The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-02-22

and amusements that the most eonseien-
tious Christians can participate in with
ont conjunction Of conscience, when
associated with services of worship,
have been detrimental to the influence
and power of the Church. We have
read of minister who recently secures
a brass band to play regularly in his
sehurch on Sunday evenings for a stated
time, and it is said that he wedged in
a mite of a sermon during an intermis-
sion in the musical concert. Another
minister is said to be serving free lunch
at his prayer meeting. The stereopti-
con lecture and the sensational sermon
have long had a prominent place in the
program of some preachers. But wher-
ever the church has yielded to the temp
tation to cater to the demand of the
worldly for entertainment and amuse-
ment in connection with her services
of worship what she has gained in num-
bers she has lost in influence and power
'fThe church should strive to make
the services as interesting and profit
able as possible. The music should be
the best that we are capable of render
| ing, but we should sing Psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in our hearts to the Lord The
prayers should be feryent and effectual
And the preaching, which is heaven $
ordained plan for the propagation if
the gospel and the extension of the
kingdom of Christ, should not be with
enticing words of man S wisdom, but
in the demonstration of the Spirit and
power. Nothing should be INDUCED in
in connection with the service of wor-
ship that would tend to relegate rever-
ence for, and worship of, Almighty God.
We believe that good wholesome social
gatherings, like the feasts of Bible
times, should be provided occasionally
for the people, but should be held sepa-
rate and apart from religious worship,
and under the absolute control of the
pious portion of the membership.
"The mission of the Christian church
is not to NEEDLE with civic affairs. Ad-
vocates of civic reforms are constantly
| trying to enlist the support of the
| church in behalf of their cherished
| work, and often indulge in the use Of
abusive language against the -church be-
cause she does not give them ardent
support. But the church was not organ
lied to enforce civil law, neither was
it designed to antagonize it. The spirit
of the church is not to compel but to
pursuade; not to coerce but to induce;
not to force men to do right but to
lead them in the way of righteousness.
| All reforms that are sought to be
brought about by legal measures should
/ zenship, and not in the name of the
church. And if the church fulflls her
mission in the world, she will develop
good citizens who will fearlessfy and
courageously assume the attitude of
hostility toward every form of evil in
civic life. Then the political atmos-
] phere shall be purified by the love of
Jesus. which like the evening zepher,
shall gently cool the feverish ardor of
ambitious demagogues and political
tricksters, and men shall be elected to
Office who will be more concerned for
the public welfare than for individual
gain; laws shall be rigidly enforced, the
sanctity of the Sabbath maintained and
righteousness shall reign supremely
"The mission of the church is to
;. help Jesus save the world. bishop
Simpson said: THE church must grope
: her way into the alleys and courts
and purlieus of the city, and up the
broken staircase, and into the bare
room. and beside the loathsome suf-
: ferer; she must go down into the pit
with the miner, into the forecastle
with the sailor, into the tent with the
soldier. into the shop with the me-
chanic,- into the factory with the opera
tive, into the field with the farmer,
into the counting room with the mer-
: chant. Like the air, the church must
I, press equally on all the surfaces of so
. ciety: like the sea, flow into every nook
| of the shore-line of humanity; and, like
i the sun, shine on things foul and low
| as well as fair and high, for she was
a organized, commissioned and equipped
5 for the moral renovation of the
e world
: 'EThe Methodist Episcopal churcl
: has been, is, and viii continue to be
T the mightiest and most aggressive
s force for the evangelization of tn
!; world From her founder she inherite,
d wise methods, indomitable courage, I'm
e renting zeal and answering faith
e which, together, with her belief an
o her dependence on the leadership o
r the Holy Spirit, insure her continue
II growth and prosperity.
n "The Methodist Episcopal church
II the largest evangelical denominatio
ID in the world, numbering 3,112,4 4S, NOR