Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-09-03
world has no other literature COM

WOTlQ mas no Quiet COIUs
parable to the Hebrew Scriptures
Of the Old Testament and the Chris
,tian writings Of the New Testament.
These writings, a library Of sixty
six books, commonly called by US
book of life, with every variety OF
human experience, written in every
type of literary presentation, and
possessed all through by q marvellous
moral power, a spiritual illumina-
ton and a grip on mans moral being
which make this Bible something
in mans life which he cannot avoid
without moral loss, and cannot read
without spiritual reproof and re-
morse or defiance OF repentance. The
Bible must be reckoned with. Man
has a right to it's constant perusal
and self-interpretation which some
churches deny to him. Millions of
our fellow men go through life un-
conscious Of this priceless posses
sion, which, if they once realized it's
existence and value, they would give
| al. else to be able to enjoy and pos
sess. Millions more in Protestant
Christendom come to years OF ma
turity utterly ignorant Of h real
value aud moral vitality Of this great
book Of God, and though nominally
accepting its contents at their pre-
suned face value, place no actual
reliance upon it as a source of life.
| This is partly due to an unreal meth
Cd of Interpretation, partly to an
unreal theological authority, and
partly due to it's exclusion from Il
| public system of education as a
| literature for literary analysis and
examination, and as a great treasure
house of moral information capable
Of being memorized without re-
course to sectarian explanation or
ecclesiastical influence of sinister de-
| sign. No Congregationalist believes
in State aid to religious communi-
ties or ecclesiastical objects. Let
every religious organization stand or
fall, live or die, according as it ex-
fall, live or die, according as 1t
| gives it a right to live in a free at
mosphere which is guaranteed as a
necessity of life. How then is Bible
study to be pursued? BY r%quipping
every church as a thorough Bible
school with every modern facility
known to pedagogy, philosophy,
psychology and religious admins
tration.
The churches of the future CEN
turtles will only live as they are
worthy to live with thee advancing
sciences of government, industry
and education.
We are to do the work of build
ing up men in Christian character.
Not merely moral men, or educated
men, or civilized men, but men re-
deemed and reconstructed in charac-
ter by the power Of a Person whom
we love and worship as the Christ OF
God, and apart from whom we dc
not believe this spiritual life Of re-
generation is possible.
This work demands that each
member of the Christian church
shall do his share. It demands that
we shall live and work for the com
munity all the time. Not for our
selves-the community and tn
community Father will care for us
Some souls need worship, some neee
social life, some need good books
some need physical culture, as thu
starting point of a new intellectual
life or spiritual passion. The Chris
tian church can sanctify all thes
modes of renewing mems life. !
must be a working institution. Ope1
at all reasonable hours, for all "a
tional purposes that aid in religion
development. It must be the grea
spiritual centre from which radiate
the religious strength Of the home
, that stand around it and to whic
comes the spiritual response that mu
> tiplies and maintains it's power an
: resources