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EDITED BY
STEWART D. F. SALMOND, D.D.,
Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament Exegesis,
Free Church College, Aberdeen;
CHARLES A. BRIGGS, D.D.,
Edward Robinson Professor of Biblical Theology, Union Theological
Seminary, A\-w i'orA:
THE CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND THE WORKING CHURCH.
By WASHINGTON GLADDEN.
PKl.VTED BY
MOKRISON AND GIBB LIMITED,
FOB
T. & T. CLARK, EDIX15URGH.
LONDON : SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTOK, KENT, AND CO. LIMITED.
NEW YORK: CHARLES SCRIBNER's SONS.
TORONTO: THE PUBLISHERS* SYNDICATE LIMITED.
International Theological Library
THE CHRISTIAN PASTOR
THE WORKING CHURCH
BY
WASHINGTON GLADDEN D.D., LL.D.
AUTIIOl! OF "applied fHKISTfANlTY," " WHO WROTE THE BIBLE?"
"KLLING ideas OF THE PUESENT AGE," ETC.
E D I N B U R (r 1 f
T. & T. CLARK, 38 GEORGE STREET
1901
P R E F A C E.
This book is intended to cover the field of what is
known as Pastoral Theology. The technical phrase is not
well chosen : theology, in any proper sense of the word is
not connoted by it. It deals Avitli the work of the Chris-
tian pastor and the Christian church. Its subject is
applied Christianity. It is concerned with the ways and
means by which the truth of the Gospel of Christ is
brought to bear upon the lives of men, in the administra-
tion of the local congregation. It seeks to show the
pastor hoAV he may order his own life and the life of his
flock so that their joint service may be most effective in
extending the Kingdom of God upon earth. It is not
wholly a matter of methods and machinery, for the spirit
in which the work is done is the main concern ; but it is a
study of the life of the church as it is manifested in the
community where it is planted.
The forms of this life greatly vary as civilization
changes. New occasions teach new duties. Ethical
standards are purified and elevated; the ein])liasis of the.
teaching is altered; modes of address, methods of adminis-
tration that once were effective are no longei- pra('tica1)le;
the ^\■lll•l■c (if tlic cliiircli iiuist tic a(l;i|ifc(l to {\w t'oiulitioiis
by which it is surrouncU'd. 'J'liis truth has been con-
stantly in view in the preparation of this treatise. It is
tlie work of one wlio has been for many years an active
})astor; it lias been Avritten in such Icisiii'c as could l)e
snatched from tlie engrossing cares of a huge congregation,
and it deals on every page witli ]>rolthins whicli liave l)epn
and arc in (liis ])i-cscnt age matlci's of ininicdiiitc jiraclical
V
yi TKEFACE.
concern. It is therefore to be feared that on tlie scholastic
side it will be found less elaborate than many of the ti'ca-
tises which have preceded it. The history of pastoral
methods is a matter of interest, but that has been well told
and scarcely needs retelling; the scholarly pages of Jan
Jacob Van Oosterzee and Theodosius Harnack present
all that the student needs to know about the administra-
tion of the churches in past generations. What has
seemed more important, in the preparation of this volume,
is the study of the life of the busy pastor at the end of the
nineteenth century, in the midst of the swift and turbu-
lent intellectual and social movements now going forward ;
in a society partially or ^\llolly democratized; in the pres-
ence of influences that are reshaping philosophies and in-
stitutions; in the day when it seems to be a question
whether the religion of Christ represents an obsolescent
force, or is just about to take up the sceptre of universal
empire. That this is the day of opportunity and respon-
sibility for the Christian church is the faith on which this
treatise is founded; and if this be true the need of dis-
cerning this time is the deepest need of the Christian
])astf)i-. The hope set before him is that the Church of
(mmI will liavc a great deal more to do with the life of
romiiig generations than it has ever had to do with the
life of past generations, — not as a i)olitieal power, but as
all iiil'oi-niing and inspiring inllncnee. To lift uj) liis
lieart with this exi)Cctation and to heli) him to see some of
the ways in wliieh it may be realized has l^een tlie motive
of this liilioi.
It needs not to Ite said that no nian can fully understand
the life of the cliurch in any eonntiv bnl liis own. It is
only l)y inheritance of tlial life and lifelong idciililication
with its various fortunes tliat hv, gains the |)o\\( rol esti-
mating its aims and eritieising its practice, lie can li\c
Ills life but once and therefore he cannot intimately know
the oonditi(»ns and needs of the chni-ch in mor(> than one
countrv. Such knowledge cannot be gained nuM-ely from
PREFACE. Vll
books. It follows that works on what is known as Pas-
toral Theology must always reflect the life of tlie churches
out of whose experience they have grown. The flavor of
the soil is always in them. Systematic Theology, Biblical
Theology, Apologetics, Ethics are practically independent
of local influences, but Pastoral Theology never is. It
must be expected, therefore, that this volume, like those
of Ilarnack and Van Oosterzee and Fairbairn and Palmer
will show considerable local coloring ; if the book is alive
it will pulsate with the life from ^^■lli(•ll it has sprung.
Between America and Great Britain there is so close a
relationship that the discussions of these pages will not, it
is hoped, be wholly unintelligible in the older countrj-;
and where the conditions are dissimilar, comparison and
contrast may make them suggestive. Even to Chris-
tians of the Continental churches the book may be of ser-
vice as a somewhat imperfect picture of the Christian
activities of other lands.
For the free use of quotation which some of these chap-
ters will show, the author has no apologies to make.
The (questions under consideration are largely questions of
])ractical administration concerning which many men
know more tliaii any man; and the readers of this voluiiie
have a right to know something of the best that has been
said upon these themes by wise pastors and teachers of the
present generation.
To tlie younger men in the ministry and to those upon
its threshold this book is offered in the liope that they may
find in it some guidance in a calling whose l)rightest era
and whose most ghuidus liiiuii[>lis ai'c yet to come.
ror.tTMitts, Ohio,
ISIairh 17, 1898.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
PAGES
IxTRODUCTOnV 1--2
Pastoral 'i'lieology (lefiiicd, 1. A Hraiicli of rrartical Theology, 1.
Relation to other branches, 1. To Cliurch Polity, '2. To Liturgies, 2.
To Ilomiletics, 2. To Christian Jlissions, 3. Includes Poinienics and
Catechetics, 3. Excludes Ilomiletics and Liturgies, 3. Its theme con-
notes a working church, 4. Change in tlie subject matter of the
science, 4. Earlier Treatises concerned witli tlie work of the pastor, 4.
Later conception of the church as a working body, 8. The later con-
ception the iiiglier, 10. Historical outline, 10. Biblical conception of
Poimenics, 10. Patristic tiieories and treatises, II. Mediaival ideas,
12. Poimenics of the Reformation, 13. Of the Eighteenth Century, 13.
Of the >;ineteentli Century, 14. Historical sketch of cateclictics, —
Apostolic times, 17. Among the Early Fathers, 18. In tiie Middle
Ages, 19. Among tlie Reformers, 19. lu the Roman Catholic Cimrch,
21. In various Ciiristian bodies, 22.
CTI.VPTEU II.
Tin: Chlrc H 23-49
This discussion is concerned with the local congregation, 23. Lim-
its of its membership, 23. Parish must not be too large for ])astoral
oversight, 24. Must not bo too large for efficient organization and
fellowsliip, 2.'). The edifice — etiiics of its arciiitecture, 2G. Location
of tiie edifice, 28. Constituency of the congregation, 29. No caste in
its assemblies, 30. All classes acccs.silde, 31. Do tiie poor prefer to
worship by themselves ? 32. The churclies on trial upon this issue, 33.
Difficulty of maintaining Christian fellowship, 34. Significance and
value of it, 35. Exclnsiveness not wholly tiie fault of one class, ."iG.
Relation of tlie Cliurdi to tlio Kingdom of (Jod, 38. 'i'ho Kingdom,
not tlic church, tiio inclusive term, 40. The need of specializing re-
ligion in institutions of its own, 42. 'I'lio cliurcli ancillary to the King-
dom, 44. Tlic end of the cliurcli the christianization of society, 4r>.
Th'j cliunli must save society <>r \i>^(' its own life, 4S.
X CONTENTS.
CHAPTER III.
PASES
Tin: Pastou 50-65
iSiguilicauce of the name, 50. Is the jjastor a priest i 52. Growth of
the sacerdotal idea, 54. Remnants of the idea in reformed cliurchcs,
56. A spiritual priesthood, 59. The authority of the pastor, 61.
Democracy implies leadership, 62. Spiritual power is moral in-
fluence, 64.
CHAPTER IV.
'I'liK Call to thk Pastoratk 66-82
The I'astor is the minister of Christ, G6. Every good work a divine
vocation, 68. Tlie iaward call, 68. The outward call, 69. The Pas-
tor's dual relation, 70. How- shall tlie church find a minister, 71. The
system of i)atronage, 72. Qualifications of a pastor, 73. Methods of
calling a miui.ster, 74. Preaching as a candidate, 75. The calling of
settled ministers to vacant ciiui-ches, 76. May the minister seek a
church? 78. One candidate at a time, 79. No candidates without good
and fresh credentials, 80. Must the call be unanimous i 81. Definite
dealings wilii temjjoralities, 82.
CHAPTER V.
Tin. Pastok IX ms SxrnY s.3-106
Tiio minister a student, 83. Other functions of the ministry, 84.
The ])rophet must be a student, 85. Language and in.-;piration, 86.
