The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-11-27
"WHAT Is The USE
OF The CHURCH?"
10 Incite Mankind 10 Progress by
Preaching the Truth About the
Grave Problems Of Life, De-
clares Or. Herbert S. BIge-
low.
Special to the Herald

Special to the Herald
Cincinnati. Nov. 2l.-At the Vim,
ST. Congregational church the pastor
Herbert > Biyel0w. discussed III,
subject, What's the Use of IN
Church 2" He chose for MS text th
parable OF the sewer, maintainin.
mat the most important function o
the church Ia TO lncite mankind [,
progress by leading In rhe thought o
the world and preaching the trutI
about the grave problems of thI
present life.
- Ask the average church member. ,
said Mr.. BlgelOw, WHAT is tb,
mission of the churchl He has d
ready made phrase for you He say
1t Is TO save souls. In the theological
emlnaries young men are taught that
to be good preachers. they must have a
passion for souls A certain mission
airy society of chulc1 III this CITY
reported at the end of the year, Two
souls saved and one sapetlGed
Is it the paramount duty of tbs
church to save soulsl That depends
upon what ls meant by the phrase
Save them from whatI From he'll, u1
course. Is 1t the mission of the
church to save souls from hell2 That
depends upon the location of hell Dc
You mean by hell some place OF
torment IN the next world or do you
mean the torment of body, mind and
soul that is produced in this world. by
greed of gain, and slavlsh prejudice,
ana bigotry and hate, by oppressI We
monopolies, and corruptlng power, and
bitter poverty2
II take no stock IN God made hell
But | know there is hell on eartn
which mau has made. Here on ca tn. |
have witnessed the torture of the
dan ned Let us storm one hell at a
time and the nearest one first.
But there are many church mem
bers who do not know what we mean
by hell on earth. They are able to
go to the sea-shore in the heat of
summer They can go to Florida or
California ana eat Strawberries in
winter. They seldom come IN contact
with poverty. From the very air they
breathe. they have imbibed the pre-
JUDGE that poverty Is mostly the result
Of depravity; that for the deserving
poor, there Is no help but CHARITY;
that the masses who toll are by nature
unfit for a happier lot; that the man
who imposes an extra tax of two cents
a gallon on oil and contributes a
million to university is paragon of
virtue; and the institutions which
make it possible for him to do this
are ordained of God.
1.-The duty of the church to save
'oulss Yes, 1t is the duty of the
,hurch to save the souls of men and
from that ignorance and |
Indifference that makes them obvious |
If the sutferlngs OF their tellowmen.
Jonathan Edwards used TO say 10 |
lis audience: The God that holds you |
'ver he PIT of hell, mu5h as one holds
spInder, or some loathesome insect, |
yer the ire, abhors you and Is dread
ully provoked; his wrath towards you
'urns like fire. 1t would be wonder
some who are now present should
lot he IN hell in very short time.
here is reason to thlnk that there
re many in this congregation. nov
caring this discourse, that will
ctually be the subjects Of this very
Misery to all eternity.
'As long as men believed in that
wv VI a NAOd thC,f CAPCStIo |
he church to help them flee from the
yrath to come. But from the various
0urces OF modern thought has come
etter thought of God. He is still the
reator but he ls not the bungler. He
,ade good world. This world is
apt in universal law. la his benev
lence, the Creator contrlved these
TVS so that in the keeping OF them,
len shOult fnd great reward. He'll
n earth is due 10 the breaking of
lese laws. To learn to obsy them, is
} find heaven here.
ITO teach men these laws is the
llssion of the church, There is no
Nv of the Decalogue when is more
'lf-evIdent than the law that the
nd is the inheritance of all and it's
onopoly by the few crime against
le many. The law of gravitation is
OF more clearly demonstrable than
10 law of taxation which Henry
gorge, the Newton of Political
,ience, has revealed to the world.
ITO leach men these and all other
ws which will help them to put
eir lives and then Institutions IN
cord with the righteousness of God
Id thus to solve the dark problems OF
Imam existence, this | conceive to
} an impor' ant duty that ~ left TO
q churcn.
$50 long as the blight of poverty is
BON us and the bodies aud souls of
en- decay in the slums of every city,
elleve lt IS tue soietnn duty Ct
cry preacher 10 aCQuiie, not
altering, but thorough know leoPe :
political economy, and teach men
apply II: showing them that an
mot be saved IN the largest ana
lesr sense If b does not accept his
il share Of respousibl TOR the
sery of the world AID do what he f.
Il for the umeliolatlon Of the race - -