Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-06-05
sAPuns Read

APu03 NE AID
~ nspgssM tatfvss to tbs uGivasa-
list Ccnvsnaioa st Portland Thurs
day.
SHE Relation Of the Church 10 Non-
chvch-eoers" vss the topic Of paper read
By Rev. ]. r. Leland. pastor OF the Win
throp street Urivsfsaliss church in this
cry. 1t the Univsrsaiiss Convention In Port
iana THURSDAY morning, June 1. The fol-
losing 10 bsief abstract:
Your committee have chosen this topic
for me, which Is asking me - solve ore Of
the sfsafeat problems which the Christian
church has to deal With for tell me hov to
saive this 70 that il shsli be no longer ,
problem, and will show you how we are
to convert every person. plant church in
every community and chsistiAnizs the
world.
'.Bus let ~ deans vhss We mean BY the
church, !. and "non- church-goers
In general way We say, the church 10
IN organization Of uen and women for
religions purposes
but Jesus formed no organization, yet
He did leave the church well founded, -
the result Of His splendid lsbors. He left
His disciples, but John WAS not the church /;
Peter vas not the church; James vas NOT
the church, nor would any or all Of the
aisciples have made such q claim. any more
than they would have individually or to-
gethsr asserted that they were Jesus.
la - Sbn %SxpV aa -
vas the volume OF Gods saving truth. He
~as the truth because He Represented the
though. Of God. The church must be
everything that Jesu, represented.
"Ths Christ 10 not the name Of par
tieuIas individual, bu. represents . condi-
Ton. 1t is all that jesus was, this the
church must be; it 10 more than = name; il
ls mofe than an Organization; i. is the
ruth; it 10 the light. the life; it isa condi-
lion, the Chris, cond ton; therefore the
church includes all Who have attained the
Christ condition of life, light snd truth.
1--WE hear it sid .thst person is . church
man whsn he has entered the organization
uamed Universalist, Baptist, Episcopalisn.
Catholic, Methodist or the like, yet the
church ss q condition Of life AID truth,
know nothing Of these names.
1.-THE most depiorable feature Of Chris
ian work today. is the arrogant assumption
Of few organizations who assume TO be
the church aud selfshly cordem Ill
others.
Church organic atoms are men arranged
The church IS . condition
Of life, light ard truth, is heaven born It 10
God with men.
1.-The church should not be . vortex
which merely engulfs the bodies
Of men and women, but fountain, which
gives freely Of its life and light to the
growth Of the soul.
Men are not looking for organizations.
FOR they hsvs been organized to death;
but they are looking for hfe, light and
ruth.
at 10 because we know that Jesus has
and can give to men the life and light that
they need, that we dare to presch, IS He
promised, that all .hall be drawn to Him.
when We have. and can give what men
need Of these spiritual things, men will
come to US, not because Of our name and
organic stion. but for the life aud light and
truth.
1T is not aq1es,ion whether the nom
church goer feels the need of these things,
but are our organizations supplying these
things, for you will convert you. non
into church goer, when you
have convinced him that in the church he
will find life and truth.
81 had rattle. enjoy these spiritual things
outside Of any named organization, than TO
be q member of any organization the only
object of which is to increase it's member
ship, and to that end will accept int, its
fold anybody and everybody without regard
to their fixed belief, even when they posi-
live ly refuse to accept its written creed
yet within the past month, have witnessed
one Of these organized vofts xes take 20 its
fold the bodies Of large number. but not
one Of them would accept its creed written
teaching Of endless misery in hell.
This dishonesty incorporating under
the name of christianity i. produc-
i've of non-church- goers, for your
mont hurch, goer is in many csses too honest
TO give his body and name to creed that
his soul rejects, and he reasons: "If to
write . creed. snd present it to the world,
IS Gods truth, aud The means Of salvation.
and then accept men and women into the
sacred organization, who do not believe that
creed, is the church's manifestation Of
b onesy, do TO. wsnt it, for such proceed
irg. dehauch truth. Ard would not be toler
s,ed Aven in the slums of politics.
"You may separate non church 6 oe's
into at least three classes those who have
fever had the religious elemen. in their
nature aroused, and do not affiliate with any
those VIII, have once beer
,ctive, but have become negligent; taose
who, like the elder son in the parable, are
angry, and will not come in. Great tao,
must be observed in dealing with the class
arst named. IL they will not attend re.
iglous exercises, VIZ must meet them else
\ here. There is always & way to reach the
lnreath he'd cl g.. These next mentione d,
sho have once b en- active bit have become
negligent. need good stirring counsel. An
earnest talk on the duties they owe to
will generally arouse them to
heir old tims enthusiasm.
1.-The third class mentioned those who are
,ngry and will not come in. is the most dit
fcult for the church to deal with Happy
hey are but small per cent. OF non
Their anger arises from
' .rious and generally unreasonable causes.
Often it reverts back to the resignation OF
4 former pastor.
When person will not attend church
because a particular minister no longer Off
cis,es at its altar, it 10 doub'fu, if it lie
worth while to psy any attention to him
1ntil he learns that h, should attend church
for his own good ana to worship God, and
not 10 worship the pastor. Iadee! the
retiring minister is often TO blame for no,
c 1unselh, his worshippers 20 be loyal to
their church but too often the resigains
pastor seems TO delight in the thought that
some OF his practitioners have ssid, that il
he leaves. they will never stterd that
church sgain. All that is needed ia such
cases is. thst thu reti,ing pastor and HE
have little Of the grace Of
God in their hearts, and the fewer churches
sould be ruptu.ed by their iIcor siders.e
actions.
''God gives to tu' organ ,tians talents
II men and women; the Sc we must use. or
hey will be taken from Us AID gwen 10
others who win use them -
This Business NJ AZ asemsnt OF pssish
Was the su,j ct Of the address Of DR.. G.
VI I itcheIl ii Augusta White admitting
the force cf tn. prsc zeal thought that re-
Iigion should enter into business he empha-
,izsd the necessity that business should be
pus into religion He said the effort in our
church today IS 30 unite religion and bust
tl, Ia,