Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-01-21
CalnaSe
Sermon
By Rev.
Prank De Witt Tslmase. d. ID.


religious beliefs that vex ana confuse
the earnest soul the preacher In this
sermon supplies the only test whereby
tbe truth or falsehood Of any Religion :
ia to be discovered The text Is MAT
thew Y. IA. Eye are the light OF 'ne I
world" 81,
A. M time since the beginning OF
tho world has man been confronted
With such multiplicity Of diverse ana
even conflicting systems OF rensiou'
belief as now. Yet all OF these sys-
tenn. appeai with more or less force LOT
his acceptance and support. IN 'ne
east Mohammedanism Confucianisin'
buddhism and similar beliefs malntain
IN. ancient vigor Of their creed III 'ne
.rn.ol IN human credulity and super
stition while Europe and the "es'ein
,vor,d have their numerous systems Vi
creeds and cults" each presen'ins i'S
claims for mans belief ana a'leSian,s
Tnr, the great problem presents itseli:
A.. those systems OF religious peiieA
and worship really efticaciousf Aie
AlAIa
the,r dogmas. tenets and creeds' tnell
ways OF thinking and living tneir so
ciaj. fraternal or religious spirit aS VI
oanizations-are these things "na'
) .h.v ought TO be or what they claim "
h.1 Are their teachings trueF Anu
how NAV we distinguish beyond I'LL
douht the true from the false3
An ,nfallible test Is supplied 10 us oy
Chr,st himself by which we are GU
oh,.d 20 decide as to the real vaiue
80 anv religious system. He tells US
thst we may know whether It's Claims
are valid by its effect on the ii'es =.
&C. .dh.rents. "Ye shall know tnem
~ their fruits. Do men gather grapes
U ~ thorps or hgs Of thistlesf Even o,
N .r.rv good tree bringeth forth goou
II fr,it but a corrupt tree bringeth ior'"
J., evil fruit" ,sh.
An illustration OF this test is furnish
~ Al nv the fakirs Of India. The primer, ,
s oIe OF self denial is commendapie' "n'
Il we admire men who sacrifice their cum.
): sort and devote themselves to service
u Gov the world. But the principle eeaSe'
to he admirable when It produces VOL
untarv soualor and filth such as are eA
h,h,ted bv the fakirs. 1t must De
oo--,,nt tree that produces specimen
= of humanity 20 debased and dissus'i''
as these men. r, Al,
have seen these fakirs. They OH
mt seem to me to be men or even WI"
beasts. They were a lower crea.iol
rh.v seemed TO have crawled out
tho darkest cayerns Of an Inferno.
have seen them with their mal,eu na'
end filthy bodies: have seen 'nei
18th uncut finger nails six inches ION
.rd twisted about In all shapes
h.x. seen them, as John l. StoddAl
d.scr,bes them In one Of his lecture
'Kf "a combination Of beggar, fanatic III
postor and spy. In Disgusting 81
roundings resembling garbage nea
kr . xcore OF these men were seateu'
t,re,v naked. upon a mound OF asn'
u IN wb,ch they rolled repeatedly. Inv
even rubbed the dirt all over tn'
hod,.. which had been previous
creased In order to retain IL I'M
hair matted with hlth. reached near
- the,r waists and was painted y
. ,ov and ON this they threw occasie
a,Iv handfuls Of dust and ashes.
,,ckening feeling came over me at
,,cb. OF this human degradation esl
dally when remembered that tnere
in India more than million Oh 'n'
half crazed mendicants and trau
uho are revered and almost worsnil
by multitudes of men and women. "
will actually stoop and kiss their te.
"Ar. these the fruits Of India raj
ismY you ask. "ls that the resuls
the oath of poverty under which SO
Hindoos worship Then / want n
NJ II Away with It Its fruits
,vor,, eaten and flthily diseased
bad" By the fruits found In the IL
NJ the believers ye must judge the
suit of a creed or system OF oehei'
Not True Worship.
wbv do you not worship God as
the dancing dervishes Of the e'
"How do they worship himT you
Instead Of entering little churcn
you or 1. to kneel In prayer tney "
TO move around in a circle. They
ON circling around and around
your brain gets dizzy with iookin
them. They dance on and on more
more furiously. until after awhile
,xort themselves into the most VIC
forms Of physical hysteria or III
, hod,iv exhaustion drop In their tr
in n dead swoon. "Oh." you say u
",hst Ia no true worship Of GOD.
ho,v God does not expect any de'
- =. uote an imbecile out OF him
Avay with the worship OF the oar
deryishesg By the fruits OF cre'
a cult, studied In the lives Oh l'e
and women who believe In ana pfa
II YOU can Judge the truth or tne
~ Of the teachings.
Nv the same criterion accoroil
which we Judge the failures OF
false religions the world Is 10 Juue
,s,lnre or the eficacy Of the gosT
Jesus Christ. The Saviour ID
words of my text Is practically sa
"Msn. women. II is to you 10
exhibit the principles OF my re
"a the world. Ny life Will De
meet my teaching will soon be fOrs
unless you. my followers, embody
vour lives. The only way in whi(
world can know the grandeur ano
=, ~ the truths have taught M
IN the lives you lead. Ye are the
Of the world. Ye are my repre-
dives upon earth Ye are the d
%, torches to guide sinners to the
r. the cross. Hear me, men! Hea
women! Hear me. children, wh
fess to be my disciples! Ye a
Ing, &c. liqbt of the world. by which the