The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-02-29

none, if not superior to any, and pro-
vided amply with all the equipments,
conveniences, comforts and attrac
tions needed to do the largest and
best work of modern church.
We often build church haphaz-
ard-with little or no calculation or
conception of how and where it
ought to be built. Thus we invite
and organize failure, especially
when our orthodox brethren pursue
an opposite and wiser course. We
ought not to be guilty of this folly
any longer. The best type of the
modern church must be institutional.
1t must do manifold work, exert
manifold influence, intellectual, So
cial, industrial, religious. 1t must
therefore be built and equipped with
these ends in view. 1t must be per-
fectly adapted in its construction to
this larger life, to this wider activity.
If the Universalist people will
provide themselves with the complete
church in the best locality, and will
do the larger work, they can but
meet with certain, noble, and gratify-
ing success, and be everywhere a
great power for good.
Now, / do not say that we shall be
successful anywhere in the largest
and best sense, merely because we
have a first.class, church in a first
class locality. I know that having
these we must also have an earnest,
devoted, consecrated people and an
able and earnest minister.
But these latter elements are not
factors that | am now considering,
however essential or supreme they
may be. l am simply considering
the value and power of right kind
of church building, rightly located,
as an element of success. A most
able, consecrated and devoted minis
ter and people, without such an
equipment may almost or quite utter
ly fail in any community, especially
if other denominations have fully
provided themselves with such equip
ment.
If an able and earnest Universalist
minister, and a devoted Universalist
people are working under these terri
BILE disabilities in any community,
they would generally quadruple their
numbers, power and success by pro-
viding for themselves such church
as we have indicated. Then it ap-
pears that such church is four times
more of power than the ablest min
lister and most devoted people with
out such church.
Is not this then a matter of practi-
cal administration of the greatest i'm
portance, to which all our ministers
and people should give careful heed'
The future of our church, for good
or for ill, may depend very largely
upon the policy adopted among our
parishes in regard to this matter. In
some places our churches have cost
enough and too much, and are yet
ugly, inconvenient, unattractive, un-
fitted for the work of a modern
church. Some other denominations
are much wiser, much more liberal,
enterprising, and far-seeing than we
are in this matter, and they are reap
ing the results in great spreading
and strengthening of their cause.
No parish can afford to build a
poor and cheap church, an ill-arrang
ed, ill-equipped, ill-located church.
Better begin early and take more
time and build better. Follow Rus
kin's advice, and build as far as pos.
sible, solidly, completely; build to
last, build for all time, build so far
as possible with perfect adaptation
to all the work and to all the possible
uses of church, and then there will
be a growing "sacredness to the
buildings whose thresholds have
long been washed by the passing
waves of humanity" "and within whose
walls all things inspire to work and
worship, and gracious minister of
truth and righteousness, of loving,
helpful and holy fellowship, shall be
carried forward with increasing power
and benefcence from generation to
generation.