The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-01-28

ltis a disgrace on us as members of the
church of Christ, and il makes no diff
ference whether it is held in the church
or in some other place, so long as it is
held or given in the name OF the church,
the evil still exists, although in not
quite so bad a form as when held in
the church. As this great evil Is al
most entirely in the control of the laity,
let us rise up and say No! these things
cannot be- Give as commanded by the
Sacred Word and do not draw forth
a Gingle penny by an appeal to the appe-
tite. Remember, at is more blessed to
give than to receive" and bear in mind
that when you pay % cents for an
oyster supper and receive full
value for your money you are
not supporting the gospel in the
proper manner. Then again they
are trouble breeders of the worst
kind, and the sooner we get rid of all
the better. | know the ladies will well
come the day when these things are
no more. Give, give freely, according to
your ability, only give.
TO my mind another very serious
drawback to the work of our church
is this continual pratter of the eX-
tremely liberal element in our church
nter-denOminatOnal work, sO-cdlled,
and who feel grieVed to think that
very many of our best and ablest min
listers will not unite with them In this
work, and who refuse TO lock arms
with every new conner in his efforts to
spread the gospel. 1t has often been a
matter of great surprise to me that
iheSe extremists never seem to realize
that to be SO ready and willing to have
others do the work is demonstrating
the fact clearly that they are not equal
to the work. 1t is certainly tacit ad-
mission ON their part of their inability.
The great majority of our Lutheran
ministers, | am glad to say, are OPP
posed to such things, and in this they
need our hearty cooperation ana
should have it. Your place and my
place is at the church to which we be-
long, and If we do our duty there, We'll
never have time to think of going out
side, and as long as we are members
of Il church the membership of which
far exceeds that of any other Protest.
ant denomination in the world today,
and whose teachings are so firmly
planted on the word of God, why look
for anything else to do.
Plenty Of Work 10 Do.
There is any amount of work for us
to do all the time; the causes of home
missions and church extension alone
are now demanding more time and at
teutiOn than we give to them and 1t
seems to me, that in so noble cause.
we should all the more glory in our
own work and constantly push 1t for
ward.
This address would be incomplete
should ! not refer to the Sunday school
and societies connected with the church.
Without doubt the most important
of these is the Sunday school. AS lay
men we cannot give the pastor and
Superintendent too much support in
this line of the work. Here the chill
dren are moulded for life and as they
eventually become the members of the
church, they should in addition to the
regular lesson be instructed thoroughly
in the use of service. No sunday
school can be conducted successfully
without one. All this talk against
forms has had its day, and those most
bitterly opposed to forms as lald Gown
by the church are usually the greatest
sticklers for forms of their own, which
are at times narrow in the extreme. 1T
does not make any difference whether
the pastor. church council, teacher and
officer of the school have decided Opln-
ions on these questions or not. The
very fact that they do agree and unite
i'm the adoption of an order of service
makes said order of service, no matter
how scriptural or simple, ritualism.
Encourage the Luther league, my
| friends. for certainly If the Lutheran
| church in this country is to be united
and / trust it may not be long, the
Luther league will do it. And then
with what rejoicing and good will can
we sing:
My church. My Church! my dear old
church,
| My fathers and my own!
! ON Prophets and Apostles built,
! And Christ the Corner Stone!