The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-09
Its Mission Here on the
Earth.
Address by Rev. Wallace Nut
ting at Union Church.
II Was the Pastors First Ami
vcrSary.

Yesterday was the first anniversary OF
the pastorate of Rev. Wallace Nutting at
the Union Congregational Church, and
with the return OF the sunlight the at
tendance at the services was unusually
large.
In the morning DIR. Nutting preached
on "The mission OF the Church" The text
was from III Corinthians, Iv:5: "For We
preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus our
Lord. and ourselves as your servants for
Jesus sake, and the sermon follows:
We deal more particularly with the
second half of the verse. The early IDEA
of government was that the subjects
existed solely for the good OF the soyer-
eign. This tradition abides long In the
world, aud we have TO this day many rel
les that remind us OF ancient history.
For instance every vessel in the English
navy is called her majesty's ship. We
know that as a matter or fact the vessel
does not belong TO her majesty, except by
courtesy. Her majesty would not be
allowed TO use the ship for trading pur-
poses to enrich herself. The ship beloo gs
TO the people, and 10 defend the people 1t
was built. Once kings engaged in war to
help their brothers TO thrones; once they
appropriated their peoples money to their
own uses. The entire tax levy was at the
disposal OF the king, and MOI seldom he
spent it in his palace, while the nation
grovelled in poverty or smarted under
foreign invasion. Now we understand
that the ruler exists for the good OF his
people; that the nobility areto win their
spurs by blessing the people; that the
grcat king is in bondage 10 his people.
There was likwise a time when the
church
LoRDED OVER THE WORLD
as IL the world existed for it's benefit. The
church had its broad lands, and its slaves
to cultivate them. Ii is true her slaves
were treated more leniently than the
slaves of he barons, but their condition
was still servile. The whole community
was taught that il existed for the church.
The church tax alone was several times
as great as the entire civil tax as levied at
present. There was no important function
OF life that not pay its tariff to the
church. To this very day there is a regu-
lar funeral stipend payable by law TO the
clergymen of The church of England.
The general law that the lower exists
for the higher took such hold upon the
minds OF men, in ages OF tyranny, that
even now the other side OF truth-that
the higher exists for the lower--is only
slowly coming to be recognized.
The employer of farm laborers was once
regarded as the person for whom the la
OOrerS exlSleu. Inc factory OWner was
the lord for whom the hands lived. Now
It is seen to be much more important
truth that the proprietor lives for the EN-.
ployes, that Is, he was intended to live
tor them. For II by their toll and loss and
spiritual annihilation he could be made a
saint 1t would not pay. There Is no
process OF God whereby many should die
TO save the one. The thing looks more ra-
tional reversed. suppose the employer
dies for the people we perceive that there
IL gain. This is the second era OF world
history in which
ONE MAN SHALL DIE FOR THE PEOPLE;
the brst being the era in which all the
people died for one man. We all at last
have come to acquiesce in this statement.
There is, however, a second step now
to be taken. One man must be tho SER
want, the offering for the people, and
you are the man. This does not seem 30
pleasant, but 1t is as true. The church
indeed shall rule the world, but not with
an easy sovereignty. The great king