The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-12-08

Rev. Mr. Rrom's subject was What
the Church Ought to Be-" and he spoke
as follows;
THE SERMON
II Is o much easier matter to express
the opinions Of other men than to voice
your own convictions. Tradition 10 safer
to handle than truth. II 10 less difTicult
to ind a thousand men who accept some
other mans creed. than 10 fnd ten who
can give a reason for their own faith.
ror two Sabbath evenings we have
dealt with the subject OF the place and
function OF the church in modern So.
ciety. We have endesvored 10 express
the opinions Of other men. We sought
the man who does not 20 In church and
tried 10 state his why" We then en-
desvored 10 interpret the action of those
who do 60 and IN the same unbiased
fashion allowed the man In the pew 10
stst. his reason for his worship.
Tonight II Is not a question Of express
ing the opinion OF the world or OF the
church; the subject necessitates the sx-
preston Of my own belief as TO what
the church ought 10 be and this. too, In
terms OF the needs and the conditions
,,existing in modern society.
- II the speaker who endesvored 10 an
swer the question were a Roman Cath
olic he would only have 10 state tho de-
fHite and long ago established ideal OF
the Roman Catholic hierarchy. II the
speaker were a sectsrisn, with strong
denonnins tionsl bias. representing a
church with definite creed the matter
would he wonderfully simplined. be-
long. unfortunately. 10 neither OF these
tao classes. II IL necessary. therefore.
that We look at this subject from just
thet point OF view that tho general sub
ject Of these lectures indicates. namely
from the point OF view OF one institution
among many az part Of our social or
.rEanism.
scEPTICAL ABOUT SOURCE.
There are two classes Of people in
this world. both OF which are dissa It's aed
with what has been and with what is
Sometimes they are moved by divine
discontent that is not only intensely
human but exceedingly disagrseable for
all those who are unfortunately obliged
20 live near them
There r. first the idealist. He il the
man who sees things as altogether bad ;
but finds compensation for tho actual
badness In the ideal goodness that has
been revealed TO him. He claims 10 have
had a vision from Heaven, though there
are always plenty OF people, who. while
willing to grant the vision. are sceptical
about the source. This man believes In
no half way measures and insists on
having the ideal put into practice with all
IT'S power, or In leaving things just as
they are.
He 10 the nember Of the reform party
I'm politics who would rather turn over
New York city 20 Tammany than violate
e. his conception of q biue-letter Sabbath.
lie is the man in politics who believes in
Socialism and who would rather tolerate
the ittereet form OF competition than COM
compromise with the middle party on the
B basis Of cooperation.
He IL the Prohlbitonist. who so holds
10 his prohibition ideal that he prefers
to cling 10 the, present Impossible and
throw his influence in with those who be-
Heve in the wide open policy, rather than
vote for high license.
THE oPPoRTUNrsTs.
There is a second class OF reformers
called opportunists. They. too, have their
ideals; but they believe in making their
ideals bake bread" II they can't get
the whole loaf they prefer a slice to
starving II they can't get the best, they
:. are willing 10 TAXI the better. They real
ae that progress ts from the good TO the
better rather than from the good 10 the
best The opportunist ts a practical man
OF affairs, who not only sees the stars but
tbe dust
lie realizes that II is q long distance
20 the moon and that It IS saner 20 en-
deavor 10 climb UP 10 the moon than TO
cry for the moon 10 come down.
These two classes Of men represent the
two aspects OF what the church ought TO
be and 40. The church IL nothing thst
does not hold before men great ideal
II every man could be LED 10 accept az
his ideal the best ideal OF which humanity,
In conscious the work Of the pulpit would
Re accomplished. Failure here Ia the rsdi-
cal funda mental fault with all 81 We.
c.. Our purpose IN life II too low, toe
sneagre too. marrow 70 be worthy OF US
There ie no IDEAL worthy OF man ey-
eept the complete fulnlment OF his own
life, to make that count. to make II strike
one I'm the great hall OF time. 10 make
it ring with truth and .rightness. The
Christian church sprang from the lines
OF a living ideal the life of Jesus Christ
and 50 long "a the church calls Itself
Christian It's fret and fundamental duty
10 10 hold up and interpret that ideal to
men.
n ,s not theory. a theology. a creed or
o book that the church has TO offer men,
it Is the image OF mans life fulfilled and
completed. 1t is the highest ideal OF life
that we know and ~ has value ana au-
g. fhority over mems lives because II ap-
peals TO the conscience or man as being
what man ought 90 become.
II the Christian church In all these CEN
turies has made one change greater than
another that change r. here. Until within
the last n years in the great majority Of
puipiu there was held out 20 men the
hope Of Heaven. ~ they did this and that.
the certainty OF He'll ~ they did anything
else.
s TO GET SOMEWHERE.
The Kind OF ife v-ss 80 get somewhere.
The DOM cf ;his conception was sounded
With. the ds-n cf a saner conception of