The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1912-04-09
FAITH-A STRONG SERMON.

The sermon of Bishop Morrison at
the First Methodist church on Sunday
morning was unquestionably one Of
the most forcible and logical utter
ances yet delivered in this city. The
bishop chose for his theme the Res
direction of Jesus Christ" and elect
ed 10 deal with the subject in the
simplest and yet in it's broadcast sense.
Upon the theory of the resurrection
the bishop pointed out, is based the
entire fabric of our religion. The
necessity of faith in the religion was
strongly stressed and in such a fash
ion as to demand the serious and
sober consideration of every man and
every woman who gives to this great
subject even a medium of thought.
There is a universal longing in the
heart of man for better and higher
life. This should lead men 70 look
to Christ for their strength, and oft
times does. But in many instances
Lit leads to human attempts to self
religion. or religion by works. In
stead of trusting in the merits OF
Redeemer from sin, men are led to
trust in their own efforts to obtain
for them that higher and better ex-
perience for which they hunger. And
this principle leads into all the sys-
tens of false religions now prevalent
in the world. In India the cevotees
of the gods will inflict upon them
selves excruciating torture in many
ways, hoping thereby to obtain favor
with their deities There is no diff
ference between that, however, and
in placing dependence for salvation
in the doing of penance, the telling of
beads, the confessional, etc. Such a
system is the result of apostacY from
pure Christianity, for it is based upon
works, not faith. ...
The great reformation under Mar
tin Luther, which made much of the
history of the modern world, had for
it's central thought and watchword
the teaching of justification by faith.
II was that which gave such a mighty
impetus to the reformation. And when
that principle had again been lost
sight of it, it was its reaffirmation by
John Wesley, which brought such re-
markable power and success into his
" DIRK, The religion of Christ is
unique in it's possession of this doc
tHine Of justification BY faith alone
Every false religion that has ever
appeared in the world has been found :
ed upon its antithesis. Hinduism
Buddhism, Mohammedanism and 9TH
.ers are systems that teach that sal
Walton can be secured by the per-
fdrmance Of good works instead Of
faith, by penance instead of repen-
lance, by castigation of the body in
stead of forsaking sin The basic
principle of them all is the exact OPP
posite of Christianity. 1t is justifi-
| cation by works, instead of justifi-
cation by faith. There, is but one
way tc embrace religion and that is
by faith.
Today we see other systems o!
teaching creeping into the church, ane
when we come to analyze them we
find them all to be teaching the prin'
ciple of justification by works, which
is iirectly contrary to the gospel o.
Christ. Christian Science, Spiritual
ism, the evolution theory, new thought
higher criticism and all the Other
lSmS which follow IN their Lraln are
sapping the life of the church by
their false doctrines, the chief one OF
which is that man can secure sal
walton by his own unaided efforts in
stead Of accepting it at the hands OF
the Savior
Mankind likes to think that it is
sufficient for all things, even for its
own salvation, 1t appeals to the hui
man heart that it need not depend
upon anything outside of itself, and
so multitudes are being swept into
these latter-day delusions and away
from the pure gospel of the Mes
siah zft H.l