The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-05-16
A PLEA FOR
CHURCH UNITY
Continued from Page Nine.)


But neither Of these nor all of them
together have anything N themselves
but the el .ments Of danger and decay.
A Church may have wealth, power, so
cial position and wide influence and yet
be diving of dry rot. With the power of
the Spirit first. then money. influence
and work for the uplift of man will in
eyitablv follow. All human eXpedients
apart from the power Of the Spirit can
be nothing but a temporary aid and
often these expedients are seeds of
trouble and evil which viii some day
grow and bear bitter fruit.
What the Church in these Islands and
elsewhere needs IS not primarily money,
or position or even activity for man 5
betterment It needs holiness Of life
in its members, it needs conservation,
il needs that its members utilize the
gifts of the Spirit endowed Body.
These are the first things nothing can
make up for their lack. We prize au-
thoritv. we value money for buildings
and we esteem social influence, but these
things are all dead without the power
of the Spirit.
When the Apostle calls the Church
the DblN OIL ' uIISt. II - no iiitit ~ hi =
upon which ne dweIls and celebrates.
In the human body each cell, each cor
puscle must not only be endowed with
life but must do its appointed work IN
the body if here is to be health and
vigor Each cell must be engaged III
the twofold process Of giving and re
ceiving. 1t must draw nurture and
power from the means provided, but It
must also be passing on its powers,
constantly doing its appointed work.
II the cell fails to receive power, dis
ease comes If it refuses to transmit
power. disease comes 1t must be ever
receiving and forever giving.
So it is with the Body of Christ.
Each Individual of the Body must be
in touch with the life and power of
the Spirit and it must be n constant
activity. mere increase of atoms Is
not growth. 1t is often an accretion
which means serious injury. hat tho
Church needs Is living individual cells,
full Of the power of the Holy Ghost,
constantly in touch with the means Of
Grace. repairing the individuals ami
building them up and giving them pow
er for service in all the activities of
the body.
1t is true that in this day there are
a large number of people living upon
the moral principles of their early train
ing and the diffused power of Christ
in the social life Of Christian countries
who feel themselves emancIpated from
any necessity or inclination to keep in
touch with the Church of God by wor-
ship or sacraments. These NAV still
/ I.
because their wives and children are
still in some touch with the Church, but
they themselves would state with some
degree Of pride that they are thankful
that the dav is come when the "week-
end or the automobile or fishing eX-
petition or golf engages their time and
efforts on the Lord Day. OF course,
if a man absolutely denies that Chris
tianiry is of any further use in the
world, this position is 2 logical one,
but if there is still need for religion
among men, then conduct such as this
is illogical and contrary to the spirit
of human progress.
While many men and women who be
long 10 the class who pay no attention
to the outward affairs Of religion are
generous in support of humanitarian
effort, yet ! am sure that if in any com
munity careful examination was made
we should see that if the uplifting
measures for mankind and the moral
and spiritual influences of society de-
pended upon the class of men and
women who have arrived at the prac-
teal conclusion that religion is no use
to them. then society would be in a bad
way.
There have been periods in the world
before this when the spiritual ite-of
people decayed and when little atten
ton was paid to spiritual matters. But
there always comes d time when the
conditions which follow such religious
decadence drive men to seek remedy
and refuge in those truths for which
the Church stands.
Consider my brethren, what 1t would
mean if in prayer and supPhcatlon all
the people of Hawaii sought first the
gifts of the Holy Ghost.
1t would mean holy priests, living
episties known and read of all men
priests humble in heart and mind, not
given to envyings, never unduIy EN-
phasizing things, not pulled up, reJolc-
ing in all growth Of the Body of Christ.
1t would mean parishes standing
shoulder to shoulder ia all good works,
rejoicing in each other 5 prosperity.
1t would mean people so charged
with the Spirit that with the one thing
in heart and mind, all personal matters
would 90 down for the common pros
perity Of the Kingdom of Gods dear
Son.
IN the family it would mean the
realization of the priesthood of the