which stands
at the head of this sermon. It is a plea
| for religious federation and sets before us
standard of religious liberty it would be
well 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, and before we are
aware of it the peculiar dogma we cherish
or the certain fact we advocate is magni-
fed into Identification with the truth it
self. There is at least danger here. Thus,
how needful to be often carried out into
the broad field the Gospel opens up. Look
at the scene revealed here. Jesus is hav-
ing another of His oft-reeurring talks with
the Pharisees; but, as of old, they do not
understand Him. He is a fanatic. OF at
best, stubborn partisan, who, while pro-
! Tossing to lead them into larger freedom,
seems only to break up their honored in
stitutions. So this peculiar saying falls
from His lips. As He speaks how precious
the outlook. There He leads His follow
ers through the old loved fields, out under
| the blue sky, their life and His identified,
| bound together by common fidelity of
truth. But even this freedom seems mar
| row in view of what is yet to come. These
are NV sheep, He says, and fol-. them lay
down My life; but also other sheep have
which are not of this fold, and as we con-
template the words, the range of our Wis
ion is extended, the fields through which
they pass widen. the visible horizon that
hemmed US in lifts, the blue dome OF the
heavens expands until we see all truth
loving souls everywhere, known by many
different name, coming in as the sheep
fold opens to receive them. And we turn
our steps homeward, resolving in future to
be more tolerant for the Masters sake.
A few weeks ago an attendant upon our
church, lover of truth, believer in
Christ, but who had never made an open
profession of religion, asked me what l
thought constituted Christian, and if l
did not think it meant to be church
member, and Baptist Church member. It
was that earnest question that called forth
these sermons. What constitutes ChIls'
tian? No progress can be made in our dis.
cussion until we settle that question. Is'it
to be communicant of any church? Is it
to subscribe to any creed? A hundred
times no! All trustworthy sources make it
to be believer in Christ. What do
you mean by belief in Christ? Well, what
do you mean when you tell person you
believe in him, that you believe he is a
good citizen, a faithful husband, loving
father? You may he we in him as all
that, yet not be will 20 trust him with
dollar out of your s.sht, or open your
home to him as friend. You honor him
not most unless willing to trust him with
money uncounted, your good name, the
does not express itself in confidence does
not count for much. All else is cold, i'm
personal opinion. You must not offer
Christ less than you would your friend. A
belief in the historic Christ only never
saved soul, any more than belief in
Caesar or Luther or Washington, even
though you believe Him as more than q
teacher sent from God, more than pro-
phet, even the very Saviour of the world.
Just as friendship is more than an intellec-
tual opinion, even possession of the life.
Just as love, the divine essential in all
true living, without much society, is q
Grafton, and the home den, denying its
own existence, is virtue of the heart in
stead of secretion of the brain; so relig.
ion has it's abiding place in the heart, else
nowhere in the life at all.
To be believer in Christ then is no
different than to be a believer in man.
Tell him whom you profess to call your
friend you believe in him. When you will
not confde in him, when in perplexity you
seek another's counsel, and in sorrow an:
others sympathy, and you have insulted
faith, and friendship has become. in your
hand an empty name. If you believe IN
man trust him as all men demand you
should. You say you love? Show it by
loving and manifesting the selfdenial love
demands, else your profession is sound
,,,r, ~ n HpQtarhIU I.
fair.
Do you believe in Christ? Show it by
loving trust. Otherwise, you believe only
not want to have much to do with Him.
It means self first and always. And If
perchance you start to follow Him from so
superficial motive be not surprised if the
first time His demands conflict with your
plans YOU turn traitor and swear you
never knew the man. The test is. My
sheep hear NV voice and / know them and
they follow Me. That is the test-to hear
His voice and follow Him. !:
Now, what is the purpose of church,
and in how far does church membership
constitute a Christian? Church member
ship constitutes Christian lust so far as
a Christian constitutes church member.
No church, whatever its name and iniu-
a Christian, unless the Roman Church, and
that is only in its own estimation. We
fall into one or the other of two errors:
Either of thinking of Christianity as an abb
straction, or as fact identical with an or
ganization of earth, when it is grander
than BOTH There is no Christianity apart
from the life of its founder. 1t is not to
be born in q Christian community. 1t is
not to be swayed by religious excitement.
Then there is the other mistake of max.
ing the visible church identical with the
reality. Indeed, symbols are important.
We can never tell how much satisfaction
the religious devotee receives from the pic.
ture of the Virgin or the image of the
Christ. The line between the symbol and
the spirit may be less attenuated than we
think. More symbols may lead to more
realities than we dream of. An object OF
sense may, however, oftener hinder ac-
cess to the spirit than be viaduct there
to. Many person joins a church for the
sake of being church member rather than
to be a better Christian. Many person
worships their church and minister rather
than the Christ the church represents: and
the minister breaches. Being a good de-
nominationalist is not necessarily being
good Christian, although If we are good
Christians we ought to be denominations
alists, and better denominatiionalists, than
we are. Denominations give form and con-
tent to Christianity which some souls
would never otherwise perceive. But on
the other hand, denominationalism should
have no content to boast of except what
the Gospel imparts. Don't think that to
be Methodist, Presbyterian or Baptist
is equal to being a Christian. 1t may be
so 1t may not be 50. 1t depends whether
your denomination intensities or material
lies Christianity. You may have the form
of godiness, but your very devotion to the
form is denial of the power thereof. 1
have in mind member of former
church who would sooner give up