The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-06-07

| apart from the ends is created to serve
lhe institution comes to be an end in itself,
untll instead of very good thing consider
Gu as means we get very bad thing con
sldered as an end. Office is prostituted to
ohclallsm, dogma degraded to dogmatism,
rltuaA ueterlorated to ritualism and the
| church eccleastics corrupted into eccles-
| lstlsclsm. SO 1t is quite possible that CHS
tians may pervert the institutions of Chris
tlanlty just as the Jews perverted those of
their religion. Where John the Baptist put
tne temple we put the church. Where he
put the formulas of the law, we have put
the formulas of faith, certain statements
about God and Christ and the future life.
christ did not seek to found an institution
| but to propagate a lite.
Christ's method .was the most obtrusive
need of the moment. He began with the
practice of the simplest philanthropy.
very largely, the subjects of redemption do
not dread worse fate than has already
pefallensthem and hardly look for better.
therefore the redemption must begin
Ihs Is the everlating philosophy of
Christ's becoming flesh. Make incarnation
a 1act and the dogma will tronble nobody.
Dare to touch the leader and he will not
question yourstheory Of the divine infieshm
ent. There is no other way of preaching
the Gospel that has the sanction of Him
who first brought the Gospel. Works must
go before words or words are powerless
Chrlst's first great result was redemptionsof
man from condition of helplessness, and
uselessness and burde nsomeness to himself
ana others. A renovating force of healthy
ana productive action was in the social
body. A life was unfettered. A second
md oG11It 80
that each soul SO blessed becomes new
signal of redemption a new point of
leavening power in the lease of unleaveu-
life. There is danger lest our faith be too
narrow and too hasty. In the order of our
Co ngregational churches and in our Con-
gregational Home Missionary Society, we
have the most efficient instrumentality for
doing for our beloved country the work
Whlch Is set before us. 1t is flexible and
free. No man can rightly criticize its
administration or its temper. If ANYTHING
or anybody is fairly subject to challenge of
the hour, it is not the sociey but the Con-
gregational Christians of America who
must answer to the challenge. If a resolu-
t1on is demanded, that shall magicallytrans-
form American Society into the glow of
the New Jerusalem, We can only say in
answer to snch challenge that we seek
to help by the aim and method of the
Master. There are times and PLACES
wehre the existance and power of His King
dom will be better evidenced by hospital
tent of rough boards or prayer meeting
in dugout. than by solemn service in a
Cathedral. Who is best qualified to respond
IN behalf of the Congregational Christians
to the everlasting challenge that was
thrown down at the feet .of our holy relie-
ion? There is man who can answer for
US, but he is too modest. will answer for
him. 1t is one who has joyfully taken
for his mission to carry cup of cold water
to his thirsty brother, caring little for any
emphasis upon the cup, whether it be gold
or silver. of vulgar tin or rudest pottery,
caring only for the dying needs and for
the water of life which can Danish the
thirst with an eternal satisfaction. 1t is
the humble, self-forgeting, unworldly Con-
gregationa1 Home Missionary.