St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-04-12
A REMEDY FOR CHURCH TROU-
BLES.

| Rev. DR.. w. l.. Gage gave practi-
cal Fast day sermon at the South
church, Springfield, from the text
James i, %, "But be We doors of the
word and not hearers only, deceiving
yeur own selves" His special topic
was, "Church work the remedy for
church troubles" Thoughtful men,
he said, are often tempted to ask
"What is the matter with our church
es 2" An unsettled condition exists
within them that is highly unsatisfac-
tory. The ministers are the chief suf-
ferers, having been changed from a
permanent to a migratory class. The
churches themselves have been robbed
of that quiet, good feeling that is an
essential condition of spiritual pros
perity. When the best energies of a
church are spent in efforts first to get
minister and then to get rid of him,
there must be spiritual dearth.
The popular answer to this impOr
tant question is that the Holy Ghost is
not with us. This is to imply that
God is at fault, and less anxious to
give than we are to receive. When
we have amended what is wrong in us,
a revival has begun and the Holy
Spirit is here. In looking after an an
swer to the question, | find that there
are few buyers of the gospel at current
rates. The former widespread convic-
ton that the mission of the preacher
was to proclaim clearly and strongly
great religious doctrines has given
place to the idea that the minister's
aim should be to fill the pews by set
ting out such sweet and puDgent
dish that the multitude will come to
hear and pay we'll for it. Moreover,
the demand for a racy gospel grows
more and more exactlng, and the
church is becoming more and more
theater and the minister more and
more an actor, where not what he says
but how he says it is the test. What
is the panacea for these evils 2 One
says, "bring back the ways of our fa-
theirs !" another advises return to
elaborate liturgies. Both methods are
out of keeping with this practical age.
"Preach with more of the modern spir-
it," says third. Thereby you would
violate ST. Paul's injunction to preach
Jesus Christ and him crucified. But
indeed, it seems to me the fault lies
not so much with the ministers as with
the people. The congregations are
now made up, not of workers, but of
listeners and critics. Yet it is a fact
that those men and women who are in
the harness and feel the needs of the
times are most happy in their church
relations and accept the simple word
as nOurishing food. The ordinary law
of life, that he who is healthy must
exercise, is fully verified in their re-
ligiOus experience.
But it is asked, is there a demand
sufficient to employ the efforts of every
mem Der of the church The duties of
the church officers are simple, but
m embers should not pause here. Out
side the churches is world waiting to
be conquered for Christ. There is no
dearth of work to those that are will
ing. And only over this lire will the
Holy Ghost visit US. The men who
are continually vivisecting their neigh
bOrs and finding no sin in their own
lives cannot expect to experience a re-
vival of religion in their midst. Men
not piety enough in any land to sup
port churches by mems voluntary gifts.
There would not have been, if religion
began and ended with the mere delec-
tatiOn of the members with fine lam
8
minister spreads table of wholesome
food, which all are eager to share, that
the true church of Christ shall come.
Looking out into the great future, we
have the hope that through the activi
ty of the church the sins of the land
may be subdued, and these scattered
bodies of the Christian church be gath
cred into one. In various ways men
are laboring to restore the unity of the
church, but the only solution of the
problem is in the recognition of COM
mon enemy, and the complete union
against that enemy. In the same way,
by the revival of Christian work, shall
the breaches in our denomination over
the action of the American board be
healed. But | do not know that the
conditions described are limited to
Congregational churches. In fact, all
denominations are afflicted with the
dry rot of substituting intellectual and
spiritual entertainment in the place of
wholesome work, and the symptom is
a peculiarly proper theme for repent
ance and prayer.