HIS TOLERANT SPIRIT

When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to them, that followed, "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel."

Jesus recognized and rejoiced in faith and character, wherever, and in whomsoever found, though not of His church (i. e., the Jewish church). "I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel." I have found greater faith and character in this Centurion than in any of the members of our church! No greater illustration of His tolerance than that couched in these brief words.

He continually rebukes His disciples for lack "faith; "O, ye of little faith." "Slow of heart to believe." "Where is your faith?... How is it ye have no faith?" "Be not faithless, but believing." But never commends them for faith. Remarkable, though He condemns His own disciples for unbelief He recognizes and compliments the Centurion and the Syrophoenician woman, though outside of His own church, for their faith; -- no matter where they belong if they have faith. Faith pleases God, without it, it is impossible to please Him.

The modern of this incident would be, "I have not found so great faith, no not in all the B., P., M. E., F. M., or P. N. churches." To further rebuke their narrow, bigoted intolerance He said, Verily I say unto you, "that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the children shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." He addressed these words to those who thought they were orthodox and others heterodox, that theirs was the true church while others were heretics; to those who according to their light and privileges ought to be the children of God, but because of sectarian narrowness and blindness, miss the mark and shall be cast out while many whom they despised as heretics shall, to their surprise, sit down with the patriarchs in the kingdom of heaven.

O, this dread monster of bigotry and intolerance which blinds sincere souls into believing a lie! Said a member of a distinctive sectarian holiness church to the writer, "I was taught to think no one was saved or right outside of 'us.' " But this same girl under searching truth had her eyes opened wide to see she herself was not right, and publicly confessed to wrong feelings toward every member of her church. She imbibed the idea membership in a radical church, shouting and demonstration, would cover a multitude of sins; and as long as she could demonstrate that was the main evidence of righteousness, even though her heart had wrong feelings toward others.

The only way a man can keep favor with God is to view the church and world as He does: "God so loved the world that He gave." "Christ also loved the church and gave Himself." The provision is world-wide and (true) church-wide, "The grace of cur Lord Jesus be with all them that love Him in sincerity" was Paul's attitude on the question.

Other sheep I have which are not of this fold. Them I must bring." Who will help Him? "Lovest thou me? Feed my sheep;" of whatever name, wherever found. Alas, it is not club, abuse, or knock them in the head, find fault and nag at them, but feed them[ Alas for those who cannot obey this command because, "they do not belong to our church." What must the great, loving Shepherd think of such a state of heart. He would bring them, must bring them, and wants helpers, but they cannot because of inability to see any good outside of their little church.

Jesus did not ask the Centurion what church he belonged to or if he would come into His church as a condition, before granting his request; in fact, He seems careless where he belonged, only concerned with granting the blessing he sought. Said a preacher to us, "If you will guarantee to do all in your power to get the converts to join our church I will engage you as Evangelist." We replied we will do our utmost to get them to God and encourage them to go where God leads them for a church home. Rather than let them be saved through his church and then join some other, they might go to hell. "We will not have the meeting." What consummate folly! The Evangelistic gift, "Inspiration," informs us is to edify the whole body of Christ. Not the Methodist, F. M., W. M., Presbyterian, Baptist, or Nazarene members only, of His body, but the entire body of Christ.

Some feel "Interdenominational" holiness work as applied to the older denominations is a misnomer -- as the denominations at large have practically nothing to do with it, the officials treating it very gingerly and in many cases frowning on such work. Granting such largely may be the case, still such work is essential among the numerous branches of the holiness work. They are in many cases as distant from each other as other churches are from them. See the personnel of many holiness church camps! And those who do not belong to them, though having gifts to develop the saints, are conspicuous for their absence, the evident reason being, "He follows not with us." This works also the other way. It should not be so in either case. There is no more justification for a Methodist holiness professor being churchy and sectarian than for a distinctive holiness church man to be so. God speed the day when men will be called not because they belong to this, that, or the other wing of the movement, but because God honors them.

"It is holiness, not the profession of it, that wins." Twenty-one factions in the movement -separations, divisions, factions, schisms, wrangles, law suits, railings, accusations, quarrels, boisterous argument, contention, bitterness, bigotry, undue sectism -- all while professing a grace which, if possessed, would make these things impossible! We hoot at the idea of union of other denominations until a great spiritual change takes place, but are we any nearer unity than they? We profess the blessing which makes one. Why are we not one? There may be local and geographical and financial hindrances, but should we not be one in spirit? Should we not cease setting our holiness brother at naught because he does not follow "us?" or belong to our church?

We do not mean to parade faults of our people, nor insinuate conditions portrayed are the rule; they are the exception- but we know these conditions exist to a sad extent and, seeing with an impartial eye, our hearts are burdened for the cause. With Paul we lodge our protest: "Brethren, these things ought not so to be," -- in the name of holiness!

Personally we rejoice in every God honored agency and organization ,which is spreading the precious truth, and find equal joy in laboring with all to push this great work.

He Followeth Not Us

James and John observed some one casting out demons who did not accompany Christ as they did. They thought surely his work must be spurious, because "he followed not us;" he does not use our methods, nor have our shibboleth, therefore he cannot be in the right spirit." Musing thus, and inflating themselves with their own perfection in the Master's work, to the exclusion of all others, on the impulse of the moment they "forbade" him. We can imagine James and John saying, "See here, you are unauthorized to do this work; you have not been taken into full connection yet; you are merely an amateur; thus work is only to be done by fully ordained men like 'us.' " They then went to the Master and told Him, We met a man casting out demons in Thy name, and as he did not do it just in our groove, we "forbade" him, because he followeth not "us."

