The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-04-06
REV. SHELDON'S IDEA.
The Topeka Preacher. Furnishes
Topic for q Sermon.

ne IOllOWlHS ID eho e0As ~ SSAAAAOAA
preached by Rev. T. M. Edmands at the
Congregational church last Sunday:
Rev. Chas. NJ sheldons Interpretation of the
Teachings of Christianity.
When entered Andover Theological
Seminary in the fall of 1885, Chas. M.
Sheldon was member of the Senior class.
His father was for a number of years
home missionary superintendent OF the
Congregational churches of Dakota. His
uncle, Rev. Joseph Ward. DID,, was one OF
the pioneer preachers of Dakota, man
who had much to do with laying the
foundations of the civic as we'll as the re-
ligious institutions of the state. He was
the first president of Yankton college.
AS student Sheldon was good scholar,
a man of parts, full of fun, modest and
earnest popular with all. He was at that
time writing stories for the Youths Com
panion.
Andover was then the theological storm
center of the Congregational churches.
The views of the professors regarding the
inspiration of the scriptures and the fate
of the heather led to one of the most in
teresting heresy trials in modern times.
The outcome was greater liberty. Today
the views combatted so strongly regarding
the Scriptures are taught, I think, in all
Congregational seminaries. But what is
of more interest in relation to Mr.. Sheldon
is that Andover theology was Christ
centric. Every theological problem was
studied in relation to Christ. He was pre-
scented as the ideal man; the head OF the
race; the perfect revelation of what man
might become as we'll as the Son of God.
the perfect revealer of God to man in sal
walton. Fidelity to Jesus and to the truth
he taught was the distinctive feature OF the
religious life. The students were urged
to think and study for themselves. Prof.
Geo. Harris, now president of Amherst
college. the professor of theology. did not
attempt to impress his own conceptions on
us, He was rather seeker for truth who
led us to see for ourselves what he saw
and seek with him for more truth. Intel
1igent faith in and absolute surrender to
Jesus as Lord was the aim and end of all
that was taught.
Andover was the first Theological semi
nary in the country to introduce the study
of sociology and Sociological methods of
studying modern. religious and social prob
lens. The idea of the Kingdom of God as
a human society in which the will of God
was done on earth as in Heaven, was al
ways considered as the aim of the gospel.
Under the stimulus of such training Mr..
Sheldon began his first pastorate at Water
bury, VT. Here he made close study of
the problem of the country church. In
an article published in the Andover Re-
view for October. 1888, find some things
of interest to the present occasion. He
said: lone of the first things that coun-
try pastor should settle for himself and the
community is this; the church as church
must be interesting. BY this is not meant
that it must be the center of amusements
or entertainments, but that the church as
an organization with Christ at its head
must be, in all its services of preaching and
song and ritual. a genuine source of the
best kind of moral excitement.
This he tried to do by printing sermon
once in while to give to the people; by
training the choir himself; by giving as
much variety to the mid-week service as
possible. He gave short talks on current
topics at his Sunday evening service. He
used a blackboard, brought flowers. leaves.
stones, and small manufactured articles to
illustrate his sermons. Used the allegory
or story. This, as nearly as 1 can find, is
the origin of the stories that finally (In
His steps, gave him worldwide fame.
The chapters were first read to take the
place of the evening sermon. They do
not aim to be literary productions any
more than the ordinary, but are sample
and interesting method of getting people
to listen to the truth of the gospel. He
most interesting organization on earth.
Mr.. Sheldon is no mere theorizer. He
has an intimate personal irst-hand
knowledge of present industrial and social
conditions. When in Vermont he asked
to board around in the families of his par
ish in order that he might get acquainted
with the reticent New Highlander. He had
not been long in Topeka before he made
special studies of the life of the city. ''My
plan. he says, Twas. in brief, summed up
in the motto, Put yourself in his place..
meaning by this, 'Humaptys' can best
illustrate this statement by telling exactly
what 1 did. divided the population of
the city of Topeka into eight groups; the
horse car and electric men. the Washburn
college students, the negroes. the railroad
men. the, lawyers the doctors, the bust
ness men, and the newspaper men. 1t was
my intention to spend whole week with
each of these groups. living as nearly as
could the life they live. asking them ques-
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