The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-23
CHASM IS too BROAD
BETWEEN FAITH AND WORKS
Rev. J. Cumming Smith, in His
Sermon, Calls Attention to a
Chinese Pamphlet.
LESSON THAT is DRAWN

"A charming little classic. Letters from
Chinese Official conkains some hints that
there is too broad a thasm between faith
and works in America His impression as
foreigner was that r7e believed too much
and practiced too little. We have cathedrals
here and there gracins our cities. but our
religious ideas had scarce touched our
schools and politics and trade He found
here flood of creeds and a dearth of cor
responding conduct Now this may be a
little extreme. but we cannot scorn criti-
cism. a man cannot appreciate America
until ne travels around the world. Then
his faculty OF contrast has material to
work on. Let us welcome the impressions
of able foreigners. ana all the more if we
smart under their last said the Rev j.
Cumming Smith at the Tabernacle Church
in his sermon on the Seven Stars and the
Seven Candlesticks" yesterday morning.
Continuing. Mr.. Smith said:
Literature abounds; in symbols; the
locket with tender !nemories; the flag
triumphant with taaters; the lettered
escutcheon; the jewel with secret signs:
the carved emblems On oaken doors; the
seals of government. these are part of
language. The word mystery used by the
old seer does not mean that we are face
to face with something we can't push
through as a train dep in the blockade of
snow cannot further. push through; il
means rather something that entices
thought to work down into with view to
getting glimpses of n.,ble truth.
1.-The mystery is tsat our world needs
both the star and tr}e candlestick. The
first represents the remote. the sublime
the transcendent anC supernatural His
tory proves that earth Graves a sky. The
| second represents the near, the handy and
practical reality in which the remote truth
is couched. Join the*e two and heaven is
realized on earth.
THE Fourth of July or the Decora ton
| day are not in vain. They illustrate some
abiding and subterranean principles or
which our government rests We need DAYS
and forms and codes, and the way to keeI
these from approximation is to breathe
into them the doubleAlife which they were
created to express.
| stick and the star. First, in forms. Our
| church originally was more adorned with
| symbols and litanies than the Lutheran
or Episcopalian churches. There is to-day
| however, drought ct these warm coloreC
| emblems and Protes, antism suffers from
an external barrennVs. Our services are
| too gloomy. We believe the perfect church
evolution of the future. and by the eclectic
method. Second, in truth. We require
creedS TO voice our sense of truth. His
| tory shows that occultism can never carry
| the imagination Of the common people UNI
| til ii steps forth into concrete power anC
| storms the heart with a practical appeal
S No creed .. is sn5 No creed should be
1T is as sweet and gentle in it's origina
impulse the breath of even or wan lool
| or ruin. Then Ii becomes a bastard when il
| assumes a dictatorial tone of omniscienc,
and tries to lord il the minds Goo
made free. Some minds can never get hole
of God until God clothes His mysteriou:
person in flesh and blood. This is the secre
| of the incarnation 1hich is again tn,
fundamental philosopty of the worlds life
| 1t Is God articulating His loving will every
| where that makes our world anything NOR,
| than a treadmill.
! Jesus in His power rang out the chin,
| of marriage bells. HIS life must permeat,
| every sphere of thou ght apd leaven every
| department of activity so that human his
| tory will perfectly interpret the will o.
God. This was His kingdom. He saw
mems bodies as well mems souls. III,
| pioneered the kinde rgarten and hospita
| just as clearly He announced the glaC
message of pardon. {Not until the church
outgrows it's swaddEng clothes of tradi
ton and returns TO the pure faith of Jesus
| and the first apostles will the world eve
! feel the quickening Of the Holy Spiri
/ thrilling not alone In sanctuaries anC
cloisters. but reorganizing our Congress:
and chambers of cortmerce.'