Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-01-25

JOINT TOPICS
FOR YIOLETTE

The message of Dr. E. E. Violette
last night was delivered to a packed
house. His sermon was on "The
Church and the Lodge" Having been
a member of clubs himself and a
Shriner he was able to speak with
authority on the subject. His sermon
highly exalted the church. His text
was from the Goth chapter of Acts
where Paul was before Agrippa. He
said that Agrippa was on trial be-
fore Paul rather than Paul on trial
before Agrippa, just as it was Jesus
sat in judgment on PLATE rather than
PLATE that sat in Judgment on Jesus.
Moreover" said DR. Violette, "some
of you people think it is smart to sit
in Judgment on the church when in
fact the church and the truth are
sitting in judgment on you"
Dir. Violette led up to his main
points by stating that when he was a
boy his ideals were constantly chang
ing and his ambition to be first one
thing then another as different men
of different occupations and profess
sions came to his notice, that there
seemed to be many roads leading in
many directions but as he grew older
he felt that all his energy and time
and ability were needed in doing one
thing well.
He said that it was a sad day when
the church let clubs and lodges and
fraternal orders take over her philan-
thropy, but that the day would come
when the church's program would be
large enough to include every human
need
In illustrating the, difference be-
tween church membership DR.. Violette
said, fwhen you become a member OF
a lodge you get two signers to your
application and these members who
sign the application indicate that you
are of good character and then you
are recommended and voted upon and
received But the church is broader
than that: it holds out its helping
hand to receive anybody and every
body who wills to do the will OF God.
'Whosoever will may come In the
church therefore some men are sup
posed to fall short but in the lodge
every man is supposed to be square,
but church members, taking them as
they come, are better men than lodge
members. Because they have not only
developed a broader spirit of doing
good to all men but because the
church will send flowers and offer
sympathy and render service to every
man whether he be a member or not,
which is not so with the lodge"
In answering some arguments Of
fered for not being a member of the
church Dr. Violette said, "a man is a
nut. who would try to get into the
Masonic lodge unless he was mem
Der, or who would call himself a
Mason without being made a Mason
by the authority of the order. In like
manner, no one can be a Christian
without being made one by the auth
ority of Jesus Christ, and a man who
will not submit to the authority of
Christ and will not be obedient to
Him cannot be Christian"
DR.. Violette said, "Very few church
members use their membership for
cloak when one does can show you
d G11OuSd11O LII 4OQSC0 clAAO POAAoANc'A
parties who use their membership not
only for a cloak but also for shirt,
shoes and socks" He said, ''When
you become a lodge member you get
on your knees with hand on Bible,
and by this act acknowledge that
God is the author of it, and that it
is His Word, and yet some of you
refuse to stand by the church which
was ordained of God The difference
between the church and the lodge is
this: The church is the only divine
institution, while the club and lodge
are man-made institutions. You can
not fill your lodge in the world which
God intended outside the church.
What is the matter with Douglas?
Not better streets are needed but bet
ter. homes, better boys and girls. Let
father and mother come back to the
church and the children will follow
them
This afternoon at 4 Dr. Violette will
give a travelogue. on "Greece and Her
Glory"
Tonight at 7:3O he will speak on "a
Night in Babylon" from Daniel 9TH
chapter There were two confessions
last night and seven baptized.
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