The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-22

BY the stricken of the Jews ss areproach tothoss
who4nsd been carrying the Gospel among the Gen.
uies and had been essoctafing with them This
position In regard to those Of the church who
went among the Gentiles il often assumed in
these days By the party known Is high church
men; and. indeed, II this very time. the same
charge that was made against Peter Is being
made against Rev. Phillips Brooks, the bishop
elect OF Massachusetts,. Some are saying 70 him:
Thou wentssi in to men uncircumcised and
oidst eat with them"
such words arise from q Misrepresentation a.
70 what the church really IL. A confusion ex-
lists whereby men think and act as II the church
were an end rather than a means
But the church il not sufficient unto itself. IL
ID not an end within itself: the church does not
exist for itself, and 70 treat IL as II IL did Ii q
grave error. The church 10 but means, but an
instrument for the salvation of the world The
aim OF the church il TO educate men, TO lift them
up 70 better life. physically. mentally and
morally. and when We lose sight of this fact
then our work becomes less efficient.
linen, TOO. large number o! those in the
ehurcn, perhaps majority of the laity, and
certainly majority OF the clergy, practically
noio that the church 10 70 help us gain eternal
life; only TO 1T u for heaven. for something
beyond this everyday life on earth. But the
truth 10 that the church 10 means TO make our
lives here better and nobler. OF course heaven
Is not TO be lost sight of: but if il our duty TO
make the most Of this life, 70 have II as full
and complete possible of the best happiness
and the noblest deeds The church is to reach
the poor and the helpless, TO take away poverty
ana suffering, 70 tighten the throbbing hearts
OF prisoners and captives.
The church 10 not to separate itself from the
world, but to work with the world a. does
ieayen- The church is TO be part of our social
life. There was . notion once that man going
into the church must give up ell social enjoy
nent and every form of amusement But en-
ioyment and recreation are what we need Men
often WORK too hard But the church people
should take part in ali legitimate pleasures. and
should patronize good amusements 90 a. TO dis
courage the unworthy ones The clergyman
who would reach the young. especially the
young men. does well 20 join with them in their
wholesome neId sports i look forward 10 the
time when every parish house win have its
gymnasium where the young men OF the church
can exercise. and rooms for the meetings Of the
various clubs and societies which hold the peo-
pie together and strengthen them for work
Religion, too, should be Q means TO make men
more honest and liberal in their business rela-
tions. Time was when men thought that II
they went to church on Sunday and paid their
pew rent, they could indulge in as much sharp
practice ae they chose on Sunday. have even
been told that q man cannot be honest here and
hope 70 succeed do not believe that that il
true, but If II Is, then hope that those who
listen to nv voice will have enough principle to
fail in business.
lido not believe that the church should take q
share in the turmoil OF partisan politics, but
do believe that on questions touching the hap
piness and moral welfare of the people, the
church should take q stand and q decided stand.
Such questions are constantly arising, and the
church. If il is to lead men, must meet them fairly
and take one side or the other. In what
we call the struggle between capital
-
She may be able to solve the difficulty and bring
the two together. When the rich man grinds
the faces of the poor, she should throw her in
fuence with the oppressed; and in the same
way when the demands Of the workingman are
unreasonable the church should not encourage
them. The church is not for the rich nor for
the poor, but for all. While labor organizations
are in themselves proper, yet their demands are
ometimes unreasonable and such dem ands
should not be supported by the church. On the
other hand know that rich men are often mis-
understood and nisrepresented. and do not de-
serve the anathemas that are hurled at them.
while ago there was a great strike in some
Illinois coal mines, and q clergyman of our
church came from New York 10 do mission work
among the miners. Their cause, believe, was
Just one This clergyman lived with them and
made their lives part of his He told me of the
fearful suffering he saw-babies starv-
ing, children eating even leaves to
keep their lives IN their oodles-all
this and more that can hardly be spoken. At
last, this clergyman secured q compromise by
which the men and the mine owners came to an
agreement, and work was begun again. A mass
meeting was then held in the square OF that
Illinois town, and when the clergyman called
for the men to come forward 300 gathered around
him there as at his church, and they all signed
petition 10 the bishop for the prayers of the
church.
But the bishop refused il" because the church
was too much compromised with wealth 70 side
with the miners
Think of it. The church too much compro-
missed with wealth. pray God that that may
never be said of the church here.
Lastly, the church is for sinners, not for the
righteous. good many are inclined to critl-
else q clergyman IL he associates with those out
| of the pale of the church, or with the upright
eous. But what is the church for? Who was
Christ?
Christ was the Savior OF mankind, and the
| church il to continue the work of salvation. II
| you remember, Christ associated but little with
| the respectable people of his time. He held out
| His hand to the fallen woman, and babe her face
| her accusers. So it is today. The church that
is only for the deyout 10 no church. The clergy
| man who never reaches the sinner fails of his
| duty. II matters not how bad q mans life has
been, the church still holds out her arms to him
| and offers him home. Christ still calls to him
to come. These sinners are the very ones we
| wish to reach, and until the church seeks and
saves the lost the church will fail of its duty.