The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-28
The Church as the American school.


President ELIOT OF Harvard University,
in an address before the International Con-
gregational Council at Boston, on Monday,
called attention to the fact that the Congre-
gational polity extends far beyond the
range to which it's theology Is limited.
In the religious statistics Of the census OF
1890 the Congregationallsts as distinctive
denomination number less than elk hundred
thousand in this country, but the Congre-
gational polity prevails in denominations
aggregating many millions, though with
totally conflicting theological doctrines.
For instance, the Baptists. who rank next
after the Roman Catholics and the Metho-
dists as the most numerous, are radical
Congregationalsts in their polity. The body
known as the Christians and that denomi-
mated the Disciples Of Christ are OF the
same school. SO also, at the other ex-
treme theologcally, are the Unitarians and
the Universalists.
Congregationalism, according to the def
milton OF 1t by President ELIOT, is a
democratic church" Each separate church
society maintains its independence, with
only voluntary association between them.
A Congregational council, In the sense Of
the superior and authoritative assembly,
is impossible. 1t can be no more than
advisory and suggestive. An official
creed obligatory on all can have no
existence. Congregationalism is not
church. but rather an association Of
churches, each independent and sufficient
to itself. A church may be disfellowshipped
by the association to which it belongs, but
1t Is not destroyed. When large part Of
the Congregational parishes OF Massachu-
| sets went over to Unitarianism in
theology they still remained Congrega-
tional churches, retaining the designation.
That Is, the term describes q form Of
government, not q distinctive body of
theological doctrine.
President ELIOT extols this independence
and contends that Congregationalism has
contributed more than any other religious
polity" to an end which he regards as 1.-The
principal achievement Of the human race
since the Reformation" or 1.-THE present
conception OF liberation in religion" "The
Congregational churches" he holds. make
direct, positive contribution to the grad
ual development Of civil liberty and free
institutions" AS to that matter, there is
sharp division in the religious world, with
consequent endless controversy. into which
we refuse to enter; but when he goes fur
| Their and says that these churches have
benefited this country by educating the
people under their influence in secular as
| we'll as religious matters. he announces a
| fact as to which there is no occasion for
| such disagreement. President ELIOT says:
at was great thing TO have an educated man
| stand UP before the people Sundays and set
forth to them orally the uplifting themes Of right
| sousnsss justice. mercy and love; 1t was great
thing that lay members Of the churches could exhor
and pray tho weekly prayer meeting. The ministers
dealt with secular we'll with spiritual themes
The Sabbath was day which lifted the Now Eng
| land people out of their worhadsy routine to the
contemplation of the highest themes and to the dis
| cusson OF questions which went to the very roots
of individual conduct and social aspiration
The chief educating forces in our Ameri-
can society, 1t is not too much to say, have
been exerted by the pulpit and the prayer
meeting. They were the first great train
| ing school OF the people in large subjects Of
| thought. The village church was the
centre OF social life, its pulpit furnished the
intellectual stimulus. Apart from it's purely
| spiritual and religious functions, theprayer
meeting went far to develop confidence.
| conference and facility in public speaking.
Men who afterward acquired fame as public
speakers there first learned to express their
thoughts on profound subjects. Go over
this list for one hundred years, including
many men now living, and you will find
that it Is long.
The controlling, dominant influences
affecting the American character have been
religious. and undoubtedly the form OF
UNCONVENTIONAL polity 30 highly extolled
by President ELIOT has been potent.