Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-01-13

which I propose lies IN the fact that II
1t be done 1t will be live illustration
Of the eagerness of the church to reach
and save men. The very sight of our
church moving down Off from this
street to the lower part Of the town
will be an object lesson to the people.
and the church will at once begin to
mean something to them. Once estaD-
lished there, we can work from 1t as
center. The distance ought to be no
Encouragement to any healthy person.
There Is not young woman In this
church who is In the habit Of dancing
who does not make twice as many
steps during an evening dancing party
as would be necessary to take her to the
tenement district and back again. Sure
ly any Christian church member is as
willing to endure fatigue and sacrifice
and to give as much time to help make
men and women better as he Is to have
q good time himself. Think for q mo-
mept what this move which ! propose
would mean to the life of this town
and to our Christian growth. At pres.
ent we 60 to church. We listen to a
good choir. we 60 home again, we have
a pleasant Sunday school, we are all
comfortable and we'll clothed here, we
enjoy our services. we are not disturb
ed by the sight Of disagreeable or un-
congenial people.
But is that Christianity? Where do
the service and the self denial and the
working for mems souls come in? All.
my dear brothers and sisters, what Is
this church really doing for the saliva
ton Of men In this place? Is 1t Chris
tianity to have comfortable church
and 60 to 1t once or twice a week to
enjoy nice music and listen to preach
ing. and then go home to a good din
ner and that is about all? What have
we sacriticedY What have we denied
ourselves? What have we done to
show the poor or the sinful that we
care anything for their souls or that
Christianity Is anything but comfort
able. select religion for those who can
What has the church In Milton done to
make the workingman here feel that 1t
is an institution that throbs with the
brotherhood Of man? But suppose we
actually move our church down there
and then 60 there ourselves weekdays
and Sundays to work for the uplift Of
immortal beings. Shall we not then
have the satisfaction Of knowing that
we are at least trying to do something
more than enjoy our church all by
ourselves? Shall we not be able to
hope that we have at least attempted
to obey the spirit Of our sacrificing
Lord. who commanded his disciples to
60 and disciple the nations? 1t seems
to me that the plan Is Christian plan.
If the churches in this neighborhood
were not so numerous. If the circum-
stances were different, 1t might not be
wise or necessary to do what | pro-
pose. But as the facts are, solemnly
believe that this church has an oppor-
tunity before it to show Milton and the
other churches and the world that it is
willing to do IN unusual thing, that it
has within it the spirit Of complete will
ingness to reach and lift up mankind in
the way that will do 1t best and most
speedily. If individuals are command
ed to sacrifice and endure for Christ's
sake and the Kingdoms, do not know
why organizations should not do the
same. And in this instance something
on a large scale, something that repre-
sents large sacrifice. something that
will convince the people Of the love Of
man for man. is the only thing that
will strike deep enough into the prob
lem of the tenement district in Milton
to begin to solve 1t in any satisfactory
or Christian way.
81 do not expect the church to act
on my plan without due deliberation.
l have arrived at my own conclusions
after a careful going over the entire
ground. And In the sight Of all the
need and degradation Of the people
and in the light Of all that Christ has
made clear to be our duty as his dis
ciples 1t seems to me there IS but one
path open to us. If we neglect to fol-
low him as he beckons us. believe
we shall neglect the one opportunity
Of Calvary church to put itself in the
position Of the church of the crucified
Lamb Of God, who did not please him
self. who came to minister to others.
who would certainly approve Of any
steps his church on earth in this age
might honestly make to reach men and
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