The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1914-06-25

|
an able sermon on The Claims of the
Church" taking for his text Matt.
| lC: Is, And ! also say unto thee thou
are Peter, and upon this rock / viii
build my church, and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it,"
Rev. Brown said When Jesus
made this statement he was talking
to His disciples. Peter had answered
Carist's question as spokesman for
the group. His disciples all under.
stood Him to mean that the church
was built upon the great truth just
uttered Peter, neither at this time
nor at any other claimed to be the
foundation of the church, nor to pos
sess alone the keys of the Kingdom.
The first claim of Christ for the
church was its Divine origin. The
church has always had her foes.
False religions have confronted her;
human institutions, social, reform,
charitable and philanthropic in their
nature, have initiated her but none
have approached her. And the church
has tTiumphed when facing such
mighty minds as Voltair, Rousseau,
/ Gibbon, Shelly, Hume and Ingersoll.
| The foes of today are ministers with
in the church who are seeking to
change the fundamental doctrines,
and even the very mission of the
church.
THE second claim Jesus made for
His church was that it was to be His
| representative on earth. The bust
ness of the church has not been
changed. Her enemies would wreck
her on the sidetracks of Sociology,
Philanthropy, Culture, or some hea-
thenish cult
THE third claim for the church
lies in her message. Carist sent men
out to preach His gospel. The
church has power to do what Jesus
did, the authority TO say what He
said, and to continue what He begun
till the whole wide world is evangel-
lied. The message has not been
changed-men have not changed
There is no brotherhood, of man, nor
fatherhood.of-God outside the new
birth. We cannot substitute a new
message or a new way to be saved.
Gods message to the church may be
a social message, but His message to
lost men is not q social message. 1t
is Christ, savior from sin, sanctifi.
cation, social service, missions, Civ
ing, Christian charity-these are mes.
sages for believers, not for lost men.
The Quaker church holds the key
to all church federation or church
union. No union meeting is ever
held whether two or twenty churches
unite, but what they unite upon our
platform. Christ only! Essentials
only! The G. E.. the Y. M. C. A.,
the w. c. T. u and all ministerial as
10 nj OF
have led tae world to put away slav.
cry, to give woman her proper place
botn in church and state. We hold
the position tonight upon which the
Christ's prayer may be answered and
the churches all become one.
The church was never more sue
cessful and prosperous than today.
The future church will be what we
make it, The work is the Lords and
the power is His, but it is ours to
consecrate and apply ourselves to
the great task before u.s."
Tonight at eight o'clock Rev. Frank
Dell, of New Providence, will give an
address on Social Service"
Wednesday morning at 8 o'clock
the Assembly will open with devo-
tional led by Florence Baker, of Hart
land The subjects of the morning
will be: The Church and her Or.
CARNATIONS" Rev j. C. Bowles, and
The Priesthood of Christ" Rev. G.
E. Guile, of Chicago. In the after.
noon the subject will be, The For.
eigner at our Door, by Rev. Doan, of
Lynnville. At night an address on
Present Day Evangelism" by Rev.
Guile.
A cordial invitation is extended to
the public to attend any or all of these
sessions.
The twentieth annual session of the
Christian Workers Assembly of the
Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends is
progressing nicely, and is proving of
great interest to all present. A we'll
filled program which continues over
Friday evening, comprises addresses
and round tables on vital subjects
pertaining to the church and the gen.
eral welfare of mankind. The special
evening addresses for the week in.
clude Social Service" which was
given last evening; Present Day
Evangelism to be given Wednesday
evening; on Thursday evening THE
Claims of the Ministry" and on Fri
day the closing address on the
"Evangelization of the World"
Rev. Frank w. Dell, of New Provi. |
dence, very ably and forcefully dis
cussed on Tuesday evening the ques-
ton, Social Service" He first took |
up the subject in its broader view,
the world in its relation to social SER
vice, and spoke of the things that
have brought the world in contact
with the great social question. He
discussed many phases and gave
specific illustrations where social
service is needed to correct the
wrongs imposed upon many fellow
men, and finally showed that the
church must take the lead In this
great work. He said in part: ..'-
~ The, church must adopt as
positive policy. "the setting up of the
order or heaven upon earth" This
will involve an unceasing and earnest
political campaign against all exist.
ng evils. She will have to proclaim
herself the uncompromising foe of
he drink traffic, social vice, boarded
wealth, commercial rapacity, etc.
She must insist upon remedial as
veil as palliative legislation.
F.C -. 80 .A AL