The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-05-18
MODERATOR HAYS
OPENS ASSEMBLY
Sessions PresbyteriansStart
Today At Indianapolis
LASTS SEVEN DAYS
Keynote For Gathering Sound
ed In Stirring Address
This Forenoon
Z ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch. ]

| laS5OSldLSu TTtSS DlopdiSA.l
Indianapolis, May 17-Dr. Calvin G.
Hays of Jamestown Pa, retiring
Moderator of the Presbyterian
Church in the U. S. A, opened the
135th annual Presbyterian General
Assembly here this forenoon by
preaching the following Moderatorial
sermon, which is designed to sound
the keynote for the sessions of the
assembly to continue through May
"A. Moderator Hays text was
Isaiah So: /, Put on thy thrength,
o Zion," and he gave his sermon the
title The Appeal of God to Falter-
ing Church"
Or. Hays covered a wide range OF
| subjects, summary of which, to-
| gether with some of his most strik-
ing utteranceS, follows:
On Heresy-No appeal to force, no
recourse TO law no ecclesiastical
bull, will drive out heresy where
heresy appears.
On Ministers-We should be clean
who bear the vessels OF the Lord.
On Prohibition-Hell has enlarged
herself in the effort to recover her
lost stronghold.
On Missions-Our chief business
as Christian men and women is to
build up the Kingdom of Christ and
get the gospel to those who do not
have it.
On Successes-We have succeeded
so well that we are bound to push
our work or suffer humiliation and
disgrace
On Finance-One difficulty about
our finance is that we have so much
dead timber on our rolls and too
many deadheads.
On The Church
On the Churchill is not an ark
Tor the mere saving of an elect few.
Nor is it a ferryboat, all obligations
settled when the fare is paid. 1t is
not an insurance company organized
to insure loss in the world to come.
The Church exists for work. as well
as worship, for service as well az
soclability, for this world rather
than the next.
On Spirituality-We have lost the
power to work miracles: but heaven
forbid that we should lose the power
to supply spiritual need.
On the Gospel--God pity us IL we
are no longer delivering the message
of salvation
On Prayer-Prayer is taking hold
of Gods willingness. The greatest
OF unused power is prayer.
On Presbyterianism - Our fret
F., Moderator was a signer Of the Decla-
ration of Independence, and we have
been asserting our prerogativec ever
since. 1t cannot be said that we
ever nave been afraid to speak our
minds.
On Foreigners-Our fathers came
to this country for the same reason
that foreigners are coming today, in
search of a better chance.
On the Future-The Church fs no,
dead or dying. She is the hveIiest
institution the world knows any,
thing about. The worlds criticism
and the worlds need are the
Church's challenge
Touched On Heresy
Elaborating the theme of heresy
Or. Hays said in part: THE charge
that nationalism and unbelief are
widespread among US, and even
creeping into many OF our pulpits, Is
a charge that cannot be Sustained,
Those of us who have been much
over the Church in the last year
have found no evidence of this what
ever, but only deepest regret every.
where expressed that such sweepine
assertion should be made. The real
trouble is We have not been stress
sing the cardinal truths of our re-
llglon with the emphasis they merit
We have had so many other things
to think about and so many special
days to observe, little wonder some
are saying we have departed from
the faith. And how small shall we
meet accusations such as this, which
are more or less a reflection on us
all? BY going forth to fight our ac-
cusers, or by having a quarrel among
ourselves in the matter? Not at all
The remedy is not controversy. Like
Nehemiah, we are doing a great
work and cannot come down bS
pastors who are on their Jobs
have enough to do and have no time
to waste in trying to convince an
unsympathetic world that the church
Is sound. And as for the church
herself, the true antidote for error is
the truth. Nothing will heal our
woes like grace, and there is nothing
like light to deliver us from dark.
ness. No appeal to force, no eccle-
siastical bull will drive out heresy
appears. We have the move excel
lent way depicted in the thirteenth
chapter of First Corinthians. What
is needed is the grit of Christ and
a return to gospel preaching, if in
deed We have departed from it:
every man to his task: the LAYING
of new emphasis upon the things
most surely believed among us. in
every pulpit and class room of the
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