Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-11-12

:" A'0NteSt ones own business. A
i.t1ie thought on this point will at once
show how perfectly absurd such neglect
IS Again. this necessity for leaving ones
own work in order to pat right evils
winch exist, implies that there is neglect
somewhere or these evils would not ex-
ist. OF course this is Fundamentally
wrong, out, in the present state OF social
upheayal, more or less inevitable.
This being the Gaze, it becomes the
province OF the Church to do all she can
TO help by whatever means lie within her
power, but only so long as she does not
DO 1t to the crowding out and exclusion
OF her proper legitimate vocation, which
is the strengthening OF the religious sem
timent in mankind. The way of course -
that is, the natural way - for her to do it,
Is through religion; by making religion
such vital necessity to all that they will
feel impeiied to show the love it inspires
by works which will do much for the
| betterment Of all, thus fulfilling the
second Of the two great commandments
gwen TO US by Jesus, "Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyseif."
But ahead OF all this one can see vision
which seems to-day to be somew hat ITO
plan, but which Is, nevertheless, perfectly
practical and which will pass by degrees
from vision to reality--a reality which
will make social service the function of
the church, but social service which is
not avocational but strictly vocational.
In time the world will discard its present
| test OF a church's usefulness, and will ap-
ply new test to the success OF her re-
| ligious service, and woe-b etide the church
which cannot measure up to the standard
| required of her, for she will surely die.
This test will be upon how the Church will
| affect the conditions OF the community in
which she is placed, and will not be
judged By OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES alone. II
she measures up TO standard, church at
tendance will follow as a natural result
l said q few moments ago that the
Church should not attempt to compete
| In social service movements but should
help and guide and lead the movements
which are going on around her. She must
not compete, because, II she does, 1t is
more than probable she will lose her
sense OF direction; she will tend to lose
sight OF the vocational IN her zeal in the
vocational type OF social service.
| What Is to be this vocational type OF
social servicef
| Innate in every man is religion. That
10 a platitude, bat II is only piati-
tude because II is the truth. The fact
that religion is innate in everyone gives
Us something upon which to work. In
some men the religious sense is dormant
not dead but dormant - in others it is
alive, and IT is those in whom 1t is alive
who are to-day doing much social service
work OF an avocatlonal nature.
The work OF the Church consists In
making it alive in verybody. When she
can do this, then will social service be
viewed from q new angle. II will tend to
become vocational, and, therefore, natural.
That is to say, social service will lie right
In line with a PERSONS ordinary work
and duty, and not be something for which
he must neglect his ordinary work or
duty.
| To instill the consciousness OF innate
religion in mans soul will be type OF
conversion, the real test OF which will
not be his attendance at church or his
reverent attitude at church, though these
will follow as natural and delightful
| duty, bat by the use he makes OF his re-
ligious quickening In the improvement OF
this conditions OF those for whom he is
more or less directly responsible.
I
Can you see the vision in this? Can
/ you not see that, il this religion can be
| instilled into the hearts OF all, ii would
so spread the gospel OF right and love
that avocational social service would
cease TO be a necessity, except in the
rarest OF cases?
And this is why / say the Church makes
a tremendous mistake IL she loses sight
OF the primary reason for her existence in
her xeal-bIind zeal--for social service, be-
cause she feels that she must make some
material reply TO the taunts of those who
say she is losing ground and dying, in a
brave effort to prove she is not dying.
She is not dying, never was dying, and
never will die, SO long as human nature is
What III Is.
The Church that will preach this gospel
will attract people to her, especially when
they see the visible effects OF her gospel
being carried out liz the lives OF her ad-
herents; carried out by them in the doing
OF duty to best of ability; trying to raise
duty to an IDEAL making the kingdom Of
God something real and not mere form
| OF words.
|
What is this vision? 1t will be the
principle of every man minding his own
business, aud doing it properly because,
| by doing it, he will be working to the
best interests OF all about him as we'll as to
his own best interests. In that day it will
not be necessary to say to man, "Why
beholdest thou the mote that is in thy
! brothers. eye but considereth not the
beam that is in thine own eye?"
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