Christian Churches and Churches of Christ; Lutz, Henry Frey, 1868-1926 -- Biography; Restoration movement (Christianity)
other, like the enemies of Israel; so that they simply neutralize each
other's influence and power, while the enemy of right runs off with the
victory and spoil. It is this mixture of the good with the bad in two
political parties that enables evil to hold its own; while if all the
good were united, through the truth, into one political party, arrayed
against all the bad in another political party, they could carry this
country for Jesus Christ at every election.
Having considered the causes that lead to differences of opinion, how,
in the light of these facts, should we treat those who differ from us?
In the first place, we should deal with them in humility. When we see
how the great and good men of all history have been hindered from
seeing the plainest and simplest truths by their inherited and
preconceived ideas, it should take the conceit out of us and make us
very fearful lest we are suffering with the same dread disease. For it
is to be noted that hardly any one who suffers from this malady is
aware of it. Cromwell's words to Parliament will bear a universal
application, when he said, "I beseech you, by the bowels of the Lord,
that you conceive it possible that you may be mistaken." Not only is it
possible, but it is probable, that we are mistaken in a great many of
our ideas. Therefore we should approach others in an humble, teachable
spirit. Let us not imagine that we know it all, and treat those who
differ from us with self-righteous scorn and contempt.
And that leads me to say that we should treat those who differ from us,
with love, respect and sympathy. I believe that more reformers have
been crippled in their efforts by failing in this than in any other
way. We are likely to attribute all our failures to the sin and bad
character of others, when the fault often lies in ourselves. God gives
a vision of some great truth or needed reform; as, for example, the
prohibition of the liquor traffic, or the union of God's people on the
primitive gospel. The message is sweet to us, and so we go on our way
with great joy, feeling sure that we will soon convert everybody to our
righteous cause. But, alas! we soon discover that people will not
convert very fast. Our argument seems to us more clear and infallible
every time we repeat it, and yet the people fail to come to our
position. And so we are likely to lose faith in the people, and come to
the conclusion that it is nothing but sin and guilt that causes them to
reject our message. The next step is to forget our own weaknesses,
trust in ourselves that we are right, and treat with hate and contempt
those who differ from us. Treating our opponents with hate and scorn,
we lose both our humility and Christian character, and develop into the
most hideous and ungodly characters on earth, self-righteous Pharisees.
And so it happens that we reformers often need reformation worse than
those whom we seek to reform. But you say, did not Jesus and the
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