Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1909-02-11

still. Men forget, in their fimpatience
and desire for unity, that all these !
creeds, as we call them (and falsely
called. are merely ephemeral efforts
to express the fundamental truth Of
Jesus, and, putting aside these
transient expressions, they forget the
truth as it is in Jesus. And men,
consumed az men are to-day to work
for their brothers, are ready to say
that social service is the gospel, that
it is not only the fruit of the gospel
but exclusively the whole Of it, de-
claring that the Spirit of Christ is
social service; that any man that
hath this spirit is a Christian, let
him call himself Jew or Agnostic or
Mohammedan or Buddhist, it matters
not, he is a Christian. Is it not easy
to see how such a condition of things
may presently lead to the %pervertion
of conduct? And men in their zeal
for men, and desire to cooperate
with all good men fo: all good things,
may come to think of little impor-
lance the body Of Christ. And yet
not possibly could the social aim OF
the day be more injured and leopard
lied than by anything that should
forget the faith or weaken the Church
of God.
l will not say that modern civiliza-
ton is the product only of Chris
tianity; l will not say there are not
other factors that have made for the
present state; but | am bold to main
tain that modern civilization never
could have come to pass without the
1altn OF the Church OF Jesus Christ.
Look at it. Did not the great doc
triae of the incarnation bring into
the world personality, fraternity,
equality, charity? Is it not the doc
trine of democracy? The Lord took
human nature, not of any class. not OF
any race. In Him there is neither
Jew nor Greek, barbarian, bond or
free; but Christ is all and in all. How
naturally slave and master went to
the altar side by side. How natural
~. since the days OF Philemon, the
Christian spirit set itself ia break
down slavery! How naturally wom-
an was elevated ~ and s~ hoEared for
r'eass al Mary's sake! A vice man cs
the East says that according to the
status of the women Of a nation, so
is its civilizations; that the reason
that Mohammedanism, the most pro-
gressive effort of the human race,
came to naught, is the harem. Natur-
ally Christianity made the hospital
the normal appendage of every civic
state. 1t sought to break down the
terrors of privilege before the law
until it worked out in civic liberty
and democracy. Naturally, too, be-
Il of the infinite pity Of Jesus
Christ men are pitiful and loving TO-
day toward their brethren. And
mark YOU. only in Christian lands
has this thing come to pass. There
h n Sy4 h~rp .r,,oeL ST.
III Nineveh and Babylon and Rome
and Greece. S%enracherih was no
puny. petty sovereign. Rome gov.
erned and administered the world
but the care OF man for ma and self.
sacrifice for a brother were never
taught rs the duty CT mar until Jesus
came. I believe these things concern
the men of the church.
| have ventured. with some bold,
ness no doubt. to invite the attention
, OF an assembly of lay churchmen tt
what l believe to he a most serious
danger. Never. believe me. will ths
selhshness of'men be moved to altru
ism. and what the Gosnel calls til,
love of. our brother. If you breal
down the church that carries til,
/. Gospel. the teaching OF Gods love Il
man; and our duty in this regart
l IS very simple. Bnt IL you will rer
form it, it is potent for good. 70,
have church clubs. You have bee;
: ORGANIZED for some spe~cialsservice O
other. out you are a church organiza
e ton. Never forget that nothing tina
r o can do in This world that en-
feebles the Church OF God. or oh
s scures the truth Of the Gospel. will
h count for man for long. nor betwee,
you and God for much. Your auty /
to maintain the Church Of Christ. t
t reverence her Sabbaths conscientious
~ as in the fear Of God. not for YOU
OWN pleasure disregarding the xrea
s commandment. Your duty ia rever
emily to feed upon the Word OF I.ife
!: and e to forsake the assemblin
s OF yourselves together, as the name
q of many is. AS for your duty towar
the State, 1t is equally simple an
e briefly to be stated: 1T any ma
will do My will. he shall know, j" an
s II any man will seek to know God
e will. he will be sufficiently instructe
q in the truth as it is in Jesus. Whe
q the largest OF all our lay organic.
e i ffnno For -voon n O. kAS-~-sxa O-.xSL~