Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-05-08
DR.. Maclachlan Pursues Ser.
mons on Fundamentals
of Christianity.
DECLARES HIS BELIEF
Says Word Of God Not Alone
Made FLESH" but Con
tinucs ''Flcsh.'

''N'"t Strtet christian church,
preached last night on why Be-
i'evc In the Church" lie spoke. IN
part. as follows:
For the last two SUNDAY uiybis I
nave been speaking very frankly to
you about some or the reasons why
ncheFe in certain Of IN" great FUN
ham"ntais or chri-tianity TDnigh,
"haI foIIo" the sam. course about
another fundamcntaI--th churcA
am not going TO define tho
church. neither am going to argue
'toout fcc!esiastical forms and ordl-
haHces IN nn effort ITO determine
which Is tho true church. Tho
church ] shall have In mind Is com.
posed OF all the churches which owe
allegiance 10 the Lord Jesus Chris,
But, on the other hand. IL is no, the
io-cnllcd church nvisible-,he
spiritual unity OF all Christian peo
pln-that shall have in mind. but
ne visible church-thc great body OF
hcilcSers as organized for Christian
Worship. ia" administration Of the
"acrhmcnis and service 10 mankind.
continuation of Enrth-Lif-
believe. then in tho church. mrs,
"i an. because I, Is tho continuation
"f The car,h-iifc az Jesus rs this. I
mean that tho Word Wax no, onlv
radc flesh hut continues 'npYh'
Every soul must have a body II IL Is
10 operate under The conditions OF
sense and time. Tho Incarnation was
e necessity. II It point 81 contact was
30 u" found between God and man,
and the forces Of divine healing hc
released into the world But IL these
iorccs wcr" not. so to speak to play
OUT. u IN" erhc" aud truth which
came by Jesus christ we're to con.
tihu" a. an effective factor In human
history perpetual Incarnation OF
the christ spirit was just as necessary
as the initial manifestation az Jesus
~ tn" 'lcsh The church is that i'm
'arna'ion. II IS the gloriii.d bod. NJ
christ m longer subject ~ tn law
81 decay. An just ~ iHc Divine
spirit thought and wjll"d and acted
through the man Christ Jesus so docs
- think and wil and act 'oday-wc
can nee II 10 lin the ORGANIZATIONS
which No cali His church
Test uf Actual Experience.
"B"t los; this SAVIOR e li,tlo or the
"joey, let rs come 10 tn" more prnc-
iicni reasons. which We can pu, to
IN" test ~ actual NNpnrlcn,.. From
TINS point If view, | h"licy. in the
church because. as Il plain matter Of
tact, 1t is carrying ON tho work that
Jesus l"tt unfinished The argument
with which Jesus challenged the
lows - The one irrcfntahlc argurncu,
for tn" divinity of the church. Be
li"vc me He said. that am in tho
Father and the Father In me: or else
l.0lIcvc me for The very works sake.'
Th" FIRST appeal was thcoi0Eical and
az soon a He had uttered II Jesus
recognized 'hu, Il might be beyond
the spiritual reach OF Ills hearers.
and SO He added. II you can't do
that. then believe me because OF the
thing do. what were these
things First, the spiritual rercncra-
lions that He wrought In III" lives OF
men and then the deeds OF mercy and
human hrip:uincss tnht were His
daily routine.
Church Offers Same Proof
1.-THE church offers exactly the same
Kind Of proof ~ i,s divine origin and
sanction. on the one hand. IL heals
tho sous OF men. II is the channel
of redemption. Through It the word
is preached which is the power OF
God unto salvation. This * not
theory. hut fact that YOU can test
for Yourselves Conversion---the
awakening OF the spiritual In man
is the supreme proof OF Christ. or
Christianity. Of the church. Ccnvcr-
sion virtually unknown to other re-
IiEions. And conversion as contin-
ulng experience in the lie Of the
world Is made possible only by the
And the same Is true OF the deeds
Of mercy and hclpfulncss that were
so large a part OF Jesus ministry.
The church continues these. ! know
well It's limitations, know that
the church has frequently been big
oted. narrow minded. uncharitable,
cruc. and unjust. l do not forget
the Inquisition. the martyr fires. the
burning OF witches at Salem. or even
of fnIu nj
in spite Of all ths. the church has
deep down in it's heart been true to
its commit IS ion: Heal the sick. clanse
the lcpcrs. cast out devils: freely
ye have received. freely give.
Charity in the sense of care for the
bodies AMI minds Of men was I'M
known before Christianity.
"And the church has not been un-
worthy OF the trust. II is the Chris
tian sentiment working through
political agencies, that has abolished
slavery. 1t Is the Christ spirit that
has made democracy the ideal OF gov
eminent for all the peoples Of the
West. II is tho same spirit that has
given TO woman her righiful politi-
cal status. do not mean that the
church has always acted officially I'm
such matters. Sometimes It's official
announcements have been against
reform and for the spirit OF perpetua-
ton of injusticcs.
Kept Alive by Church.
But IT is tho spirit Of Christs
teachings. kept alive by the church.
mat nermeating the lives of nations
mas forced these questions to the
front and demanded a solution in
Keeping with the higher equities.
fhe awakening of the spirit OF
service in the religious consciousness
of today
ana tho sum OF the matter is this:
we believe in the church because Of
what 1t actually does in the world
aoaay And for this reason there are
Hon.o enurches we believe in less than
others. because they do moi On c,earI,
manifest the spirit of service :.
wealthy Ynchtsman browns.
OAKLAND CAL A.. a.,