The Republican journal., 1912-02-15

/. S. JOHN
life and vigor), leap over these denomi-
national fences, jump the stone walls of
sectarianism. we should be all the better
for the exercise and find new world of
life and beauty and truth in the sunlit
fields and meadows and woodlands that
we never dreamed of in our little narrow
fenced in dooryard of mere denomina-
tionalism. Men will think individually
in religion, as in all other departments
of life; there must be widely divergent
opinions and beliefs about spiritual
things. Men must disagree; universal
uniformity of belief is not, l think, de-
sirable thing. A world where every one
thought alike would be dull, dreary,
burdensome boredom. But difference
of opinion need not mean strife and
bitterness. Because one Church believes
that Jesus of Nazareth was a man like
other men. and another church that he
was very God in human flesh and blood,
this difference of belief ought not to set
them at swords points and cause them
to ridicule each other and to try in all
ways to thwart one another's work.
Because the Universalist Church be-
lleves and proclaims the final harmony of
all souls with the Father, and other
churches believe in the eternal punish
ment of some or many of the children of
GOD is no sufficient reason or excuse for
calling each other names and acting like
sullen and sulky school boys, and refus-
ing to recognize each other by the COM
monest of Christian courtesies. We
nave enough IN common; the great un-
DERIVING thoughts of God and duty and
immortality; common master - the
Saviour Christ; the great common enemy
of SIN and wlckeGness to confront and
conquer, the great common aims and pur-
poses OF life to urge US onward toward
the upliftment, the ennoblement, the re-
demption of human kind In the face of
these sublime facts, how unseemly and
small seem the wranglings of warning
religious sects; the chickering's and hair
splitting arguments of theological con-
troversy; the narrow intolerance, bigotry
and dogmatism of mere sectarian re-
ligionists. Let no man abate one atom
OF his earnestness and devotion to what
he is convinced is the truth, but back of
these should be the sweet spirit of Chris
tan federation and charity. Hold to it,
If you really and honestly believe it,
work for it with all your power, with
every fibre of your body and all the d.
vinity of your soul, remembering that
Paul may plant and AppolIos water, but
that the increase, the fruitage, rests
with God. If you do not believe these
things, as you value the integrity of your
soul, and its eternal welfare, be an hon.
est lntdel rather than hypocrite. The
Eternal, is | dare believe. more honored
by the honesty OF the one, than by the
deceit and make believe of the other.
II am Wofully wrong In my cherished
faith, and If my brother of some other
sect, who believes something very differ
ent, Is wholly right, let US attend to our
planting or nurturing. The Eternal is
surrounding US both, and He will yield
the increase. In His hand and heart are
the final issues, the ultimate destinies of
His work and mine. We cannot make
an opinion or conviction prevail that the
Eternal God disowns. He is the real
worker; let ministers who are called to
the work of matchless nobleness plant
wisely and well, or plough deeply and
broadly, or water carefully and often, re-
membering that we are but His servants,
His gardeners in the vineyard, and that
the harvest, the garnering rests with
the great, sweet quickening truth that
ought to touch the heart of the hardest
and narroWest bigot; that this ever pres
ent, ever working, ever prevailing di-
vine Spirit, which none of US can fully
know, and which works often by other
plans and in other ways than ours, is the
same Unseen Presence of whom the
great apostle said: 'EIn Him we live and
move and have our being" To believe
that is to have not a mere opinion about
God, not mere belief about Him, but
faith in Him. And this faith in Him
may be something that you cannot talk
about, or argue about; something so deep
and strong and limitless that you cannot
set it forth in words or convince people
OF its exceeding worth and beauty by ar
guments, or ''by logic linked and
strong;;" but you will do something
grander AMI nober and more convincing
than all assertions and arguments about
it. You will live it. 1t will be enfeshed
in your life, it will be embodied in your
character. You will show by your man
ner OF life, by conduct, by character, the
exceeding worth, the sweet lovableness,
the divine livableness of your faith. That
is the finest testimony of your faith, the
highest and most convincing argument
of all.
Today the old gospel of the kingdom
which Jesus came to proclaim is being
preached by Christian prophets who are
neglecting and ignoring the teachings
and doctrines of many Of the creeds and
holding fast to His teaching, His new
command that he gave to men-love the
Lord and thy neighbor. This is the rally
ing ground, or ought to be, of the whole
Christian world today, the simplicity of
the gospel of Christ, as Paul termed it.
| have no doubt that denominations are
necessary, and there is nothing more ad-
mirable than personal devotion and un-
taltering loyalty to that church of Christ
which best represents our faith. Men
do not and will not, and perhaps cannot,
think alike about these great matters of
the inner life; there must be differing
beliefs regarding these things. But, sure
ly, there are certain great aims and hopes
and ideals that all the churches of Christ
endom have in common; there are certain
common grounds upon which churches of
the most opposite thought and belief
about other and, | believe, secondary
matters, may take a common stand. All
churches of the Master of varying name
or creed, are equally interested in lifting
men out of ignorance and misery and
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