The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-03-30
Church Extension or Church Strengthen
(COntinued.)

ltlA'Nl w tlNtl 'LIINl ithAS'
stillborn OF weakly churches.
l further leave the reader to form his
own opinion as to whether we should hold
fast to those which we already have, or
whether we should neglect the very sub
stance now in or possession that we
might reach for the shadow Of visionary
schemes.
further leave the reader to form his
own conclusion as to whether there is IN
this country any well formed belief that
there exists in the great human heart any
fixed and determined a~ntlgonism to the
singing of the hymns, SO many OF which
give to the hungering soul the sweetest
consolation.
The reader may he able to determine
for himself whether the exclusion OF hymns
from our public service has met with
public favor, or il the act has not had a
deterrent effect in keeping men and
women out OF our church and away from
the foot of the cross.
Do o say, if we withdraw our objection
to the singing of hymns, that there will be
nolongera need for our separate corporate
existence?
1answer: If the main object in the life
of the A. R. P. church is to prevent men
and women from singing the hymns.that
give the sweetest consolation, then there
is no good to be conserved by maintaining
our separate existence or in continuing a
tossing fight.
Do you say that the A. R. P. G. has the
higher and the holier mission Of extending
the blessings of the Christian religion to
all, and that to enroll their names in the
Lambs book Of life is their main purpose?
Then I answer: Yes, there is great need
of onr continued existence. To preach the
gospel to every creature is our bounden
duty. To teach al! men to i've purer lives
should bs the aim and effort of every
church. And to the millions Of Americans
who are strangers to the wonderful love
Of our Redeemer we owe a duty in the
discharge of which we should find our
greatest pleasure.
Yes, indeed, there is need for the A. r.
P. C. and there is a field from which a rich
harvest should be gathered. if we do our
duty.
If the A. r. P. G.. has an OBJECT which Is
higher and holier and purer than that OF
fighting the hottest Unborn human emo
tions; il it would not deny the prayers and
the devotions Of pious hymn singers; then
there is a great and mighty work for US to
perform, 4 work which is of such magnl-
tude that the mind may neither com
prehend it nor describe it by human
bounds, and there is q fearful responsible
ity as well as a dreadful accountability
awaiting us, if we neglect the work Of try
ing to impress our glorious religion upon
others who are wanderers and strangers to
the salvation which our Redeemer offers
to all.
The fight against singing hymns is
worse than useless. Such O course Is
killing the church, as is evidenced by the
facts which are furnished in the tragic end
Of sc many enterprises upon which the
church has entered with such high hopes
and with such expectant reasons for the
belief that we could succeed in restricting
the singing in public worship the hymns
which have blessed and comforted so
many contrite and penitert hearts, and
which have encouraged them in hope be-
You'd the grave. Who would deny devout
people the comfort that comes from the
singing Of either "Jesus, lover of my soul"
"Rock of Ages?
If the object OF the A. R. P. G. is to pro-
mote the welfare, the purity and the
sweetness Of the lives and to save the
souls Of the people, then there is an insx-
pressible need not only for it's continued
existence, but there is q divine command /
for the exercise Of all the energy which
its members may possess. Its mission
then would be- Of vital concern, it's
of work would DO as broad as the
horizon, and its objects and aims would
be so high as to make us akin to Him who
died that we might live.
If the chief object is to teach the people |
to say Sabbath" when the calendar day |
is meant, and if the main object and aim
of the church is to deprive people Of the
sacred or devotional pleasure of singing |
then its existence is fruitless and
it might just as well go out of business
now as to be forced to give up a little latch
on. Sabbath" IS the sacred institution
we are commanded to keep holy.
Our Sabbath is on Sunday. For this rea-
We teach Sabbath School on Sunday.
When I hear m educated man speaking
Of the sabbath, when he means Sunday,
think he is presuming on my ignorance.
When I hear aother say Sabbath" on
occasion, he is simply exposing
his own ignorance. 1t is the institution
and not the day of the week, that is tn
Sabbath.
The colossal monument that has been
raised over the one hundred and twenty
five dead churches, rs enumerated above,
furnishes all the needed proof that there
is bad management somewhere, and that
we should profit by experience and try to
find better Or more practical methods.
If this is not true, then opposition to
hymns meets with no responsive echo in
the great and loyal human heart of this
glorious Southland.
Let us sing all the Psalms that we may.
And let others sing hymns or Psalms to
their very hearts content. If we can in
duce them to sing nothing worse than