Show DR SPALDING ON PURITAN IDEA t v i Religious Seclusion Not Mot Necessary Necessary i sary to the he True rue Christion Christion Chris- Chris tion Life lh f CITES EXAMPLE OF JESUS t f 1 Compares Church I. I to n i 11 in Aro Af- Af o l fording g Exercises for fm All J Herts De- De Krees of If Moral alII Weakness v The rIme Right JUht Ih Rev Franklin Spencer Silencer x l Spalding D. D D. D preached ch to a large V J congregation In St. St Marks Mark's Cathedral 1 Sunday morning Tho Time subject was wasja Christian A Asceticism based ed upon text found In th tho thern thirty first er verso verse o nf of Ithe the seventh chapter o of St. St Paul Pauls first ui-st epistle to the Corinthians They The that use u-so u this world as ns not abusing It for Cor the thc fashion of or this world pass lass uth Hh away Bishop Spalding pointed out omit that tha his Ills pre present nt subject was l clo-l closely ly re related ri Il t to lo that of the Lime previous Sunday lIam namely ly Spiritual i Anarchy and amid ha hav bait In ut the personal persona v man many re respects same J application On the former occasion It was shown that In a n. free flee u it constitution was waR IIII most t necessary e al' al not nol dealing with mere matters rs of detail but covering broad principles and so In the church hurch a creed II was provided which mid laid down gr great at truths truth hut but dill did not furnish direction In all theological distinctions and yet ct notwithstanding this his foot fact there Ihen are man luau many gUll good d fU d true men amen who vho do not care to come cump Into Inlo clo close relations with organized Christianity fearing perhaps that they might ht not be bl able to live up Li to the demands of their theil profession slon Four 1 I Hl Ropon hili I ItH It v Anti And H tho Iho subject under consideration tion this morning said tim tho speaker seems to present similar 10 to numerous honest and anti wt well lI persons who Iio are afraid to risk the char charge e of or if Inconsistency Incon of conduct were vele they thoy once identified with Ith the i church as professed ed members rs Our puritan ancestors to whom y we t ve n wp much that Is true and anti worthy of or perpetuation gave I to this nation certain eer- eer lain tain o of their convictions on nn morals and religious matters which are nn not all allgood allgood gool good and anti which will vili many mony years to correct or modify They 1 I were ere narrow and amid one sided d In tw r respects at nt least First they held 1111 that tha t the church chUlch was composed only of oC the pure nn and holy That indeed was Wag the origin In of or the tint title puritan Tile The They had hati been revolted re by the spectacle of or excessive luxury and Its accompanying vices ices among the nobility of oC the country they had liati left ant anti and they had hail come to the conclusion that the only a way to avoid the abuse of oC the things s of oC the world was to give gl up uJ their use u-e. and to frown upon that which was pleasant nl and beautiful on this mitts earth of oC ours our Second they Insisted upon one variety varlet and antI one only of oC re religious experience ex ex- nce as necessary ar In all nil Christians All had to go through a proc process of conversion ti c on regeneration resel change of n. n lj It tt l what but Oll will but but it l a Wb b thc th ame me for or al ai P. P Puritan Idea him Neither of or these positions ns 1 Is true The Tho puritan Idea of oC the church as a floe society let of the holy hoh exclusively Is shown to be Incorrect h 1 by Christs Christ's ex ex- ample It I is true that in lit His time tinie thero there was a body of oC religionists known as ai the time ES of or whom John the Baptist was vas one who led the ascetic 11 life e. e secluding themselves In the hi desert and amid th the wilderness but hut the Divine Master Ia was wa not one of the these He lie was on the contrary called the friend of oC sinners simmers as a a mark of reproach re re- re- re because e he as associated ll himself with Hh all sorts and anti conditions condition of men and preached a kingdom om which should Include not the p perfect only but all degrees of Imperfection a as well This I Is well wall Illustrated by br Ills His