Tolerance...Concluded

Sermon: Tolerance

1867

From the book: Discipline and Other Sermons

by Charles Kingsley

...And so religious men have hindered the very cause for which they fancied they were fighting; and have gained nothing by disobeying God's command, save to weaken their own moral influence, to increase the divisions of the Church, and to put a fresh stumbling block in the path of the ignorant and the young.

And what have been the consequences to Christ's Church? Have not her enemies - and her friends too - for centuries past, cried in vain: "For forms of faith let graceless zealots fight, his can't be wrong whose life is in the right."

Of Christian morals our enemies have not complained, but that these morals have been postponed, neglected and forgotten, in the disputes over abstruse doctrines, over ceremonies, and over no- ceremonies; that men who were all fully agreed in their definition of goodness, and what a good man should be and do, have denounced each other concerning matters which had no influence whatsoever to practical morality, till the ungodly cried, "See how these Christians hate each other! See how they waste their time in disputing concerning the accidents of the bread of life, forgetful that thousands were perishing round them for want of any bread at all."...

Have we not need to hear our Lord's solemn rebuke, when John boasted how he saw one casting out devils in Christ's name, and he forbade him, because he followed them not. Jesus said, "Forbid him not, for he that is not against us is for us." Luke 9:50

Have we not need to keep in mind the canon of the wise Gamaliel? He said, "If this work be of man, it will come to nothing; but if it be of God, we cannot overthrow it, lest we too be found fighting even against God."

Have we not need to keep in mind that "every spirit which confesses Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God," and "no man saith that Jesus is the Christ save by the Spirit of God," lest we too be found to be more fastidious than Almighty God himself?

Have we not need to beware lest we, like the scribes and Pharisees, should be found keeping the key of knowledge, and yet not entering ourselves, and hindering those who would enter in?