The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-03-09
AFALSE CRY
Peace Not Always Indicative
Of Prosperity

~ FACE Is a good thing. but peace
in the ordinary sense OF the
word Is not the summum bo-
mum of human happiness or
usefulness. Rest and freedom
from pain are comforting to the sick.
and may be signs of approaching dis
solution. Peace in a community may
indicate prosperity, or 1t may be In
sensibility to duty and indifference to
fraud and political corruption. A
man freezing to death or under the
influence Of some poison needs to be
reused and kept moving. Some COM
munities need nothing so much as to
be walked up and forced to fight for
good government.
Peace in the church may mean
prosperity or decay. 1t is written In
the Acts: Then had the churches
rest" land walking in the fear OF
the Lord and in the comfort OF the
Holy Ghost were multiplied" This
was after a period Of persecution and
steadfast contention for the faith
There have been other times when
the church had rest because 1t was
asleep to it's duty.
Righteousness First.
The command to contend earnest
ly for the faith once delivered to the
saints does not indicate that Chris
tians in a world of sin are to expect
or be satisfied with peace until
righteousness is established. So long
az God has a controversy with men.
controversy is the duty of the church.
So long as immortality and inf1delity
exist, the church has a mission to Op-
pose them. Often it's greatest need
is for some one to stand. as did the
prophet Of old. and call men to line
up. Choose We this day whom ye
will serve" When this call is heard
there are always some to plead for
peace. Art thou he that troublest
Israeli No. the men who trouble
the Israel of God are those who pro-
mote immortality and irfidelity, who
belittle the word Of God and deny the
doctrines OF grace; and very often
these cry peace, peace" when they
themselves are disturbing the peace.
When men in the church deny God
as the Creator. or that Christ is God.
or that he died on Calvary as sac
rif1ce for sinners and rose from the
dead, or that the Scriptures are in
spired and true. the church has a
controversy with them, and woe be to
it II. through fear Of man or love OF
ease or for any other cause, it shrinks
from its duty.
Danger Of the Church.
The greatest danger of the church
is, it's tnsensibility to the beginnings
of unsound doctrine. 1t credits loose
teachers with being better than they
seem. It says Of them, as a minister
said Of a student who seemed to deny
the atonement, "Ic does not mean It.
and, at any rate. he will get over II
when he gets to work." It strains
its charity beyond the scripture point
1t does not heed the exhortation OF
John, the apostle of love and peace:
III there come any unto you and
bring not this doctrine. receive him
not"
A writer, describing a visit to the
home Of Henry Ward Beecher, speaks
OF a painting which Mr.. Beeche,
showed him. representing huge
mastiff asleep near something he haG
been left to guard. and lap-dos
quietly drawing it away. THAT.
said he. pointing to the mastif. 81.
Orthodoxy, and the little dog i.
Heterodoxy." II ever the church
needed to be awake. it is now.-Her
aid and Presbyter.