Art anil inspiration, 88. The minister will continue the studies of the
l)rofe.ssional school, 90. The history of doctrines, 91. Apologetic
studios, 92. Inductive study of liuman nature, 93. Literature, 95.
Th(! Bible, 97. The individual and the social order inseparable, 100.
The study of .social science, 101. Mischief of se])arating inilividnal in-
terests from social interests, 103. A scientific sociology cnnlirnis the
Christian law, 104. The minister's study is his oratory, 105.
CII.M'TF.R VL
Priirr \m. Ai.tm! 107-171
Preaching llie Pastor's chief lunclion, 107. Tlie message to the indi-
vidual, 108. The conversion of men, 109. Preaching the law, 110.
IVndiing the gospel, 111. The (Jospcl of the Kingdom, 112. The
niiiiii4tcr'H relation to practical affairs, 114. Spiritual law in the natural
world, llfi. ('a.-^uistry in the ])ulpit, 119. The evening service and
applied Chrislianity, 121. The secularization of the pulpit, 123. Cur-
rent topicH in the- pulpit, 125. Historical studies, 125. The poets as
pronchiTM, 120. Iliograjdiic.il .studies, 127. The u.se of a te.\t. 128.
May Honnon.s bf repealed ? 132. The leader of worship, 134. Prepa-
ration for pnldic prnyer, 135. The service of song, 139. Hymnals,
140. ("hurrli ttinos, 141. The organ, 142. Vocal leadership of the
coiigregaliuD, 143. English clioir.s, 144. American choirs, 145.
CONTENTS. XI
FAQES
Choir and congregation, 146. Liturgical enriclimeut of worship, 150.
Kespousive reading, 152. Creeds and collects, 153. Devotional read-
ing, 155. The administration of ba])tisni, 157. The significance of
baptism, 159. Sponsors, 1G2. The Lord's Su])per, 164. Preparatory
services, 1G4. Modes of administration, 166. (J warding tlie talde, 167.
Reception of new members, 168. The ordinance of niarriage, 170.
CHAPTER VIL
TiiK Pastor as Fkihnm) 172-203
The Pastor in general society, 172. Intercourse with all classes, 173.
As confidential friend, 176. His personal ministry, 179. Dealing with
doubters, 180. Kcclaiming wanderers, 184. Despondency and despair,
185. The visitation of tlie sick, 186. The Lord's Supper in the sick-
room, 189. Infectious diseases, 191. Burial services, 192. General
visitation, 195. Nature of pastoral calls, 197. Shall they be profes-
sional? 198. The opportunity of fricndsliip, 199. Systematic visiting,
200. Value of such work, 202.
CHAPTER VIIT.
The Ciicrcu Orgamzatiox 204-219
Temporalities and spiritualities, 204. The business side of the
church, 205. Need of upright men for this service, 206. The christian-
ization of church business, 207. A.ssignment of sittings, 208. Keep-
ing of churcli records, 209. The minister needs as.sistance, 209. Pas-
tor and Preacher, 212. Church officers as leaders of work, 214. Or-
ganism and mechanism, 215. The ])rol)lem of organization, 217.
CHAPTER JX.
The Sunday Scnoor 220-238
Tlie Sunday school a modern institution, 220. Robert Raikes, 221.
The O.xford movement, 222. The Sunday Scliool and the Clmrcli, 223.
Rest hour for the session, 224. Organization of the school, 225. Tlio
pastoral work of the teaclier, 226. The service of song, 227. Order in
the scliool, 228. The Sunday school rooms, 229. Sul)jects to be
studied, 230. Gradation of the school, 232. Senior department, 233.
Work of this department, 234. The Higher Criticism and Sunday
school teaching, 236. The Home Department, 238.
CHAPTER X.
The Midwicek Skuvice 239-252
Need of a social meeting for worsliip, 239. Meetings for ])rayer, 240.
" Experience " meetings, 241. Social jjraycr, and its uses, 242. Cscs
and abuses of jjiiblic conference, 245. The work of tlic diurch the
tiicnic of the service, 247. Leader of tli(> meeting, 248. Topics, 248.
Familiar and conversational molhods, 249. Tiio singing, 250. 'I'lic
question bo.x, 252. A Social opportunity, 252.
XU CONTENTS.
CIIAPTER XI.
PAGES
Paijish Evanoemzatiox 253-270
Tor wliom is the cliurch rosponsiblc? 253. Whose servant is the
niiuister ? 254. Gettini^ acqiiaiuted with the neglecters, 25G. Their
number sometimes exaggerated, 25G. Visitation by the cliurch, 258.
Can tlie unchurched be brought to church? 259. Location of new en-
terprises, 260. Churcli colonies, 262. Ineffectiveness of missions, 263.
College settlements and churches, 2G4. Strong churches in poor dis-
tricts, 267. Street preaching, 268. The shepherding of the poor, 269.
ClIArTKR XII.
The Social Life of the Ciiukcii 271-288
The Church a social fellowship, 271. Not a commune, 272. It liar-
monizes all types of character, 273. The opportunity of love, 274.
Tlie mingling of the leaven, 276. Difficulty of this task, 278. The
christianization of the church, 279. The fellowship of work, 280.
Neighborly relations, 28L Division of the parish into districts, 282.
Welcoming committees, 283. Social assemblies, 284. Fellowship
meetings, 285.
CIIAPTEU XIII.
Woman's Wouk in the Ciiincii 289-312
The place of woman in modern society, 289. Woman's work in the
Apostolic cliurch, 291. In the post-apostolic church, 293. Tlie Sisters
of Charity, 293. Tlie revival of the order of deaconesses, 295. In the
Episco|)al churches, 293. In the Metiiodist Episc()])al Cliurch, 297.
Dcacones-ses as pastor's a.«sistants, 298. In the Church of Scotland,
299. 'i'hc Kaiscrswertli Institution, 302. Form of consecration, 304.
The deaconess home and tlie local church, 306. Women's associa-
tions in tlic churclics, .■J()7. Their liiianciiil (ipcratioiis, 307. Cliurcli
of Scotland Woman's Guild, 309.
CIIAl'TKi; XIV.
TlIK VotNr; Mi.N AM> WoMKN 313-331
The (Jcrman Chri.stliche.Jiinglingsvereine, 313. Young Men's Cluis-
tian A.MHociation, 314. Young People's Societies of Ciiristiau En-
deavor. 315. Epworth League and Haptist Young People's I'nion, 316.
'I'ho nims of the.xo organizations, 318. TJic Endeavor movement and mu-
nicipal reform, 310. Mi.«.sion work, 320. Work in the local church, 321.
Thn Brotherhood of St. Andrew, 322. The Protherhood of St. Andrew
nn.l Philip, 325. Young Men's Le.igncs, 325. The Church of Scotland
(Juild, 326. I'rizc Kxaminalioiis and Competitions, 328. Free Church
of Scotland Guild, 329. German " rniou.s," 330. " Prothcr Houses."
3.30.
CONTENTS. Xlll
CHAPTER XV.
FACES
The Pastoi: anu the Ciuldiucn 332-361
The Siuulay schuul and the cliiUlrcn, 332. Juuior Societies, 333.
The " Ciiiklren's Hour," 334. The pastor's relatiou to the children, 334.
Catechists in tlie early cliurch, 335. Decline of catechetical instruction,
337. Reasons why pastors should resume this work, 338. The rationale
of catechetics, 338. The l)asis of the instruction, 341. Classification of
catechumens, 342. Bishop Dupanloup's Treatise, 342. Catechetics
among the Lutherans, 349. Among otlier American Chri.stians, 351.
Tiie Church Porch, 353. Children's Day, 355. The hajjtized cliildren,
355. The children in the Sunday service, 35G. 'J'he IJoys' Brigade,
357.
CHAPTER XVI
Missionary Societies and Church Contributions 3G2-377
The universality of cliristianity, 362. Our debt to men in other lauds,
363. Tlie expansion of Ciiristeudom, 365. The new era of missions, 366.
Informing the church, 367. Woman's Mission Boards, 368. Methods
of awakening missionary interest, 370. Who shall present the work?
370. The development of benevolence, 371. Proportionate giving,
374. 'J'he mites of the many, 375. Methods of gathering tiic offerings,
376.
CHAPTEPt XVII
liEVIVAES AND Revivalism 378-400
Hebrew " revivals," 378. Was Pentecost a revival ? 379. The two
modes of extending the Kingdom, 381. The implications of revival-
ism, 382. Chills and fever, 384. Ciiristian nurture, 387. Christianity
as organic, 388. Converting agencies not superseded, 389. The onnii-
presence of the S])irit, 390. Seasons of refresliing, 392. Special evan-
geli.stic measures, 394. Profe.ssional evangelists, 397. How to secure
decision, 398. Lenten services, 399.
CHAPTEll XVIIT
The Institutional Cm kcii 401-414
Definition of the term, 401. Some In.stitntional ChurchcH, 402.
Churches doing similar work, 405. Criticism of these nu'thods, 407.
Tlie fundamental ])rinciplc — all life is sacred, 409. Fruits of sudi
labors, 410. The Churcii and tlic Social Settlement, 412. Couj)cra-
tion of churches in tliis work, 413.
xiv CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XIX
PAGES
EXLISTING THE MEMBERSHIP 415-427
The church as a haveu of rest, 41'). The cliurcli as tlie servant of
Christ, 416. A ministering laity, 417. Inforniiug the church al)out its
work, 419. TIic annual meeting of the church, 420. The cliurch prob-
lem of the unemployed, 422. ])epartments of work, 423. Enlisting
tlic whole membership, 424. Conferences of leaders, 423. Unused
power in tlie church, 42G.