parable of the wheat and amid tares ares When hen the seed began to spring up it Jt was found that tares were growing freely treely among the wheat The farmers farmer servants gathered gathered gath gath- ath- ath ered around and antI wanted to 0 pull up th the tares lares there and anti then but the Master llast Mini las t ter tr r said Id Na Nay lest Jest while ye c gather up 1111 th ares lares ye e root up also allo the wheat with them hem Let both hoUt grow together until the harvest This freedom from Crom stern asceticism m mIs Is a n. proof of the originality of Jesus j for oriental as He was lIe He proved I Himself to be the tru truly Universal enal Man i r It was wa from the East ast that asceticism afterwards s came into the church brought hl there b by hermits and reclus-es reclus c 5 disgusted with the luxury and self self- ICI IC- IC I indulgence which the they witnessed all I IL around Yet Yit In spite o of ot the freedom L of J Jesus from an any such narrow ascetic as ao- view low of or life th the effect of the thc Is la deter let honest hon hon- puritan theory to r man many est men n from Crom seeking church mem- mem p Church 1 Is a 3 l Family The church Is not like the arm army where each soldier must lii ho beat at least leas five t feet six Ix no nor mior I is it t a 0 temple o ur of fame where only those are allowed p who have achieved greatness It IL I Is a family comprising old and amid young young- where the strong strollS arc are to help the w. w weak It I Is a moral gymnasium furnished with all kinds of oC apparatus where the tho powerful giant Ilant can exhibit hi his strength th and the sickly weal weakling lIng tr try to build up uPa a physique where there ther are forms Cornu of or exercise for all rees degrees of moral weakness It is a school S. S containing bright ht and dull pupils where the Ignorant are taught how ho the they may tise the world and yet ct no not abuse itA ILA it IL A wise angel looking down upon this earth of ours and beholding the I confusion the discords and contradict lions would sav say that we were sadly In need of guidance We 0 do 10 need guidance and amid cultivation In the power of discrimination and anti we find that th the lie church Is 18 the only organization Interested In helping us UM in iii matters of moral choice She has haK summed up Ut the experience of th the ng ages s In thc these e ethree three principles First Th The truth IK IL away always to o be accepted aci ac- ac i I or a as It IL I Is expressed In the theS S quaint theology of oC the past post the devil anti and all his works must be renounced Our Ideas as nR to a personal devil have hac greatly changed In mo modern times and the old oM conception of him a as a helm helm- clothed In red with hoof and horr I Is lf found for tho the most part on th the theS S Rt stege e. e But nUL we all realize a powerful 4 Influence for evil 11 working against good Second Second- Reality and sincerity and simplicity are o I ways right ht while shile the and anti vanities of the world with all their affection and anti falsify falsity and ani tawdry distinctions b between rich and amid poor pOOl are empty empt anti and valueless Mind rh Should Rule HIIe Body Bh Third The Tho mind the hoar hear try must lI t al always rule rulo I llie tue h e body lily for tha tima timaS S hotI body Is 18 a won wonderful servant senant but a n j bad master mastel When I t the lie Li hOlly body ily vu rules ules los tl mind the man Is apt ajL In Iii NIlI sleep In iii thou tin tho gutter u but bilL when the lie mind govern l the body the man nina Is conducted to the mountain heights to the tho sunlit uplands up UI- lands and antI the bright ht pure pun almo atmosphere of God Goti St Paul summed up tp the till whole hole matter on oil one occasion when he lie wn was called COUl before a Roman tribunal and amid given 1 11 an opportunity to explain his hi life lJ Herein he ho said sah do I exercise ex ex- myself anti and that wor word vord exercise means make an ascetic of myself to have always 38 a conscience void oiLI of offense offense offense of of- toward God GOll toward man mun In that sort tort of an ito ambition tho the church orr offers Is I's help heip Sh She does docs not kill th desire she he guides II It |