Morning journal and courier., 1892-05-23
ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN.

Forty Thousand People in New Haven
 Are Not Reached by the Churches-
 Tho Example of Paul Should be Fol-
 lowed by the eChurches-The Present |
 Church Machinery Junk.
 MT. Poteat preached another of his bril- 1 liant sermons at Calvary Baptist church yesterday morning. Never chasing wild theories, whenever he has come to de- cision on any matter, no consideration of l expediency or personal sacrifice deters him from preaching it. This, however, is done with such tact that an audience must
 be very opinionated or prejudioed that he does not convince. His text was from
 Corinthians K, 22: "All things to all
 men that may by all reasons save some."
 Paul is perhaps the most useful Christian that ever lived. He combined in himself
 the capacities of general, an arbitrator,
 a seer and preacher, besides being skin-
 ed manual laborer The secret of his suc-
 cess is his accommodation of himself to l circumstances. This power of adaptation
 to environment shows the presence of
 many high qualities, quickness of appre-
 hension, lack of conceit, quick grasp of
 the situation.
 How far must go in adapting myself to
 other peoples There is, of course, broad
 distinction between this principle and mere pleasing of men and connivance at sin. HIs
 principle of adaptation was limited by con-
 science and by his purpose that he might
 save some. Within these limitations it is
 our duty to adapt ourselves to new situa-
 tions, and this is our duty as church.
 Suppose business man should not use
 the methods of modern business life. He
 would be left out of hearing, out of sight.
 And the same will happen to a church. A
 with $19.50 that had been collected for , that purpose. A horseman came along
 and said: "That is a very poor horse you
 have, dominic" 'It is better than the one Christ rode into Jerusalem on," was
 the answer. The horseman looked into l the horses mouth. ''Yes, dominie," he 1 said, it is the same one."
 In number of Baptist churches in New York 575 baptisms have been made churches in New York in that time have invested in fine churches $20,00O,O00. By ) pursuing these methods the children have been lost to them. These churches were
 built for permanent population, family
 churches. The census shows that only
 250, ,000 people live in homes of their own, and that 1,250 ,0O0 people move every | month. Church after church hnds tnelf congregation moved away, and then their magnificent church stands high and dry, stranded. The cause of this is non-adapt- ation to changed circumstances.
 There are 40,000 people in New Haven , whom the church does not reach. There l is middle class that supports the church | es, but there Is vaster class of people, the 3 kind that used to flock to hear Christ's ! teachings.
 As Tom Dixon said, the time is coming , when the machinery of the church will be
 brought together and sold as junk, sacred
 junk, if you will, but junk still, junk
 One hundred years ago all that was neces , sary in the churches in this comm unity
 was a service on Sundays in the morning 5 but these conditions have been changed | now. That chapel car which was dedi , cated in Minneapolis not long ago, that $ church on wheels that could seat but : eighty, in six months travelling throughout :; the northwest organized six Sunday schools o o and various new churches, and was { t heaven to the districts it passed through l. | Here is church that has been at work fol . twelve months. Shall I go any further e It has not been on wheels.