CHAPTKIl XX
CoOi'ERATiox WITH Otiier Cih.rches 428-447
Christian unity, 428. Destructive competitions, 429. Endeavors
after cooperation, 431. The basis of cooperation, 434. The division of
the field, 436. Canvassing the districts, 437. Difficulties of the work
in large cities, 439. Nature of cooperative M'ork, 439. Provision of
safe ])laces of resort, 440. Closing the drinking places on Sunday, 441.
I'pholding the sacredness of law, 442. Unity found in local coopera-
tion, 444. But one church in any community, 446.
CIlAPTKi: XXI
The C.vre of the Poor 448-473
Christian Charity in the Early Cliurcli, 448. Decay of this function,
449. Its a.ssumption by the State, 451. The poor within the church,
452. Public cliarities, 455. The new charity, 458. Three classes of
charities, 460. The duty of the church as to public institutions, 461.
The duty of the church as to private charities, 462. The duty of tlie
church as to outside relief, 462. Tlie stimulation of the State, 463.
Shall the churches undertake this work ? 467. The Buffalo cxjieri-
ment, 468. Difficulties of such cod))eraLion, 472. The ministrv of
discipline, 473.
INDKX 477
THE CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND THE
WORKING CHURCH
CHAPTER I
INTEODUCTOllY
The Christian Chm-cli and its Pastor form the subject of
this study. By the Cliurch is meant the local congregation
of Christian believers. To the organization and Avork of
this congregation, under the leadership of its minister, our
inquiry will be addi'essed.
The field to be explored is that which is covered by the
branch of study commonly known as Pastoral Theology.
Pastoral Theology is a department of Practical Theology,
wliich Cave describes as " the science of the functions of
the Christian Church," ^ and which in the words of Hagen-
bach, " embraces the theory of the ecclesiastical activities
(functions) as they proceed either from the church as a
whole, or from its individual members and representatives in
the name of the church." ^ Practical Theology is variously
divided. It includes : 1. Church Polity. 2. Theory of
Worship (Liturgies). 3. Theory of Preaching (llomi-
letics). 4. Theory of Teaching the Young (Catecheiics).
5. Theory of the Care of Souls (Poimenics). 6. Theory
of Pastoral Training (Pedagogics). 7. 'ilieory of Missions
(Ilalieutics).
It is evident that all these topics are related more or less
closely to the life of tlie local church, and that most of them
are likely to come under consideration ; but several of
^ Introduction to Tlicology, by Alfred Cuvo, p. ^47.
2 JincyUojiadie, 11" Aiijl. s. 421.
1
2 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
them will be treated incidentally, while others will form
the substance of our study.
The question of clmrcli polity, for example, is not before
us, except as its deeper spiritual implications may appear.
Whether there ought to be two or three orders of the min-
istry, and whether the church should be presbyterially or
cono-regationally governed we shall not inquire. We are
interested rather in learning how existing organizations,
of all varieties, are employed, and may be more effectively
employed in extending the Kingdom of God. Certain
principles of church organization will, indeed, be assumed
in the discussion. Those theories of the church which at-
tribute to the clergy a sacerdotal character are not accepted ;
all our reasonings about the relation of pastor and people
will proceed upon a different assumption. It is not pos-
sible to discuss these relations Avithout having some clear
idea of the powers and prerogatives of the Christian min-
istry; but, for the purposes of this work, tlie Protestant
tlieory of the pastoral office will be taken for granted. We
may gather from the practice of the hierarchical churches
many useful hints respecting the administration of the par-
ish ; but we do not consent to their claims for their clergy
of superhuman dignity and power.
In })recisely tlie same way Liturgies will come under our
view, in its practical relation to the life of the chmch. 'i'he
question between written and extempore praj'-ers wc do not
raise; we rallier seek to know how worship is made hel})ful to
life. That view of the sacraments which regards them as
possessing an inherent and magical efficacy we shall not
follow; but we have no controversy respecting the mode of
their achninistratioii ; we wish to know what is their true re-
lation to the faitli and the love of those who employ them.
The art of sermon making we do not specially study,
nor are we concerned with the prei)aratoiy discipline by
wliicli llie minister is made? ready for his work ; Imt we
liiid him at woi k in the parish, :ind discover tliat ])reaeh-
ing is an essential ])art of his work; the I'clalioii of this
work to the growth and I'niit ruliiess of ihe cluuLdi we must
caiefully consider.
INTRODUCTORY 3
The theory and practice of foreign missions are also re-
lated to oiir study but incideutiilly. The foreign mission
work is one of the channels through which the energies of
the church flow out into the world ; and it is needful that
the church should comprehend tlie importance of this
work, and contribute money and men for its maintenance.
The local church is not fulfilling its function until its in-
terest and co-operation in this work has been secured.
Two of the departments of Practical Theology named
above — Catechetics and Poimenics — come wholly within
the field of Pastoral Theology proper, and constitute the
larger portion of this field, as hitherto defined. The teach-
ing and training of the young, and the care of souls, take
up most of the space in the standard books devoted to this
sul)ject, — after the chapters which treat of Homiletics
and Liturgies. The work of shepherding and training is
of the essence of Pastoral Theology, and will receive due
attention in the following pages.
It will be seen that the scope of this treatise is at some
points more restricted tlian that of most of the standard
works on Pastoral Theology. By a necessary specialization,
Homiletics and Liturgies have been excluded for separate
treatment in other volumes of the present series of text-
books. Yet it is to these topics that the chief attention of
writers on Pastoral Theology lias been given. In turning
from these great interests, to which Vinet ^ and Palmer ^
and Van Oosterzee ^ and Fairbairn * and Cannon ^ and
Blaikie*^ and Rothe ' and Harms ^ and Cave '-^ and Shedd,io
and many other great teachers, have devoted nnuli i)aiiis-
^ I'-iig. Trans., Ilomilelirs, by A. Vinct.
2 Pasloral-Theolorjie, by C. Palmer.
•^ Practical Thcologij, a Manutil fur Theological Students, liy J. J. "\';in
Oosterzee.
* Pastoral Throlorji/, n Treatise on the Oj/ici- and J)uli(s of l/ta Christian
Pastor, by Patrick Fairbairn.
'• Lectures on Pastond Theology, by James S. Cannon.
0 For the Gospel Ministri/, by W. "g. Bl-iikic.
^ Thcologischc Encgclopudie, by R. Rotlic.
^ Pastoral-Thcologie, l)y Clans Harms.
^ An Introduction to Theologg : its Prinri/ili s, its Ihiinchis, its Pesults, and
its Literature, by Alfred Cave.
^•^ Homiletics and Pastoral Theulogg, by W. (i. T. Slinlil.
4 CHRISTIAN PASTOr. ^VND WORKING CHURCH
taking thought, we leave behind us a most fruitful and at-
tractive study. We are constrained to omit these subjects
by two considerations ; first, that there seems to be less
need of dwelling upon topics which have been handled
with learning and skill by so many great teachers, and,
secondly, that other phases of the life of the church have
lately come into prominence, to which much less attention
has hitherto been given.
The theme of our investigation is the working church.
And it is evident that the working church as we now meet
with it in every considerable community of English speak-
ing people, is a comparatively new thing under the sun.
For long periods and over wide spaces of Christendom the
ruling idea has been that Christian work is the function of
the ministry ; that the laity are the subjects of its gracious
operation. There is a text of Paul's which has been quite
too literally interpreted: " IFe are fellow workers with
God; ye are God's husbandry, God's building." i It is
not indeed difficult to find evidence that in the Apostolic
churclics the laity wrought actively with their leaders ; in
the Epistles to the Romans and to the Philippians there is
clear proof of this. But a day came when the church was
the clergy, and the function of the laity shrank into insig-
nificance. And even after the Reformation, although in
Protestant churches the ministry was shorn of sacerdotal
functions, it still largely monopolized the work of the
church. For proof of this examine any of the classical
treatises on Practical or Pastoral Theology. The monu-
mental work of Van Oosterzee, above cited, with six hun-
dred and twenty comi)actly printed octavo pages, gives to
tlic minister's call and Ilomiletics three hundred and forty-
two pages, to Liturgies one hundred pages, to Catechetics
sixty pages, to Poimcnics fifty-seven pages. But Poi-
menics, as here treated, means only the work of tlie pastor
among his people. The oidy suggestion that the people
may be actively employed in the work of the cluirch is
contained in a brief reference to the Sunday school, which
' 1 (Jur. iii. 9.
INTRODUCTOPA' 5
occupies luilf a page. It is a book of marvellous learniug
and admirable wisdom ; the extent of tlie author's reading
on this great theme is notable ; but the fact that it is a
laro-e part of the pastor's business to find work for the
members of his church, and to secure their general and
hearty co-operation with himself in teaching and shepherd-
ino- and savino- men and women and children, does not
seem to have been brought home to him. \an Oosterzee s
definition of Practical Theology is, " the science of labor
for the Kingdom of God conceived of in its whole extent,
as this is ccdled into exercise hy the pastor and teacher of the
Christian Church in particular''^ Dr. Phihp Schaff^
divides Practical Theology into the following branches:
" 1. Theory of the Christian Ministry — The Minister an
Ambassador of Christ (prophet, priest, and king) ; 2. Ec-
clesiology or Ecclesiastic (Church Law and Church Pol-
ity) — The Minister as Ruler ; 3. Liturgic — The ^Minister
in Worship (as priest) ; 4. Homiletic — The Minister
as Preacher ; 5. Catechetic — The Minister as Teacher ;
6. Poimenic — The Minister as Pastor ; 7. Evangelistic —
The Minister as Evangelist and Missionary." He adds:
" Tlie duties of the laity should be considered in each
department."'^ This sentence recognizes the new condi-
tions ; but the fact remains that the whole study is con-
ducted from the point of view of the minister. All these
l)ranclies of practical theology revolve about liim. The
duties of the laity are incidental and secondary. The need
of a readjustment is, however, admitted : " Heretofore this
department has been exclusively confined to clerical duties
and functions. But the recent development of the lay
energies in Protestant churches, especiall}- in England and
America, requires an additional brancli or a corrcs])on(hiig
enlargement of other brandies. TIu^ l*rotestant docti-ine
of tlie general ])riesthood of Ik^I levers implies the co-oper-
ation of tlie meiiibers of the conjirefration with the pastor
^ Practical Thcnhqii, p. 1.
