The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

profitable" in all things. and many a
man has found the chief center of his
social life in the church, and has had
financial advantages come to him through
his associations with Christian people,
But this is the overflow Of religion. Such
material advantages should not be made
an object for which people are to come
to church. These secular opportunities
should not he magnified or put forth
either Is induCement or as reward The
church exists for Worship, for instruC-
uon in truth. for moral and spiritual in
spiratiOn. and for mutual helpfulness. The
church's high aims should ever be mag
nited. II this is not done the church
will be Vulgarized and made a stepping
stone to material advancement. min
lister once had a dentist In his congre-
cation who was quite offended because
the clergyman would not leave his own
dentist and engage his parishioner's pro-
feSslonal services. In the same church a
coal merchant gave up his pew because
the trustees bought the church's coal
from man outside the congregation.
These men thought that the church exist
ed for revenue, perhaps for revenue only,
and membership in the congregation was
valuable to them chiefly as a business
asset. That. particular church did its
duty and stuck to its spiritual lasts,
standing for the practice of pure religion
Beware of Social Climbers in the
Church.
so in all social matters. Many con-
gregations are crowded with social
climbers (come, to be sure, uncon-
sciously so). but the Ginning spirit
is the same whatever may be the de-
gree of willful intention. The lofty spirit
uality of the church will be quickly de-
stroyed il the principle of Christian
brotherhood is allowed to become synony-
nous with social favor and entertain
ment. Many of our churches are suffer-
ing to-day from spiritual anemia, be-
cause they are allowing the great cont
mand love thy neighbor az. thyseIf,'
which touches the fundamentals Of kind
ness. fairness, justice. and sacrifice for
our fellows, to be whitfield down to mean
that mans wife shall be on the call
ing list of the first families in the parish.
But above all, 1t must be remembered
that a church by taking this position
practically insults its members by assum-
ing that they come to the house of
the Lord for some other purpose than to
worship God and to work for the ad-
vancement of His kingdom. The average
person must be held to these high ideals
of spirituality and Christian duty. In
teaching the principle OF the necessity of
individuality of taste in all matters out
side the church, Christianity magnifies
the self-respect and the natural dignity
of plain, unassuming people, and en-
phasizes the nobility which lies in every
human soul.
The church must not be the church
of the rich or the poor, the successful
or the unsuccessful, but by distinguish
ing what is meant by true Christian
ence the church will be enabled to help
the less fortunate. and to help. also, those
who are superior to their fellows In ma
terial gifts and intellectual blessings. The
less fortunate will: feel that their individ-
ualty Is respected; they will not be
treated unfairly nor unkindly in the house
of God and in the social organiza tions
connected with It; and they will be
shielded against discourteous treatment
outside the church walls. Likewise, the
more fortunate will be encouraged to per-
form greater acts of service and sacrifice
in helping others. when they know exactly
where they may stop. having blended in
their treatment of others these ideals Of
Christian courtesy and Christian indie
pendence.
First Duty, Then Privilege.
The positions here maintained are
those upon which the church can be
dogmatic and insistent. They represent
the minimum of Christian duty; they
do not represent the full measure of the
Christian privilege of service. When
Christian people are held to the duty Of
courtesy and kindness which does not
destroy their individual independence,
they will. in many cases. do more than
the strict Interpretation Of duty demands.
Deeds of Christian kindness will constant
" be done by high-hearted men and
women: the Sunday school teacher will
call upon her scholars and bring into
their home a human interest, grace
and a courtesy which can but be
blessing; the humble friend, the sick
neighbOr. the tired seamstreSs, the old
companion of early youth, will be given
invitations to the homes of the well-tO-do.
1t has been done again and again, but the
law is plain; first duty. then privilege:
first the universal obligations Of fairness
and kindness which do not destroy the
personal prerogatives of the individual
then the full expression of the abun-
dant, Overflowiag spirit of Christian help
fulness and Christian service.