Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1905-03-11
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV w. NJ. BRuNoAcE.
Subject. True Mission Of the Church.


took FOR his subject sunday morning
THE True Mission OF the Church
The text was from l. Timothy III:
IL. THE church OF the living God"
In the course OF strong sermon. list
ened TO 10y a large audience he said;
From the conditions which prevailed
n few centuries ago. when the church
was without rival 60 contest its au-
thority. 10 its present condition. when
IN must contend with numerous com
petitors for the very right 40 exist.
humanity has taken long stride for
ward. Freedom has come 10 be more
than a mere uame. Mulutudes OF peo-
pie have seriously begun TO think end
act for themselves. Less and less IS
the church able 20 live upon it's record
an tic past. 8Ore and more has IL Dc
come manifest that IL must justify It's \
continued existence 10y the work that \
IL does hv the service that il renders I
10 society. Unless our churches OF /
every name can be brought into vital /
and helpful relations 10 the real lie |
of the people. they are doomed 20 per
fsh The traditions OF the past cannot
save them. Their service in the past.
great though 10 has been. cannot JUS
fifv their present existence. DO they
minister in an essential manner 10 the
hest life OF today An affirmative an
only justification. BrotherhOOds. clubs.
philaushropic associations without
number are competing with them, li-
braries. newspapers aud periodicals.
and educational institutions are doing
much Of the work which they once
did. work that was formerly LETT eN-
clusively TO them. We find nothing IN
the origin Of the church that entities
IL o. claim divine right 90 persist.
loo u nos
n better work Tor society than any
other institution can DO.
What is this work that the churches
are qualified To- perform better than
other Institutions Can they feed the
hungry. ciothe the naked, visit and
comfort the sick and sOrrOwing. care
Tor those who are i'm prison, minister
10 thc orphan and the outcast In Tine.
engage In all sorts OF strictly phllan-
1hropic activity better than multi
tudes OF existing benevolent insutu-
tionse Certainly the churches VII
continue 90 Go such work rs this De-
cause they are organizations ot those
who love and serve their teioWmcn
But clearer and clearer does it bccom,
manifest that other institutions can d'
most Kinds ofphilauthroplc work as wei
as 90 not better than. thc churches
Ou the whole. tho great iraterm
ties everywhere established in on
times can DO 81 better. The organize
charities OF our cities the prison re-
form associations. the humane socie
ties and others can do Il better. mor
economically. more effectively
Can the churches. however. continu
20 maintain themselves rs centres 10
the propagation of great dOgmauc sy'
TENS. or. ON the other hand. az centre
OF mere protest against the dCgmau
systems OF the paste / do not heueN
that they can. The forum Tor the dl'
cussion Of such systems is being RAJ
idly shifted from the pulpit 10 al
press The great magazines and r.
views and religious newspapers OF on
time afford more favorable field 4,
their discussion while the masses
the people care less and less for then
incidentally the churches viii contint
10 urge upOn their people what the
believe 10 be true philosophy Of Co
Of the universe and OF man. but IN
work alone cannot justify their co
1inued existence.
Neither as purely sacramentarian ]
stitutions can the churches long reta
their hold upon any large number
the people. because with the grow
and extension of Lew knowledge Q
claims of SaCramentari0nism are IN
idly becoming dlscredited. What
called the high church reaction
widely known is after all bur rca
ton and cannot Ice permanent ia
influence IL is but return 10 T.
childhood of religion. and the thlnki
world demands the religion OF ma
Can the churches. however. contin
10 maintain themselves as social clul
as Organiza tiOnS of congenlal peoI
who come together 90 enjoy one q
others cOmpauiOnShip
But when there are 50 many soc
clubs ian every community. members
in which can be restricted 10 pcoi
OF congcnial tastes and kindred ri
suits as membership in even the m'
exclusive church cannot be- l 10
believe that the churches can lC
Justify their existence as the mere ca
petitorS OF these clubs.
Has the church then Outlived its u
fulneSs ana is it about to pass avs
Certainly not. If il arOuses itself a
becoming conscious Of its true miSSi
reSolutcly devOtes itself its
tinctive work. This. l believe is "
the churches can do better than
other inStitutiOn-they can and 90.
mUltimdes - instances act as 81
inSpiratiOnal centr ministerinC 10
life of the spirit. 10 the life OF
ideal. 20 the life OF God in the soul
man. They come into vital and hell
relations with the people a just
rs they inspire 10 high thinking
feeling ana loving. in just SO far
they inspire and quicken the reliSi
life OF the community.
Let the churches. therefore &C
regarding themselves as authOrita'