- Throln'ilrnl Prnjurfliuitic : a Genera! Introduction to the Stuili/ (if Theology,
Iiy Pl.ilii) Scliaff.
■^ ibid., pp. U'.), 450.
6 CHMSTIAN PASTOR AND WOEKIXG CHURCH
in all departments of Christian activity, especially in
clmrcli government, in the Sunday school, and in mission
work." 1
The judicious and admirable treatise of Dr. Patrick
Fairbairn on Pastoral Theology cited above opens with
a statement which agrees with the new conditions. He
says : —
" The office of a Christian pastor obviously proceeds on
the assumption of a Chrisiian membership or community as
the parties in respect to whom and among whom it is to be
exercised. It assumes that the flock of Christ are not a
mere aggregation of units, but have by divine ordination
a corporate existence, with interconnecting relationships,
mutual responsibilities, and common interests. It assumes,
further, that the church in this associated or corporate
respect has a distinct organization for the management of
its own affairs, in which the office of pastor occupies a
prominent place, having for its specific object the over-
sight of particular communities, and the increase or mul-
tiplication of these, according to the circumstances of
particular times and places." '^
Yet I do not find in this elaborate treatise any evi-
dence that Dr. Fairbairn seriously contemplated any ex-
tensive co-operation of the people with the pastor in the
work of the church. The concluding chapter, compris-
ing five pages upon " Subsidiary Means and Agencies,"
just mentions the Sunday school as one of the interests
which should '* receive the considerate attention, and,
when formed, tlie watchful superintendence of the pastor."
Prayer meetings — meetings for prayer only — the learned
author encourages the pastor to estal)lish, "if he can only
find persons wlio have the requisite zeal and gifts for con-
ducting them." As to fellowship meetings, — known in
America as Prayer and Conference Meetings, — "formed
witli a vi(>w, not merely to engage in exercises of worshij),
])nt also to inlerehango tlionghls among the members on
mattera pertaining to divine truth or religious experience,"
1 Iliiil., p. 440.
* I'astoral Thcoloijj, p. 1.
INTIiODUCTOEY 7
he remarks that they are " safe enough, probably, and im-
proving, if the membership is small, and composed of
such as have much confidence and fellow feeling one with
another, so that they can really speak heart to heart ; but
when it is otherwise they are extremely apt to become
loquacious, disputative, and even to gender strifes. A
prudent pastor will therefore rarely intermeddle with
meetings of this description, and neither directly encourage
nor discountenance them." The care of the poor. Dr.
Fairbairn suggests, is now in the hands of agencies outside
the church; and the Christian pastor does not therefore
find the field which once he found for organized work
among the poor in his parish. But, he continues, " in the
present circumstances of our country it belongs more to the
province of a minister of the Gospel to concert, or lend
his countenance and support to those who may be con-
certing, measures which have for their object the reduc-
tion of pauperism and other social evils ; in particular the
repression of prostitution, and the diminution of that in-
temperance which is a fountain of immeasurable disorders.
For tills purpose he will readily co-operate in the efforts
made to curtail, in particular localities, the number of
public houses, to establish coffee rooms and places of
healthful refreshment and innocent resort, and to form
when they are ol)viously needed temperance societies.
For things of this description, lying outside, in a manner,
the pastoral sphere, yet pressing closely on its border, no
general rule can be prescribed, or any uniform practice
recommended." ^ It is not clear that Dr. Fairbairn ex-
pected the pastor to enlist his people in any of these
outside activities ; if hot, his scheme appears to make
very little provision of work of any kind for tlicm. Tliis
volume has been published since the death of its autlior,
in 1874, and presents undoubtedly the view of church
activities prevailing in Scotland during his lifetime.
A later volume, by Dr. W. (1. I'laikie, gives some clear
indications of the recent rapid (Icvclopincnt of the Cliris-
tian Church along these lines. It contiiins a cliapti'r upon
1 Ibid, pp. 348-350.
8 CmUSTIAN PASTOll AND WOKiaXG CHURCH
the " Organization of Work," in which the importance of
securing the co-operation, not merely of the officers, but
of the entire membership of the church, in its proper work,
is strongly argued. He says : —
" It is evident from the New Testament that elders and
deacons, though the only persons who are said to have
been formally ordained, were not the only persons who
were allowed to labor in the church. The sixteenth
chapter of Romans contains the Apostles' greeting to
many men and women who were laboring in the church
at Rome. There is no reason to suppose that all these
were expressly ordained. At the top of the list is Phebe,
a servant or deaconess of the church at Cenchrea, but of
whom we have no reason to believe that she was ordained.
Priscilla and Aquila, a married couple, come next, the
wife's name preceding the husband's. It is extremely
improbable that the long list of active men and women
that follows were persons who had all been ordained to
office. But all of them were actively using their abilities
for the advancement of the Kingdom, and in so doing
they were not only recognized but commended b}^ the
Apostle. It follows that in every well equipped congre-
gation, in addition to those expressly ordained, but under
their sanction and superintendence, there ought to be a
body of active workers engaged in the various operations
of Christian love and zeal which the circumstances call
for. In many such congi-egations we find a body of Sun-
day school teachers, or of helpers in a children's church ;
a body of district visitors, a young men's association, a
missionary association, a school committee, and a mothers'
meeting. It is j-iglit that all these should be recognized
and superintended by tlie office bearers. Their work
ought to be embraced in the prayers of the congregation,
and it ought to bo made ])lain tliat they arc not mere free
lances but tliat they Labor under the warm wing and pa-
ternal guidance of the diurcli." '
Tliis brings clearly l)el'or(! us the newer concc])tion o[
' For ihe Worfc n/'lltr ^/illistrl/, p. 219.
INTRODUCTORY 9
the church as a working bocly,^ and of the minister as
the organizer and leader of its work. " In this matter,"
says Professor Willcox, " as in other features of church
hfe, there has been within the century an immense change.
The minister among the fathers, being superior in edu-
cation to most of his flock, was accounted, as to church
work, their proxy. He was less like General Grant,
directing the army, than like David, with sling and stone,
fighting the battle for them. The midweek meeting was
occupied with a lecture from the pastor. Sunday school
there was none. With no women's colleges or higher
seminaries, the sisters were not thought capable of giving
instruction. Societies of Christian Endeavor and juvenile
mission bands are among later inventions and discoveries.
There were no young Christians in any considerable
numbers. When a young man joined the church of
Dr. Lyman Bcecher, in Litchfield, Connecticut, early in
the century, so strange an event astonished all the western
section of that State." ^
Pastoral Theology, therefore, whether we consider it
as art or as science,^ has greatly extended its field within
the past generation. New occasions are constantly teach-
ing the minister of Christ new duties ; his position in the
cluirch has greatly changed, and the functions which he
is called to perform are quite unlike those which were
assigned to ministers in the first half of this century.
The American college president of fifty years ago was
the ])rincipal teacher of his college ; to-day he rarely en-
gages in the work of teaching; his work is mainly (liat
of organization and administration. The changfc which
lias taken place in tlie functions of the pastor is not so
radical, Init it -is considerable. Tlic largest and mosl
diflicult part of his Avork to-day consists in enlisting and
^ Abniidant evidence, to wliieli we shall have freqiieiit occasion to refer,
will l)c foiind ill the recent. Year IJooks of the Scottish churches, to show
that tiicse churches liave fully coniprcheiidetl the extent of their calling; as
working iir<i;ani/,ations.
- Tlio Pitstor fuul Ills Fliirh, ]>, 77.
'^ " r'est I'art aprcs la sciciic(>, on la science so n'suhant en art." \'inet,
Thcologie Pastorale, p. 1.
10 CHRISTIAN PASTOll AND WORKING CHURCH
directing the activities of his people. In all wise teaching
on this subject, the emphasis must now rest, not upon the
pastor, but upon the church.
We may perhaps assume that the conception which to-
day prevails is the higher and truer conception of the life
of the church. Not in the primordial germ, but in the per-
fected organism, do we seek for the true idea of any Chris-
tian institution. Belief in the constant presence of the
Holy Spirit, who is guiding the church into all truth, who
is taking the things of Christ and maldng them plain unto
us, should assure us that the later phases of ecclesiastical
life are higher and more near to the divine purpose than
those of primitive days. The church, in its organic life,
must leave behind the rudiments and go on toward per-
fection.! ^Ye tio not, therefore, go back to the Apostolic
Church, nor to any of the past ages for our types ; but a
glance at the history of what we now know as Pastoral
Theology may indicate the lines upon which the church
has been moving forward.
The theocratic and sacerdotal conceptions of the Old
Testament left little room for that peculiar relation be-
tween [)astor and people which Pastoral Theology assumes.
