The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1905-07-27
THE MAN OUTSIDE THE CHURCH.
BY Rev. Hiram r. Peabody.

THE MAN OUTSIDE I HE CHI URCH.
BY Rev. Hiram X. Peabody.
FORBID him not, for he that is not
against us is for us.'-Luke tx, 80.
How does it happen that there are
so many men of clean character, keen
intellect, tender Sympath!es and alert
human interests who are hostile or
more frequently Indifferent to formal
religion They care for none of the
things that the churches seem to es-
TEEN most highly; indeed, they are ac-
customed to look aSkance at anything
bearing the name Of a church. Does
the fault-if fault there belle with
the men or with the church?
This is larger question than that
of getting more men to attend church
services. These Indifferent men are
amongst the best assets of the com
monwealth; they are forces, living po-
tencies for right and truth and better
living If the best is to be, all the
forces Of the right will have to CO.
operate; the good man outside the
church and the church itself as force
for good need gearing together.
The church might as well cease ding
ing its anathemas on these mon.
Their depravity is not established by
the refusal to blndly bow the neck to
her dominion. Too long has she meas
ured a man by his unmanlness; he was
a saint who sat most often and most
docile in his pew; he was sinner who
absented himself, even though he
might be ministering to some sick one
or cheering the sad. The church must
recognize that these men are honest,
sincere, intelligent, even reverent and
must find place and work for them.
The man of business believes in econ
omy OF effort. He often refuses TO
give his time or his money to religion
because he cannot clearly see whore
the work of the average church actual
ly touches life, where it in any direct
way makes for practical honesty,
healthier manhod, noblcr citizenship.
Il holier world. He puts his money and
his manhood where they will do the
most good.
To such a man the church seems 10
be an organlzatlo ton for the propagation
Of unimportant opinions; its partisan
spirit concentrates It's energies in prose
lytizing. While the millions Of the
sorrowing and the weary, the wander
ing and SHINING, wait for its ministra-
tons, while its master walks alone and
forgotten, this supine church has In
itself enough people to care for all
these sad ones and enough power to
solve many of our problems Why does
IT not do something? asks the practical
man.
And the practical man is right, and
yet he is wrong. The church ought to
help men, but he ought to cooperate
with it. The church lags behind for
lack OF his spirit of enterprise, of life
and activity. 1t is left too much to
the dreamers. In no way can a man
saving the church. The merchants
must save her from the mystlcs. Men
of affairs can tell her about this life
as we'll as about another. Men OF en-
ergy can stir her enthusiasm until it
shall glow and apply itself TO the holy
work of making this world of ours
more like we imagine another world
10 be
The men of executive ability may
give themselves to organizing the I'm
mense forces Of the church and using
them on the mammoth problems Of so
ciety. The people of the churches are
not Indifferent so much as ignorant,
not slothful so much rs soothed to
Somnolence by selfish leaders.
The practical man cannot afford to
neglect the great force for which the
church stands, that of religion. He
might rs we'll ignore his power honse
in his factory. Religion is the power,
the dynamo of human history it makes
men, If you would help men you must
touch them at their roots; religion
reaches there. 1t changes the springs
of character; it makes men better eS-
sentially and not superticially. 1t
makes new race, ana there can he
no new world until there IS a new race
of men with clean hearts and holier
desires. Wise is he who works with
religion to make the new earth ana the
new humanity to dwell therein.