The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-02-07
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.


Brooklyn's largest auditorium, th,
Academy of Music, being crowded
Pastor G. II. Russell, of the Brooklyn
Tabernacle, delivered the address as
follows:-
Having viewed during the past three
Sundays what the leading denomina.
tions would need 10 sacrifice I'm the In.
terest of Federation, we come today to
the final discussion of this series The
Church Militant and Triumphant and
her interest In the Federation move.
ment. Let us endeavor to take so
broad view of this subject that there
will be no room for disagreement on the
part of true Christians Of any denomi-
nation
Unnecessary as II may be to explain
to this large and intelligent audience
the Significance of orr topic, The
Church Militant and The Church Tri-
umphant, | must think beyond the
thousands present of the millions who
tomorrow wilireceive reports of this
discourse from that great channel of
the worlds progress, the secular Press.
Hence | explain that the term Church
Militant signifies the Church In war
fare, struggling with the powers OF
evil, while the Church Triumphant sig
niles the Church victorious, glorious,
Joined with her Lord, the Heavenly
Bridegroom, as his Bride and Queen
In the great Millennlal Kingdom soon
To bless and uplift the world of man
kind. should further add that while
In this discussion we have considered
the various denominations of Chrlsten-
dom and their creeds, we must today
ignore all human systems and creeds.
We must take the broad, general
ground of the Scriptures and recog-
nize only one Church.
Nor may we make the mistake of
saying that the one Church is one Sect.
No sect, no denomination, however
great and influential and numerous
and rich, either In sordid or historic
wealth, can be conceded the right to
appropriate the name which our Lord
gave to all truly his disciples. Surely
none of us Is sectarian enough to dis
pute this premise. We must learn to
recognize the Church OF Christ from
the same viewpoint as does the Head
Of the Church. We must learn the
force OF st. Peters words TO Cornelius,
"Of truth perceive that God Is no
respecter of persons; but In every pa-
ton he that feareth him and workcth
Righteousness Is accepted with him"
(Acts x, "a, 800.
Taking. therefore, the Scrlptural
view Of the Church, we recognize 1t
as the Body of Christ" of many men,
bers, over which he Is the Head. 1t
Is composed of consecrated followers
of Christ irrespective of all denomina-
tional llnes-those who. turning from
sin, accept Jesus as their Redeemer,
through whom they have forgiveness
Of sins and reconciliation to the Father
those who have become disciples OF
Christ, taking up their cross to follow
him and who have received the beget-
ting Of the holy Spirit. Who could
dispute that these are the Church of
Christ? Who shall say that they must
belong to this Communion or that, or
lose their relationship TO the Head,
Christ Jesus? The apostles never re-
ferred to Baptist Christians. Methodist |
Catholic Christians, Pres |
byterlan Christians. 'etc.. but merely to |
these whom we have described and |
whom they styled saints -"the Church |
IF the living God, whose names are
written In heaven" QIebrews xii. 90;
Timothy Ill, l5J. Let us keep strictly |
within the lines of Gods Word and !
lvold the errors of the past. Let us
oday consider this Church as the
Church Militant and prospectively the
Church Triumphant.
Tho Church Militant.
II we all agree thar we have before
'ur minds the real Church, the Church
" the New Testament, let us notice
hat there Is nominal Church also
nd that we are not competent to fully
determine which are the real and
which are the nominal Christians ex-
ept by the test which our Lord has
iven-"by their fruits ye shall know
hem" While the real Church of fully
oncccrlted believers, faithful to the
ord and his Word and the principles
4 righteousness, Is represented by
cry small number, there Is nominal
'hurch related thereto as is u shell to
he kernel of a nut. The nominal
'hurch includes those whose manner
+ whose attendance on worship implies
relationship to Christ without having
one the length of full faith-accept-
nee OF him in sacrifice, perhaps with
ut having fully turned from sin even
their hearts, and without having
lade full conservation to serve the
ord. This nominal class may be sub
iyided into believers who are favor;
bly, disposed toward Christ and right
BUSINESS; Others who regard the
hurch as merely moral club de-
gned for social and moral benefit or
lhuence upon the world, by counter-
citing sinful influences; still others.
liter at heart, sinful and selfish, hay.
Y no faith whatever IN Jesus and nc
ire whatever for morality and us.
u the name of Christ hypocrIticalIy
ereiy as garment to deceive, that
ey NAV thQ baffa. .,at,, .l..t.'