The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-12-16


WAS LISTENED TO ~ A LARGE col
CONGREGATIONAL chuRcH.
THE SERMON.
The sermon was as follows:
After nineteen centuries Of church life
I, would hardly seem necessary to raise
the question suggested by this subject
doubtless to many minds the question
seems supernuous. Some take IL TOT
granted that II is a part OF ones duty
10 support the church and In various
ways contribute Of their life and their
means. Others. while granting that .ne
church ought TO be- supported. cav 'n.
great privilege OF actually supporting "
70 their neighbors.
,rhev mean we'll. but their good inten-
tions never matertalize in the form OF
United States currency or enort Even
inside the churches people are 70 DO
found who ride on yearly passes OF VINO
mt the most insist on one-cent tares.
There is a large class OF peopie' nom
ever. In every community VINO nave
nothing 10 do with the church and wno
feel no responsibility whatsoever az 10
its support They do not contribute OF
their time. of their influence. OF their
life or Of their means. This class would
seem to be a growing class. They are
not trifers In thought or In precuce'
They are not indifferent 10 morality IN
deed there may be found among TINS
class OF men and women the finest types
OF heroic and strenuous moral living.
One would like TO discover the cnurch
and the community where the best men
and women In the church would not IKE
10 trade a half dozen or so or moral
peryerts inside the organization for the
Of MAJ
outside II s one OF the things that
shakes a mans faith in humanity to see
men and women who have 10 be trained
IN the Sabbath school and church from
infancy TO mature manhood. who nave
read their Bibles and listened to In
nur,erable sermons and yet who DO not
KNOW that the commandment Thou
shalt not lie is in the decalogue.
NOT INDIFFERENT.
The class Of people just mentioned is
not Indifferent 10 the spiritual life or to
the fundamental truths OF religion
There Is no sanctuary in which the ideal
life OF Jesus Christ fs worshipped with
more reverence. tenderness and humnity
than I'm the hely OF holies OF some men
lives who have no visible relationship
with tho visible church. And there are
many such men and women questioning
I'm Their minds and hearts Of what use
today Is the church in modern society
and what duty rests upon men 10 sup
port and further It's work.
II YOU question this. then shall ques
tion your knowledge of men. Again and
again that question Is raised and while
most men I'm the church believe IL ought
10 he supported the per cent is not large
even among those who sit in the pews
who could give convincing reason for
the faith there is i'm them. IT may be
doubted IL there is thinking man in the
church today who has not had this
question raised in his own mind and has
found some difficulty In answering IL 10
his own satisfaction.
We nave stated what In our opinion
the church ought 10 be. We said on
last Saba IN evening that IL ought TO be
an institution presenting TO the individ
lIal and society the highest ideal OF in
dlviduai and social life. In the second
place Il ought 10 he a practical institu-
tion applying that truth TO the evils not
of the last generation hut to the evils ~
TODAY IN the third place Il ought 10
80 believe in It's ideal and In its practice
ss 10 reach the lowest man In society
In the firm faith that there was the pos
sibiity OF lifting him up into the air
and sunshine of goodness and of love.
II is one thing, however. 10 state what
an institution ought TO he and another
thing To prove that we ought 10 support
g. II IL one thing for rromoter 70
other thing 10 convince YOU that you
ought to take a hundred shares of stock.
We might state what an ideal saloon
From the owners point of view IL
would he the place that would secure the
largest patronage and provide the great
est income. Yet We would not feel un-
der any moral obligation To patronize an
Institution of this sort simply because "
afforded All opportunity for man 10
make beast of himself under the most
We might have an ideal church. but
there would sull be people who would
feel as they do now in relation TO their
Individual obligation. There would he
people who would not support IL simply
because II was ideal.
Put for the great masses or men and
women the ideal institution. as We have
defined IL. would win their assent. for we
have defined II as an institution OF prac-
tcal utility and of service 10 society. IL
- in terms OF practical utility and ser
other institution must Justify itself. 1t
must serve purpose In society. ana ~
II does this or fails 20 do II II will he
supported or condemned
NEED OF THE INSTITUTION.
Tn. man who would convince another
thai he ought to support the church must
point out the need In modern society TOT
en- Institution Of this nature. n society
needs an institution such as We have a
scribed. and no such institution exists
then the obligation is all the greater, the
duty all the larger. II becomes the un-
bounden duty OF all classes and conditions
of men 10 unite their hands and hearts
and create such an institution.
Nv thesis tonight is simply this. That
in the nature Of man and OF society there
r. found the foundation for and the need
OF an institution such as we have de-
rcribed. n this is true then as individ-
usls sharing IN the privileges of society
n becomes our bounden duty as men TO
create and support II. The object or this
sermon is TO prove this thesis.
The method employed In most or our
reasoning II to start with concrete facts
ciples. Whatever men may say about
the church there is abundant evidence
that men believe that there ought 10 be
some such institution as the Christian
church.
Coleridge is quoted as saying that
"Noah's ark affords nne image ~ tle