The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-02
THE CHURCH
OF THE FUTURE
Or. McKim Discusses This interest,
ing Subject.
IFS BUILDER AND WORKER GOD.
The American People Not Satisfied With Any
so-caiied City Of God. Unless
God Himself Hath
BuiIdcd.
IFS BUILDER AND WORKER GOD

Tic lectures OF Rev. DE- tdci>iii' az ~
l,anlts Church, arc attracting l''ueii d,
1rn;ion The congregations ai tiioush
The week have been very large. Dr. NC
,.t,,,,s ,he,no last night was the very in
1ercs,in. and practical one. Tho Church
of The Future He said. In part:
What will l,c the manner OF that CITY
of God that shall be the home OF men III
This crcs; republic in the generations yet
10 come? What will DC the features OF
the church OF the future in America, the
c,,u.c,, that shall in the twentieth cen
trrv become the city OF refuge and OF
hope 10 the American people,
In answer j propose TO give you my loea
cf that City of God.
l. And first. i believe tllat-it viii be n
city such as that Tor winch the patriarch
looked. city which hath foundations
whose builder and maker is God. The
men of America. in the twentieth century
will not i,c satisfied with any so-callcd
City of God .nless it he that which God
Himself hath briided. A man-made
church will not satisfy the intellect or
The heart of the future. 1t will be felt
that no man, however great. however
holy. DC he a Paul, or Il Peter, or an
INI,oilos, Luther. is great enough to
he the builder of the City of God. Men
zTill remember the great word of Jesus
Christ, Il will build my church, It will
be felt also that the Church of Christ
must be built on ancient foundation:
even the foundation Of the Apostles and
prophets. like the city OF St Johns Wis
ion. whose wall had twelve foundations
and in them the names of the Twelve
Apostles of the Lamb. The historic
spirit has walked. and under its influence
men will bring the claims Of every church
TO the test of. historical investigation.
The men of America will look for evil
of ,,ryp anti i,, 10
church which shall win and hold their
allegiance To its other claims it must
add this. that it embodies the principles
of continuity; that it stands in organic
connection with the past, as well as in
living touch with the present.
A DEFINITE DOGMATIC FAITH.
.. That City of God. which will become
tho homo of the American people in
greater and greater numbers as the CEN
fury advances, will also be builded after
The doctI1nal pattern showed unto its first
workmen on the Mount. The church of
The future-tlle church which will COM
1nand the mind and heart of American
men mora and more in the twentieth
ceIitury-will hold fast Il definite dog
matte faith: simple, indeed. but clear and
we'll defined. no haZy, nebulous belief.
that may take any shape, or no shape,
may dissolve into thin air at the first
breath of the wind of sl.eptical attack:
but a concrete thing. definite on the great
yerities of revealed truth, recognized as
the faith of the ages the faith once de-
livered TO the Saints. A church that does
not know what it believes is a church
that has TO reason for being. It is a mes
senger undertaking to run with no tidings
10 deliver. l believe such church will
be poweress TO direct the thought and
inspire The life of this great and under
standing people.
A Christianity out of which the faith in
Christ's supernatural incarnation. and
supernatural birth. and supernatural
work. and supernatural teaching had
been evaporated by some critical or
philosophical process a Christianity
which has no profound and rejoicing
conviction of His atoning sacrifice and
His mighty resurrection-iS a Christianity
shorn of its power, a nerreless thing.
weak and Ineffective, the mere ghostly
siInulacrum of that magnificent move
ment which changed the face of the
world and put new hope into the heart
of mankind 1900 years ago. And assured
ly the church which shall win and hold
The allegiance of men in the new con-
tury will lay no needless burden of dog
ma upon the conscicnces Of her children.
She will not repeat the mistake OF the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in
this respect She Will ask only what
the Apostles demanded-faith in those
Truths that are necessary to the being of
Christianity as a revelation from God
10 man.
She Will not confound human systems
With divine rcritieS-the changing form
OF religious belief with its permanent
and Interchangeable essence. She will lay
emphasis on the vital distinction between
the everlasting gospel. which is all di-
Ilnp-fba 70
systems of theology which are human
divine. part of clay and part OF gold.
:ningitng human philosophy with divine
revelation, the imperfections of human
logic and human Imagination with the
perfect divine truth.
TIMES THOUGHT, LIFE AND NEEDS.
.. But once again. The city OF my
vision Will open its gates wide TO the
thought and the life and the needs of the
time. Though built upon the ancient
foundations. it Will he in touch with the
living present The stirring tide of mod
ern life and thought will flow in and out
of its gates. The problems the aspira-
tons. the hopes of the age will find hos
pi;able welcome within its walls.
Yes, for the church of the future will
be living organism. not a fossil. II
viii combine the principle. of growth and
adaptation with that OF continuity
True TO its ancient type. it will Yet adapt
itself TO the needs and pecularities of
the time and the age. Heredity and
environment Will each have its perfect
work therein. BY the one it will be an
Client Apostolic. prilnitive-the growth of
The past: by the other it Will be modern,
plastic, flexible, Responsiveness adapting
itself to the changing conditions of the
rolling Sears-a thing OF the present, a
product of the time.
CHURCH OF THE PEOPLE
i Again: The church which will speak
With power. as we'll as with authority. I
to the men of America in the twentieth
century must be working church. and
It must be a church of the people Men
Mil more and more ask and lock for APP
piled christianity-the application of the
principles OF the Christian religion to the |
problems OF life and of society. They |
will insist that the only true Christianity |
is the Christianity of Christ: and that |
Was not Il sublimated theory for the |
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