The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-11-30

! spiritual force in the world. We fail
| to see that this universal practice of
| self-condemnation springs largely out
of more highly developed social con-
science. | venture that there is some
hope when the church becomes dis
satisfied with itself; and | would be the
| last one to endeavor to lull you into
! the dreamless sleep of those who are
so perfectly saved themselves that
there is nothing more to do. And yet
l would not have you interpret every
ecclesiastical sound as that of thunder.
Surely, God still speaks through his
church, and they who listen, with souls
attuned, may hear the divine voice.
Speaking for myself, [ am becoming
very weary over all this unhistorical,
unphilosophical, unchristian, unjust
and utterly untrue criticism Of the
church. / hold no brief for the church
and I care nothing whatever for it as
an institution apart from it's religious
significance: 1 will go further and say
that / would be perfectly content to
see it crumble down into ruins, so that
the cause of religion might prevail
among men-the kind of religion ex-
pressed in those old words: What
doth the Lord require of thee but to
do justly, to love mercy, and to walk
humbly with thy God?" Common JUS
tice, however, requires it to be said
that the church is the chief agency in
the world today by which and through
which, such religion is being developed
in the lives of men.
/ sat once in the audience room Of
that wonderful institution in Chicago
known as the Commons and listened
while man after man, availing himself
of the utter freedom of speech that
there exists, INDUCED in the most bit
ter and prejudiced denunciation of the
church: and sitting there l knew that
every brick in the edifice, and every
timber beneath floor and roof, and ev-
cry nail in the building was paid for
by the Christian men of Chicago, who
sat in the pews Of the despised
churches.
On another occasion | was one OF an
audience that packed the great Audi
forum of that city to listen to man
of unquestioned sincerity and elo-
quence denounce the Christian church.
/ saw the thousands go fairly mad with
applause at the climax of one of his
splendid periods of oratory; but knew
come to any actual, practical, first
hand endeavor to do something to lift
up humanity, there would not have
been, in the whole wild, shrieking
crowd from pit to gallery a five-dollar
contribution. I have lost all my faith
in the people who are trying 20 save
the world by crying down the church.
That church has her grave inperfec-
tions without doubt, but 7 ask you in
all honesty, as one who does not know
yet feels, nevertheless, somewhat
sure-who are the men and women that
have made possible by their gifts OF
time and money and prayer the hu-
manitarian work OF your city? And
your Territory? Cast them UP in your
memory. who are they? Who have
they been? Have they been those Of
the rank and file Of the church, or
have they been the ants? Have they
been the boosters or the kickers? Make
no mistake about it Do not let the
idle shallow criticisms of men deceive
you, nor yet your own hearts: imper
feet as she is, the church OF God is the
hope OF the world today
Here I bring these stray thoughts
together in one last word The evil in