The political heads of communities, such as the elders of
the congregation, or the judges said to have been appointed
by Moses at the suggestion of Jethro,^ exercised more of
the true pastoral functions, probably, than did the priests
or the Levites. The conception of the ministers of religion
as sustaining a kind of pastoral relation occurs, however,
in some of the later prophets. — in the Deutero-Isaiah,^
and notably in Iv/ekiel.^ Similar references in Jeremiah
apply perhaps iii«hsci'iminately to political and religious
leaders/' l*)Ut the ajijAication by our Lord to himself, in
.John xii., of the figure of the fiood Shej.herd, gave to the
Apostolic Churcli a conception ^liirli speedily bore fruit.
In Paul's beautiful address to the J^phesian elders," and
notably in the Pastoral I-:pistles, are laid the foundations
1 IIcl.. vi 1-;^. - Kx. Nviii.
1 Cli. Ivi. II. ■• Cli. xxiv.
^ Cli. xxiii. 1-4. " Acts xx.
INTRODUCTORY 11
of Pastoral Theology. In most of the Epistles, indeed,
useful counsels are found concerning the proper consti-
tution of the church, concerning the duties of pastors to
their flocks, and of the members of the churches to their
leaders and to one another. Especially instructive are
those illustrations which Paul has given us in 1 Cor. xii.
and in p]ph. iv., — the full meaning of which is only be-
ginning to dawn upon the churches.
Immediately following the times of the Apostles come
certain manuals and directories of worship, most complete
and authentic of which is the recently discovered Teach-
ing of the Twelve Aj)ostlcs. The Apostolical Canons
and the Apostolical Constitutions undoubtedly embody
material which originated in that early period, and give
us, in some of their regulations, the conceptions of church
order and activity entertained by the successors of the
Apostles.
It was in tljis period that the sacerdotal view of the
clerical office began to be emphasized, and the hierarcliical
organization of the church began to take definite form.
The term Pastor was first given to the chief officer of a
local congregation ; then the name Avas applied to the
chief officer of a district or diocese including many con-
gregations ; and finally, in a still more comprehensive sense,
to the occupant of the See of Rome, who was styled Pastor
Pastorurn. To these gradually enlarging conceptions of
tlie pastorate, the theories of pastoral care necessarily
adjusted tliemselves. To a primitive Congregationalist
Pastoral Theology was one thing; to a believer in the
Diocesan lOpiscopate it meant something more; and to the
believer in the Papacy it Imd still another meaning.
Accoi'dingly the tn^itises dealing with this subject which
have appeared dnring the eentniies have not l)ecn nnilorm
in scope and signirication. Tlie subject mutter viiries.
The treatise of Chrysostoni, On. the J'rirsthnnd,^ written
in the last year of the fonith century, rests on the sacer-
dotal conception of tin; clerical ollice, and iiiagnilies the
^ TTfp! l(p<ji(Tvvr)t. — Dr Snrii(li)tio, — translalfd liy \V. K. W. Sloiilieiis, in
Scliaff's edition of Clirvsostom'rt Works.
12 CHRISTIAN TASTOn AND AYORKING CIIUIICH
pastoral function in accordance with that high theory.
About the same time appeared 'the treatise of Ambrose,
De Ojflciis Clericorum, and that of Epliraem Syrus, Dc
Sacenlotio. In the middle of tlie next century appeared
the book Be Fastorali Cura, the authorship of which was
ascribed to Leo the Great, and at the end of the sixth
century the Liber Fastoralis of Gregory the Great. All
these books take a high view of the pastoral functions.
The last named, which held tlie place of eminence as a
pastor's handbook for many centuries, which was trans-
lated during its author's lifetime into the Greek, and later
into English, and which was enjoined upon the clergy of
the ancient church for constant use, speaks of the priest
as " ruler," and of his parishioners as " subjects." First,
it discusses the qualifications of a priest; then treats of
his manner of life in his pastorate, and finall}^ gives spe-
cific directions respecting the methods of instruction to be
followed in dealing with different classes.
The Middle Ages furnished comparatively few treatises
of this nature ; as the emphasis upon the sacramental func-
tions of the cliurch grew stronger, the need of the pastoral
function was minimized. Two notable treatises appeared,
iiowever, in the middle centuries ; the first is that of the
illustrious Bernard of Clairvaux, Tractatns dc Morihus ct
Officiis Clericorum. It presents a glowing picture of the
true minister of Christ, and a stern denunciation of the
scandalous conduct of the unfaithful clerics of his time.
The second, whicli is like unto it, is by John Wiclif, —
Tractatus clc Oftcio Fadorali. The first part of this dis-
courses of purity of life, and the second part of wholesome-
ness of doctrine.
For the most part, however, the care of souls through-
out this period is largely identified with the administra-
tion of tlie sa<'raments, including, of course, confession and
absolution. The manuals of the period lay great stress
upon celibac}', ecclesiastical vestments, and the recitation
of the divine offices.
Tlic Protestant Rcformntion must nccfls h^xo given a
great impulse to studies of this character. Luther wrote
INTRODUCTORY 13
no consecutive treatise upon Pastonil Theology ; but some
of his counsels were gathered by Conrad Porta in his
Pastorale Liithcri. Zwingle's Voni Prcdigtamtc and iJcr
Hirt^ and portions of the fourth book of Cdlwin^^ I nstitutio,
deal with various aspects of pastoral relation. From this
time forward the stream of this literature widens so rapidly
that we can only note a few of the more important treatises.
The Farcencsis ad Ecclcsioi Ministros of Joh. Val. Andreii,
the Pia Dcsideria of Spener, the Monita Pastoralia of A.
H. Francke are German treatises of the seventeenth cen-
tury ; while the quaint Country Parson of George Herbert,
and the Picformcd PaMor of Richard Baxter, appearing in
the same century in England, are among the most precious
gifts that the church has received since the daj-s of the
Apostles.
In the eighteenth century we have the treatise in Fi'cnch
of P. Roques, Le Pasteur Evangeliquc^ and in German the
Pastor al-tlicolocjie of J, F. von Mosheim, and the Bcitrage
zur Pastoral-tlieolorjie of J. F. Jacobi ; along with one valu-
able handbook, presenting the subject from the Roman
Catholic point of view, the Vorlcsungeii aus der Pastoral-
tlicologie of J. M. Sailer. The rationalism of the eighteenth
century tended to cheapen the estimate of the minister's
calling, and some of the treatises which appeared toward
the end of that century reduced pastoral theology to its
lowest terms. Against the unspiritual conceptions then
current, the passionate protest of J. G. Herder, in his
Zivulf Provincial-bid Iter an Predigcr, and his Brief e iihcr
das Studhun der Theologie, was not altogetlier in vain.
Bishop Burnet's Discourse of the Pastoral Care, and
Girard's treatise entitled Pastoral Care., belong also to
tliis century; and Avith them may be numbered Cotton
Mather's quaint Mannductio ad Ministerium^ or The Arigi'ls
Preparing to Sound the Trumpets^ which was rcpu])lislied
in England, with an oquall}^ quaint inti-oduction by John
Kyland, addressed "To the (ientlemen and other several
(Christians in Loiidon and the Country wlio liave tlio Cause
of Christ and the Honour of the Christian "\Iiiiistr/- at
Heart."
14 CHEISTL/iN PASTOK AND WORiaNG CHUllCH
At tlie beginning of the present century, Friedrich
Schleiermaclier gave to the general subject of Practical
Theoloo-}'- its first scientific exposition. In his Outlines
of Theological Study, he treated this branch of theology as
the culmination and crown of the theologic encycloptcdia.
The advent of the nineteenth century strikes the hour
of the utilities ; and the studies which bear directly upon
the activities of the church are exalted to a rank which has
not before been given them. Of this tendency of thought
Schleiermaclier, who is pastor as well as professor, is the
protagonist. It is not, however, to be wholly a question
of utility, for Philip INIarheinecke in his Entiourf der
237'aJctischen Theologie will have us consider it from the stand-
point of speculative philosophy, and Clans Harms in his
Pastoral-thcologic will enforce it upon us with the warmth
of a most fervid piety. Other German works of this cen-
tury are Karl Immanuel Nitzsch's Praktische Theologie,
F. L. Steinmeyer's Beitrdge zur Praldischcn Theologic, Theo-
dosius Ilarnack's Prahtische Theologie, and Johann Tobias
Beck's Pastorallehren.
The French writer whose work on this subject has be-
come a classic is Alexandre Kodolphe Vinet, the Lausanne
professor, whose Theologie pastorale, ou thcoric du ministerc
evangelique, has been translated into English and German.
The perspicuous style, the just discrimination and the evan-
gelical spirit of Vinet are worthy of all praise. Vinet is at
the farthest remove from sacerdotalism ; the minister in his
view is a priest only as all believers are priests ; his author-
ity is only that of knoAvledge and character. SuiJplemeuted
by Jiis HomiUiique ou theorie de la 2')r('dic((tion, and his IHs-
toire dc la jJrcdication 2}armi les reformcs de France au dix-
septihnc siklc, Vinet's treatise covers the field of practical
theology.
Perhaps the most complete treatise on Practical Theology
which the present century has produced is that of Jan Ja-
ki)l) \ an Oosterzeo, Professor in the University of Utrecht.
Under the fnui' divisions of I loiiiih'tics, Iviturgics, Catc-
chetics, and Toimenics, this writ it discusses exhaustively
the whole subject of pastoral activity. Van Oosterzee, as
INTRODUCTORY 15
the leader of the Evangelical party in the Church of Hol-
land, occupies the standpoint of the conservative reformers,
investing the pastoral office with large dignity and author-
ity, and yet emphasizing, at every point, the bond of a
common humanity whicli binds together pastor and people.
