The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-17
DR. HERRING SPEAKS |ON THE TASK OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
Congregational Preacher Addressed Large Con- gregatiOn at Pilgrim
 Church Yesterday

The Rev. Hubert c. Herring, D. D. sec retary of the Congregational national council and one of the leading figures of the church, spoke at the morning serv- ice at the Pilgrim Congrega tional church to large congregation. pr. Herring and three other prominent members of the church will be in Birmingham for the next three days. On Tuesday evening there will be a supper at the Pilgrim church at which many views pertaining to the advancement of Congregationalism will be discussed.
 pr. Herring took the following text and said in part:
 The church of god the pillar and ground of the truth. '-I Tim. 3:15.
 The sacred and fundamental task of the church is nowhere else so clearly de- fined To support the structure of truth the church. Ceaselessly through the ages the churh must by word and deed make men to know the truth about God, about Christ, about duty and about destiny. And she must see that truth is incor- porated in righteous laws and just re- lationships and fraternal institutions among men.
 Each denomination of necessity has it's own clear convictions as to the way in which this duty can best be discharged. Five principles appear to us at the heart of the churchs conception of her duty.
 ONLY ONE MASTER
 1. She must maintain and promote a wide liberty. No man and no church can render an individual service to the one Master save as given full freedom from other masters. The process of drawing men together in Christian bonds must be accompanied by the liberty to go apart if they so desire. External bonds or union are valueless.
 2. The church must promote close fellowship between Christian disciples. Not only must there be the sympathetic sharing of experience and effort between members of the same local church, but between churches and between denomina- tion. To emphasize disa greements and minimize agreements is to postpone the triumph of the truth To attempt to live isolated lives is to lose Christian quail ity.
 B. The affairs of the church as of the state should be conducted on the basis of thoroushgong democracy. The motto must be-. Let all the people you can into all the things you can in all the ways you can just so far as you can" The church must be built on the broad founda ton of the life and will of the people.
 MEANS TO END
 f. She must give central emphasis to the supreme end for which the church exists, viz: Righteousness, creeds, wor- ship, sacraments organization, are means to ends. Whenever they have foremost place primary interests differ. To help men and women to become Christ-like and to refashion human society in ac- cordance with His will constitute together the central concern of the church.
 g. To promote the truth in the world just and steady emphasis must be put upon the value of knowledge. The whole universe is the Christians fold of study. The more he knows of it the more he will know of God. Every truth enriches every other truth. The word of God writ ten in the Bible and the word of God written in His works reinforce one an other.
 To hold these principles in just balance, to illustrate them in sacrifcial service and to do all with humble dependence upon Him who came to redeem the world and whose scepter is some day to hold sway over all hearts: This is the task of the church of Christ.