Mexico Missouri message., 1910-12-01


the present is the recipient Of many
just criticisms from men Of the world,
and 1t would do well to profit by
them
THE church in its ancient forms,
has passed." said Doctor McLaren,
and it's modern form is likewise pass
ing away. Notice, say form, and to
this l would add custom. Time is the
test of all things. To its infallible
decision must be subjected the things
of science, government, religion and
all else. Science proves and she
disproves. But custom, clings.
Witness the passing Of old ma
chinery, likewise of old theories no
longer able to retain their place in
any sound working philosophy Of life.
Witness also the passing of ancient
forms in religion and theology.
THAT is not to say that some gooo
has not risen out of this strange mass
of curious forms and now impossible
beliefs. Quite often we find spirit
accompanying them utterly foreign to
the forms in which they are clothed
"a spirit which grappled with the
higher and the truer, which 1t at times
beheld with singular clearness and
beauty, but which in lieu of the times
and customs 1t could neither unfold
nor retain.
"The profound student can catch
| even between the lines Of Calvinism
glimpses which future mind, equally
strong and more enlightened, will
formulate into a great working the
! ology which we do not now possess.
Infinitely truer and sweeter than his
| theology was the soul of st. Augustine,
and there was never a theologian
whose heart was more thoroughly an
chored in the infinite. And this ia
true of many an ancient and modern
| theologian and creed maker.
World Is Progressing.
out of this age of absurdities the
world has passed into another age Of
less absurdities and less cruelty, and
yet an age whose religious effects
have panied and crippled the more en-
lightened and hindered the progress
of the kingdom of God.
II refer to the age of creed, class
and sect distinctions The first has
| passed, the second is passing and the
| third is doomed to die. The age of
| Christ and Christianity is coming, but
| is not yet here. All we have yet re-
ceived is a foregleam, a prophecy OF
what is yet to be.
/ THAT the church of today does not
meet the demands of the age is too
| painfully evident to need comment.
Certainly, the church of today is not
| without its magnificent examples Of
life character and generosity; hereir
| is its salvation. But that it Is fan
from meeting the demands of our ad
] vanced life and progress is true to an
extent that most people do not real
lie.
"On one of our chautauqua pre-
grams this season, in which the speak
er also had part, one of the greatest
was delivered by a brilliant young
lawyer of the New York bar on The
Trial of Jesus From a Lawyers
Standpoint From Renan to Chan
ming a more beautiful tribute to Jesus
had not been paid. And yet this high
class lawyer and man, honoring and
worshiping the Christ as he seems to-,
has no use for the church and does
not attend it.
",Tne manager of the platform, also
leading lawyer of long experience
and one of the finest citizens of Iowa,
assumes a like position, while lead.
ing physician in the audience declared
himself a member of the same big
church. Those are not the coarseF
skeptical class, but men Of the higher
type.
Criticism of the Church often Just.
These gentlemen gave quite freely
their reasons for the position which
they take, which, by the way, are not
new. We have heard the all before
that the churches are still too narrow,
too sectarian, too intolerant, and that
Enthusiastically in the smaller
towns-are so numerous and conflict
ing that they maintain only a medi-
OGRE ministry which does not appeal
to the brains and heart Of the COM
munity at all. That the gentlemen
referred to have misconception of
the church is plain to be seen, but
that there is ground for their asser.
tions and sometimes for their position
is likewise unfortunately true.
ITO set such criticism aside as un.
worthy our attention were utter folly
on our part. The true man is he who
will listen to his critics, If they are
Just, and strive to profit thereby. And
the church will do well to observe the
same rule.
"As remedy for the defects cited
the speaker developed the following
points: A more united, a more com
prehensive and a better working or
ganization. Decentralization must
go. These things of the past viii suit
no times to come. They have had
their day. Give us now real union
of Christendom in the name and spirit
Of Jesus. Let the smaller churches