Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-01-01

III
that will not work in the practical bust
ness world. There are not dozen PEG
pie in my whole parish who give one
tenth Of their income to the religious
work Of the world"
"How large is your church," Gordon
asked. He was growing exceedingly
interested in Falmouth's monologue,
for the minister had talked on as IL
alone.
1--WE have 978 names on the church
roll. There are seventy.two absentees.
Over 900 resident members. There are
twenty-five men in the church worth
over $4,000. IL their returns to the tax
assessor are true. We raise for all
church, missionary and benevolent pur-
poses, including my salary, which is
$4,000, the sum Of $4,000 annually.
We pay a quartet choir $4,000 a year.
We pay an organist $500. The flower
committee paid S1,700 last year for
flowers and decorations in the church.
At least a dozen women in the church
spent $500 apiece on flowers and deco
rations in the church. At least
dozen women in the church spent $500
apiece on flowers and decorations in
their homes for receptions and parties
and gave less than $40 apiece TO city
missions. This sounds like a sordid
and gossipy string of details. Gordon.
But | am reminded Of an extract from
one OF starr Kings essays.
CT Al
lOwance for a personal luxury the
cele stial record book ought to show
some entry in favor of the cause Of
goodness and suffering humanity. For
every guinea that goes into theater
or museum there ought to be some
twin guinea pledged for n truth or fly
ing on some errand of mercy in city
so crowded with misery as this. Then
we have right to our amusements.
Otherwise we have no right to them.
but are liable every moment to i'm
parchment in the court of righteous
ness and charity for our treachery to
heaven and our race
Rather strong, eh? But not too
strong when you consider that the
earth is the Lords: the gold. the silver.
the time, are all his. And when look
over my list of church members and
then read the society or business col
umns which tell Of their uses of mon.
ey for luxury and amusement is it any
wonder that ask Where is the Chris
tan discipleship that gives so out of
proportion to its own qualification CON-
pared with it's duty to great causes
and social needsy Lowells verse
! haunts me:
God bends from out the deep and says
I gave thee of my seed to SOW,
Bringest thou me my hundredfold?'
Can look up with face aglow
And answer. Father, here is gold?' -
81 am afraid the celestial record book
will not show a very heavy deposit on
the part Of the luxury loving Chris
tians Of this day and generation"
Then you consider that one OF the
indictments against the church Of to-
day" Gordon asked rs Falmouth
raised his head and sorrowfully gazed
at picture of the crucinxion that
hung over his desk
|
to bear personal burdens. to carry
crosses. to walk humbly, to apply
Jesus teaching to business. politics and
amusements, There is n striking in
consistency between the church mem
bers' vows and their daily lives, espc
cially iIr the business and money max
ing world. The Christians in oul
churches are not making their money
as they ought, many of them. and they
are not giving tenth part as much as
they ought to help Gods kingdom"
THAT is a sweeping charge, Mr.. Fal
mouth. Yet you remain in the churcl
and continue to preach and act under
these conditions"
Il love the church." Falmouth spok,
slowly, again sinking into reverie. my
father and his were ministers My
mother is a saint IL there ever was
one, and her heart would almost breal
II she heard what l have said today, fol
she believes the church is Gods leaver
in sinful world. So do l, but see 1t,
need of regeherative cleansing so clear
~ that l am torn between remainin,
where | am to preach the truth from
the inside and going out to do my worl
apart from the church as an institution
Yet where shall l go? There are M
other institutions that are more Christ
like than the church, The labor orders
are as selfish as the church. The or
CARNATIONS that do not profess any re
ligious creed are no more hopeful places
for a man to stand than the plac,
where | am now. | could lead a yer,
quiet. easy life here If / were conten
to go softly In and out, preach sermons
that would satisfy the intellectual O
aesthetic demands of my congregation
and let these problems of humanit.
alone. But GOrdon"-he turned hi
face to the visitor, and the intense pas
sion Of the man shone through tn
habitual gravity and culture that 9th
erwise distinguished hint am, I'm
happily. shall say ?--no, providentiall,
caught up in the social whirlwind O
the age, and cannot-I cannot let thes
questions rest. Woe is me If preacl
not a whole gospel. And in order (,
preach 1t l must go the entire length
of proclaiming Christs Golden Rul
and self denying discipleship, knowing
fully that my people will grow restlcs
J under It, knowing that they are no
willing to take up the cross daily II
] order to follow their Master. And We
there is . faithful handful. There ar
some who have not bowed the knee +
. | In 4 hax