New-York tribune., 1906-06-11
NOT .4BOTE CRITICISM.
DR.. Machoy Says the Church Has
Much to Learn from 1t.

a sermon was preached by the Rev DR. Mackay
president of the General Synod of the Reformed
Church at the regular service yesterday morning.
the subject rs the Church OF To-day True
Her IdeaI?' The text was taken from Peter. iv.
II: THE time has come that Judgment must be
gin al the house of God" He said, in part:
Criticisms of the Church are not uncommon. al
though some of them are uncommonly cheap.
Nothing, indeed is easier than criticism, when
criticism is excuse for doing nothing. In all
to condemn the church have in reality been trying
to to Justify themselves: Unwilling 10 be known as
followers '''''' '''7' p'S u MS
is not above criticism and she herself should be
the last to resent IT, IT is true. says the apostle,
that Judgment should begin at the house of God.
Our churches have nothing to fear from honest
ns pun o nave hs anG uf & 10 S ab tp IL and &
ing look facts in the face be restful to the
The Church of Christ must if she is true to her
Lord, he on the firing line of life. and If she is
more than likely be timd before the attacks Of her
Now what is the most frequent word OF criticism
spoken conco rning our Christian churches to-day.
Simply this, that the Church is not in vital touch
with life She is not controlling influence in the
her ana the on the the 4er hf9d a and T %
problems of the hour are not in hands of the
Church for solution. Worklngmen do not turn 10
ital is Just as little likely to seek advice in that
quarter So ii Is that this divine Institution That at
& s se Wh9e 0 qm b IS s toa s @ il Of e tnf onF of
many earnest men, an impractical, ineffective
thing, concerned with questions that do not touch
the pulsng, quvering life of the common, every
day world.
In view Of this l assert that the Church has
absolute need set herself squarely before the
mirror of Christs teaching and ask herself whether
she is true TO her Lord. This IS my subject TINS
morning. 1t is not vague, Impractical topic 1t
is intensely personal and urgently practical Every
man and woman in this house helps to make for
better or worse the Church of Christ what she Is
If there things to criticiSe even condemn in
modern Christian congregations. then let us be
honest and back the responsibility for these
errors to our own hearts So the question arises
Is the Church OF to-day true to her idealF
/ reply in the frSt place that that Church Is nOt
TO her ideal that spends more on her own per-
sona needs than the spiritually destitute out
TO her responsibility TO destitute world for
Jesus Christ.
ideal which puts more emphasis uEon the denOmi-
nation than upon the kingdom of Christ. This does
not mean Of course. that denoriuationa loyalty is
thing TO be condemned. The idea which
Missionaries seem 10 have. that all the Christian
sects can be absorbed into religious trust. with
headquarters somewhere in New Jersey Is simply
a dream Of fanaticism-
her ideal which puts more emphasis on creed
than upon the life Creeds are necessary things.
think tnteliSently upon any subject
without forming Il creed to specify his belief The
man who says he has creed upon subject IS
a moral imbece and an intellectual fakir
Nv fourth remark Is that that Church is not true
To her ideal which pats the emphasis on organizo-
tion rather than on the power Of the Holy Spirit.
Organization has become kind Of fetch in
dav. Political life Is the apotheoss of orGaniza-
ton Some men worship and fear the "organza-
tIon" q little more than they fear their God.
spirtt Of Cod We should pray for a uentecostaI
baptism. The emphasis must he put ana
rn0re the spiritual factor not the mechanical.
united PRAYER is the way to realize in daily
vice the ideal of her Lord