The Penn's Grove record., 1905-03-10
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. W. M. 6RUNDAcE.
Subject: True Mission of the hurch.

ian Cnufcn, the Rev. w. Nj. Brundage
took for his subject Sunday morning
The True Mission of the Church"
The text was from I. Timothy iii:
IL: 1.-THE church of the living God"
In the course of a strong sermon, list
ened to by a large audience, he said:
From the conditions which prevailed
q few centuries ago, when the church
was without a rival to contest it's au-
thority. to its present condition, when
it must contend with numerous com
petitors for the very right to exist,
humanity has taken a long stride for
ward. Freedom has come to be more
b a mere name. Multitudes of peo-
pie have seriously begun to think and
act for themselves. Less and less is
the church able to live upon its record
in the past; more and more has it be-
come manifest that it must justify its
continued existence by the work that
it does. by the service that it renders
to society. Unless our churches of
every name a be brought into vital
and helpful relations to the real life
of the people, they are doomed to per-
ish. The traditions of the past cannot
save them. Their service in the past,
great though it has been, cannot JUS
tify their present existence. Do they
minister in an essential name to the
best life of to-day? An affirmative an
swer to this question constitutes their
only justification. Brotherhoods. clubs,
philanthropic associations without
number are competing with them; IL
b~raries, newspapers and periodicals,
and educational institutions are doing
n1rrOh Of thu r-opI- rrhfnH &Ha- 800
did. work that was formerly left eX-
clusively to them. We find nothing in
the origin of the church that entities
it to claim a divine right to persist.
If it persists it will be because it does
a better work for 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, clothe the naked, visit and
comfort the sick and sorrowing. care
for those who are in prison. minister
to the orphan and the Outcast. in fine,
engage in all sorts of strictly philan-
thrOpic activity better than multi
tudes of existing benevolent institu-
tons? Certainly the churches will
continue to do such work as this, be-
cause they are organizations of those
who love and serve their fellOwmen.
But clearer and clearer does it become
manifest that other institutions can do
most kinds OfphilanthrOpic work rs well
as, if not better than, the churches.
On the whole, the great fraterni-
ties everywhere established in our
times "a do it better. The organized
charities of our cities, the prison re-
form associations, the humane socie-
ties and others can do it better, more
economically, more effectively.
Can the churches, however, continue
to maintain themselves as centres for
the propagation of great dogmatic sys-
TENS, or, on the other hand, as centres
of mere protest against the dogmatic
systems of the past? l do not believe
that they can. The forum for the dis
cussion of such systems is being rap
idly shifted from the pulpit to the
press. The great magazines and re-
views and religious newspapers of our
time afford a more favorable field for
their discussion, while the masses of
the people care less and less for them.
incidentally the churches will continue
to urge upon their people what they
believe to be a true philosophy of God,
of the universe and of man, but this
work alone cannot justify their con-
tinued existence.
Neither as purely sacramentarian in
situations can the churches long retain
their hold upon any large number of
the people, because with the growth
and extension of Lew knowledge the
claims of SacramentarianiSm are rap
idly becoming discredited. What is
called 1.-THE high church reaction" so
widely known is after all but a reac-
ton and cannot be permanent in its
influence. 1t is but a return to the
childhood of religion, and the thinking
world demands the religion of a man.
Can the churches. however, continue
to maintain themselves as social clubs,
as organizations of congenial people
who come together to enjoy n an
others companiOnship?
But when there are so many social
clubs in every community. membership
in which car be restricted TO people
of congenial tastes and kindred pur-
suits as membership in even the most
exclusive church cannot be, l do not
believe that the churches can long
justify their existence as the mere COM
petitors of these clubs.
Has the church then outlived its use
fulness and is it about to pass away?
Certainly not, if it arouSes itself and,
becoming conscious of its true mission,
resolutely devotes itself - its dis
tinctive work. This, 1 believe. is what
the churches can do better than any
other institution-they a and do. i'll
multitudes of instances, act as great
inspirational centr s ministerinC 10 the
life of the spirit, to the life of the
ideal. to- the life of God in the soul of
man. They come into vital md helpful
relations with the people i just so
as they inspire to high thinking and
feeling and loving, in just so far as
they inspire and quicken the religious
life of the community.
Let the churches, therefore. IA
regarding themselves as authoritative
ecclesiastical institutions. authorita-
tive sacramentarian or dogmatic in
situations. and become free democratic
religious societies for the propagation
CT pure and indebted religion, for in
spiration to high and worthy ideals,
for actually helping men ito DO justly
and love mercy. and to walk humbly
with their God" The churches that
are most truly and profoundly religious
forces will best justify their existence
in the twentieth century.
To foster and develop the distinct
lively religious life of humanity, this
is the true mission of the churches.
They must be light-givers and life
givers. They must be spiritually
alive in order that they may impart
life, for life is what most counts. The
outward activities of the churches
lsust be the natural expression of what
they are.
The methods for the expression of
this religious life will be varied be-
cause the dispositions of men vary.
This or that particular form of aetiv-
ity is unessential. A longer or n
shorter ritual of worship is un%essential.
provided the light and power of relig-
ion are present. Faith, worship. as
piration, loving human service. these
are the essential elements in religion
and the forms in which they embody
themselves will be vital.
The living. institutional church that