Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-04-18
WHAT WE BELIEVE TO Be RIGHT
Does II Make Any Difference So Long As
We Try 10 Be Good Paper By
a Local Minister.

The Baptist Commonwealth, a re-
| ligious paper published at Philadel-
phia in the interest of the Baptist
Church. OF the date of April II, con-
tains the following paper by the Rev.
Thomas z. Holloway, of tEis city,
minister OF College Avenue Baptist
| Church:
This question now SO frequently
and fiippantly asked, Does il make
any difference what we believe SO
long as we try 10 be goody' goes to
the lips of three classes of people.
One class. who seem 10 think that
spiritual success can be attained with
out thorough going thought, are the
mentally lazy, and would become
good through sentiment rather than
thought. Others attempt to discredit
the revealed truth of the gospel in
order to excuse themselves for not ae-
cepting Christ as Saviour. \ third
slass, diseased with mental vanity,
contend that it makes no difference
what we believe so long as we try to
be good, because they confuse looseness
of thought on religious truth with
intellectual breadth. Such would con
: ider piece of rubber that could be
stretched yard of more value than a
foot of steel. But strength of mind is
better than elasticity of mind.
''It makes a world of difference as
to what we believe in the ultimate
activity of the spiritual realm. Mind
must inevitably enter into moral life.
Good believing and definite believing
must precede and accompany good
living. If thought is vague the re-
sultant act will lack defniteness and
power. What n man believes about
God, Jesus Christ, sin, salvation,
etc., dominates his life finally. Con-
science is inseparable from mind.
True emotion is the fTuitage of true
thinking. Christ's ministry proved
that proper belief must be the frame
work of god-like character. Know
the truth, and the truth shall make
you Free. Our Lords teachings nee
essarily preceded His atoning sacri-
flee. How luminous the Significance
of Mount Calvary after the Mount of
Beatitudes, and the discourses, conver-
sations and parallels of the three years
ministry. The Holy Spirit ordained
Paul to be the philosophic writer
among the New Testament authors
because the gospel must first convince
human reason before it could perma-
nently establish itself, and Paul's
mighty mind was best fitted 10 the
task.
'But truth as it is revealed in the
Bible cannot produce spiritual grow th
until it is spiritually assimilated.
Truth ca mot be turned into Christly
activity aud built into imperishable
nobility of character until it has be
come a part of the SOULS very life.
The spiritual outcome is only glori
Gus when the heart absorbs what tn.
| mind approriates. Under such condi.
tions thought, feeling and conduei
blend tremendously. The blessed sou
is not stronger in mind than heart
not more pronounced for depth o.
L thought than fervor of feeling; bu
godly through and through. o soul
believe clearly and definitely the trutl
as it is Christ; let the Holy Spiri
build it into your very being anC
work it out in sanctified activity, anC
at last you will stand with the star
under your feet and only the th-on
of God above your crowned head ~