Of English treatises appearing during the nineteenth
century may be mentioned TJie Bislwpric of Souls, by li. W.
Evans; A Treatise on the Pastoral Office, by J. W. Burgon;
The Parish Priest, by J. J. Blunt; Pastor in Parochia, by
W. Walsham How; An Par nest Ministry the Want of the
Times, by John Angell James ; Tlte Christian Ministry, by
Charles Bridges ; Pastoral Theology, by Patrick Fairbairn ;
Por the Work of the Ministry, by W. G. Blaikie; Hornilctical
and Pastoral Lectures, by C. J. Ellicott ; Christus Consolator :
the Pulpit in Relation to Social Z^/c, by Alexander McLeod;
The Pastoral Office, by Ashton Oxenden ; and Letters to a
Young Clergyman, by J. C. Miller. An excellent volume,
compiled in England about the middle of the century and
entitled The Christian Instructor contains Herbert's Country
Parson; Jeremy Taylor's Advices to his Clergy; Bishop
Burnet's Discourse of the Pastoral Care; Bishop Sprat's
Discourse to his Clergy; Bishop Ball's Companion for Can-
didates of Holy Orders ; Bishop Gibson's Directions to his
clergy ; Bishop Hort's Instructions ; Bishop Wilson's Paro-
chalia ; a Pastoral Letter by Archbishop Howley, and a
Charge to the Clergy, by Bishop Kaye. One could liardly
desire a more comprehensive exhibition of tlie subject from
the point of view of tlie Anglican Chunli.
The vigorous development of the voluntary system of
church maintenance in the United States lias naturally
resulted in a diligent cultivation of the whole lield of
practical religion and tlu; literature of Pastoral 'J'heology
is abundant. Especially dui'ing tlu; present century have
the treatises upon the work of the ministry been greatly
multiplied. The Lectures on Iloniilciics and Preaching, and
on Public Prayer, by Ebenezcr Porter, and the Lectures on
Pastoral Theology, by .laiiiesS. Cannon, belong to the earlier
])art of the century: iind to tlie liilter liiilf of il, the 7'".s-
toval Theology of Thomas Miii])hy, which [ircsents the
IG CHRISTIAN PASTOn AND WORKING CHUECU
subject from a Presbyterian point of view ; the Christian
Pastorate^ by Daniel P. Kidder, which represents the con-
ditions prevailing in the Methodist Episcopal Church, IVte
Pastor^ by Gregory Thurston Bedell, which is calculated
for the latitude of the Protestant Episcoj^alians, The Office
and Work of the Christian Ministr//, by James jM. Hoppin,
in which a teacher in a Congregational Theological Semi-
nary gives his view of the pastor's work. Familiar and
pithy counsels to young ministers are found in Samuel
Miller's Letters to a Student on Clcrieal Planners and Mahits,
in Humphrey's Letters to a Son in the Ministry^ and in
Francis Wayland's Letters on the Ministry of the Gospel.
TJie Homiletics and Pastoral Theology of W. G. T. Shedd
is a dignified treatise ; Enoch Pond's Lectures on Past-
oral Theology are plain and practical ; Austin Pheljjs's The
Theory of Preaching is the fruitage of a fine nature ;
Franklin W. Fisk's Homiletics contains the harvest of a rich
experience, and G. B. Willcox's The Pastor in the Parish
presents its topic in the form of a conversation between
a teacher and his pupils. A foundation established in
the Theological Seminary at New Haven, in memory of
Lyman Beecher, has been built upon by successive lec-
turers ; the first three volumes of this series, entitled
Yale Lectures on Preaching, are by Henry AVard Becclier;
other lectures have followed by Robert William Dale,
Nine Lectures on Preaching ; by John Hall, God's Word
Tlirovgh PreacMng ; by Richard Salter Storrs, Preaching
vnthout Notes ; by William M. Taylor, The Ministry of the
Word; by Phillips Brooks, Leetarcs on Preaching; by
Howard Crosljy, The Christian Preacher; by Ezekiel G.
Robinson, Yale Jjcctiires on Preaching ; by Matthew Samp-
son, Lectures on Preaching ; by Nathaniel J. Burton, Yale
Lectures, Sermons, and Other Writings; by James Stalker,
The Preacher and His Models; by R. F. Horton, Vcrhuni
Dei; ])y John Wats(m, Tlic Cure of Souls ; and by A. J. F.
Bcln-cnds, The Philosophy of Preaching. Most of tliesc
volumes seem to put tlie emphasis upon homiletics; but
tlio pastoral care is also considered in many of ilimi. One
course of lectures on this foundation, by A\'ashington
LN'TKODUCTORY 17
Gladden, entitled Tools and the Man; Property and In-
dustry under the Christian Lau\ deals with the duty of
the pulpit with reference to industrial and social problems.
A compilation of Essays entitled Parish Problems, by the
writer last named, exhibits the field of pastoral theology
from the point of view of the co-operating church.
General Poimenics is sufficiently covered by the above
survey; a little space may be given to the history of
Catecheties. The teaching to which this name is given
is alluded to, but not delined, in the Xew Testament ; ^ oral
instruction seems to be implied ; but there is no clear
discrimination between preaching and private teaching.
Apollos had been '• instructed " (/caT7;;)^7;/Ae'i/o<?) in the way
of the Lord,2 before he came under the tuition of Aquila
and Priscilla ; and Theophilus had received the same kind
of " instruction." ^ Naturally, all who sought to connect
themselves with the groups of disciples must have re-
ceived, from intelligent and competent leaders, some such
tuition. There is, however, no clear trace of classes or
methods until the third or fourth century; then we find
the converts organized for instruction ; and two classes
distinctly appear. First are the "Audientes," who are
receiving instruction in the rudiments of religious truth,
and who are permitted to be present in the church Avlicn
the Scriptures are read and the sermon is preached, but
who are excluded when the liturgical worship is in ])ro-
gress. It is not in order for them to hear the Greed or
the Lord's Prayer in the church, or to witness the adminis-
tration of the Lord's Supper.* After they have received
a proper amount of instruction they advance into the class
of " Gompetentes," and the Greed, the nature of the sacra-
ments, and tlie penitential rites of the churcb, are ex-
plained to them. This was the stage of preparation which
immediately preceded baptism ; it continued forty days,
during which a severely ascetic regimen was prescribed.
1 1 Cor. xiv. i;) ; Cul. vi. G.
- Acts xviii. '2.').
^ Liikc i. 4.
* Const. Ajioxl., viii. 5.
2
18 CHRISTIAN TASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
At the end of this time those who endured tlic ordeal
were admitted to baptism.
No distinct order of catechists appears during this pe-
riod ; each pastor was charged with this function. It is
evident that the teaching was progressive, beginning with
the simplest truths of natural theology, and leading up to
Christian mj^steries. It was, however, mainly intended
for adult converts, who sought preparation for admission
to the church; the character which it has chiefly borne
in modern times, as that of instruction imparted to the
children of Christian families, was not then impressed
upon it.
The first writings which bear this name are the Cata'
dieses of Cyril of Jerusalem (^Karr]')(^i^creL<; cfycori^ofievcov),
which consist of addresses delivered during Lent to the
Catechumens. The Christian doctrines are carefully ex-
pounded in these discourses, and much emphasis is laid
upon relics, exorcism, unction, and the adoration of the
cross. Discourses with a similar purpose are the Oratio
Catechetica of Gregory Nyssen, and the Catccheses ad
Uluminandos of Chrysostom. The first treatise on theo-
retical catechetics is that of Augustine, De Catecliizandis
Eudibus, which begins wdth sacred history and proceeds
to the Christian doctrines. It is addressed to his friend
the Deacon Deo^ratias of Carthage. All these treatises
are intended for the instruction of adult candidates for
baptism.
As infant baptism became more and more prevalent, tlic
catechetical preparation for Ija^itism necessarily fell into
desuetude ; the catachete was superseded by the priest.
"After the church had become established, and its increase
was obtained by the birth and baptism of children rather
than by conversions from heathendom, the idea of catechet-
ical instruction passed from l)eing that of a preparation
for 1)aptism to being that of a culture of l)aptizcd cliildren.
When conln-mation became general, catechetical instruc-
tion l)egan to Ijear the same relation to it that it had
fonncily done to Itajitism. In the missions to heathens
iu the Middle Ages, it became nsual to baptize converts
INTRODUCTORY 19
at once, and the ancient catechumenatc fell into disuse.
Nor was great attention given to the catechising of bap-
tized children in the Roman Church up to the time of
the Reformation: the confessional took the place of the
Catechism." ^ Nevertheless something was done through
all this period for the systematic instruction of the young ;
Charlemagne, in one of his Capitularies, admonishes the
bishops that their priests must be required to attend to
this duty; and the names of Bruno, Bishop of Wiirzburg,
and Hugo of St. Victor, are to be mentioned as those who
were zealous for the restoration of catechetical instruction.
Chancellor John Gerson, of the University of Paris, was
the author of a tract Dc Parvulis od Christum TraliencUs ;
but the subjects for which this instruction was intended
were young men rather than young children.
The Reformation brought about a great revival in the
religious training of children. The appeal to private
judgment demanded an instructed judgment. Luther was
the leader in this enterprise ; his Catechisms, Larger and
Smaller, which appeared in 1529, are still the standards of
the Lutheran Church in all parts of the world. The title
of the latter in 3rd edition is Enchiridion : Dcr Klcine
Catechismus filr die gemeine Pfarher und Prcdirjcr^ 1529.
