The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-10-23

Man has not outgrown need OF him.
The sweetest, grandest music ever
sung, chants the praises of his dear
name. Preach it, the light of the
world and the hope of humanity. To
conceal for a moment that divine
personality, to lower the standard of
the Cross as the central fact of Re-
demption, is to yield to the secular
spirit.
The critics of today tell us that
the Bible as interpreted by them is
virtually a new book. There is
certain truth in their statement
scholars have thrown new light on
the sacred pages of the Word. And
yet in the intense desire to show its
human side, the sacred Volume
itself may become secularized.
The study of eschathology has SO
excited many in these days as to
lead them to be half-hearted about
the spiritual results of their work.
1t is possible SO to discuss the future
life as to lead men to be Indifferent
to the whole question of judgment.
Our preaching to be effective must
deal with the fact of retribution here
and hereafter. Not to give that a
place in our teaching is to be un-
faithful to the revealed Gospel. The
secular influence is again at work,
and the coming of spiritual power
must be hindered.
turn now to another hindrance to
the entrance of the Spirits Power,
viz the secular method, closely allied
to secularism in belief, and more or
less affec' ed by it, The popular de-
fence of the secular method is a very
common saying: "The end justifies
the MEANS" This is the specious
argument adopted by those who at
tempt to defend the use of carnal
weapons in spiritual warfare. The
spread of truth is so sublime a pur-
pose, and the difficulties so great,
that the chnrch is often tempted to
stoop to conquer. 1t is one of the
cries of the day that religion must
be made attractive to the people; and
this is real necessity, which no one
for a moment would dispute. We
are told that we must popularize our
methods, if we would win the fight
for righteousness. There is certain
popularizing of method which means
nothing more or less than a debasiDg
of the church in the very eyes of the
people who are to be attracted.
Ways and means sometimes partake
of very worldly character, and the
only pretense made as an explana-
ton of such questionable procedure
is that the church must be support
ed, and the people must be enter
tanned. There are some successes,
believe me, worse than utter failure s..
Those who are thus helping to in
jure and degrade the church in the
estimate of the community need to
be told there is an appropriateness in
all method. This appropriateness
rests on thorough harmony be-
tween aim and method. To bring
humanity to the Lord Jesus Christ is
a noble and serious undertaking. and
it should be conducted with great
gravity. Everything that binders the
accomplishment of this aim is an I'M
christian method. Suppose that a
church thinks so exclusively of its
own interests as to neglect the needs
of the masses; suppose that in order
to support certain institutions that
minister 10 the personal qualification
of its adherents, it leads the outside
critic to remark with a sheer: us
this club or a church," Is not all
this pronounced instance of secu-
larism of method? We cannot and
must not turn our buildings into
halls for competition with the world
of amusement. There must be no
lowering of the quality and standard
| of our work. To make the attraction
of the church, love of the social and
recreative features of life, will nour.
ish an ideal which must sadly i'm
pair the spiritual influence of the
church.
If the question of the morality of
methods is pertinent in politics, it is
much more so in Christian life and
work. The Church OF Christ must do
great things, and she must do them
in great way. The trouble in these
days is that churches are often afflict-
ed with a desire to make more dis
play, and SO drift into the habit of
building up their resources by de-
vices dishonoring to God and un-
worthy of man. Such plans are I'M
worthy from start to finish, and ought
not to be tolerated in connection
with such a glorious enterprise.