The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-08-20
FULTUN COUNTY I.
Published Every MON ST
b. W. pdoK, Edit the Future.

IN membership to any persons
>, without accepting its creed as a
ST. will make a single and simple
onfession, that they believe Jesus to
be the supreme expression to men, in
human form, of what God is like. and
what He would have us become. This
is what we mean by modernism. That
the lie OF a church depends not
upon its creed, but upon its spirit.
Therefore We do not insist that any
one else shall accept our creed in the
exact terms in which we interpret
it. It is impossible for a thinking
man not to have a creed of some
sort. But as Congregationalists we
agree to differ upon all matters that
We deem unessential We believe
that the example of the life OF Jesus
as we have It in the four gospels is
sufficient to make any man who will
try II such a man as God would ac-
cept as His eternal friend, and help
toward perfection of character.
Therefore we ask of a man who
wishes to Join our church, not what
does he think concerning the lead
ing religious doctrines of his day, but
does he believe in following Jesus as
the Master Of men and is he honest
ly trying to do so? His creed only
interests US as the intellectual ex-
pressions of his moral and religious
character. He depends for his au-
thority in religion exactly as we do,
upon direct communication with
Gods spirit. So. in this intellectual
attitude toward religion, we do not
decry or unkindly critlcise those
other religious bodies whose adher-
ents differ very widely from our
view. We believe firmly and grate-
fully that Greek and Roman Catholi-
cism, all forms of Professionalism,
Unitarian and Trinitarian, as well
as Judaism, have each contrib
uted much 10 the worlds religious
life, and that even the faiths Of the
Orient, both ancient and modern,
have been a part of God s growing
revelation TO the world
The social message of Christian lty
has long been misunderstood or ne
elected. Now 1t is being proclaimed
everywhere, and no live church can
escape its appeal. In the church we
are to build, and the work we seek
TO do, we must recognize its place.
/ have spent ten wears amid social
problems, six years in the Hell's
Kitchen section of Manhattan Island.
1 believe that my experience has
equipped me in some humble way to
preach the gospel of Jesus. and build
up church that shall represent the
life of God in the souls of men,
l do not need to proclaim myself
Socialist of any brand, nor to join
some new ism, in order to love my
fellow men and serve them. To me
the biggest opportunity in life is
to be a CHRISTIAN Christ's man, to
serve men. What kind of a church,
then, do | hope to see built and for
what work?
Christianity and Socialism alike
seek the development OF an efficient
society, a social order Of stable
equilibrium. But Christianity in
sists that there can be no perfected
society, except by the regeneration
of each individual. 1t is not enough
to provide a perfect environment of
Justice and live by the riost beauti-
full socialistic legislation; there must
be a moral power In each person,
causing him to fit In to such a per-
feet society! Such lnoral power
can never be produced by perfect
economic and social legislation, but
by the making OF a new moral man
in each individual by some Divine
power outside himself Such a
power has not been found outside
Jesus Christ. howeyei He is to be
interpreted.
If the Christian r1ligion is to
make each individual an efficient
member of society, It AN only do so
as It perfects each fu notion of that
individual man. The Christian re-
ligion must improve his body as we'll
as his mind and soul. 1t cannot
achieve one and neglect either or
both of the others
Our supreme work, however, is
the culture of the soul. Few Of us
can define what we mean by the soul.
But all Of us understand what is
meant by the culture of the soul.
The phrase appeals to me more and
more powerfully as / grow older
The development and enrichment OF
the highest powers within us so that
we feel our personality ennobled by
the kindllng of sacred fires and the
consciousness of divine passions over
which we know this transitory world
has no ultimate dominion. The cul.
ture Of the soul involves for me three
elements; worship, education and
work.
What is worchip? It is devotion
instruction, evangelism. In deYo
tion mans soul expresses his graft
tude to God for life and its hopes
his contrition for conscious sin, anC
his prayer for strength to endure th'
discipline OF his spiritual education
and TO achieve his final spiritual vic
tory over the lower and sinful self
BY instruction man seeks to acquir,
in orderly possession by sure knowl
edge those doctrines of faith whicl
describe in his own language the ex
periences through which he ha
passed, or those which he hopes 4
possess and believes to be a part o
his eternal inheritance from hi
Father, God.
Next to the Importance OF tn
auditorium for worship. which is ou
most important room, we must bull
church equipped for religious edu
cation. The preachers sermon
should do this in part, and do
systematically, else he is a poorl
trained preacher, though sometime
he may be a great preacher in spit
OF his poor training and not becaus
OF 1t. But the church Is more tina
=, a pulpit for preaching. II is an
always ought to be a great schoC
for religious education. And thi
means chiefly a great school 10
Bible study. Men who do not cor
fess Jesus as Christ, or seek to TO
low Him as Lord. admit that th
world has no other literature con
parable TO the Hebrew Scripture