The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-09-16
THE PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. S. H. cox.
Subject: Church of the Future.

such a church as he would like to see
built and sustained. Among other
things he said:
The Church of the Evangel-Con-
gregational-is free in its offer Of
church membership to any persons
who, without accepting its creed as a
test, will make a single and simple
confession, 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 life 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
1t. 1t 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 it such a man as God would ac-
cept as His eternal friend, and help
toward perfection Of character.
Therefore we ask of a mar who
wishes 10 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 ey-
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
iecry or unkindly criticise those
other religious bodies whose adher-
ems differ very widely from u
view. We believe firmly and CRATE
fully that Greek and Roman Catholi-
cism, all forms of Professionalism.
Unitarian and Trinitarian, as well
as Judaism, have each contrib
uted much to the worlds religious
life, and that even the faiths of the
Orient, both ancient and modern,
have been a part of Gods growing
revelation to the world.
The social message of Christianity
has long been misunderstood or ne
SlSSlSu. NV" IL IL UCluS plOSloIulCo
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.
I have spent ten years amid social
problems, six years in the Hells
Kitchen section of Manhattan Island.
l believe that my experience has
equipped me in some humble way to
preach the gospel Of Jesus, and build
up a church that shall represent the
life Of Cos in the souls of men.
l do not need to proclaim myself
q 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
10 be a Christian-a Christ's man, to
serve men. What kind Of a church,
then, do l 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
" lONlu q pCilCSl vi
Justice and live by the most beauti-
Jul socialistic legislation; there must
be a moral power in each person,
causing him to fit in to such a per-
feet society! Such a moral 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, however Ho is to be
interpreted.
If the Christian religion is to
make each individual an efficient
member of society, it can only do so
as it perfects each function of that
individual man. The Christian re-
ligion must improve his body as well
as his mind and soul. 1t cannot
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 l grow older.
The development and enrichment of
the highest powers within us so that
we feel Dull personality ennobled by
the kindling 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 sou, involves for me three
elements: worSlip, education and
work.
What is worchip? 1t is devotion,
instruction., evangelism. In devo-
ton mans soul expresses his graft
tude to God for life and it's hopes,
his contrition for conscious sin, and
his prayer for strength to endure the
discipline of his spiritual education,
and to achieve his final spiritual vic
tory over the lower and sinful self.
BY instruction man seeks to acquire
In orderly possession by sure knowl-
edge those doctrines of faith which
describe in his own language the ex-
periences through which he has
passed, or those which he hopes to
possess and believes to be a part of
his eternal inheritance from his
Father, God.
Next to the Importance of the
auditorium for worship, which IS our
most important room, we must build
a church equipped for religious edu-
cation. The preachers sermons
should do this in part, and do it
Systematically, else he is a poorly
trained preacher, though sometimes
he may be a great preacher in spite
of his poor training and not because
of it. But the church is more than
a pulpit for preaching. 1t is and
always ought to be a great school
for r%e1ioiouS educatiOn And this