Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-04-26

clety. NOW 1t Is free from debt and
self supporting. Five years ago its
mem bership was eighty-seven, now
it is one hundred and forty one. This
all shows progress. 1t shows us
there is current in the stream. I'm
less some unknown cause comes in to
change the progress of events We
may look for continued prosperity.
There are three conditions, essen
tial to prosperous church.
l. A suitable field.
2. A church adapted IN its organi-
cation and method of working to the
people.
3. An earnest working spirit
among the members. Are these
conditions fulfilled in this communi-
ty?
The field must be suitable one.
A live and entefprising community
population stable in it's character
and susceptible to gospel truth, and
ample room ara important consid
CREATIONS. The sight of main street
upon Saturday, and often upon
other daya, filled as it is with teams,
shows that this is not dead village.
Being the center of large, prosper
Gus community, there is promise,
perhaps not of large and rapid,
but of steady aud healthy growth.
The surrounding population, will |
think, prove itself to be stable. 1t
ID not so apt to be unsettled as are
railroad communities, whore men
come easily and go easily. The
church will not be in danger then of
losing SO heavily by removals. The
Inhabitants of our surrounding prai-
ries are mostly Americans, or belong
to that class of foreigners that come
M st readily under the influence Of
Protestant Christianity. But the
most favorable feature is that there
is ample room. If the village alone
furnished work the three denomina-
tions might be somewhat crowded.
But tbs work is not so confined.
The country reaching out for miles
around is practically unoccupied. In
nearly every direction there are
school houses, where one can draw
large audiences of those who seem
hungry for the Gospel. There is
work enough aud room enough and
it is a work that gives promise OF
good results.
The second essential condition is
the adaptation of the church to the
field. The fact simply, that our
church has here 80 prospered is suf-
ficient evidence that it is well adap-
ted for the work here needed to be
done. 1t has seemed to gain the
good will of The community and to
meet their wants.
But there are few points con-
nected with the faith aud polity of
the Congregational church, and it's
method of working. that show it's
adaptation to this field.
lts organization Is slmple. There
is but little machinery connected
win the Congregational form of
government. Each church is com.
plete in>itself Every member has
voice in it's affairs. It's, in fact, re-
publican in its form of govern mont,
and holds the same relation to other
forms of church government that
our national polity does to other
forms of civil government.
1t is simple and evangelical in its
faith. 1t has no UNCONVENTIONAL
creed that is now received as author-
itative. Still there has been, and is,
in nearly all the churches, wonder
full agreement upon the essential
truths of religion. These they seek
to emphasizes. In essentials unity,
in non essentials liberty may be ia
ken as the motto of tho Congrega-
tional church. 1t puts the Gospel
immeasurably above any mere forms
or ceremonies.
1t is unsecterian in spirit. The
ancient Knights went forth to battle
"for God and the church" "Pro God
ct Ecclesia' was their cry. Congre-
gationaliam, in spirit at least
changes the connecting word. |
say not for God and the church but
for God through the church The
church is not the end. 1t is simply
an instrument. 1t is an organiza-
ton through which we can work for
Christ and is TO De judged from its
effectiveness. These things the SIM
plicity of its polity and faith and its
unsectarian spirit, give Congrega-
tional churches great facility to
adapt themselves TO circumstances.
II is said that when Mr.. Moody
wished to organize into a church
those who had become Christians 10
bis earlier labors in Chicago, he in
vited the pastors of all the Evangel-
.ical churches to assist in the organi-
cation. This purpose was to form a
church that should not come under
tho jurisdiction of any particular
sect, but be approved by all. But
after he explained bis plan, one after
another of the pastors withdrew,
finding some objection TO it's unsec-
tartan character, till only the Con-
gregational pastors were lett, ana
these proceeded with the work of
forming the church. This showed
the fexiblity of our system and its
power of adaptation. IL can join
hands with and welcome to its mum
Der all who show in their hearts the
spirits working; and give evidence
that they have been born again. 1t
is as broad as the Gospel. In near
ly every community there are per-
sons of different religious tenden-
cies. 1t is quite important in COM
munities whore the population is
limited to unite these forces. | do
not know of any system that will
unite these different tendencies, and
make them work together so effec-
tivly and harmoniouslY 90 that OF
the Congregational church. The
church of my boyhood was made up
only about half of Congregational
lists The other half bad been Bap-
lists of the stricter kind, Pres5yte-
rians and Metbodista. They ell