South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-05-16
DIR. J. L. GARDINER
LAUDS RELIGIOUS
THOUGHT IN BOOKS
breaches Sermon on THE In.
side of the Cup at St.
Paul's Church.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.)
has had larger sale than THE Cri-
sis'-an historical novel, or Mr..
Carewe's Career. a political novel.
or any other OF Winston Churchius
books. And why has there been this
demand for The Inside Of the
Cup? L is because it deals with
two vital problems. the problem OF
religious doctrine and the problem
Of the present day church This
morning / am 10 speak to- you on
the first Of these questions, the ques-
ton Of Orthodoxy vs. Christianity
and next Sunday morning on Has
the Church Today Forgotten Her
Mission?"
In speaking OF the religious awak-
ening that came TO John Holder.
the hero OF Mr.. ChurchilTs book, DR..
Gardner said. John Holder came 10
see that religion was not a mere SEN
timent, but principle; rot a creed,
but a life. He saw that creeds that
satisfied past age, might not salts
fy the present. He saw that many
Of the old creeds had about them the
smell Of ecclesiastical smoke; they
had been forge din times when vari-
Gus parts OF the church were at
war with each other; ne saw that re-
ligion was greater and lsrger than
any creed; he saw that no creed of
any age was able to express all the
truth.
John Holder was anxious 10
know the truth. He was ready,
rather than 10 be untrue TO his con-
victions; rather than be false 10 the
/ light given him, TO sacrifice himself
upon the cross OF truth. He was de
termined TO know the true doctrine
OF God, and TO preach the same ac-
/ cording 20 the light given him.
Strength in Teaching.
Let me say that 1 believe that
the strength of the book lies in its
clear teaching the Christianity does
not consist I'm mere intellectual or
/ thOdoxy, but in character and con-
I duct. We have set forth in this
book, man who was the personifi-
cation OF intellectual orthodoxy-Afr.
I EldOn Parr. He was a man who
gloried in his orthodoxy. Neverthe-
( less. he lacked the spirit Of Christ
and the milk OF human kindness.
Witness his unchristian. his almost
| inhuman treatment OF his daughter,
Alison, and his son, Preston Parr.
In spite OF his eldership in the
/ church, in spite Of his orthodoxy
/ Eldon Parr was not one whit better
/ than those OF whom Christ said
Woe unto you, for you make the
/ outside clean of the cup and Of the
platter, but within are full OF ex-
/ tortion and excess.
Winston Churchill would teach
/ that the primary. the essential thing
about righteousness is ethical and
moral. Righteousness is not a mat
! ter of opinion; it is not a matter OF
\ intellect il is essentially and pri-
marily moral and has TO with the
character Of man.
There is only one heresy. accord
ing to the New Testament. and that
is the heresy of a bad heart. Let US
/ therefore, be careful about accusing
John Holder of unorthodoxy or OF
heresy. OF one thing we are sure
4 he was sincere: he was honest His
/ heart was right. and Paul says. Cir
/ cumcision is OF the heart, in the
spirit and not in the letter
Let us learn then from the book
/ that Christianity is more than or
thodoxy. 1t consists Of two things
/ in being and doing-in character
! l.
We have Of the true spirit of Chris
4 tianity in the life and work of Mr.
Bentley. He was a man who said
little about his theology. but all who
came in contact with him knew by
his character and service that he
was follower of Christ. He had
washed the inside Of the cup and OF
the platter.
The weakness of the book lies in
two things. First, the author says
little about Jesus Christ as the saw
Tor OF men. 1 regret much that ne
does not lay more emphasis upor
the fact that Christ, and Chris
alone, is able 10 save the rich, as
well as the poor.-the intellectually
orthodox and the prodigal-the Ell.
don PARIS and the Kate Marcys.
Second. the author does not
clearly discriminate between the es.
sentials and the non-essentials of re-
! ligion. Sometimes he attaches great
significance TO what is really a non.
| essential of Christianity. 1 car
easily see, therefore, that some peo-
Pile in reading the book might be
disturbed in their Christian faith
Tn night become more or less un.
settled simply because the author
does not say in passing. that this
view, though it has been discussed
at great length by theOlogists anC
others, is not after all, essential tC
ones salvation. The book would
have done more good had the author
sharply Disseminated between the
essentials and the non-essentials anC
the on-essentials of our faith"
DR.. Gardner closed his sermon by
calling attention 10 what he con
sidered 10 be the great essentials OF
~, r{sffauifv