The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-07-08
Woman's Christian Temperance Union,
WHAT is ASKED OF THE CHURCHES.

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The following essay was written by
Mrs. Emma A. Nichols of Barre and
read at the recent County Woman's
Christian Temperance Union Conven-
ton held at Plainfeld:
The churches of to-day should be
broad and comprehensive. They need
to express the spirit of the Lords
Prayer and the Ten Commandments,
and to deal bravely with the social
| problems of the day.
First of all, churches should come in
touch with the needs of the mass of the
people. The time for doctrinal SER
mons is past, consequently all sermons
should touch lightly upon the accept
ance of doctrinal points, but most
strongly on good works for the people
on intemperance and duties of indi-
viduals in society to themselves and to
others.
Proof-texts for the ediication of
hearers amount to little but waste of
time, but If sermon can have the
power to touch the bedrock of human
nature and appeal to the average in
telligence of the people on subjects of
right living, intemperance, duties to
the government, TO society and to
themselves, 30 as to awaken direct
consciousness of the responsible duty
we owe to every human being, as well
as to our Maker, we could well say such
sermons bear to us Christ-like mes
sage of living gospel that calls to each
one
| To be up and doing
With heart for any fate
stu da achi te Ing. stu pursuing ~
for the upbuilding of humanity. The
idea that because a creed or dogma ex
listed in the past it must be held sacred
is to-day but cobweb on the face oil
the present, which the hand of Pro
erosion is fast brushing away Never
was there time when questions of such
far-reaching significance and impor
lance confronted the pulpit. Never
time when earnest and progressive
work was more needed than to day
touch the hearts of men, and bring then
masses and those that have lost the
way in which our Lord and Master
walked.
The present demands of the people
require that the clergy should throw
off their cloaks of creed and stop pos
ing 80 long on their intellectual ability
to explain some technical passage il
the Bible. If they would not lose thei
religious enthusiasm by so doing i
would fill many vacant seats in churches
to-day, and if they would let the beau
tiful meaning of the words, 81 come
not to destroy, but to fulfil the law,
permeate every discourse, they would
give new power to the examples o.
Christ. Christ had no creed. His one
great message was the love and father
hood of God and the brotherhood Of
man, and that beautiful message, when
clearly understood, is the shuttle thai
weaves many golden, sunny threads il
the dark web of life. 1 believe conser
vatism in many ways has crippled the
churches in their power for good, and
has restrained both preacher and
church from applying the noble teach.
ings of Christ to the daily wants of the
people--for, as a necessity, creedal ser
mons do not and cannot deal with the
great social problems that threaten to-
day to undermine the stability of the
nation. Every pastor should realize tina
to preach the gospel means divine com
mission, and his ministrations should
reach inside and outside in all tina
pertains to life. Christ went out among
struggling and suffering humanity
He did not do his most efficient work il
bowling to, hattering and withdrawing
men of wealth, whose moral characte
would not carry feathers weight il
the scale of integrity and honor. Tit
time has come when the Church canno
keep silent longer on the great ques
tions that are depressing the masses
She has been handicapped long enough
and she should come fearlessly to tn,
front and give expression to all tina
relates 70 the temporal needs of the
poor men and women of to-day, for i
there is any duty devolving on the pas
tor it certainly is that of preaching ser
mons against intemperance and op
preston in every form. The old the
ology of the Puritans still finds to-
much expression from New Englan,
pulpits, and does not keep abreast will
the broader thought and more rapi'
growth of the nineteenth century.
Christianity is growth from princi
pies and not creeds. 1t is deplorabl
fact that to-day our ministers in certail
localities cannot preach the sermon
they know the people need in the wa
of reform. Only last week, in one o