The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-09
CELEBRATION is OVER
SEMI-CENTENNIAA OF THE FIRST
BAPTIST CHURCH COMES
TO A CLOSE
THREE MEETINGS YESTERDAY

Rev. e. b. Hubert, of the Uniyer-
sity of Chicago, Occupied the Pull
pit in the MOrning-Three Brief
Addresses In the AfternOOn-Rey.
II. G. Mabie, of Boston, Delivers
the Closing Sermon.
The semi-centennial anniversary of the
First Baptist church concluded with three
meetings yesterday. Rev. Fri B. HUI
bert of the University of Chicago and
former pastor of the church, preached
at the morning service at the First Bap-
fist church yesterday. His subject was
1.-THE Man and the Message for the New
Century" The men that are wanted, he
said are men of large views and broad
understanding, filled with enthusiasm for
the work of Christ. To these there IS
message that calls them to devote their
lives to the work of eVangelizing and
uplifting mankind.
The church was crowded at the after
noon service, which opened with an or
gan prelude, Rossis ave Maria fol-
lowed by a magnificent choral rendition
of Stainer's alpha and Omega. After
a responsive Scripture reading, Rev. I'll.
f. Stilwell offered the invocation and
Miss Florence Pace sang Pinsutfs
Heaven and Earth in a clear, sweet
soprano.
Then came three ten-minute addresses,
the first being by Rev. c. II. Rust, the
evangelist with the Gospel car Cocoa
Tidings." Mr.. Rust spoke on 'EVangell-
zation," and dwelt strongly upon the
need existing for every one to take an
active part in the work OF regeneration
''There is an actual fight before the
Young people today" he said. Ihey
must be filed with the power of the Holy
Ghost and go into it with sleeves rolled
up. bending to the task God has given
them as Christian Workingmen. we neeo
laborers, and too much stress cannon pc
laid on the necessity of preparing the
young The magnitude of the work Is
great. Gods work requires that we must
seek to have our whole being filled with
knowledge that we can throw ourselves
heart and soul into the work of evangel-
zation."
Secretary Edward Grace Of the local Y.
M. c. A., who followed, took for his sub
iect: Young Men and Young Women
Mr. Grace said in part:
THE force of the future our young
men and young women, will hnd heroic
work either in following the ethical
philosophy of life. as taught by Jesus,
under present conditions, or in trying to
bring about more favorable conditions.
When we undertake to throttle the forces
in our systems of society, business and
government which at present keep most OF
us from following Christs ethical phllos-
ophy in any vital sense, We immediately
arouse and concentrate against.-us all the
counter forcess.Df selfishness9 &tldAsln that
misunderstood, misrepresent, >ridlcule and
persecute. The objections raised to such
warfare were quite clearly stated the
other day in opposition to rather proad
and unguarded statement made by that
eminent defender of the Sabbath, Walter
F. Crafts. In substance Mr.. CRAFTS SAD
that we shall never really save souls
until we convert our present pagan social
relations; that we underestimate the Mn
drance of bad environment; that we are
trying to raise saints in hell he OBJ
jections to this position are:
''First-That to 'hopelessy struggle for
a better environment, shows a lack OF
faith in the gospel and that "a vastly i'm
proved environment would rob the gospel
of its chief glory of saving individuals
under the worst conditions. II the gospel
is actually regenerating few individuals
in spite Of present bad conditions. why
should one not grasp the larger faith tnat
the gospel can also regenerate the condl-
lions that submerge many individuals? 1t
is indeed a splendid exhibition to see
saint of time walk blamelessly through
life, thanking his stars that he has risen
high above what others are, and IN the
midst of pagan selfishnessSa t. large ar
rive at private individual goodness. At
various times 1 have met individuals who,
on short or superficial acquaintance,
really did seem to have accomplished all
this for themselves. BUTT Is quite GER
tain that the preponderating balance of
humanity are not able to draw stainless
garments close about and ride rough shod
over present temptations. Does the gos-
pei propose that we rest easy with de-
moralizing environment in order that a
few may show how miraculously good
they are despite bad conditions? The
most fatal agnosticism that the force of
the future must face is that which denies
the practicability of Christ's ethical prin-
cipes to ever govern earthly society
simply because present systems OF So
ciety cannot bear the application of
Christs principles.
The second exception taken to, Mr.
Crafts assertion is that 1T is res stance
ol present udu -cOlu1tl0nS- ln2I makes
Christians strong! All ethical improve
ment, then, has been II mistake having
made men weak instead OF strong. This
is on a par with the Sowing wild oats
theory making our sons strong. Granted
that few do return to the fathers house
without having paid the extreme penal
ties of wild oats sowing, not one Of them
returns without paying some penalty in
weakened and marred manhood, with bad
habits and inclinations contracted that
absorb the very vitaities which pure
young men employ in masterfuI and ex-
allied accomplishments. 1t is contact
with purity and unselfshness that makes
men strong, not contact with impurity
and greed. Wendell Phillips admonishes
us that the surest way to make our own
sons and daughters safe and pure is to
help make everybody's sons and daugh-
ters safe and pure. Ruskin declares that
we had better fight for a system that
will develop honest and Industrious men
rather than hold to one that breeds vag-
abonds and rogues.
But it is insisted, thirdly, that the
only way to secure better conditions of
society is by first getting all individuals
regenerated through evangelical faith in
Jesus as a personal savior Doubtless
we need regenerated individuals to assist
in regenerating society; but We also need
a much more regenerated society to help
regenerate individuals. Why must we
wait until even a majority are evangel-
lied before any battles can be won for
the radical Improvement of society?
Where is the courage of our convictions?
In $50 years we have gotten but small
fraction of the worlds population evan
geliZed; and yet in the last 100 years, on
more than one-half the globe, we have
outlawed witchcraft, wife whipping, race
slavery and cruelty to animals.
again it is urged, fourthly, the stand /