Omaha daily bee., 1913-12-17

doctrines, who feel called upoh to teach
them. tt't
THE topic uppermost. just now in the
ministerial mind. as who may prove who
listens to sermons from Maine to vir-
g1nia, and from Massachusetts TO Colo
rado, is the supremacy and need of the
church. That the church is not a use
less or decadent institution is vocifer-
ously proclaimed from all the puipits
Well, Is 1t q school of morals7 Is II in
tent upon a. nice distinction between, right
and, wrcng ?isso 2. - A'~t
+ There was dme Undoubtedly when
the criticism passed upon preaching by
the writer Of the article would have been
applicable TO the situation, but IT has not
kept up with the progress Of ministerial
thought, is not aware that the pulpit of
+ the present is dealing, very directly and
emphatically. with practical matters OF
conduct
Like other members OF its class, who
have a latent antipathy to religion consid-
cred as fundamental to sound ethics, it
harps upon the o!d criticism. not having
come close enough to the spirit OF the
contemporary pulpit to realize the change
/ that has been in progress. and that the
Ten Commandments now I'LL a very much
larger place in pulpit discourse than does
dogmatic discussion.
She had let her recollection OF what
may have been true once. along with an
| lily disguised antipathy to the whole
religious matter. take the place OF an
intimate acquaintance with what min
listers are now preaching about (as dis
closed by the press and by printed vol
umes OF sermons) in forming her esti-
mate and shaping her criticism Of cur
! rent homiletics.
Had not her article been coiored by
| such a prejudgInent she would have
been saved from the violation OF one OF
these moral principles so ardentiy cher
ished by her-"Thou shalt not bear false
witness"
But her condemnation rests not only
upon the clergy but-as shown in the
quoted paragraph just as much upon
the church. The writer OF the article in
/ question gives no indication as to what
exactly she understands by Church"
But II the superficial view she takes Of
what the preachers are saying is par
alleled by her estimate OF what church
denotes. she probably understands by
the latter an assemblage OF people gath
cred periodically in the sanctuary for re-
| ligious services and In their corporate
capacity undertaking to put some sore of
stamp upon the character Of the COM
munity.
There f. considerable Of that idea
abroad and she presumably shares In IT,
and 50 far as it goes the idea is not an
altogether unwsrranted one. But the full
scope Of church is not appreciated and
a Just accounting is not made till there
have been reckoned in the results wrought
by individual members who gather in
the sapctury and who receive from its
services and from the inspiration OF it's
fellowships that inspiration that sends
them forth individually to put their sew
| eral impulses where opportunity and the
| love that is in their hearts suggests.
Take. II you please, all the missions
that are being worked In this city; add TO
them the Young Mems and the Young
| Women's Christian associations: add still
farther all the purely humanitarian et-
forts that are being put forth for human
saving and uplift.
] Remember that In almost every case
the moving spirits in these enterprises
are churchmen and churehwomen that
are laboring not at all along lines OF
dogmatic theology but with q direct ref
erence 70 building up men and women
into practical nobility OF life.
Now when that kind OF inventory has
been taken We have at last done some
thing toward arriving at what church
really means, and are in condition 20
form some conception OF what the city of
New York would. in the course OF six
months become. IL all the influence that
finds its radiating source in the church
should be abruptly suspended.
We trust that the writer Of the article
will be induced TO bring her point OF
view down 10 date. TO open her heart
somewhat more widely 10 the clergy and
10 contemplate the church with less Of
unsympathetie prejudice and with more
OF hearty and intelligent appreciation.