The sun., 1903-03-26
CAPT. HAHANONCHURCHDECAY
"PERSONAL RELIGION" TIE ONE
GREAT NEED, HE SAYS.
Tells the Church Club Of His Own Awak.
ening-DcpIores the Tendency 10
Put Beneyelence Before the Love
OF God-Debate on Charitable work.

and society Is to get back to personal re
ligion, to direct relation with God and te
relegate external charitable work to tn,
subordinate place In which II belongs
The Captain said these things in a long
address on the general question. is there
q decadence Of church influence In the
community?' In the course OF his ad.
dress Capt. Mahan told Of his own religious
awakening when he was q man 30 years
old.
Capt Mahan first referred to the fact
that there Is relative falling Oh in the
number Of church members aud an act ual
decrease In the number Of clergymen.
He then said In part
| =. The call 70 the ministry with few encep-
| tions has always been call to self denial
and 10 at least comparative poverty. The
| failure OF the supply, howev anslyzed in
| detail. Is due primarily 70 two festures-
| to the absence Of tue inpellins motive. the
inward call. which means absence OF spiritual
response TO the voice Of God. or else to the
| want of that spiritual visor which, seeing
path Of dsiE does not shrink from the
The decline in the supply OF the Christian
ministry ! regard. therefore, as symp,o-
matte Of decline in spiritual life and aspirs-
tion 10 the Christian body.
ny - S open to SAY that the habits OF social
Grafton ago for a man to associate himself
with religious body. without being himself
religious man at heart
Be this ss II may, it is scarcely conceivable
that God |. denyingto oureeneration the
men nttsd for pastors and preachers OF His
Word That they, do not come forward is
attributable, ! believe, to the fact that the
body itself Is deficient In the spiritual vigor
which would commu ncste TO them the needed
n this be 80. why is it 40? Why is Chris
tian impulse lansYId or detective; The
advance Of science, by which ODD is reyeals
causes which Intervene, or seem TO inter-
yene. between Him and His creation, obscur-
,nf himseli to some eyes; the criticism OF 1.-THE the
very radical modification Of our former
ideas which being ours were not aeGss-
revelation In His word.
These are two conspiouou. features In our
present surrounding 'i cons'!itYen'' o,, IN our
our personal spiritual life.
Their apparent effect is 10 weaken the
pied and. A. men generally are governed
by appearances, their actual effect has been
70 sap the faith Of some and doubtless TO
found their way TO the fold Of Christ
In short. the attitude Of these questions
Of attack aggressive: and Christianity in
dealing with them too easily assumes the bare
defensive
In my Judgment. the Church OF to-day. |
lsity and clergy, have made the capital mis- |
take in generslship Of reversing the Two great |
mental principles OF her war, established by |
Christ Himself Practically, ~ | observed, |
the laity hold and the clergy teach that % the
shalt love thy neishbor a. thyself" Incl |
dentslly thereto, Il l. admitted. Thou shalt
II L.. OF course. too esregioIis and sbsurdty
openly TO call that the .cond Commsn ndmeLt
IL Is simply quietly rrlegated to u secondary
II. however you dispute the alleged fact
that the love Of man Il to-day pnt before the
lovy Of God. | appeal to your own conscious
ness What is the ideal Christian life as IL
presents itself 10 YOU?
Has not the world within the last thirty
years learned from the Church that mans
personal piety is a matter Of small consequence
alongside OF his external benevolent acti,i- [
les? Has not the Church come to teach,
or uDconsaiously. that external
activities, outward b-nevolenc-. are not
he.p things is the all. sum dent living before
iod? !s not the Judgment of the world ex--
or man who is irving 10 save his own soul?
And vet what Is mans soul' !! j. the
shich, IL there had been hut one, lie Was con-
ent to give His Son. and this he has intrusted
o man as his own particular charge
Capt. Mahan then referred to the per
onal religion Of the past, and declared
he remedy for present conditions would
~ the restoration Of personsl religion.
the direct relation Of the individual soul
0 God, to that primary place in the Chris
Dst. and relegste to their subordinate
all those external works
shich have usurped its place {
How shall this De donet for answer b,ar {
nth ms Il ] fall back upon my own ,.lperi. 1
iio a church in Boston. The preacher-i
ave never known his name Interested me ,
1ai%sd Thou .S%i, os i III. pS me H. Jesus t.
Jr He Shal save His people here he lifted !
p Ms hand, not from hell but from iheir
M Almost the first words uf the first
'o-pel had seen them for years but al
~ ! per'-ived them Scales seemed 10 ,
hrist and life "a ! had never ~@en them lbe.
Ir- ! was then about thirty
Personal religion is bat the cooperation Of
hat mans so,l. rnan's whol. being, may he q
,v-d, hot for his own profit chiefly. ,bu \
rslted. at the feet Of Hin Who loved him a
nd gave hlm--lf ior him Z
~ believers ia ,hfist. VI" eau s-@ no Sc !,
lfity fOT the civilization Which has gtovn | !
y around the iai IA Him aud has prosi=r.d | q
oyhers else and undsr no other conditions.
cessation -non,.n,afy only. isi us hop. -,s !.
b. cause Of ilhs psp-f There 10 bui oh- 4
Dhdi'ion hoN"'-r. that "sh .aus- such
uty to present J'sIs ,hiist a. lie IL 10 tIo.. 4
ho are not , hfisilans bui suoi, failure 10
!. 10 consist IN ans apgnai 81 humanitarian
oh Of arsauisauon fSf b@ns Ns,lrh,. IL,
',ial aiili'' fh's" linss ~" the fpIt =
Tho hsy Df Mcd onn.ll of All so,,l.'
lurch, said that pubic opinlDn had o.a..-i
demand that . lnAn l'slons Ia . ohurnl in =.
iisi Ia " "phsid.i.d fe-tssssl,ls. and ~ \
had fallen ~ ". d.plof.d .
~ ssa<r fof parish hou-..s and in.iiflilsis A,
bal the i-nss't"y 10 iisniny religion shL 4
lafny
III. h., ~ s,n.- ~ ~ Ihui.a.. a.. u
psf- optimistic. sgd dssa.f.s thai tLss.
~ iss sh's'aeis'n" ~ 'bnfeii inhusnss aIsd
a, ,l.' l..T saIs asai'''' '''' h'''''' had no'
N Hubiissi.h d niaa. ,bu,.l AID