The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-02-17

Of only Ave tones and two semi-tones,
and all the Handels and Haydns and
Mozarts and Wagners and Schumanns
Of all ages must do their work within
the range of those five tones and two
semi-tones. So have to tell you that
all the theology that will be Of practic-
al use in our world Is made out OF the
two facts of human sinfulness and Di-
vine atonement Within that octave
swing 1.-THE Song of Moses and the
Lamb" the Christmas chant above
Bethlehem, and the Alleluiah of all the
choirs standing on seas Of glass.
Is there not some mode Of getting out
of the way these non-essentials, these
superfuities, these Emergencies, from
the main issues? Is there not some way
of bringing the church down out OF the
mountain of controversy and conven'
tionalism and to put it one the plain
where Christ stands? The present atti-
tude Of things is like this: In famine.
struck district, table has been pro-
vided and it is loaded with food enough
for all. The odors Of the meats fill the
air. Every thing is ready. The plstters
are full. The chalices are full. The
baskets Of fruit are full. Why not let
the people in? The door is open. Yes,
but there is a cluster of wise men block
ing up the door, discussing the contents
of the castor standing mid-table, they
are shaking their fists at each other.
One says there is too much vinegar in
that castor, and one says there is too
much sweet oil, and another says there
is not the proper proportion OF red pep
per. say: "Get out of the way and let
the hungry people come in" Now, our
blessed Lord has provided great sup
per, and the oxen and the fatlings have
been killed, and fruits from all the
vineyards and orchards of Heaven crown
the table. The world has been invited
to come, and they look in, and they are
hungry, and people would pour in by
the millions to this worldwide table,
but the door is blocked up by contro-
versies and men with whole libraries on
their backs are disputing as to what pro-
portion OF sweet oil and cayenne pep
per should make up the creed. cry:
"Get out of the way and let the hungry
world come in."
The Christian church will have to
change its tack, or it will run on the
rocks Of demo lition. The worlds popu-
lation annually increases fifteen mil
lions. No one pretends that ha,f that
number of people are converted to God.
There are more than twice as many
Buddhists as Protestants; more than
twice as many Buddhists as Roman
Catholics Protestants, 135, 900, 900;
Catholics, 1876, 900, 900; Buddhists, 4OO,-
900, 900. There are 175, 900, 900 Mohamme'
dams and 22O, coo, 600 Brahynins Mean
while many OF the churches are only
religious club houses, where few peo-
pie 90 on Sunday morning, averaging
one person TO pew or one person to
half dozen pews, and leaving the min
lister at night to sweat through a ser
mon with here and there lone travel
or, unless by Sunday evening sacred
concert, he can get ont an audience OF
respectable size. The vast majority oi
the church membership round the
world put forth no direct effort for the
salvation of men. Did 4 say there
would have to be u change? ! correct
that and say, There will be a change
II there ,be ffteen million persons
added every year to the worlds popula
ton, then, there will be thirty millior
added to the church. and forty million
and fifty, and sixty million. How viii
IL be done? 1t will be done when th'
church will meet Christ on the plain
! Come down out OF the mountain of ex
clusiveness Come down ont OF thu
mountain OF pride. Come down out o
, the mountain OF Journalism. Com,
, down out of the mountain of freezing
indifference. Old DIR. Stephen II. Tying
J great on earth and in Heaven, once sait
TO me: / am in favor of changs. dt
! not know what is the best way of doinI
; things in the churches, but know tn
! way we are doing now is not the bes
way, or the world would be nearer 10
, salvation than II seems to be-" So
feel; so we all feel, that there needs h
, be a change. The point at which w
all come short is not presenting Chris
{ on the plain, Christ on the level wit
, all the worlds woes and wants and ne
} cessities
= The full change win have TO com
from the rising ministry. We now il
: the field are too set in our ways w
{ are lum bered up with technicalitiei
. We have too many concordances an
4 dictionaries and encyclopedias and sys
: TENS OF theology on our head to &c
] down on the plain. Our vocabulary
g too frosted. We are too much unde
the domination Of customs regnant 70
] centuries
D Come on, young men Of the ministry
D Take this pulpit take all the pulpit'
and in the language OF the street an
e the marketplace and the family circl
e preach Christ on the plain. AS soon O
I the church says by its attitude. not ne,
!. essarily by its words My one missio
3 Is TO help for this life and help for III
c life to come all the people" and
u proves its earnestness'in the matte
}. people on foot and on horseback and
G wagons and in carriages will come
!. the churches in such numbers that the
J will have TO be met at the door b
\ ushers, saying: "You were here la
i Sunday; you can not come in to-da.
Il Gentlemen and ladies', you must tax
q your turn" And IL will be as in Il
{ Johnstown freshet and disaster, whe
!. a government station was opened Il
the snpplv OF bread. and II took u