The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-05-28
Saturday Digit
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FAITH AND WORKS
international Bible Lesson for
May 80, 'oo-Uames 2: I4-2o)'

Is very much like the New Jerusalem,
1t lieth four square, with three gates
of entrance toward every point of the
compass. Bigotry and egotism would
drive all mankind through one OF
those gates, denying or ignoring all
the others, but clear eyed charity sees
every one of those pearly gates, and
Is interested in getting people through
them.
Untenable Claims.
Some of the bitterest ecclesiastical
controversies have been waged py
men who have shut their eyes to this
principle and who have insisted that
their system Of theology was as axio-
matte as mathematics. Just as GER
tainly as two and two are four in
their estimation they have the only
demonstrable theological dogma. A
cursory perusal of the writings of the
apostles reveals tho fact that each OF
those men presented one side of the
body of divinity. Thus Paul's theme
was almost exclusively justification by
faith; John, in gospel and epistle
dwelt upon the value of love: Peter
was the champion Of hope, and James
shows up the necessity Of good works.
The idea is never intimated by any
one Of these writer's that the subject
is expounding is all there is to chris
tianity, they each merely emphasize
and develop one phase of truth.
And yet there have always been
carping critics who have sought to set
these writer's over again each other,
and make them appear to contradict
and oppose each other. Especially
has that been true in regard to Paul
and James. They have been repre-
sented as fighting each other Even
so clear headed a man as Martin
Luther called the epistle of James,
IAN epistle of straw"
Fighting Common Foe.
But such view is altogether wide
of the mark. Instead of attacking
each other Paul and James stand back
to back fighting the common foe.
Paul's faith works by love and puri-
fies the heart, and James works are
the fruit of the tree, Of which the
sap is faith. If there were no invisi-
BILE sap in the tree there would be
no visible fruit, the tree might claim
to have sap but its falsity would be
shown by lack of fruit. That sort Of a
profession could not save the tree
from the axe. So the loudest profess
sion of faith would avail nothing for
the man who produced no fruit Of
right living. The world demands
fruit, fixes it's eyes upon fruit, and
thinks not at all of the sap which pro-
duces it. So James says: Don't talk
to me about faith in your heart if it
does not show itself in works in your
lie.
Faith and Work Harmonious.
Faith is necessary and works are
necessary and they can no more be
separated than thunder and lightning.
Suppose | say, a tree cannot be
struck without thunder; that is true
for there is never destructive light
ming without thunder. But again, if
say, The tree was struck by lightning
without thunder that is true, too, if
mean that the lightning alone struck
it without the thunder striking it,
Yet read the two assertions together
and they seem to be absolutely con
Trajectory. So, in the same way, Paul
says, Faith alone is that which justi.
ies u.s." and James completes the state
ment by adding, But not faith
which is without works." There will
be works with faith, as there is thun
der with lightning; but just as it is
not the thunder but the lightning, the
lightning without the thunder, that
strikes the tree so it is not the works
that justify. Put it in one sentence
faith alone justifies but not the faith
that is alone.
Works are the proof that our faith
is genuine. A thistle might claim to
be rose bush but it would never pro
duce American Beauty roses.
Or, to change the figure, Arch
bishop Whately tells the follow
ing story: 1.-TWO gentlemen were one
day crossing the river in a row-boat
A dispute arose about faith and works
one saying that good works We're oil
small Importance, and that faith was
everything, the other taking Just the
opposite view. Not being able tt
N6AOOb IhO uOdILGdn dSh0u
to give his opinion, and said 81 hole
in my hand two oars. This in m,
right hand call faith this in m!
left kSnd l call work Now, gentle
men, please to observe, pull the oa
OF faith and pull that alone, and tn,
boat goes round and round and make!
no progress. do the same with tn,
oar Of works. and with precisely tn,
same result-no advance. But now
pull both oars together, we rusl
ahead, and are soon at the landing.
So faith without works, or works with
out faith. will not suffice. We mus
use them both in order to reach tn,
haven Of rest. Or. as James puts it
But says one, Thou hast faith ant
have works. Show me that faith O
thine by thy works, and will shov
thee by my works that faith of mine.
These are the two sides of tn
shield, the two wings NJ the bird IN,