The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-22
MARROW GAUGE RELIGION.
eshe International sunday-School Les- son for May 23 is 'rhe Council
 at Jerusalem." Acts 15t1-3o.
nY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.


 Probably the meanest type of Chris 4anity ever I have run across in the world is what I found at several points in the Orient, where missionaries or certain American sects. avoiding the difficulties of pioneer work among the heathen, have planted themselves in the midst of the converts of older mis- sfons, and have undertaken to pro- selyte them to their particular tenets concerning immersion, or holiness, or some peculiar sectarian distinction. Environed by all the opportunities of the non Christian world, and with fheir smallness rebuked by the presence of great need, they yet do not hesi- tate to wean away from another mis- sionary the fruit of many years of labor, all for the sake of some shib- boleth. They call this foreign mis- sfons: instead 1t is one of the worst forms of domestic sectarianism trans planted to a foreign shore.
 That is about what the strict legal ists from the Jerusalem Church tried to dc in the Antioch mission field It is perhaps we'll that Luke does not mention the names of these trouble makers and separatists, who were blind to all the glorious Headings of Gods providence. and open-eyed only to the legalistic rites of the Mosaic law.
  religious life is curious phenomenon which may some day be scientifically studied. It was true of Judaism and of Judaized Christianity. It is true of Buddhism in all its branches, so that it is reported from Tibet that two secs have arisen. one contending for the merits of prayer-wheels driven by water-power, and the other contend ing for proyer- wheels driven by wind power. Tibet is not so far distant in spirit as may be imagined from some centers of American Christendom. In Scotland the Wee Frees" as the branch of the Free Church which re- fused to enter the union have been called. have steadily grown more and more intolerant, and with each year lay down an increasing number of de- tailed rules for their adherents--bur- dens too heavy to be borne.
 The Religion of R0te and Rule.
 All shibboleths are opposed to the genius of Christianity. Intolerant de- nominationali sectarianism and separatism are foreign to the mind of the Master. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty" Where there is no liberty 1t may be questioned whether the Spirit of the Lord is to be found.
 The tendency to make Christianity a thing of rote and rule Is one which every generation has to face and fight. There is certain type of small mind which wants it's religion carefully labelled and formulated into definite rules for every department of con- duct. They would delight in the Koran. with all it's innumerable regulations of behavior under every circumstance. Some churches and preachers display a tendency to stress unduly certain forms of violation of their churchly codes as the most dreadful of sins Similarly, hey emphasize conformity to definite regulations as the sum of righteousness. Now if the New Testa- naent makes anything clear it is that the Gospel of Jesus Is not a catalogue of detailed practices. but a new spirit of life. Christ is not a barrier. but door of life. He is mot limitation. but way. Whoso follows Him close 1y cannot walk man-made paths but finds himself led out into newness of liberty and breadth of horizon and largeness of soul.
 study of the present.day Oriental Christian Church reveals a surprising number of Occidentalisms that have erept Into our church life, and with which the Oriental is inclined to dis- perse. We put the converts from heathend0m under a serious handicap by trying to make them conform to our western order. Thus we have
 
 Presbyterians in South China,--where they have the haziest notions of Amer lea at all, and know nothing about the unfortunate division between North and South. Tn many such ways we have been inclined to perpetuate the provincialisms of our western churches in these alien lands. We are of the school of Judaizing Christians who feel that the whole law of Moses.
 Champions of Liberty.
 There is a milk-and-water type of Christianity which decrtes controver- sy. Lacking spine and spirit. 1t would manifest itself only in supine affabili- fy and in geIatinous submission to all exposition. That kind of religion IS not leafned from the New Testament. Ther is no scriptural warrant for conceiving of Christians as sugar. The Bible bids them be salt, and salt bites and stings. The Founder of Christianity was a master controver- sialist. His apostles followed in his train.
 That is altogether a false concep-