The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-01-17

PCopi0 HAS pcci1 SIdOudlly increasing
number OF Christians from the First
church and lately from other churches
in Raymond! A large proportion of
these volunteers who pledge themselves
to do as Jesus would comes from the
Endeavor societies. The young people
say that they have already embodied in
their society pledge the same principle
in the words. Il promise him that will
strive to do whatever he would have
me do. This is not exactly what is in
cluded In MaXwelps proposition, which
is that the disciples shall try to do what
Jesus would probably do in the disci-
pies place but the result of an honest
obedience to either pledge, he claims,
will be practically the same and he is
not surprised that the largest numbers
have joined the new discipleship from
the Endeavor society
81 am sure the first question you will
ask is. What has been the result of
this attempt what has it accomplished,
or how has it changed in any way the
regular course of the church or the COM
munity?'
"YOu already know something from
reports of Raymond that have gone over
the country what the results have been,
but one needs to come here and learn
something of the changes in individual
lives. and especially the change in the
church life to realize all that is meant
by this following Of Jesus steps so lit
orally. TO tell all that would be to
write long story or series of stories.
am not in position to do that but
can give You some idea perhaps of what
has happened here from what has been
told me by my friends and Henry Max
well himself
1.-The result Of the pledge upon the
First church has been twofold-it has
brought about spirit of Christian fel-
lowship which Maxwell tells me pever
before existed and which now impresses
him as being very nearly what the
Christian fellowship of the apostolic
churches must have been, and it has
divided the church into two distinct
groups Of members. Those who have
not taken the pledge regard the others
as foolishly literal in their attempts to
initiate the example of Jesus
''Some Of them have drawn out of
the church and no longer attend, or
they have removed their membership
entirely to other churches. Some are
an internal element Of strife. and I
heard rumors of an attempt on their
part to force MaxwelIs resignation
do not know that this element is very
strong in the church. 1t has been held
in check by wonderful continuance of
spiritual power. which dates from the
first Sunday the pledge was taken a
year ago. and also by the fact that so
many of the most prominent members
have been identified with the move
ment
THE effect on Henry Maxwell is
very marked. I heard him preach at
our state association four years ago. He
impressed me at the time as having
considerable power in dramatic deliv-
cry, OF which he himself was somewhat
conscious His sermon was well writ.
ten and abounded in what the seminary
students used to call fine passages. ,
The effect Of it was what the average
congregation would call pleasing This
tlorning l heard Maxwell preach again
for the first time since then. l shall
speak OF that further on. He is not the
same man. He gives me the impression
OF one who has passed through crisis
of revolution. He tells me this revolu-
10 al, n 4 &C, e
tian discipleship. He certainly has
changed many of his old views. His aJ-
titude on the saloon question is radical
ly opposite to the one he entertained a
year ago. and in his entire thought of
his ministry, his pulpit and parish
work l find he has made complete
change. So far as / can understand,
the idea that is moving him on now is
the idea that the Christianity Of our
times must represent more literal i'm
itation OF Jesus, and especially in the
element OF suffering. He quoted to me
In the course of our conversation sew
eral times the Verse from Peter. For
hereunto were ye called, because Christ
also suffered for you. leaving you an
example. that ye should follow his
steps, and he seems filled with the con-
viction that what our churches need
today more than anything else is this
factor of suffering for Jesus in some
form
II do not know that l agree with
him altogether; but. my dear Caxton.
it is certainly astonishing to note the
results of this idea as they have i'm
pressed themselves upon this city and
upon this church
"YOu ask how about the results on
the individuals who have made the
pledge and honestly tried to be true to
it. Those results are as l have said,
part of individual history and cannot
be told in detail Some Of them l can
give you, so that you may see that this
form of discipleship is not merely SEN
timent or fine posing for effect.