Thj Decalogue, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and
the Sacraments are the principal themes of Luther's
Catecliisms.
Calvin also prepared a Catechism for the Church of
Geneva, which was published in 1507 under the title.
Instruction & Confession de Foy dont on use en Vl^glisc dc
Geneve^ in 1538 in Latin, revised 1545, and translated into
English in 1508. The themes of this Catechism are the
Decalogue, the Apostles' Creed, and tlio Lord's Prayer;
after which follow brief chapters on the Bible and the
Sacraments.
One of the most influential of (lie Catechisms is lliat
known as the Heidelberg Catechism, which was |)ul)]islicd
ill (lie city whose name it be.ars in 1503. Its oriL^nual (ici-
man title is Catechismus, odcr Christlirhrr Undcrricht wic
^ ^IcClintoc'k ami Strong's Ci/clopwdi'a, Art. Calcchetica,
20 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
der in Kirchen unci Schulen der Churfilrstlichen Pfcdz
getricbcn loirdt., Gedruckt in der ChurfurstlicJien Stad
Heydelberg. The Catechism Avas mainly the Avork of tlie
famous Zachary Ursinus, aided by Caspar Oleviaiiiis, who
was then court preacher to the Elector of the Palatinate,
Frederick III. It was under the patronage of this Protes-
tant prince that the work was undertaken ; a synod of the
superintendents of the I'alatinate approved it in 1562, and
it was at once by command of the Elector made the doc-
trinal standard of the Reformed Church in his dominions.
The Synod of Dort adopted it in 1618 ; for the German
and Dutch Reformed Churches it has always been the
authoritative confession. The three parts into which the
instruction is divided are : 1. The Misery of Man ; 2. The
Redemption of Man ; 3. The Gratitude due from ]\Ian
to God, — under which are included our moral obligations.
The Catechism of the English Church appears in the
Prayer Book of 1549 under the title Confirmation wlierein
is contained a Catechism for Children. In its linal revision
in 1661 it is entitled A Catechism. 1'he language is evi-
dently adapted to the use of young children. The lift}^-
ninth canon of the English Church requires every parson,
vicar, or curate, upon every Sunday and holiday, before
evening prayer, for lialf an hour or more, to examine and
instruct the youth and ignorant persons of his parish in
this Catechism, commanding all fathers, mothers, masters,
and mistresses to bring their children or wards to this
service, and prescribing heavy penalties for the neglect
of this injunction, whether by priests or parishioners. The
letter of tliis law is not generally obeyed. The American
Episcopal Church also expressly requires of its ministers
regular and diligent instruction of the cliildrcn of their
parislies in the trutlis of this Catecliism.
The Presbyterian Catechisms are of later date; the
Eargcr Catechism, ]irepared by the Westminster vVssem-
blv f.f Divines, was presented to the House of Commons
iuiil ]iriiit(<l liy autliority in October, 1647, and the Shorter
Catechism in Xf)vcmber of the same year. These symliols
arc fruits of the later lie formation. The Shorter Catechism
INTKODUCTOKY 21
has been in universal use among Presbyterian churches,
and was formerly employed very largely for purposes of
instruction by Independents and Congregationalists in
England and America. Many volumes have been pub-
lished in exposition of it ; those of Ashbel Green, Pater-
son, Vincent, Boyd, and Wliyte are among the most
noted.^
The revival of catechetical teacliing in the Churches
of the Reformation reacted powerfully upon the Roman
Catholic Church. What may be regarded as one of the
tirst fruits of this activity is a little book published at
Mayencc in 1550 with the imprint of John Schoeffer, son
of the partner of (xutenberg, entitled Brevis Instltiitio ad
Christianam Pietatem, secundum Doctrinam Catholicam con-
tincns Explicationcm Symholi Apostolici, Orationis Dominicce^
Salutationis Anjelicce, Decern Frcceptoruvi, Septcvi Sacramcn-
torum. It was compiled for the use of the " noble youth "
Avho were receiving instruction under Sebastian, Arch-
bishop of Mayence. It is profusely illustrated with wood-
cuts of the period, exhibiting the Creation of Eve, the
Salutation of Mary, the Birth of Jesus, the Crucifixion,
the Resurrection, the Ascension, and other Scriptural
events. It is written in Latin, and presents the chief
point? of Catholic doctrine in a succinct and interesting
manner. The Catechisms of Canisius, the Jesuit, issued
in 1554 and 1556, exerted great influence throughout the
Roman Catholic Churcli as well as in (lermany unlil
quitL' recent times. Hk; Catechism of Bellarmine, pul>
lislied in 1603, was also mucli used. Tlie Catechism of
the Diocese of Meaux, published by Bossuet in 16i>8, and
addressed by him " Aux Curez, Vicaires^ aux F^res et aux
Meres, ct it tons les Fidellcs dc son Diocese,''^ is one of tlic
most careful and systematic maiuials of tlio Catliolic
C'hurcli.
The standard Catecliism of llic Koinaii (Imrt'li is the
Tridcntine Catechism, published in 15()(!, niidi'r the au-
thority of Pins \^ Ivich l)is]io[) is, lio\vi'\i'r, allowed Ui pre-
pare such manuals of instruction as he may deem necessary ;
1 See Catechisms of the Scottish Re/or iiiatioii, by Iloratius Bonar.
22 CHRISTIAN PASTOIl AND WOIIKING CHURCH
and in 1885, the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore
compiled a new Catechism of Christian Doctrine, which has
been commended to the faithful by the highest authorities
of the Church in the United States.
Many of the Protestant bodies have provided their
childi-en with manuals of instruction. The Methodist
Episcopal Church in the United States has a series of these
catechisms, embodying the same questions and answers,
but extending the exposition so as to provide for a graded
system of teaching. The subjects of this threefold cate-
chism are : God ; Creation ; The Fall ; Salvation ; The Means
of Grace ; God's Law ; Death, Judgment, and Eternity.
Socinian Catechisms were prepared by Schomann in
1574, by Faustus Socinus in 1618, and by Moscorovius
in 1609. The last named, known as the Racovian Cate-
chism, was translated into English by Kees, and published
in London in 1818.
Christian bodies which adopt no theological S3-mbols have
been furnished with catechisms by independent teachers.
The Baptist denomination was thus served by Benjamin
Beddome, whose Scriptural Exposition of the Baptist Cate-
chism was issued in 1752 ; and even the Quakers have A
Catechism and Confession of Faith., wliich was prepared
by Robert Barclay in 1673, and which declares upon its
title-page that it has been "Approved of and Agreed
unto by the General Assemhhj of the Patriarchs, Prophets,
and Apostles, Christ himself Chief Speaker in and among
them." The questions of this Catechism are in the words
of INIr. Barclay, but the answers are in the vrords of the
Scripture.
CHAPTER II
THE CHURCH
All Protestant denominations unite in giving to the
local congregation of Christian believers — those who
worsliip in one place, and have an organization under
which the sacraments are administered to them by their
own olFicers — the name of church. By some of these
denominations the word is used also to designate larger
organizations, provincial or national ; but the Episcopalian,
the Presbyterian, the Methodist, and the Lutheran, as well
as the Congregationalist and the Baptist, speak of the
permanent local assembly of disciples as a church. This
is the sense in which the word is always used in these
pages.
Into the question of the form of this organization we do
not go. The church may be organized with a vestry, a
session, a classis, an official board, a diaconate and pru-
dential committee, or in any other manner which seems
good unto itself. Certain questions are, however, pertinent
and practical when we are considering the church as a
working body.
1. How large may a church l)e wisely permitted to
become ? Is there any judicious limit to be placed upon
the membership of a church ? Oljviousl}', much ^^•ill depend
upon the nature of its pastorate. If the pastor is provided
wilh a large staff of assistants, the membershij) of tlie
cliurch may be more safely multiplied. The work of
organization and supervision may thus 1)e extendi'd to
large numbers, and a large body accumulates influence and
moves with power. Yet these gains arc offset by serious
losses. The worshi))ping congrogalion ciinnot exceed a
certain limited nmnhcr witliout pull'mg upon the preacher
24 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
a strain which few are able to bear. Not many speakers
can effectively address more than two thousand people in
the best auditorium. Indeed the chiu'cli audiences in
America which are regularly more numerous than this can
probably be counted on the fingers of one hand. Nothing
is more uniformly exaggerated than the size of church
audiences. And even if a larger audience could be
brought within the range of the preacher's voice, the
wisdom of attempting to care for so large a body of
communicants is not beyond disputation. A I'egular audi-
ence of two thousand persons would imply a meml)ership
of about the same number. The communicants who are
necessarily absent are usually about equal in number to
the non-communicants in attendance ; and a working
force of two thousand would be handled with considerable
difficulty by the most efficient pastoral staff. The per-
centage of the unemploj'ed in such a mass is likely to be
very large.
If a church employs but a single pastor, the policy of
gathering a huge membership is still more questionable.
A leader with even exceptional ability as an organizer
finds himself burdened by the care of more than a thousand
cluirch members. The impossibility of maintaining any real
pastoral supervision of a larger number is obvious ; and
the difHculty of developing the social life of a congregation
which exceeds this limit is almost insuperable. There may
be circumstances under which a larger number can be
effectively employed in Clu'istian service ; there may be
leaders to whom such a task is not impossible ; but as a
rule it may be questioned whether it is good economy to
gather churches of more than a thousand members. (u'U-
erally it will be expedient to colonize before the number
reaches that limit. The policy of concentration, whicli is
so successful in commercial enterprises, does not work so
v/ell in ecclesiastical enterprises. Two clmrches of six or
seven liuinlrcd meinl)ers eacli will generally accomplish
far mon; than oiu; chuicli of twelve or fourteen liundred
members.
