The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-09-01
CHURCH CALLED To
MEET GREAT CRISIS
REV. ID. CLAY LILLY IN FAREWELL
SERMON on WORLD
CHARACTERIZATION
PAGAN RELIGIONS FAIL
WEIGHED IN BALANCE AND FOUND
WANTING. AND CHRISTIAN So
CIAL POLITICAL STAND
ARDS ACCEPTED
PAGAN RELIGIONS FAIL

That the crisis in the missionary
movement has been reached and the
present decade Is to show whether
the Christian standard is to be that
of the world was-tfte Insertion yes
terday morn ing of Rev. ID. Clay LILLY,
retiring pastor of Grace-Street~ Pres
byterian church. who leaves Rich
mond this afternoon for Nashville.
Tenn. to take up the. work of field
secretary of the Laynatn's Missionary
Movement.
DR.. Lilly. In the course of his SER
mon, which was heard with interest
by a. large congregation gathered to
bid him farewell. reviewed many of
the steps that have made for progress
of Christianity and civilization, and
the SCATTERING of religion OF the
Pagan. His theme was the mission
airy movement and was presented
under the title The Standardization
of. the World" In substance. DIR.
Lilly said:
The Standardization of the World.
For the earth shall he filed with
the knowledge of the Lord as the
waters cover the sea.-fsaiah IL: g.
This Is a vision OF a man of vision"
1t is a prophesy of "A new heaven and
a new earth here and now. 1t speaks
thing TO be hoped for, and as result
of the worlds coming Ia know the
Lord.
The prophet is right in his order
Of events He makes all true social
and civil progress dependent on
spiritual experience. To contend for
morals and social progress without
calling for spiritual experiences is to
fight a losing battle. This inspiring
spiritual experience Is to be had
through personal knowledge Of the
Lord This has been the rejuvenating
and effective force In the progress OF
the race.
Though this is a vision of an ideal
II Is an ideal which is to be realized.
1t Is to he wrought out in human ex-
perience. II is being accomplished in
the worlds history. These words were
spoken by man in a long gone age
i'm an obscure land. But that land
gave birth to the prophets and 10 him
of whom the prophets spoke And
the power of him on whom rested the
spirit If the Lord has been felt in
ever widening spheres Of influence
until now the kings of the earth bow
before, him.,
Pagan Civilizations Going.
The work goes on trtnmphantly.
The nations that sit in darkness and
the shadow OF death are seeing the
light Pagan civilizations are capitu-
latine. Social and civil institutions
which have existed fer thousands OF
years are passing out of life never to
return Pagan religions are being
weighed In the balance and found want
ing BY the peoples who have heretofore
accepted them unquestioningly. There
Is a general breaking up throughout
the whole world.
Christian ideals of conduct and Chris
tian social and political standards are
being accepted as the ultimate stand
ards in the great nations of the world.
civil and political liberty are becoming
the possession of all peoples under the
sun.
Missionary Crisis
You are perhaps weary of being told
that this is crisis in the great mis-
sionary enterprises. But look deeply
enough and you will know 1t Is true.
Mans progress has been by special