Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-03-06
TOPREACH THE TRUTH
Desire Of Jersey Clergyman Who
Champions New Belief.
ASKS HIS FLOCK TO AID HIM

emf Cnurch vs. pytn9, Shoked by Old
Forms-chriStianity to Be Reborn.
Having passed through nine day
soul experience that stirred him to the
very depths. the Rev. William H. Boo
cock. pastor of the First Reformed
church at Bayonne. N. j.. has asked
his congregation to stand by him. He
says he wants to preach the whole
truth.
He believes that the present day
church is dying. choked to death by
old forms and church systems says
the New York Times. He believes that
Christianity. real Christianity Is being
born again. The church Of tomorrow.
the real church. VIII be founded not
upon book. but upon a personality.
DR.. Boocock. graduate Of Rutgers
college. pastor Of his present charge
for eight years and a minister for
twenty years. says that he will not let
himself think Of the consequences in
a material way Of his words and ac-
tions, Regardless Of all forms. sys-
TENS and previous beliefs he purposes
to tell from now on what he believes
to be the truth. If he loses his pas
torate- well. then. he'll just have to.
Members Of Mr.. Boocock's flock
hadn't sufficiently recovered the other
day from the shock Of the remarkable
sermon he delivered on a recent Sun
day morning to make any public COM
ment upon 1t. Some Of them. it was
said. were prepared to stand solidly
with their pastor. while others were
inclined to take sides against him for
his so called radicalism.
Eat different times ! have felt as If
had better resign from the minis
try" he said. "But after my expert
ence knew that must go on In a
ministry Of truth telling. of endeavor-
ing to get into men the spirit Of Christ.
If ! can't do that In my own church,
then maybe shall have to do it in an
independent church. But must tell It,
II had known twenty years ago what
now know about the ministry,
should never have entered it, but did
put my head in the moose. and now
will fight for freedom. shall win 1t"
In his sermon Mr.. Boocock referred
to the Virgin birth. He said that schol-
ars are now thrashing out that ques-
ton. but that 1t wouldn't make a great
deal of difference IL 1t was finally ac-
cepted that there could have been no
such thing. for the real Christianity is
founded upon the personality of Christ
what he said and did.
Frequently Of late Mr.. Boocock has
said that the living church is not
founded upon book. He has left the
impression that the Bible is by no
means the solid truth from "cover to
cover"
Daniel In the lions den. the opening
up Of the Red sea before the fleeing
Israelites and all these impossible
things are mere fiubdub." said Mr.. Boo
cock. 'and expressed in very exagger-
ated and figurative language at that.
1.-THE prophets Of the old time sought
the best means of conveying to the
minds of the sort of people then living
the religious spirit. But the things
that were vehicles of those days can
not be vehicles OF today. for we are
a different people. The prophets could
make the olden people believe those
things. We can't make the young
men of today believe them, and 1t Is
stultlfylng to keep on trying to do 1t.
And so during the days of the ref
ormatlon many of the dogmas Of Prot
estantism were made by men for the
needs of the men then living. The
present church system is heritage
from past age. In its beginning it
was neeessitated by the outward and
inner conditions Of the time: In its ma
turity it rendered u noble service, but
in Its old age 1t Is becoming an intol-
cradle burden. 1t Is full OF dead spots.
and unless the signs are mlsread 1t Is
clearly dying. But that does not mean
that Christianity Is dying. On the con-
trary, It is being born again with a
new and more vigorous life.
The spirit Of man. growing more
kindly. more truth loving, more pur-
posefuI. Is struggling for freer and
more effective expression, and 1t Is
hindered by the existing church sys-
tenn aud by the sturdy. though some
times unenllghtened, defenders of It.
who seem to regard 1t as OF the abid-
ing essence Of Christianity itself Ten
nyson's words are not without point In
this connection:
sour little systems have their day
/ They have their day and cease to be.
They are but broken lights to thee.
And thou. o Lord. are more than they.
IF any church representing Chris
tianity is TO live, It must touch the life
OF the people at all points. Let's away
| with the thought that the pastor Is to
talk about nothing save the divinity Of
| Christ. the lnfallbiIity OF the Bible,
| and so on.
"If there Is In any town any public
/ matter Of Importance to the whole peo-
pie living there. let the pastors OF the
churches. the deacons, elders and the
congregation get out and work for It.
Let the pastor talk about Il IN his pul.
pit A universal fraternal spirit VIII