The Washington herald., 1909-05-15
Narrow Gauge Religion.

= D
Probably the meanest type OF Chris
tianity ever I have run across in the
world Is what I found at several points
IN the Orient, where missionaries of GER
tain American sects. avoiding the difficult
ties Of pioneer work among the heather,
have planted themselves in the midst OF
the converts OF older missions. and have
undertaken to proselyte them to their
particular tenets concerning immersion.
or holiness, o. some peculiar sectarian
distinction. Environed by all the op-
portunities OF the non-Christian world.
and with their smaIlness rebuked by the
presence Of a great. need. they yet DO not
hesitate TO wean away from another mis-
Eionary the fruit Of many years Of labor,
al for the sake Of some shIbboleth. They
call this foreign missions; instead, it IS
one-of the worst forms Of domestic sec
tarisnism transplanted 10 a foreign shore.
That is about what the strict 1egalists
from the Jerusalem Church tried 10 do
In the Antioch mission field It. Is per-
haps well that Luke does not mention
the names OF these trouble-makers and
separatists. who were blind 10 all the
sloTious Ieadings OF Gods providence.
and open-eyed only TO the legslistic rites
OF the Mosaic law
The persistence OF shibbOleths in re-
nGious life Is a curious phenomenon
which may some day be scientifically
studied II was true OF Judaism and OF
Judaized Christianity II is true OF Bud
dhism in all its branches. so that Il is re-
ported from Tibet that two sects have
arisen, one cOntending for the merits OF
the other cOntending for prayer wheels
driven By wind power Tibet is not so
far distant in spirit as may be imagined
from some centers OF American Christen-
dom IN Scotland the Wee Frees" as
the branch OF the Free Church which re-
fused 70 enter the union have been called,
have steadily grown more and more intol-
Grant, and with each year lay down an In
cTeasing number Of detailed rules for
their adherents-burdens too heavy 10 be
borne
THE RELIGION OF RoTE AND RULE.
All shibboleths are opposed to the
genius OF Christianity Intolerant de-
nOminationaIism, sectarianism, and sepa-
ratisn are foreign TO the mind OF the
Master Where the Spirit OF the Lord
Is there Is liberty" Where there Is no
liberty II may be questioned whether the
Spirit OF the Lord IS 70 be found.
The tendency 70 make Christianity a
thing OF rote and rule IS one which every
generation has 10 face and fight There
is certain type Of small mind which
wants its religion carefully labeled and
formulated into definite rules for every
department Of conduct They would de-
light IN the Koran. with all its innumer-
able regulations Of behavior under every
Oh ,E,
ers display d tendency to. stress unduly
certain forms Of violation Of their church
" codes as the most dreadful Of sins
Similarly, they emphasize conformity to
definite regulations as the sum Of right
eousness- Now. II the New Testament
makes anything clear It is that the Cos
pei Of Jesus IS not a catalogue Of detailed
practices, but a new spirit Of life. Christ
is not barrier, but q door. He Is not a
limitation. but a way Whose follows
Him closely cannot walk zaan-made paths.
but finds himself led out into newness Of
liberty and breadth Of horizon and large
ness OF soul.
study OF the present-day Oriental
Christian Church reveals a surprising
number OF Occidentslisms that have -crept
into our church llfe, and with whieh the
Oriental IS inclined TO dispense. We put
the converts from heathendoun under a
serious handicap BY trying TO make them
conform 10 our Western order Thus We
have church steeDles in China. Northern
Presbyterlans IN South China where
they have the haziest notions OF America
At all ard know nothing about The IN
fortunate division between North and
South. In many such WAYS We have been
inclined 10 perpetuate The provinciaHsns
o. our Western churches in these alien
lands We are OF the school Of JUDAH
ing Christians who feel that the Gentle
believer must conform 10 the whole law
Of Moses
CHAMPIONS OF LIBERTY.
There IS q miik-and-water type OF Chris
tianity which decTies controversy. Lack
ing spine and spirit, it would manifest
Itself only in supine aTability and in
gelatfnoss submission 10 all opposition
That kind Of religion is not learned IRON
the New Testament There IS no Sc-Fn-
tural warrant for conceiving OF C1ris-
uans as sugar. The Bible bids them be
salt, and salt bites and stings. The
Founder OF Christianity was a master
contrOyersIalist- HIS apostles followed in
His train.
That is altogether q false conception OF
uberalty which would surrender with
OFT contest the dearest convictions and
heIitages Ct life We owe most of what
we possess Of liberty and tolerance and
intellectual lie 70 the stout spirits who
dared 10 do battle for the truth. Let Us
not now decry them Paul and Barnabas
met the narrowing separetisrn Of the
PhaTisaicai sect OF Jerusalem Christians
with zs.Gty front. They championed
freedom in Antioch Itself and then made
the 3oo-mile Journey 10 Jerusalem 10
continue the debate in the council Of
me apostles and elders This first great
heTesy or the infant church was fought
out N the presence Of the whole church
ana the day was Won for a broad-gauge
conception OF the Kingdom Ct Christ
WORKING BY THE WAY.
Fighting Is always bad when It causes
men 70 quit work. Christian controversy
IS good when it inspires men TO activity.
The trouble with most differences Of
opinion in church circles IS that persons
become so busy about disputation that
they forget to do the first works. The
example Of the early church is worth
studying here. Paul and Barnabas were
fighting ike good soldiers for what they
believed 10 be the pure teaching Of Jes71s
WithaI they kept 20 their first mission
From Antioch they were couvoyed on
lneH way Dy the church. after the de-
iightful Oriental fashion. which so beau
tffUlly personihes fellowship: and as they
went they continued preaching.
We cannot imagine Paul and Banabas.
Ike modern men with a grievance. but
tonholing everybody they met with
story Of their side OF the quarrel They
had better news 10 tell SO they brought
Joy 70 all the brethren along the way as
they reported the conversion Of the Cen
tiles and the triuuphs Of the Gospel.
|hen they got into the assembly Al
jerusalem the sparks did not begin TO
fy. The frSt discussion u-as r,ot ns a.