The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-03-22
Sc r N @ N B Y
REVE REN D
CARVER
THE THEOLOGY OF INDIVIDUAL
WORTH" THE THEME.
All Men on Plane Of Equality Be
fore God in the Opening
Chapters of Bible.

Speaking from the text, Revelation
Ell. Rev. Carver said in part, the
theme being The Theology OF lndi-
vidual Worth
The Bible opens with all men on a
plane Of equality before God, but with
| the tlmo Of Moses comes a definite
| Iriestly class who were TO stand In a
closer relation TO the Creator than the
rest Of the nation. This was no new
regime in religious life. for the heath
on temples. both in Abraham's home
and In Egypt, had their great num-
Der of attendant priests set apart 20
| give their life to that work.
With the New Testament times the
| Primitive order Is again restored and
| many from the common ayocationS are
given their full share OF Gods work.
This is. indeed, a great Characters
tic Of the early centuries of Christian
| cTort. One who has recently pub
lished the results of years OF research
upon this one trend of truth Is fully
convinced that in those carly days the
Christian church and the early crafts
guilds were mingled in one common
trend of effort The early leaders
come from the common people and
very often the craftsmen OF the day
and met in the meeting places where
the craftsmen held their primitive
Guild meetings The church was so
close to the people of lowliness and
toll that they. from the ranks of pow
erty and toll furnished most OF the
leaders. 1t was not a day of great
schools, but 1t was a day or direct
association between each individual
believer and his God
Then came the regime of class dis
tlnctlon again, and for centuries the
common people were separated from
divine things by a special class OF
men and women set apart for that one
work For four centuries the work OF
the kingdom has been given more and
more unto the unordained members.
Now we have recently great mass
meetings OF men to further roreiGl
missions men who are many OF them
tot even officers In a church, bat
members only. have given time,
money and travelled long distances 10
farther foreign and home missions by
Great conventions. We have mon nt
almost every church banded together
as church men in great national broth
crhoods and giving time and money TO
advance that trend of active church
life. AS never before do we sec the
laymen and women taking the duties
and responsibilities once given TO the
ordained and to them alone.
Of a. III
but be impressed with the many
phases OF religious activity and effort.
Though the great underlying truths
and principles are the same as In the
dawn OF the Christian era the chang
Ing conditions of social. political and
industrial life can but naturally call
forth a new line of religious Thought
and activity to meet the new needs
OF each century's new problems.
Moreover, Christian truth is no dead
and lifeless thought which has In IT
no life IT Is live and earnest and be-
ing so must undergo the enlarging pro-
cess of growth. AS We know more OF
the real Christ today than ever before
we must naturally have larger sys-
tenn OF definite thought to express our
truth These thoughts Will in mea-
sure explain the basis for our speak
ing OF New Theology OF lndividu-
ality." Never before did each indi-
vidual life have so many and so plain
avenues OF advance opened in religi-
ous life. The words OF the poet now
nre again fulfilled, The old order
changeth, yielding place TO new. and
Cod fulfills Himself In many ways.
lest one good custom should corrupt
the world Another has said: Every
nee is apt to think Itself the turning
point In history. In sense 1t is. A
turn OF the Kaleidoscope be 1t ever so
slight. determines the combinations OF
a later adjustment Of the bits OF glass
and each slight advance or retreat In
progress gives a new field OF effort.
1t Is a day of individual thinking.
Each year the catalogues of the great
Publishing houses contain moro and
more theological books written by lay
men. II Is safe to say that the books
that have most influenced the theolo-
elcal thinking of the world during the
past few years have been written not
10y ministers, but by laymen- The
great NOl h6 VI lilc lSaNN' vi Poi ii'
rlent, Lord Arthur James Balfour, are
famous examples Of this. The clergy
can no longer do the religious think
ing for the people. They must be ac-
tive II they are to lead in their own
lire. This is q day OF individual work
Ing. The great evangelistic move
ments Of the day are planned and car
REC out by laymen and very often
It is a layman who is the greatest
evangelist. Great examples OF this are
Moody. McCauley Hadley, and Smith.
Men like John Converse oil the Bald
win Locomotive Works. give their
time and money to evangelistic meet
ings. Mr. Gamble, of the well-known
Proctor & Gamble firm, gives mis-
time and fortune to foreign missions;
John Huyler. Of candy fame. spends
fortunes OF money and most OF his
time for city missions in New York
City; the president of the Western
Cereal company: the president of the
Milwaukee railroad, and others IN Chi
cago, arc vital factors In their place
for the cause OF Christ.
Now, as 1t ia day of added privi-
lege in thought and work for all. just
go is 1t a day Of added responsibility
and reward. No longer can the moral
and religious condition OF town aud
country be charged TO the account ot
the clergy or even to the church. The
the ology Of today says you can think