Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-12
MORALLY CLEAN CITY
DR.. F. F. stoltz Speaks or Subject
of Municipal Improvement.
At UNION MEETING LAST EVENING

Members of Central Churches Joined
IN Service at First Baptist Church
Good Observation-Disclosures and
Instructive Sermon Delivered.
Inc union meeting of the four cen
tral churches was held last night at
the First Baptist church. An unusual
~ large number were present and the
church was completely filed. DR.. F. F.
Stoltz delivered the sermon for the ev-
enlng. 1t was one of the best address
es mat has been given during the SER
les OIL union meetings and was along a
me That was of especial interest to ev-
eryone present. Every person who is
interested in the moral Improvement
OF the cities of the country and of the
city OF Ottumwa would doubtless have
round last nights sermon not only in
terestlng but helpful as well. DR..
Stoltz took for his text, Luke 10: 1.
After these things the Lord appoint
ed other servants also and sent them
Two and two before his face into every
city and place whittier he himself
would come" DR.. Stoltz said, in part
whoever would be interested in the
people, must be interested in the cit.
les. Cities are very powerful factors in
civilization. As goes the city so goes
the country, is significant fact. The
growth OF cities is phenomenal. ALI OF
our greater cities show great in.
crease in population. A large per cent
OF the people in other countries live
IN the cities, and in our country thirty
per cent are in the city. These people
live in many large towns and these
towns have to be reckoned with.
Cities Both Good and Bad.
Many good things, in fact, go forth
from the cities. They have light and
blessings, but they have more They
nave also darkness and death. On the
one hand they bless, on the other hand
they blight. Their character is mix
ed one. A writer in speaking of our
cities says that ignorance, pauperism,
drunkenness thrives and house them
selves in the slums. This offspring of
evil not only kills itself off; it is not
content with that, but it drags to it's
low level many one having better
conditions. Gambling, in one form or
another, thrusts it's ugly face into
many homes and withers the joy. 1t
blasts fortune, good name, manhood
The social evil kills and drunkenness
decelVes so many.
Every City Battlefield.
Every city is a momentous battle
field, where right and wrong, good and
evil moot 10 foo i,,
hlct, and where, as the battle goes on,
the powers of darkness destroy many
OF our brothers and sisters. That there
is some recognition of this condition
we know. Discussions of the problems
OF the city, social settlements, civic
declarations and spasms of reform rec
ognize it but all these agencies, COM
mendable and valuable as they are, are
not meeting to the fullest extent the
stupendous requirements of the situa-
ton.
The Duty of the Church.
Nov what is the duty of the church
in the premises? Is the church to be-
come political factor? What is the
obligation of the church to the people
OF the cities? There cannot be two
opinions on the part of all who believe
in the church, that the church is to do
some sort of work in the cities. 1t
can not do otherwise and be true to
the direction and practice of it's foun-
ders. 1t was the policy of the Apostles,
carrying out the mind of the Lord, to
go into the great cities and to make
them centers of their operations.
Jerusalem was to be, according to the
special direction of the risen, the cen
ter of world wide evangelization. Fol
low the lines Of progress as set forth
in the acts of the apostles.
Christianity Deals With City.
Christianity would deal with the
city, that is, the people. 1t would en-
ter into the life Of the people of the
city and from that as center, send
forth its influences. What must the
church do to meet the situation?
What the Church Must Do.
First, it must appreciate the situa-
ton. 1t must see and feel that it is
its business to push it's claims into the
length and breadth of the cities, and SO
into the length and breadth of the
whole land. All the people must be
evangelical. The church must go to
the people and touch their life. It
must ennoble by example 1t must give
the world better thing than it has al
ready. 1t must furnish safer, finer,
cleaner life.
Churches Will Be Occupied.
Second: From a true appreciation
of what needs to be done will come oc-
cupation. 1t will be the business of
the churches to see that they are occu-
pied. Whenever the church meets the
sitiation in this respect, as it should
denominations will not spend much
time watching one another or discuss.
ing questions of administration, but
they will be busy with their separate
parishes"
The Church in Politics.
Third: What would be the atti.
tude of the church to politics? In gen
eral the church must not be used orI
regarded as a political institution. It'll
is not its place to sit upon the throne
OF any worldly power. 1t is not to be
the ODedient servant of anv noliticoJ