Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-02-14
TOPREACH THE TRUTH
Desire of Jersey Clergyman Who ! Champions New Belief.
ASKS HIS FLOCK TO AID HIN!
Rev. w. H. Boocook of Bayonne, After Soul Stirring Experience, Says Pres ent Church Is Dying, choked by Old Forms--C ianity to Be Reborn.

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 Forms--Christianity to Be Reborn.
 Having passed through a 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, will be founded not upon book, but upon a personality.
 Dr. Boocock, graduate of Rutgers college, pastor of his present charge for eight years and minister for twenty years, ss.ys that he will not let himself think of tie consequences in a material way of hte words and ac- tions. Regardless of ali forms, sys- tems 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 MT. Boocock's flock hadn't sufficiently recovered the other day from the shock of the remarka ble sermon he delivered on recent Sun day morning to make any public con- ment upon it. Some of them, 1t was said, were prepared to stand solidly with their pastor. while others were inclined to take sides against him for his so called radicalism.
 At different times I have felt as if I had better resign from the minis try" he said. But after my experi- ence I knew that I 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 1t in an independent church. But must tell 1t. If had known twenty years ago what I now know about the ministry, I should never have entered it, but did put my head in the moose, and now will fight for freedom. I shall win it."
 In his sermon MT. Boocock referred to the Virgin birth. He said that schol- ars are now thrashing out that ques- tion, but that it wouldn't make a great deal of difference if 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. 3
 Frequently of late Mir. 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 MT. Boo cock, "and expressed in very exagger- ated and figurative language at that.
 '"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 stultifying to keep on trying to do 1t.
 And so during the days of the ref ormation many of the dogmas of Prot estantism were made by men for the needs of the men then living. The present church system is a heritage from a past age. In its beginning 1t was neeessitated by the outward and inner conditions of the time: in its ma turity 1t rendered noble service. but in It's old age it is becoming an intol- erable burden. It is full of dead spots, and unless the signs are misread 1t Is clearly dying. But that does not mean that Christianity is dying. On the con- trary, 1t is being born again with a new and more vigorous life.
 'The spirit of man, growing more kindly, more truth loving, more pur- poseful, Is struggling for a freer and more effective expression, and 1t Is hindered by fhe existing church sys- tem and by the sturdy. though some times unenlIghtened. defenders of it. who seem to regard 1t as of the abld- Ing essence Of Christianity Itself. Ten nyson's words are not without point in this connection:
 "our little systems have their day They have thsJr 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 tianlty Is to live, it must touch the life of the people at all points. Let'saway with the thought that the pastor Is to talk about nothing save the divinity of Christ. the infaIlibility of the Bible. and So oa.
 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 deaeons. elders and the congregation get out and work for it Let the pastor talk about 1t in his pull pit. A universal frafernal spirit win be the living spirit of the church of to- morrow.
 Prom time out of mind churches have maintained prayer meetings and young peoples meetings of all sorts. I have told my congregation that If they gre to continue having prayer meetings they must attend them IL