Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-03-16
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. w. M. BRUNDAcE.
Subject: True Mission of the Church.

Subject: True Mission of the Church.
Brooklyn. n. Y.-For the first sermon
Of his pastorate of the Unity Unitar-
ian Church, the Rev. w. NJ. Brundage
took for his subject Sunday morning
"The True Mission of the Church"
The text was from I. Timothy iii:
13: "The church of the living God"
In the course of strong sermon, list
ened to by a large audience, he said:
From the conditions which prevailed
few centuries ago, when the church
was without rival to contest its 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
than 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 it's record
in the past: more and more has it be-
come manifest that it must justify it's
continued existence by the work that
it does by the service that it renders
to society. Unless our churches of
every name can be brought into vital
and helpful relations to the real life
Of the people. they are doomed to per-
sh. 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 manner to the
best life Of to-day? An affirmative ar
swer to this question constitutes their
only justification. Brotherhoods, clubs,
philanthropic associations without
number are competing with them; Ii
Marles, newspapers and periodicals,
and educational institutions are doing
much of the work which they once
did, work that was formerly left ex-
clusively to them. We find nothing in
the origin of the church that entities
It to claim divine right to persist.
II it persists it will be because it does
better work for society than any
other institution can do.
What is this work that the churches
are qualified to perform better than
olner Institutions? Can they feed the
hungry, clothe the naked, visit and
comfort the sick and sorrowing, care
lOf those who are in prison, minister
10 the orphan and the outcast, in fine,
engage in all sorts of strictly philan-
tnropic activity better than multi
tudes OF existing benevolent institu-
uohs: Certainly the churches will
eontlnue to do such work as this, be-
cause they are organizations of those
VINO love and serve their fellowmen.
Dut clearer and clearer does it become
manifest that other institutions can do
Nost KINDS fphilanthrCpic work as we'll
%' ' II not better than, the churches.
vi vi the whole, the great ,raterni-
ueS S every where established in our
ulnes can do it better. The organized
ttnafltles Of our cities, the prison re-
Nu .UIlh associations, the humane socie-
ues and others can do it better, more
VCnomlcally, more effectively.
Ian tne churches, however, continue
~. ~ maintain themselves as centres for
.u tue propagation of great dogmatic sys-
@nuS, W. OF, on the other hand. as centres
sr w. nere prDtest against the dogmatic
tft, tHfstelns OF file past? I do not believe
uu ual they ca1L The forum for the dis
iS,s ussion OF such systems is being rap
nro.. ls shlIted from the pulpit to the
riess' re The great magazines and re-
INV r"s ana religious newspapers Of our
tha' ae ailord a more favorable field for
the eii discussion. while the masses of
lne I people care less and less for them.
IA tn'.uehtally the churches will continue
urge upon their people what they
of f4eNe ts TO be true philosophy Of God
mos une universe and of man. but this
tinra, h alone cannot justify their con.
'lued existence.
stitu.: tteI!hef as purely sacramentarian in.
thoi, th%uohs can the churches long retain
the he'f mold upon any large number OF
And people, because with the growth
clan, eAtenslon Of new knowledge tht
idlr idns OF sacramentarianism are rap
caioa @ becoming discredited. What is
Mido,. Mid the high church reaction sc
ton known is after all but a reac
insndah th ana cannot be permanent in its
chi,dhce chi,pAce: 1t is but a return to the
sorId sIliood % OF religion, and the thinking
Can ~ ~" uemands the religion of man
10 MN; me churches, however. continue
a. naalntain themselves as social clubs
wbo sdilzations Of congenial people
et6epss soale me together to enjoy one an
gr RTt S companionship?
elubs " Mhen there are so MANY socia
h wbiak 'n every community, membershi,
"1-eo Can he restricted to peopl,