Morning journal and courier., 1893-11-08
ARECENT ADDRESS

Before the New Haven Ministers' Meeting by the General Agent or the International Law and Order League, Rev. Clarence Greeley.
 The mission of the minister, is 1t to pro mote personal piety, or is it to purify pol iticsa I am informed that the question does not necessarily imply that "purifying politics" means stumping the state for party, or that piety is devoid of morals. It is rather expected that we shall discuss the question whether 1t is the business of the minister to labor in the interest of re- ngion, that is love to God, or sociology, that is, love to man.
 1. Evidently the minister should seek first the kingdom of God.
 But what is the kingdom of Goda Is it the kingdom of persons, of the church, or of the soul9 And what is the soul as re- lated to the universea It is said that St. Augustine's City of God has no mission for the redemption of society. Heathen peni- tents and Christian nermits, premillenar- fans perhaps, and all when they depart this life, feel that all these bustling socio- logical plans are relatively unimportant. Matthew Arnold thought that the church ought not to work out into social sys- tenn. A gentleman liked the Episcopal church because 1t does not ''meddle with politics or religion"
 9. The minister and preacher should preach Christ.
 Yes, that Is easily said. But one devout theologian informs me that fiery zeal for purifying the temple was the chief char acteristic of Jesus. Others say his meth cd was more direct and suggestive. 3. The minister should preach the word. But chairs in biblical theology are formed to ascertain how far the Bible is fgura- tive, what portions are dynamic, historic, apocalyptic-what the Bible is and says anyway.
 4. Preach Christianity.
 Yes, primitive Christianity; or dosf Christianity grow by accretion or assimila tion? Semitic or Greek Christianity 5. Preach the essential faith. But does the faith include piety only, o, does it also include seciology-the second table? Is the cross the law and order o1 God! Is there politics in the Lords Sup per and religion in the Declaration of In dependence4 Religion is not matter be tween the individual and the state merely as held in the Roman empire. It lies be | tween the soul and God. But what is tn, | soula
 6. Suppose 1t the minister's function tt preach piety alone. What is pisty? Tn, monks devoted the "whole man" to God l but what was their idea of the whole man | Science would see the ideal of the world Has that anything to do with spirituality Morality would strive after the ideal. Ha that anything to do with spirituality Art realizes the ideal. Is spirituality un related to that2 Evangelicalism in it deeper meaning is not remote from art Dr. Samuel Harris of Yale. who is per haps the best living help to preachers, say that Christianity takes up the whole ma (as the monks said), and he adds, includin
 science, industry, literature, art, work
 play, politics, business, morality an
 economies: This is not matter of civi
 or twentieth century churches. It is nc
 8 question of doctrine or polity that W are discussing. Personally, I would fe,
 more at home in an individualistic churc
 like that of T. K. Beecher than in a churc
 like Berkeley temple, Boston, modele
 after Corinthians, 12: 8. But whateve
 our obscure fighting theories, the preser
 age demands inward piety and also COT
 certed moral action. Happy is he, aai
 Plato (and also unhappy), who can see tw |
 sioner has said that New Haven count is in the hands of the saloon. do n. know. But if New Haven ministers unite
 could purify the county without losin
 their spirituality. does not ability an
 opportunity constitute call? Lawlessnes
 is nationally organized in tangible forn
 How about the twenty million Catholi'
 and Protestants? A federation of sgenci
 for good is what the International pr
 poses.
 Christianity is superior to Buddhism
 Buddhism teaches individual, but n,
 social regeneration. It says that the piol
 individual will fulfill all things. The be
 German authorities teach that Nirvs1
 means. not annihilation, but heaven. E
 not take the name of God in vain. In
 much as ye did it not to one of these leae
 A vote of thanks was proposed by Sec1
 tary James, but 1t Is contrary to the Ia,
 of the association to vote thanks. One
 the oldest ministers said that the paper |
 him to think that our preaching has n
 been sufficiently inclusive.