Jesus read their hearts, saw the jealousy there, and for all time gave a stinging rebuke to the narrow spirit of bigotry: "Forbid him not, he that is not against, us is on our part!"

James and John were rightly named "sons of thunder," or "thunderers." They wanted everything done in a stormy fashion. On another occasion, when the Samaritans refused to provide entertainment for their Lord, immediately they requested permission to burn them up. Again Jesus administered a severe reproof: "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."

There are many today in our Lord's ranks exhibiting the same narrow, bigoted, unsanctified zeal James and John showed on the alcove occasions. They are frequently overheard in prayer thanking God there are a few, meaning themselves, of course, who do the Lord's work to perfection; all others, who, like the lone man who went about unostentatiously, casting out demons and doing all the good he could, are branded, "He follows not us," and looked upon askance. They forget, as Dr. Upham has said: "It is not the man whose external manifestations are calculated to attract attention that is filled with the Holy Ghost to the exclusion of others." "They are so outrageously wedded to their own creed and religious system that they would rather let sinners perish than suffer those who differ from them to become instrumental in their salvation." Even the good done by others is denied or suspected as being spurious, because "he followeth not us." This spirit is despicable when seen in the nominal church, but, alas, there is much of it seen and heard among the various holiness churches. One branch tells us all holiness outside of "us" is spurious and popular holiness. Another says of the one mentioned, "They have gone to seed on externals." Still another thanks God that they are not as other holiness churches, and that there are still a few, meaning themselves, who have the real "full gospel."

Other branches are showing what churches can do when run on "real Holy Ghost lines." Still others feel they have kept the main line of "holiness to the Lord" by loyalty to their respective churches. Each holiness church may have points of excellence above the rest, but it is surely no part of holiness, which invariably produces great humility, to boast of that superiority. Another has severed his connection with all sects, holiness and otherwise, and bitterly denounces them all; when lo, around him have sprung up followers and adherents, with their chapels, hymnals, periodicals, etc., just as other sects, and they are as "secty" as the other sects they so bitterly denounce. "Oh, that we could see ourselves as others see us!"

The tongue's movement, from its lofty pinnacle, thanks God for the real Bible evidence of the baptism with the Holy Ghost; others have only a theoretical evidence. Jesus prayed for the sanctification and unity of all His disciples, so that the world might behold and know God had sent Him as its Saviour.

Time was when the holiness people lamented the lack of unity and brotherly love in the nominal churches and exhorted to holiness as the panacea for these ills; but alas, among us, brethren, is clearly seen, zeal for our movement, our church, or our shibboleth, which transcends zeal for God.

How frequently we find holiness professing Christians with positively no interest in the work done outside their little sect. And when there is seemingly a work of grace done in a community through other distinctive holiness instrumentalities, they boldly speak disparagingly of it, because it was not done their way. Thank God there are many agencies and accessories at work for the salvation of men that "follow not us." "God's love is broader than the measure of man's mind;" broader than our creed, or our way of doing things.

Many in the holiness ranks have lost the sweetness of "perfect love," and are now blistering the poor churches and everybody else that "followeth not us." Oh, beloved, we lament the dearth of spiritual life and power in the nominal churches, and in some of the distinctive holiness churches, too, but can we not forbear with them as God has with us? God loves the world and the worldly people in the churches, and designs to win and spiritualize both. Surely a harsh, rasping, denunciatory spirit will convince no one, in the church or world, of the superiority of the perfect love we possess. So far as superior power manifested by those who are blistering every one who does not jump, shout, and dress as they do, is concerned, it may appropriately be said to them, "What do ye more than others?" They meet together and men's lives are not changed, and so do you!

Some have been cast out of the churches because of their profession; others have left, have felt God called them to leave; and then have made their personal leading a standard for all others in the experience of holiness who feel called to remain in the churches. Now, beloved, if you were called out we bid you God speed. But do not denounce those who feel God would have them stay on the firing line and shine on the poor benighted ones who so much need the light.

A brother minister in a distinctive holiness church said he could not stand it to preach in the nominal churches, he would tear them all to pieces. He forgot John Wesley's advice, "Always draw and never drive." Holiness should not make us huddle among ourselves in a bunch and shout back and forth to each other and confine our love and operations 'to the few who profess that grace. Monasterial holiness is a very low type. "I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world." In the world and not of it. In the church also are many and yet having no fellowship with unspiritual things therein. O, brethren, let us remember those immortal words of Wesley: "The whole world is my parish," and adopt them; and Paul's, "As we have, therefore, opportunity, let us do good unto all men," and with malice toward none and charity for all, see in all candidates for the benefits of the atonement. There are many devout Corneliuses in almost any Evangelical church, who are walking conscientiously in all the light they have, waiting for the messenger of the Spirit-filled life to come.

But then those who want all to "follow us" continually flaunt in the faces of the few who are crying aloud with trumpet tones against the ease in Zion, "Your work is all lost -- soon backslides, or is killed out." This can be said of all churches. It is not a matter of surroundings with all (though it may be with some) so much as it is "God in us." He has kept souls blameless in the fiery furnace, in the den of lions, in the inner dungeon, at the, stake, and on the rack, and still, wherever His Providence calls us, His grace is sufficient, and we can stand; and stand therefore; and having done all, stand. Let them alone. Do not rob them of the little leaven they have, but bid them God speed.