The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-12-14

| us ministers and teachers IN large num- |
bcrs, besides the churches gained by the |
"Plan of Union" One college has edu-
Gated $50 such ministers; and there are
over score of such professors. not infe-
rior men. as the names of Edward Robin
son, Henry Is. Smith. Roswell ID. Hitch
cock. George l.. Prentiss. and VIM. G. Il.
Shcdd in Union Seminary alone may tes-
tify. AS a result "a member Of our con-
ference, who ought TO know. says "A
large part of the Presbyterian churches to-
day are essentially Congregational, and
would be little more SO, If they had the
Congregational name" The spirit of our
free polity has fashioned the life of all dc
nominations Each one of them feels that
we are next of kin to ITSELF each prefers
our polity next to its own. All have
reaped the fruits of thebroad catholicity that
led our fathers 10 love Gods kingdom
first and labor for it more than for a de-
nomination. But has not this catholicity
another side? Very likely. Every vr-
tue has its poor relations Religious toll
erance flourished best when faith began to
decline. The catholicity of rs years ago
was possible partly because our simple
Scriptural polity was valued too little. On
what other ground can we understand the
course of those twenty-four Congrega-
tionalists who joined one Presbyterian in
forming the First Presbyterian Church of
Chcagog There were elements in our
own body that preferred and yearned for
stronger government. But for this fact,
the Plan of Union working as it did,
could not have been maintained fifty
years. Let me not in this undervaluc that
catholicity which even with this protest we
must admit was their great glory, They
thought they were working for something
better viz: the spread of sound but liberal
Christian principles; and am inclined to
believe that they accomplished more for
that larger end by the course they chose;
more than if they had consented that all
their larger activities should be sectarian"
So writes the brother quoted above. | in
cline to think heis essentially right though
Dr. Gushing thought otherwise
Less commendable because less Chris
tian, is certain pride of intellect and cu-
ture, which in many places has left the op-
portunity and the glory of pioneer work
and of efforts for the poor and ignorant,
to the Methodist Episcopal church. This
fault has not been universal, and has had
some grand exceptions; but its working
has been exceedingly subtle. 1t prompts
n tendency to seek Congregational Gle
ment," instead Of seeking in our broad
humanity the stones for spiritual temple
to the Lord. In spite of our democratic
polity, Congregationalism lacks the 1opu-
ld,fty Of Methodism. We have not learned
that secret of our Saviour by which the
common people heard him gladly" We
J have loved humanity more than we have
liked men,
Our churches nave not neglected the
Sunday School, and have had some excel
lent workers in that important branch of
Christian service Here our chief ener-
gies have been given to Union efforts. Our
Sunday School Society is last and weakest
among the denominations. Said S. b. Ca
pen, of Boston, in the National Council at
Concord, The denomination which is go
ing to possess the land is the denomina-
ton which has the most Sunday Schools. 4"
We have been content to plant Union Sun
day Schools, letting them grow up into
churches Of any name they may happen to
take, or no church at all, when it would
: generally be as easy, and as honorable, to
plant Congregational schools, to grow un-
der our care into churches of our order.
Congregational churches are increasing in
members more slosoIy than those Of any other
ecdn9elicdt denomination, while their gifts
for extending the gospel are largest of any
in proportion to their membership. Stats
tics show that in other denominations the
vi duo NiSOiouS
of Sunday School societies hare resulted in
largely increased additions 10 lie churches. ~
A failure sadder and apparently even
more blameworthy than any above named
is our almost entire neglect of our foreign
population. Perhaps IL may not quite be
. called inexcusable; for efforts of that sort
were beset with peculiar difficulties. Per-
, haps no denomination has been faithful
enough here; but Methodists and Presby-
; terians have done better. We have not
even cared for our own; the young peO-
pie of our Welsh churches in Pennsylva-
MIA, wishing to attend English services go
: drifting INTO other denominations. The
Sundays of Puritan Boston now are al.
most counterpart of those in Euro
pean capital. Our German and
Scandinavian immigrants are rolling
in upon us like II flood, bringing In
temperance, notwithstanding, and
Atheism, and threatening our free institu-
tons and our Christianity alike. None too
Z soon has our Home Missionary Society un.
dertaken to prosecute evangelical work
vigorously among our immigrants by send
ing to each of them men of their own ma
ton, trained in our colleges and semna-
res.
4 1t Is not easy TO estimate the great losses
!, suffered through vacancies in the pastorate.
: l have time only to allude to this great
drawback. Considering the case of
churches that for years report no rcvivals
y, and substantially no growth, we are tempt
. ed to ask. What Elijah has said to our
: Israel, by the word of the Lord, There
shall not he dew mar rain these years but
l according to my wordy Pastors and poo
, pie need 20 feel that God will hold them
) not some evangelist, not some wave of
revival-responsible for the salvation on
! loss of souls about them. How long. ~
$ our rate of growth, ere our nation or the
c world will be cva1gelizcdg With sucl, a
: sense of responsibility. and u readiness TO
''sow beside all waters" we should look
for the conversion of sinners and the edi-
fication of believers as constant results of
the prcaehiug and teaching of the gospel.
The higher a church's average life. the
more frequent will he its revival seasons.
The whole plan of our Christian life mood.