The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-12-01

tears. he says, ran down the cheeks of the pacific Quakers, who formed a part of that most interesting assembly"
 That note of common Christianity struck thus at the beginning of our national history. is now echoed and re- verbrated from all sides. I am speak ing of our common obligations and op- portunities as Congregationalists as We are part of the one catholic church, and have our place to hold in the present great conflict between Mammon and God.
 In speaking first of what is reputed by the text, Dr. Smyth said: God never gave to any man the spirit of cowardice. One of the early pastors of the first church in New Haven, in a colonial controversy, stood up and said: "Our answer should be one of faith and not of fear That has been the spirit of New England Congregationalism. All dispositions which impede us should be Jeff behind. Well do I remember one night in the civil war when the Fifth army corps had started on raid upon the enemies communication Af- ter the first days march, before we had quite swung clear from our base, the order came down to the company cap tains to send to the rear all who were too disabled to march farther. We did so, and with thinner ranks marched on more strong because of that order. I think, sometimes, similar orders need to be sent down through our churches. We may need one more church among our too many churches-a hospital church, to which might be sent back all the disabled. disaffected and the sick, to receive kindly treatment, where their meanings would do no contagious harm, until they are returned to the ranks again.
 Dr. smyth said: "The church now needed is the church of the powerful love. For the present tasks of Chris tianity the church is not to be merely 8 nursery of good feelings, nor is a cradle song to be it's marching music. Dear as the word friendship is, the word comradeship is greater word.
 This powerful love is not to be measured merely by it's quantitative re- suits. Idealism may be betrayed by un- due emphasis upon numbers. The work of Paul, the influence of St. John l is not to be measured by a census of the early churches. The apostles never published church year book of statis- ] tics. Inspiration cared so little for figures that it gave only round num- bers for the converts at the day of Pen- tecost. The higher estimate is, What does the church stand for? Not merely what is good for the church, but what is the church good for? Dr. Smyth proceeded to speak of some positive ele- ments in the church of the powerful love. ''It will be the church of pro- phetic ministry. The Congregational church has made such ministry it's pe- culiar and special function. Its pulpit has been in our history a prophet of righteousness This is the ministry of i the church, not merely of the pulpit It is not the man in the pulpit, but the church behind the man, that gives him moral power. The preacher may be the right arm of the church swinging the axe laid at the root of some great evil; but it is the whole body that gives
 the arm it's power"
 | Another character of the church now needed upon which Dr. Smyth dwe1t was characterized as the ministry of many tongues. We cannot repeat the
 Pentecostal miracle, when, whoever
 spoke, every man heard in his own tongue; but we can seek to organize and provide a church with means for preaching to all nationaIities in our city, each in it's own tongue. Here lies