The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-03-17
MINISTERS MEET
Prof. Mcdonald Addresses The
Methodist CIergymsn.

The regular meeting Of the Methodist
ministers was held in the Mathewson
Street NJ. f. church. this morning In. the
absence OF Rev A. j. Coultas, the chair
was occupied by Rev. Il. +. Simon.
The speaker of the morning was Pro-
fessor William Mcdonald, of Brown uni
versity. and his theme The Sphere of
the Church. This familiar subject, the
speaker declared, in beginning, had been
the theme OF many sermons, magazine
and newspaper articles. IL had been
treated from every point of view so that
IL would. seem that nothing now could be
said upon the subject moreover the sub
ject had gone beyond the field of discus
sion and entered the field OF practical ex-
perimentation.
Following his introduction Professor
Mcdonald enlarged upon three types of
the church of today, because. as he said,
they stand for three well defined theories
OF church work. I'VE have on the one
hand, " he said, "the Evangelistic church,
conceiving its mission and aim TO be the
saving Of souls and, the cultivation of re-
ligious fervor. and religious exaltation,
at the other extreme, and equally a type
we have the church where religious fer
vor does not exist and higher criticism
forms the basis of it's work. Such
church cultivates an intellectual atmos-
phere. Its services are extremely digni-
fed and proper. Its sermons are moral
and literary essays. Somewhere between
these two extremes we have what has
come TO be known as the Institutional
church. with its clubs and classes, and
various social interests and It's sermons
of a popular character"
After dwelling at length upon
these three types Professor Mcdonald
discoursed upon the following questions,
us either one Of these types an example
- ha 81, n las aft In "A
hold OF the whole church ?Does either one
fthem fulfil the sphere that the church
ought TO occupy at the present time?
Do these types give us the whole truth
of the matter or. IL they do not, have We
any standard by which we can know the
sphere of the church," The speaker
then declared that the only ground for
the existence and permanence OF the
church is that IL responds to a need of
the time "The Christian church, he said.
lis and always has been a human instt-
tuition for propogating religious truth p"
The speaker gave n historical resume of
the church i'm the past To bring out the
striking characteristics which have dis
tlnguished II and continuing, alluded TO
the theological discussion OF doctrine
which is so widespread today and It's ef-
feet upon religious creeds.
The speaker dwelt also upon type
which he said. was chiefly characterized
! by its indehniteness. IL ~ the duty OF
the Christian church. 10 stand for some
thing definite I'm religious belief; the
successful churches OF today are those
| with decided views or highly developed
| organization but how can we have def
niteness so long as all our doctrines are
| I'm dispute2'
! In closing Professor Mcdonald dwelt,
at length. upon the hostility OF the church
/ 10 the work OF theological reconstruction
In its bearing upon intellectual and sci
! entific research. Intellectual progress has
/ been I'm spite Of the church and not by
/ its aid" he declared.
The attitude of the church. the
| speaker believed, never "A barrier TO It's
| progress and a hindrance to its useful
ness: besides being wholly unneces'
sary.
CONGREGATIONAL MINISTER'S.
The regular Monday meeting OF the
| Congregationalist ministers was held ir
the Bible room Of the Benehcent church
this morning. when Rev. Asbury kron
! read n scholarly paper, entitled Sac
| rihce i'm the old Testament"