Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-11
THE OLD FAITH AND
THE NEW AGE.
Rev. Joel 3. SIooum, D. D. Delivered
Impressive Sermon at Central 5ap-
fisf Church.

Rev. Joel 3. sIocum. D. D. Delivered
Impressive Sermon at Central 5ap-
tist Church.
AT the Sunday evening service Of
| the Central Baptist church. Rev. Joel
B. S1ocun, D. D., pastor, delivered a
very impressive sermon on The Old
Faith and the New Age. Miss CIemin-
tine q. Jordan, violinists rendered So
10, Rev. DIR. SIocum took his text from
Luke 5:37 and in part he said:
Has the old faith been out-grown?
Is the new age so keen that it imposes
conditions that the old faith cannot
meet Has the old faith already met
its Waterloo in the present upheaval
of civilization Will Christianity sur
vive the terrific Commandment it is now
receiving?
These are some OF the many ques-
| tons which are pressing upon the
minds of Thoughtful people in these
days of world conflict.
Undoubtedly much of the old phrase
ology will have to be changed. New
| methods will have to be used. But the
old faith is sufficient for the new age.
| At the heart of the old faith is Jesus
| Christ and He is the same yesterday,
| today and forever. 1t is simply a
question of coming to understand His
| teaching and of personally coming to
know Him. /.
The new age shows ,Nnmistakable
signs of democracy Social democra-
cry is making rapid strides. Industrial
| democracy is coming to be a necessity
and the day of religious democracy is
not far distant. The demand of the
| new age is not for greater exclusive
ness in religion but for the oblitera-
| ton of caste in the organizations of
| Christianity.
| There will probably continue to be
people who will be able to worship
| God only under certain dignified and
formal conditions; and 1t might be
well to reserve a few dimly lighted
sanctuaries for the special benefit of
| the religious aristocracy. But the
| greater part Of the social order in the
new age will demand greater democra-
| cy in religion.
| this new demand. Jesus was the
| greatest champion the world has ever
| had of that spirit that recognizes the
worth of a human soul whatever may
be the accident or condition of its
| huma ntreatment and environment He
| did not abuse the rich because they
were rich. He did not neglect the poor
because they were poor If His own
personal spirit and His teaching could
be put into practice today, socfety
would be revolutionized. Jesus dis
tinctly taught that it is not the street
you live on. the clothes you wear. the
mansion or howell in which you reside
The amount of securities you may have
at the bank or your utter poverty OF
possessions, that constitute you.
| In His sight all these external
things are as nothing. What He
cares about is your inner life; your
vision; your purpose; your ideal; your
main objective; your character.
| When Jesus taughte people in the
days of His flesh. He made it very
! ok f1ot o,,J- 1ka%t, ~,
in the abundance of the things he pos
sesses..
That teaching is a part Of what we
| are calling, tonight, the old faith, and
that Characteristic Of the old faith is
still good for any emergency that may
arise in this complex age.
The other test by which the old
faith shall be proved sufficient is the
| modern test of efficiency. Does il
| work?' is the brief but vital question
of the hour. viii it produce re-
sults?''
When the old faith of Jesus Christ
is put to this test. it passes at very
high marks.
I The religion of Jesus Christ is a
living religion because it has a living
| Christ. 1t is a powerful religion be-
| cause 1t has taken hold of so many
cases that had been abandoned and
has succeeded in Transforming sinful
lives into beautiful specimens Of God
phiosophy r or rs s M fsat % Sf
do? How much power does it pos
sess? Z.
1t is long and glorious record, the
record of thousands and hundreds OF
thousands Of people woh have met
Christ and who have had their whole
| beings revolutionized by His uplift-
ing, saving and sustaining power.
And that divine energy that resides
at the heart of the old faith has not
grown less. Sometimes, alas, it has
been obscured by Journalism and by
the vagaries and inventions of men
But the old gospel is still the power
of God unto salvation to all who be-
lieve.
Is there anything better for the
new age than that? Well, if there is
I have not yet learned its name.
I am in favor OF all the new things
that are good. But I am not in favor
of substituting something else in the
place Of Christ. do not view with
comp1acency the modern tendency to-
wards the elimination of many Of the
great foundation truths Of the gospel
| in the so-called interest of science
There are some things that even
| science has not changed. Science has
| not changed either the fact Of or the
nature of sin. We rejoice that science
has not succeeded in robbing Jesus OF
| His deity.
| Whatever may be the names that
| men shall apply to the old faith in
/ the new age, it will still be the old
faith. 1t will continue to be true
| whatever may be the surprises Of the
future, that man is sinner and needs
1 a Saviour. 1t will be eternally true
| that man has a Saviour in Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, who became
flesh and dwelt amongst us and who
went to the cross for our redemp-
ton.
This is the kind of an old faith that
is still having power in the new age
If anything can arrest the selfish
hatred and murderous slaughter OF
the world. it is the old power of God
in Jesus Christ our Lord. This power
| that has transformed whole CONT
nents, and is yet to conquer the
/ world who majestica1ly declared:
Before Abraham was I am" is still
to be the aI1-conquering Christ