Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-01-31

Impossible questions and In trying to
solve impossible mysteries. Now, my
friend, why cannot you follow the adj
vice Of Paulr why do you not concen-
tratc all your faith on Jesus Christ?
Why not accept him at his word and
90 forth and work in Gods vineyard?
Is there today any doubt or mystery In
your mind which can outweigh the in
finite fact that Jesus was born the
Son of God, that he died to save you
and me, that he will pardon all our
sins and that In him we may have ev.
erlasting lifef
Let Mysteries Alone.
But, IL the great mysteries Of the Bi-
BILE should not separate us from the
love of God, why should the great di
vine mysteries keep one Christian
church from working In gospel fellow
ship with other Christian churches?
Because one Christian church puts spe-
cial emphasis upon one of Gods attri-
butes In its creed or practice is that
any reason why other Christian church
es which lay stress on another of Gods
attributes should not affiliate with that
body OF Christians or cooperate with
1t? Because one gospel church loves to
sing the old psalms and another loves
! to use n liturgy and another church
loves to put emphasis upon immersion
and another church makes the sermon
the chief part of its service is it any
| reason why all these Christian church
es should not be united in working for
the same master and for salvation by
the same divine blood?
When you look over the ecclesiastical
history of the world you will notice one
striking fact-the church Is apt to de
generate when it becomes prosperous.
After the crucihxion came the dark
days Of persecution. But the growls Of
the wild beasts, while crunchng the
bloody bones Of the Christians In the
Roman Coliseum, only welded that
Christian church closer together. The
fires Of persecution only purified it.
The Christian church began to grow.
| Its foundations became stronger. As
the early church grew it was not only
able to resist and drive back its perse-
clltOrs. but 1t became stronger and
!
claim upon the temporal as well as the
! spiritual life of the nations. Then the
| Catholic pope became the acknowledge
ed spiritual ruler Of the world Then
what happened AS the Roman Cath
Ole church financially prospered did 1t
spiritually prosper? Nay. The Vatican
became a cesspool of sin. The Bible
was a closed book The torture cham
Der was the holy Of holes. fragrant
sin was everywhere in the church.
! Then came the divine mission of new
| church.
Tho REFORMATION.
The reformation came to its birth
Martin Luther LED the fight in Ger
many, Johr Knox in Scotland and
John Wyclif in England. The grasp Of
the pope was shaken off. but soon In
the English church came laxity and in
difference. Another reformation was
needed, and John Wesley and George
Whitefeld began to preach and Meth
odsm and Congregationalism began
their mighty work. Still later William
Booth has stirred the stagnnnt waters
|
need has arisen God has unfailingly
raised up men to do his work
Wherever the churches, growing In
numbers and in financial strength and
power have drifted from God and turn
ed their Masters temples into places Of
merchandise, wherever their preachers
have become unlike the humble Naza-
,
rebrth and n new church And to this
new church, this humble church. has
fallen the task of spiritually leavening
the old churches OF the world. Aud,
my friends, If You do not believe that
what l say is true | would like you TO
answer me one question. If Jesus
Christ were to come upon earth today,
where do you believe the lowly Naza-
rene would prefer to preach-in the
gorgeous Vatican of pope. with his
spotless robes. In the chancel of a
great cathedral and be paid the $75,-
900 year as its archbishop, or in
some fashionable Protestant church
whose wealthy members sometimes sit
stolidly Indifferent 20 the great suffer
ings of mankind? Or do you believe
Jesus would feel most at home as a
street preacher. working with the hum
blest workers in the slums? There can
be but one answer. There Is but one
self evident reply.
The Professors Reply.
Thus I have tried to show you that
you have only one spiritual duty in
life. You are here and now to grasp
the great doctrine Of Jesus love.
Cease from sectarian differences, stop
frittering away your time and go to
work in his dear name. We can all be
one in unity for the cross. l remember
many years ago, when in our seminary
we were discussing the sacraments,
said to our professor; Doctor you say
that we must use wine and bread at
the Lords supper. Suppose l were on
an arctic expedition. Surprising we
were caught amid the icebergs and in
all probability were about to die; sup
posing l wanted to have the com
munon Of the Lords supper with the
men of the ship and supposing the
only food we had left was some hard
tack and some soup, could | use the
soup for the wine and the hard tack
for the bread?" The professor looked
4.