The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-14
DedicatOry Exercises al
MatheWSOn St. Church.
Rev. Mr.. BrOdbeck breaches
an Impressive Sermon.
"Feast OF Dedication" Held During
the Evening-The Sermon.

Q new Mathewson Street Church. Special
musical exerci.es preceded and followed
sermon by Rev. W. N. Brod beck, ID.
d., OF Chsrle,town, Mass. His text was
from Acts III, AZ, 81 and 80. He said: "In
these words We have concise, yet glow
ing description Of the early Christian
Church, as it was In the days OF the
Apostles. / have selected them as the
basis OF some remarks today, because OF
their special appropriateness to this oc-
casion.
| "You reoccupy your beautiful temple
for worship; you stand upon the thres-
hold OF enlarged possibilities as reli-
gious organization. IL you are to have
success In the years TO come much will
depend upon the spirit In which you
enter upon this era. ! woud not trifie
or rhetoric, but desire to say something
that may be profitable to you as q
church OF the living God.
"We hear q great deal said about the
weakness of the Church, that IL 10 losing
Its power, and many are the causes as
signed for this calamity. Tho question
is, how may you best secure this success !;
how accomplish It?
"ln the words Of the text, there 10 the
record of church that did not succeed
In the face of difficulty of which we know
nothing. II We can discover these ele-
ments we shall he greatly helped in the
aboee.
h~n hss -
elements of her strength. as we may
learn therefrom this history. First, ne
gatively, IL did not consist in great num-
bers. Now, an idea prevails at present
that In order TO succeed In sny church
we must have q crowd to impress the
world with our very immsnsity. Hence.
some churches are not over scrupulous as
to the means Of securing q large roll. A
large church roll may be a good thing.
Tho benefit OF a church depends upon
the character of the mem bership.
"Agsin, their strength is not in their
wealth, for wealth is not condition of
success in Christian life.
"Neither was il in her social prestige.
This is another thing beginning to be
looked upon IN our day as an element of
success. IL the mem bers have social
standing, this will render the church
popular. will attract the people. The great
question with reference to mem bers Is,
do they move In the best circles? Now,
social standing that is helpful to man is a
talent TO be made the most OF, not to be
despised but it In not absolutely neces-
sary for success. This was not factor,
neither was wealth, nor grand surround
ings, In the success OF the Apostolic
Church.
Turning to the positive side of the que--
tion, say one element Of strength was
their fidelity to the truth. We are told
they continued steadfastly ip thea postles' |
doctrine. Doctrine as here used does not
mean a formulated creed as we have to- |
day. Even the Gospels we're not written |
then; they relied upon the OLD Tests- |
ment. and the teachings OF the Apostles. |
To these they were faithful. They ac-
cepted the great truths of the Gospel and |
believed them and maintained them be- |
fore the world. This they did In the face
Of darkness and skepticism.
-" The chief truths taught by the Apos-
les were: The divinity of Christ, His
from the dead and the pos
'ibility of obtaining eternal life through
these the rsbsllious Jews de-
MED.
"And this is an element OF strength in
he Church of God today--stead fastness
% the doctrine, fideffty to the truth.
"Tho tendency of our day 10 to deride
and elorify life. People have
tchipg ears and demand the new and
TRANCE, and are constantly blown about
,y every wind Of unbelief. W. need con-
'iction on this subject OF fidelity to the
ruths. without this no Christian church
an succeed"
"if the people are.faithful to the SER
ices of the sanctuary they will compel
and make themselves felt;
he community will soon begin to be in
crested In them Nothing more surely
iscoursgss unconvertsd people from
the church than the aosencs
4 It's members. People naturally feel
In a success and lose interest
n q failure. Where they 60 to church
nd find empty pews they reason, 1.-THE
eopls who belong and are interested in
his enterprise do not find interest
nough TO come. why should p
81 believe that tho reason many
hurches do not succeed 10 because they
70 conducted on o narrow basis. There
} such thing as being penny w'se and
ound foolish, and I think some Chris
isns srs In tois condition.
"Tske q church :where tho constant
~ Is. How can We reduce our expepses9
low cen We render less our assessments
Or benevolent objectsY and 1t will have
o success and II deserves none. There
re Christians today with whom God is
sving the same controversy that he had
Tith the Jews in Maischi's time, when
ie sai1. 'Ye have robbed Me OF tithes
nd offerings.,n - With eloquence OF sneech
nd earnest gesture the preacher enforced
he rrscept, "It Is not by might, nor by
1