Arizona republican., 1911-01-23
SERMON BY PASTOR
 OF CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Sunday Morning Discourse of E. N.
 Phillips.

Go stand and speak m the letnpIe all the words of this lie Acts SEQ.
 This was the instruction of the angel to simon Peter following his release from prison And though it meant re- proof and imprisonment certainly. and probably death. Peter was obedient.
 Jesus gospel was an aggressive gospel and He placed it in the hearts and hands of a young and aggressive ministry. Every apostle was a man of youthful vigOr and enthusiasm The gospel message given them meant re- form and they delivered it with such power that thousands resigned Jewish and pagan religions, becoming simply Christians.
 It will be seen that Christianity as the apostles gave it tD the world was not a theory or doctrine but a life. Go and speak to the people in the temple all the words If this life" Will 1t occur to anyone that these simple men mastered by a supreme devotion to their Master. Jesus, would give treatiSies upon the atonement? Did they spend much time making clear the doctrine of the Holy Spirit? Did they discuss Hell? Would they say much of forordnation and predestination, free will or divine election? No! They had a simple and direct duty to per form-that of preaching "all the words of this life" It is the doctrine of theologians which divides Gods peo- pie on the other hand the simple story of the Masters fife of love and service unites Gods people. and you will notice distinctly that the apostles told simply the story of Jesus Life. And following the counsel of such a life would make them simply Christians.
 We desire to say in tbis connection that chosen as it is by apostolic au thority. the church is not the inventor of a philosophy but the proclaimer of a truth. life The matter of church life in a community is not by any means mere quarrel on questions of theo- logical opinion. If the church be all the Master intended 4 to be words to the world are vital to life and happi ness. They mean a new world, a bet ter world. better world of men and women. More honest. more inclined to debt paying. and just in every avenue of life. It means to reconstruct and build society.
 The church of Jesus Christ-what- ever be the criticisms passed upon it is unique among other institutions of a social Or educational character. There is nothing like it among the social con strJctions in the entire history of the race. one factor of virtue not com monly considered. is that SO perfectly Illustrated by the Catholic church of this country. It's grip upon the mill lions of unlettered Bohemians, Greeks, Russians. etc. makes assimilation easy. This very virtue is also operative among the Jews. The strong opposi- ton against the Asiatic is that he is msfit. They say the Chinaman and Japanese cannot be assimilated like the 1 European. It is not due to the claim that is enormously made that they are inferior to the Europea1. It is due to the undeniable fact that there is no common religious or social lasis be- tween us and Asia as there is between us and Europe
 Another point of virtue in support of the church idea as organized by Christ and His apostles is that it is a teach CT II is not too much to claim that no principle of government or social advancement, setting aside inferior judgments. gets upOc tFv statute books except it he first thrashed out in the school of polemic debate. If there is a rest to come out of our great social un- rest of these days it will come through the avenue of the pulpit. Whatever vir- tue there may be in the claims of so- cislists. the answer is in the hands of the pulpit as governed 5v Jesus words of life" The world hears the loud boast and philosophy ot the popular politician and readily says, Behold what the political parties have given us" when all he virtue of their stump evangelism were the conclusions al- ready passed upon by the discussions as well as martyrdom Of the pulpit of Jesus Christ. The story of Uncle Toms Cabin." could odly have been written by the influence of the church and the pulpit
 As d teacher the church remains un- challenged. Say what you will against some of it's tendencies. the sane man and woman must and will support it. And, too. it is the safest teacher among men because of the character of it's greatest of ali great books of the world And, too. it is safe. for yet d greater reason, for it's concrete defination of fife as eXemplifcd in the iaultless life of Jesus himself For these and many other reasons the sane man and wom- an must and always wiIl support the church of Christ and His nuInit If