Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-09-27
ss sEx s.--VOL. y, NO. II.
ARE OUR CHURCHES DOOMED.
From the Congregationalist, by Rev. J. W. HARDING


From the congregationalist, by Rev. ]. W. HARDING
Longmeadow.
1t were no strange thing. The
seven churches of Asia were. Not
however, because they lacked the
prestige OF success, the promise Of
= the Spirit, the Apostles for their
fathers.
We are making considerable ado
this year in garnishing the sepul
cheers of the Pilgrims, and clapping
hands over the brave memories Of
our past. But the raven who sits
perched over the door will not be
scared away. The skeptic says that
our Christianity promises great deal
that it never performs; that it be.
gins to build but it is not able to
finish. He.points significantly to the
original centers,-Ephesus, Corinth
Antioch, what came Of them p
These churches rotted down, and
their civilizations with them. See
history repeating itself in the Ger
man Reformation in the English
Church. Grand is the story Of what
they promised. But the fulfilment
where ? What are the churches
that the Pilgrims founded, really
doing the jubilee conventions, the
speech markings, the memorial SER
mons, the three millions, aside?
If we had the tongues of men and
and angels, what then The truth
is, that with all we are doing and all
we propose to do, Mr.. Wendell Phil
lips has more reasons than one for
calling our Christianity dream and
not bottle The seven churches of
Asia were doomed because they left
their first love, forgot to do their
first works, did not strengthen the
things which remained, did not hear
what the Spirit said to them.
Are our churches doomed Let
US not resent the question. II
they are not doing their work, and
not seriously intending to do it, the
Lord will in all probability "let out
His vineyard to other husbandmen
who will bring in the fruits in their
season."
What signifed our late Anniver-
saries, the thin prayer meetings, the
skeleton attendance on some of the
meetings representing our most vi
tai causes? And when the assembly
was large-why Z? Not to ask nor
to receive the power from on high,
but to crafty the Athcnian lust OF
seeing or hearing some new thing,
Of being charmed for the moment
by some new voice.
What will hinder our churches
from being doomed2 Not costly
church buildings to keep out the
poor, not operate quartettes to per
form aesthetic praise, nor brilliant
pulpit oratory, not charitable socie.
ties to do the churches work by
proxy, not fighting demoraIizing
battles over Tract Societies, not pa
latial Bible Houses or Book con-
Germs, even though they rained BIZ
bles and tracts keen deep all over the
earth. We shall not prevent our
churches being doomed by any one
man ministy and mere pulpit power,
nor by fourth year on the sacred
mount to practice in Gohath's arm
or, nor by Boston lectures, nor by
making "science religious and faith
scientific" nor by UNCONVENTIONAL
sweat and furore.
Let US have all these by all means
if they will save some. Let us have
eloquence, and music, and logic, and
architecture, and conventions, and
committees, and societies, and
fourth years course, and all that
mans wisdom and will can devise
We are making no plea for leathern
girdles, or camels hair raiment, or
unIearned men, like Peter and John.
But if our churches are not to be
doomed, let them, to all these other
works, super-add their own first
works. Let each local church to do
it's 0tCn home work. Let the divine
charity, best of charity, best of gifts,
begin in its own dlvinely appointed
home, and work from the centre
outward. Let the common ministry
of the brotherhood and the sister
hood Of each local church be better
organized and trained, and super
added to the one man ministry and
pulpit power. Let the ordained
ministry be great preachers, so be it
the Word is mighty, and has free
course, and is glorifed bat let them
in order to do this, be also great or
ganiEers and leaders given of God
"for the perfecting of the saints,
for the work Of their ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ"
We raise million in memoriam
colleges and theological seminaries.
Yes, by all means. But the doleful
question rises from the Chicago con-
vention, even from the advancing
West-where are the men? Our
Christianity can raise the money
but not the men. A home mission
airy church is struggling in New
Orleans, or anywhere else whore
New England church members have
gone to make money. Where is the
timber? New Englanders are plen-
ty in New Orleans, sons and daugh-
tiers of the Pilgrims, but where are
the living stones to build the church
the corner stones polished afterIthe
similitude of palace? Where the
royal priesthood of the living tenn
pie? They are.not. or they are very
scarce, because the churches who
ought TO have squared and polished
them, inspired and trained them to
be Christian workers, never did.
Where are our home missionaries
and foreign missionaries of the fu-
ture to come from? Not out Of our
doomed churches.
In word, the local church, Gods
own first and best society, the right
organization Of its latent forces, the
best development of its diversitles
of gifts-is the grand and vital ne
cessity of our times and Congre-