The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-11-10
\ New Great Crusade.
charles StelZle in Philadelphia
North American).

p t'f
& NOT depending upon money. 1t was
rost powerful when it had virtually |
49, wealth. In those days it was a
,r.4t evolutionary force. It's OPP
Ianents declared it was turning the
world upside down.. It's leaders were
without headquarters" His disciples
mere wanderers INC outcasts from
ratqc5mbs. But all the while they |
were undermining the immortality
asd heathenism of the period.
The church needs some money to
carry ON It's work under present con-
ht.uns. but money threatens some
d4v 10 become the curse of the
church. just as it a proved to be
tho curse of many another institu-
tfeu. Money may tone down its mes
saee. IL may tie up it's best activities.
Tho kind Of money that is Of great
est value to the church is that which
comes from those who can least af-
ford to give it. This money will be
Il greater blessing than hat which
was earned by the sweat of another's
brow rather than by the sacrifice of
the one who gave it.
Money has undoubtedly been a
blessing 10 the church., but it has
been The money which it gave away.
The increase of it's riches has not been
the cause Of its increasing influence,
where that influence hass made itself
felt for good. Money given to mis-
Sous and hospitals and schools un-
dou1tedly made the service rendered
easter ~ give, but the workers who
served unquestionably gave more
abundautly than those who c%ontribut-
ed cash for buildings and equipment.
And the best of that service would
have been given anyway.
n isn't more members. The actual
power Of IN organization is never de-
termIued by mere numbers. Gideon's
band Of a few hundred was far more
effective than the army Of thousands
Of haif-hcarted soldiers. That minis
ter who said that they had been hav-
Ing 80 great revival in his church-not
because many had been added to the
church, but because a good many
had been getting out, a solemn truSh,
We have made it too easy to get
into the church. Not that any sincere
person should ever De denied ad
mission. but we have urged church
membership upon many who might
otherwise have taken the whole
thing more seriously if they had beer
made 10 realize the real Significance
Of church membership. We have
made II n thing much too cheap. w
have made it appear that to be
church member was all that was re
quired of men. so far as the Christial
life is concerned. The result has beer
that today we have millions in tn
church who not only add nothing t
It's power, but whose own lives ar
stanted because they never exerciS
The virtues which should be peculia
70 The men and women who are mem
bets Of the church.
1t isn't more ministers. TIL
theological schools are crying out 70
Students. The boards of the churc
are pleading for recruits. But tn
church doesn't need more minister
Ihete are already enough minister
III this country. There are abo
100000 Of them. If it is merely
question Of numbers, then til
church and its agencies for enlistin
ana training ministers might bette
cease their efforts.
u isn't more religion. There W.
q lot OF religion" among the Israe
ieS when jeremiah protested again
,heir iniquity. And when they sai
20 MIN, in substance: did you ev'
see "a more beautiful service, and
greater number of burnt sacrific
pelhS offered upon the altar, and
1Fser number of meetings p-esidt
S1er hy cultured priests?" Jeremia
denounced them even more vehemen
ana when he would not cea
rom his protesting they put him in
t'lSon. When Paul visited Athens
telu nose worshipers of 10000 go
Gus"
i'u may pick a man out of t
aIl'r Scrape off the mud. and find
meloodlst, a Baptist, a Presbyteri;
vi vi an E~piscopalian ready to fight f
Us religion" The "old-time re
,,aQn may or may not be a go
GG"s' But the fact hat it's c
TTbbtSht necessarily make it goo
uunere have been many things done
ant name of religion which we
rr1laly the work of the dewitt
P[Sent European. war, for examp
i5lon-pur and undefled-is
"0Ioerful thing. But to be mert
raelslous' doesn't help matte
nm. often it has simply a harde
ISN'T more sociability. To
@A"AtI and free from nnhhiShnaS