Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-07-27
NEED OF WORLD.


By Rev. Jrrios 3. Ecmens@yjc~.
Then drew near unto Him al the
pubIicans and sinners for to hear Him.
Luke 10: /.
That the church and the world are
drawing further apart is common re-
mark.
We do not believe that the schism is
as vide as many think. Tor do we be
iipy;. that is is growing. The church,
beyond all denial, is eXerting a pro
found influence upon the age. and the
world is no slower to-day than ever to
respect religion that bears the marks
OF sincerity.
Nevertheless. it is too true that there
Is far more of such an alienation than
thcra sb0uld be. Our text shows that
+ha casa was not such with the found
er OF the Christian religion. There
was nothing III His manner or words
or life that repealed the multitude. But,
saws the inspired historian, Then drew
near unto Him all the publicans and
sinners for to hear Him.. And these
were the very ones who most needed
His divine counsels, Let us ask, then,
why it is that the church too often
seems to fail in getting into such NV
in. touch with the world as to trans
fo"n. it as it should
First, because Of the attempt to sec
u!arize it's message. This is the device
Of pulpit charlatans and sensational
lists. In order TO draw the world they
pare off all the distinctive marks OF the
church. They withdraw the claim of
divine authority for its teachings. They
repudiate the supernatural IL It's origin
and history. They square all its tenets
with a narrow reason, so that there is
left no sphere for the larger exercise OF
faith If the world wants anything 1t
wants the real gospel, the word Of life.
Another reason, no doubt, is the fail
ure of church members to illustrate the
religion they profess. Very true, the
world Is too exacting here. 1t forgets
that church people have many lncon-
sistencies and in many respects show
the same weaknesses as others and yet
be sincerely pious.
Still religion must radically change
the nature 1t must make one new
creature. 1t must give one new mas
ter motive. And when the church does
not show itself a nursing mother of the
cruces Of love and humility and unself-
ishness and brotherhood the world has
q right to question its claims
4 third and chief reason for too fire.
Quent alterations is an incorrect and
III. Just presentation Of religion. To
many spheres of life which the world
rightly regards as innocent the church
is often made TO take hostile attitude.
A clasm is forced between piety and
the ordinary ways Of life. Temperance
is confounded with abstinence. Liberty
is labeled with the tag of license. The
spiritual life is divorced from the nat
ural. To come to the church men are
asked TO deny what is justified by their
common sense One-sded religiOnists
overlook the fact that a man can legiti-
mately love and enjoy life, art, beauty,
pleasure. without loving God the less,
but only the more.
Nor do these austere notions truly
represent the historic church. In her
true, worldwide character she has al
ways been characterized by broad, lib
eral, rational and joyous conceptions
Of that piety which is pleasing to Cod
who is love, and who as Father re-
joices in the happiness of His children.
Let. then, the children of light be
wise in their generation" toward the
worldly and unsaved. And let the world
abandon it's misconceptions and preju
djces as to genuine piety and, the world
and the church meeting together, relig
ion will prove to be that benign power
for Righteousness, JOY and sonship of
God which it was meant to be by the
eternal Author.