The herald., 1894-04-30
YESTERDAY IN THE CHURCHES,
Rev. Burt Estes Howard at the
First Presbyterian.
The Yearly Meeting of the Y.
W. G. A.
Rev. Webatot Disooursos Eioquohtly
nt the Los Angeles TheAtsr-Ssr-
vicss at the East Side
Baptist Church.

AT the First Presbyterian church, the
pastor, Burt Estes Howard, yesterday
spoke on this theme, What the Church
Member Owes to the Church. Reference
WAS made to last Sundays sermon, at
which the position WAS taken that the
{ church was In no sense a charity but q
social and financial necessity; that
money given to its support is for our own
best interests, social and commercial, as
we'll as religious. 1t was shown that the
church is not expensive, and that, 80 far
As the cost of administration ia con-
cerned, it is remarkably economical
institution, the boards OF the church
disbursing the moneys at an actual ex-
penee OF less than per cent. The SER
mon of yesterday supplemented that OF
last Sunday. The line OF reasoning, in
a nutshell, was ns follows: II the church
has any right whatever to exist, it has
the further right, as a legitimate orgRni-
zation, to make certain demands upon
its members. Looking at the church as
purely human society, with no reier-
ence to the divine element in it's founda-
tion, it must be- accorded rights equal to
those given any other society. Does the
place of the church in human affairs
rest wholly on its divine institution ?
No; it reets, like that OF other associa-
tions, on two things. First, the pressure
OF a natural impulse prompts men OF
kindred ideas to form themselves into an
alliance. Second, every true and help
ful principle has q right to q permanent
place in the affairs of life. When a num-
Der OF kindred minds become possessed
NF N 1T nnlu
thority, but is bound bv its duty to
humanity to perpetuate that idea by a
permanent institution. As visible
expression OF the highest and holiest
ideae, as standing for the purest and
trusst ideals of human conduct and
relation, and as instituted for the sole
purpose OF helping humanity to attain
the utmost possibility of development,
the church holds place in life, viewed
from no higher standpoint than utility,
that can be given no other organization.
II, then, the church has right to exist,
ii also has q right to make demands on
its members such aa other societies le-
ultimately make. These demands may
be broadly grouped into two gem
eral propositions, First, it has q
right 30 demand life which shall
be an exponent OF it's fundamental prin-
ciples-a character and conduct consist
ent with the spirit of the institution.
Second. it has q right to demand active
cooperation in psrpetuating the institu-
tion, and in furthering the purposes for
the accom- plishment of which it was
erected. Every society has a right TO
expsct each member Of it to be, in large
measure, an epitome of its principles,
an incarnation of it's fundamental idea.
1t has a right to expect each member to
apply to daily life the truth the society
seeks to propagate. Such demand is
q matter OF common consistency.
Further, let a man unite himself to any
organization, church or other, and at
enoe he becomes girt about with recip-
rocal relations and duties that did not
before touch him. The individual Id
individual. He represents no one but
himself. Place him in an association
and in q sense his individuality drops
off. He ceases to be unique. He is now
q representative of the society. He
stands for 1t in the eyes OF tho world.
He is q concrete illustration OF it's alb.
stract principles. Merely az q society,
then, with no referedce at all to it's di-
vine character, the church has q perfect
and absolute right to demand of every
member pure, sober, godly life. In the
second place. every society has a right
to the active support of each mem.
ber not actually disqualified by ina.
bility in securing the object for which
the society was organized. There are
two ways in which society may be
aided One, by the personal service oi
each member; the other, by financial
support. These two are not mutually
exclusive. The society does not claim
one or the other. 1t properly claims
both. There is no mistake moro serious,
so far as it's effect on the power OF the
church ia concerned, than the mistake oil
thinking that all church obligations can
be converted into terms of dollars and
cent?. There 10 too much of this thing
Of being divorced from the practical
working life Of the church, while we toss
q few dellars into the treasury as a cor.
of pious alimony fer it's support. The
church needs today. not money alone,
but men. But, on the other hand, the
church has a right to demand financial
support, not on any ground of charity,
but fer value given. 1t 10 strange fact
and the strRnRest thing about it is that
it is a fact-that men who would rot
dream OF sighting q financial obligation
in business, or some other social rels-
ton, will net carry the same clear-cut
idea OF honesty into this matter OF
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