The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-04-01
ON THE COMING CHURCH.

DSssuslOA III genera LOT what IL is
alleged that It lacks to do for hui
nantty in bringing the individual
closer to its fold and ministers INTO
Him with a closer relation. The men,
bership is %arraigned because of it's
lack of living within the prescribed
rules which shall be the means of
encouraging those out side to enter
into the relations which shall lead
to the higher and nobler life. Just
what the future holds for the church
Is a question that is being discussed
from many prominent pulpits all
owe the country, and a few days
ago we read the extracts from a SER
mon delivered down in Hartford,
Conn, by Rev. DIR. Madison G. Pet
ers, of New York, who spoke in the
First Baptist church. His theme was
on what the future church was to
be, what Its place in the life of hui
manity and what it can do toward
lettering humanity. His remarks are
Of such an interesting character that
We reproduce them as printed in the
columns of the Hartford Courant:
4 THE great mark of the thinking
men of our time is the longing of
the divine and this longing can be
best met by emphasizing the true
deity of Christ. The world is tired
of theological terms, but is hunger
ing for truth. The average American
Is inquisitive, touching everything.
He is not stupidity reverent. He does
not battle about creeds but counts
that church his which does the most
Ch~ristianElike deeds. Our theology
Of life reconstructed, after u
church methods readjusted, our
Bible restudied and society must be
recognized on a Golden Rule basis.
by running away from it, n we
IT'S world cannot be %conqured
must not narrow the mission of the
church to the Kingdom of Heaven
beyond, but, recognizing her social
mission work not merely to get the
Jewels out of the mud-puddle, but
but clean up the mud-puddle and to
prove her doctrine all divine, the
church must increase her labors in
the love of man. Jesus Christ must
become not only the Saviour of the
individual but the reform for every
physical suffering and physical need,
and like Jesus Christ minister unto
them. BY going down to the physi-
cal plane where the multitude lived
he was enabled to lay hold of men
and lead them up to the spiritual
plane where He lived.
II believe that the revival of the
Twentieth Century which will save
the church of God from theological
putrefaction will be brought about
through the earnest preaching and
practical application to society of the
neglected social ideals of Jesus.
The church for the times must be
an evangelistic church. We are saw
ed for service. If I don't save others
I won't be saved. Every saved man
must by the law Of influences be-
come a center for the salvation OF
others.
'.The governing motive in the
choice Of a church should be where
you can be the most useful. The
church is nothing more to many
than a spiritual boarding house
Exercise quickens respiration and
sharpens the appetite. The church
is full of apoplectic saints who are
crammed full with spiritual truths
but are suffering from a lack of ex
ercise. The church and every mem
Der in 1t must come into persona
contact with the life of the commune
ity II she is to accomplish her socia
mission. Making every member fee
that he has responsibilities, that hi
has something to do, is the secret o
success In church work. The mos
mischieyous infidelity is not the phil
osophical sort, but the practical sor
which men read out of the professed
~ CnrlStlan IlVeS, VINO are manner
ent to the worlds salvation. Th'
suffering world wants the grasp o
the hand moved by the loving heart.
There are two things engaging tn,
attention of senators and represen
tatives down at Washington-th'
tariff and the distribution of patron
], age. The senators n representa-
tives want the patronage question
settled but there is a gentleman il
the White House who is a little NOR
eager for the tariff question to b
settled first, and the indications s
Tar are that President Taft will hav
his way about it. 1t is sort of a clu
or big stick that he is justly holdin
e# nv0r cnnprnss Tho nresfdant is he