Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-03-14
WHAT ARE OUR CHURCHES
DOING .

text the following from Matthew 3-13:
"Yc are the salt of the earth; but if
the salt nave lost its SAVIOR it is good
for nothing"
He said:
The word OF God anlrms-and human
history corroborates the affirmation
ihat,the natural tendency OF human So
ciety is not upward, but downward;
ana that 1t requires Il supernatural re-
liglon to elevate l., or even to keep
1t from sinking into corruption. We are
all conscious that il is much easier to
go wrong than 70 keep right. We know
that each Individual life is strongly in
cincd to err from the narrow path OF
recutude, and naturally prone TO evil.
And since society is only an aggrega-
ton of individuals. it can be no bet
ter than its elements.
There may have been instances of
progress without piety; of refinement,
without religion; Of culture. without
character. But they have been spas
modic and ephemeral; serving only as
q thin cover for the reekng corruption
which lay bereath the surface.
Tnerc has never been steady and
permanent advance in the morals and
social condition of people without a
true religion rs its inpellny force. Just
as salt Is necessary to preserve meat
from decay; so is religion necessary to
Keep society from sinking into the
Srossest immnr2litios. But the religion
that would 60 this, since it must re-
verse the current OF nature. must be
superior to nature it must spring from
II divine source. and possess the life
and energy OF God.
The Christianity OF the Gospel fulfils
these conditions. for II is an incarna-
ticn of divine life and love and power.
The true church is composed of such
lives: end It's boundaries are not TO be
defined by crecds or customs
tg - ne
aael- faers;as' nan- i:-s -h--aH- H.ade n par
taker OF the divine nature-and only
such--is a member Of ihnt body.
1t is through this body that our Lord
proposes to regeneratc human society
Il living. loving. holy church. eyer in
terpretating the worlds around it, yet
never deterioratirG or losing its dis
tinctiVe SAVIOR of holiness
The demand for such church was
never more imperative than 1t is to-
day. Tho wild rush with which bust
ness is done, causing so much un-
healthy competition; the great ex-
tremes Of wealth and poverty generat-
in;; such dangerous antaEonisms: the
fashionable skepticism-thnt cunning
counterfeit of culture--so largely per-
yading our popular literature the sad
decay Of conscience; the drv-rot OF in
difference To spiritual things: the vor-
;eX OF woildlincss and the monster
evils OF in,cmpcrance and political cor
rupiion-thcsc call upon the church MS
win the voice of ten thousand trumpets
to awake and put on her strength.
what are our churches doing to meet
his call? are we duly impressed with
the magnitude OF our mission? In the
presence OF 50 tremendous Il problem
how puerile the policy which would
transform the sanctuary INFO n place
OF entertainment for the idle. and
amusement for the curious. which, by
of
which men disport themselves in the
tosgcry of bahyhood; or an exhibition
OF pulpit pyrotcchnics. in which the
preacher apes the tricks Of the elocu-
ZIONIST and the antics Of the actor
How pueNle by these to attempt to
turn DICK the niagara Of human sin.
WI nat are our churches doing? The
midway station on LIES thoroughfare
is crowded with protesting Christians
who seem to be solving the problem of
serving both God and Mammon. for
thcy enjoy the friendship OF the world
during SIX days and on the seventh take
q homeopathic dose OF diluted Gospel
u satisfy the claims Of the Almighty.
mas the salt indeed lost its SAVIOR?
Certainly some OF it seems to be in
that worthless stated but not all. Je-
hovah has sti!l seven thousand i'm Is
rael who have not bowed the knee to
Baa!,' but who with uncompromsing
devotion seek to realize the divine ideal
for the church. You will find them in
the sabbath school diligently striving
20 deposit IN the young hearts virgin
soil the seeds OF duty purIty and Truth
You VIII find them in the habitations
of poverty and wretchedncss. lighten-
ing the burden and Importing hone.
You Will find them in the haunts of vice
pleading. warning. persuading. rescuing
the fettcred slaves Of sin. You will find
tnem, IKE their Master. who went
about doing good" trying to teach n
thoughtless world that Judgment. eter-
MY. COO are solemn realities. which it
behooVes us TO keep ever in view.
Inc text contains those lessons which
Christians may proftably ponder.
tirst: That Christ has deposited with
HIS church the power necessary for
me worlds regeneration; which power
IS vested in His word and His spirit.
Second: That n church destitute %
this power or failing to employ If is in
the estimation of our Lord. good for
nothing"
Third; That the test of church is
not its printed creed. but it's abiding
irult; rot lis responsibility. but its
power to penetrate the world around il
and to lift that world into the j,in~-
dom of God
THE HOLY GRAIL.
Rev. w. j. Young. d. d. nrcochcl
the fourth of mis- series of sr~-.,ons on
THE Myths and Legend OF Christian
Lands" Mt Epworth NJ. l.. Church sun
day night. His subject was: THE HOLY
Grail, or the knights of Round IA.
BILE" lie said, in part:
me purpose OF the sermon is not to
elscuss these legends from n historical
or literary standpoint. but rother n
present that ideal OF manhood which
though in legendary form, grew nm
about the person of King Arthur. Re If
remembered. meanwhile. that this ideal
owes its existence to the influence of
christianity in even the earliest Eng
lish thought and life. According to
this ideal purity is .ssau.iol - -.