The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-03-12

Of the indisidnal and Of society to
the highest point. And here the
church is catching a widening
vision.
Professor John NJ. Coulter OF the
/ University OF Chicago, remarks
that we are In "a transition stage
! between the church as an end.
! which means the thing to be worked
for. and the church as an agent,
which means something to be work
ed with"
" Is only fair to consider condi-
, tons which the Christian church has
confronted In this land. Writers of
! note tell ans that during the last
five generations. the church has
faced: "Ef g..
One. The experiment OF separat-
ing the church from the state. This
experience is little more than one
hundred years ago.
Two. Intellectual revision In ac-
cordance with scientific theories.
Three. Modern industrial prob.
lens. rH A d,
I Professor Rauscheubusch compares
the present entrance Of the church
upon her social mission to her en-
! trance one hundred years upon for
eign missions.
That the church is awakening is
evidenced by what IL is doing.
, Christian men are not neglecting
, the world-old struggle between Ia
Dor and capital In addition to the
social platform formulated by the
Federation of churches, the North
ern Baptist convention in 1911 added
these standards: The control OF
the natural resources OF the earth
In the interests of all the people:
the gaining wealth by Christian
methods and principles. and the
holding OF wealth as a social trust;
the wealth. and the immOderate de.
sire for wealth. and the exaltation
or man as the end and standard of
industrial activity" ..
Enlarged missionary activity is
graphing with the conflict between
races.
Christian men are seeking to
discover the causes of crime and
pauperism and TO remove them. As
been told concerning prisons. asy-
lums and pauperism. where do all
the moral reforms look for their
support?' To the Christian church
of course. DIR. G. r.. Henderson,
at the head of these great move
ments is member .of a Baptist
church.
Furthermore. the Christian church
has shown that religion can be sup
ported on large scale by volun-
tary contributions without. assistance
from taxation. .r.
The remarkable growth in men,
bership in 1914 is token of living
church.
There is larger. Bible study
than ever before The Bible Is
the best seller"
Many problems remain unsolved
but great working organizations are
developing to deal with these. The
Y. VI. and Y. W. c A.: young peo-
pies societies.: the Sunday school;
and institutional work are among
these. AS Professor George A. Coe
says, "All in all. the churches prob
ably have the most efficient work.
ing organization for genuinely re-
ligious ends that the history OF
n ,r..t Ia. Ia. - 81,
The giving of money and of per.
sonal service is unparalleled. And
two unmistakable indications of in
ner growth are present.
One. A marvellous zeal for the
conversion of the world.
Two. The standard of Christian
living has widened from the. stand
point of individualistic good toward
the standpoint of social good.
Note also. The professed followers
of Jesus placed upon themselves
this increased demand for love. serv-
ice, self sacrifice at the precise
moment when science and invention
brought unprecedented rewards with
in the reach of the mere grabber."
Short sighted is the man who
overlooks these tremendous forces at
work within the Christian church.
The aristocracy OF egotism which
crowns itself as critic. has failed
to catch the spirit of service. or
TO understand the spirit. of Him
who pleased not himself"
The outlook is encouraging. The
sermon of John f. White in Atlanta,
Ca. brought about a change in the
treatment of convicts in that state
BILLY" Sunday is doing great work
along both indlvidualistic and social
lines. (Read Current Opinion for
March. 1915; Everybody's for March:
Literary Digest)
Sherwood Eddy in China addresses
In four months. $4,000 educated
men, and $4,000 become inquirers
The Outlook Of March 3, 1915.
tells OF great religious revival at
Yale college. where several hundred
men registered their decision in
these words: 1T Is my purpose,
with the help OF God. to pay what
II costs to be a sincere follower
of Jesus Christ"
The great temperance movement
Is another sign of progress.
II