Calvinism a life-system - pagina 87

CALVINISM AND RELIGION. that as

it

cultus

religious just in proportion

has the courage to despise

energy

the

becomes more evolve

to

83

itself

external show, and

all

from symbolism,

much

to clothe itself in beauty of a

higher order,

inward, spiritual beauty of the ivorsliipping

church services tend to soothe and

order

in

flatter

soul.

man

tJie

Sensual

religiously,

spiritual service of Calvinism

aims

at the .pure worship of God, and at adoration of

Him

and only the purely in

spirit

church genuine

was

and

in truth.

Calvinistic

also

— The

same tendency

leads our

that indispensable element of every

discipline,

instituted

church

Church

activity.

the

in

first

place,

discipline

not to prevent

scandals, nor even primilarily to prune the wild branches,

but

rather to preserve the sanctity of the Covenant of

God,

and ever to impress upon the outside world the

solemn

fact that

Finally

we have

Diaconate

the

restored to

its

God

too pure to look upon

is

evil.

the service of Church philanthropy, in

which

alone

Calvin

primordial honour.

and

understood,

Neither

Rome

nor

the Greek Church, neither the Lutheran nor- the Epis-

copal Church, caught the real meaning of the Diaconate.

Calvinism alone has restored the Diaconate to

its

place

of honour, as an indispensable and constitutive element of ecclesiastical principle

give

life.

must prevail that

alms, but only the

hearts

of the people

not our servants,

we commit stewards it

But, in this Diaconate, also, the lofty

of

to

to

may

not glorify those

who

Him who moves liberality. The Deacons

the

it

name

of

but servants of Christ.

them we simply give back

what

is

His property

must be distributed to His poor,

;

and

— our

are

That which to Christ, as in

His

name

brothers and

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