In short, it ma}- lu; said that the chureli membership
THE CHURCH 25
should not be so large but that some good measure of
acquaintance and friendship may be maintained among its
members, and between its members and their minister ;
nor so large but that they may be effectively employed in
the work of the church. " When we are commanded,"
saj'S Baxter, " to ' take heed to all the flock,' it is plainly
implied that flocks must be no greater, regularly and ordi-
narily, than we are capable of overseeing or taking heed
of; that particular churches should be no greater, or
ministers no fewer, than may consist with taking heed to
all ; for God will not lay upon us natural im[)Ossibilities.
He will not bind men on so strict account as we are boimd,
to leap up to the moon, to touch the stars, to number the
sands of the soa. If it be the pastoral Avork to oversee
and take heed to all the flock, then surely there must be
sucli a proportion of pastors assigned to each flock, or
such a number of souls in the care of each pastor, as he is
able to take such heed to as is here required." ^
The fellowship of the brotherhood is never to be lost
sight of. The organizing principle of the Christian church
is such a union with Christ, the Head, as brings the mem-
bers into vital relation with one another. " For even as we
have many members in one body, and all the members have
not the same office : so we, Avho are many, are one body in
Christ, and severally members one of another." ^ This sui'cly
implies acquaintance and friendship. It is absurd to talk
of such relations as these among people who have not even
a speaking acquaintance vni\\ one another. The church
must not be so large as to defeat the very purpose of its
organization. And it is equally clear that it must not be
so large that no effective use can be made of its forces in
Christian work. It will be found that by far tlu; greater
proportion of many large churches are merely " honorary
members," having no part in tlie activities of the church.
In the great cathedral churches, to each of wliidi is
attached a large clerical staff, much good work is done;
and it is pro])able that large classes arci rcaihcd and bene-
fited 1)V such services who would not be l)r()Ught into ch)sc
1 lioformed Pastor, \\. 10.'!. - Koiii. xii. -1, J.
26 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
affiliation with smaller churches. So, too, in the great
institutional churches which will be discussed in a later
chapter, a certain kind of shepherchng is effectively done.
For all such methods there is room in the Kingdom of God.
Yet it may still be maintained that the ideal Christian
church is a " household of faith," the members of wliich
are bound together by personal affection ; and that it is also
a working body whose function is best fulfilled when its
members are all actively enlisted in some kind of helpful
ministry ; and for this mutual fellowship and co-operation
the body must not be too large. It is a serious question
whether the passion for bigness which characterizes our
time has not increased the bulk of many of our cluirehes
at the expense of their vitality.
2. Closely connected with this question of the extent of
the membership is the question of the nature of the edifice
which the church must provide for itself. There is no rea-
son why the church building should not be a noble and at-
tractive structure, if those who worship within it are able to
provide such an edifice, and pay for it. It is not seemly
that those who tliemselves dwell in palaces should offer to
the Lord a barn for liis sanctuary. And j'ct it is easy to err
in this direction. The church may be solidly and beauti-
fully built; it ought to be comfortable and commodious
and bright and attractive ; but it ought not to have the
look of elegance or luxury. It should never be a building
whose exterior or interior would make upon any ^^•orking
man the impression that the people worshipping in it were
too fine to associate witli him, A dignified simplicil}^
should characterize all its features and ap[)ointments.
Many churches are as ostentatious of splendor, without
and within, as are the turnouts in which tlieir worshippers
dis})lay themselves in the park. To every passer-b}' tlicy
loudly proclaim, " It is not the elect, it is the clitc^ Avho
congregate here: Frocul, 0 procid estr, profani!'''' Sucli
churclies, and their entire administration, arc a hideous
travesty of the religion of the Nazarene. A pastor wlio
liad foi' several years Im'cii ministering to the Hock that
worship[»ed in one of these splendid churches, once said to
THE CHURCH 27
the writer : " It would have been far better for the cause
of Christ if one huncli'ed thousand dollars of the money
expended upon this church had been tlirown into the
river ; there it would have done no harm, at least ; here it
is a positive hindrance to the progress of the Kingdom."
Money which is expended in such gorgeousness and sliow
is worse than wasted.
The ethics of church architecture needs to be studied
by Christian disciples everywhere. There is no virtue in
deformity and discomfort ; the ugliness of some of the old
meeting-houses is an abomination. He who hath made
everything l)eautiful in its season is not honored by offer-
ing him a Iniilding which offends the taste that bears wit-
ness for him. But, on the other hand, every Christian
congregation must bear in mind who is its Master, and
who are his friends, — the people in its neighborhood with
whom he is most closely identified, — and must seek to
administer all its affairs in such a way that they shall not
be repelled from its assemblies.
In churches whose chief function is that of teachinsf, it
would also seem to be reasonable to expect that much
regard would l)e paid to the properties of the church as an
auditorium. " How shall they hear without a preacher ? "
is a question not much more pertinent than '' How shall
they hear the preacher ? " It would be well if architects
could be impressed with the truth that all architectural
effects must be subordinated to tlie uses of tlie church as a
I)lace of worship. The lirst problem to be solved is that
of Ijriiiging the whole congregation under the leader's eye,
and within easy range of his voice.
The newer conception of the church as a working body
calls also for an adaptation of the churcli l)uil(ling to the
purposes of work. In some portion of the edilice place
must be found for class rooms, social rooms, connnittee
rooms, and tlic other conveniences of a working organiza-
tion. The arrangement of tlie structure will ])e detennined
by the plans of the church; in some places it would Ije
wise to undertake many more kinds of work than in others ;
and in every case the edilice should be built w ith au intel-
28 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND \VOKKtNG CHURCH
ligent regard for the future requirements of the church.
It is not sufficient to commission an architect to furnish
the design of a church edifice ; as well tell him to build
a factory without letting him know whether it was pro-
posed to manufacture cotton goods or mowing machines or
writing j)aper. The church must carefully study its field,
and determine what kind of work it can wisely undertake ;
and must then adapt its building, as well as it can, to the
requirements of its work.
The location of the church is also a matter of great
importance. Many churches are wellnigh ruined by
placing them on noisy streets where the voice of the
preacher is often ch•o^\^led by the din. It is well that the
church should be near some principal thoroughfare, near
enough to attract some portion of the throng ; it ought to
be easily accessible from all directions ; but it is not good
policy to push the church into the midst of the market-
place. " Wisdom," according to the wise man, " crieth
aloud in the street ; she uttereth her voice in the broad
places ; she crieth at the head of the noisy streets ; " ^
and there may be occasions for Wisdom to deport herself
after this manner ; but when she seeks to gather worship-
pers into the sanctuary, she may well betake herself to
quieter regions. There is reason to believe that Wisdom
has often failed to make herself heard by reason of the
clatter of carts and the din of electric cars, and the clamor
of bands of Sabbath-breakers marching l)y.
The question of economy must also be considered in this
connection. It is a question whether any church has a right
to expend hundreds of thousands of dollars upon a site for
its cdilice, simply in order that it may occu})}' land u])()n
which fashion has put an exorbitant price, wluii land
equally serviceable can be ol)tained only one or two
s(iuares away for one half or one quarter of tlie money.
Tlie people wlio vnll worshij) on the most fashionable
avenue and vnll not Avorsliip on a street where tlie resi-
deufos are huniblor, are pco])lo for whom we have no right
to spend the Lord's money. 'I'lie more of tliein there are in
1 I'rov. i. 120, Ul, Mar;r.
THE CHURCH 29
any chnrch, the poorer it will be in all the elements that go
to muke up a true church of Christ.
In short, it needs to be said that this question of the
local habitation of the church is one that needs to be
treated ■with much more intelligence and conscience than
has sometimes been expended upon it. The life of the
church is powerfully affected for good or ill by the envi-
ronment which it thus provides for itself: the question
whether pride shall be fostered or repressed ; whether the
church shall be brought near to the people who need it
most or separated from them; whether the standards to
which its life shall be conformed shall be the standards of
the world and the flesh or the standards of the spirit;
whether the demands of style or the law of service shall
rule in its assemblies, — will be answered in part, at least,
in the one sense or the other, by the joint efforts of the
architect and the building committee.
3. What has already been said respecting the size of
the membership and the construction of the edifice has
suggested, in part, the answer to the question, What hind
of people should be gathered into the fellowship of any
given church? The answer is that the people who live in
the neighborhood should, ordinarily, form the membership
of the church ; and that they should be impartially gath-
ered in, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, Avith no dis-
tinction of caste or color. It is true that in large cities, with
present facilities of transportation, families and individuals
often travel consideraljle distances to Avorship in tlie
churches Avhicli tlic}^ prefer. Sometimes they are constrained
to do this by their attachment to old associations ; they have
clianged their residence, but they cannot bear to separate
thenisplves from tlie felloAVsliip in Avhicli th(\y Avere reared,
or Avitli Avliich they have long been liaj)i)ily connected.
Sometimes the pastor is inw Avhose ministry is to them es-
pecially stimulating and ludpful, and Uiey are Avilling to
mak(^ large sacrifices for the sake of what h(! gives them.
It is not prudent, perhaps it is not dcsiraMc. to milagoni/.i!
sucli preferences. Doubtless th<! j)riiiei|)le of s|)irilMal
selection Avill determine, to a considerable extent, the inein-
30 CHRISTIAN PASTOIl AND WORIONG CHURCH
bership of clmrclies in all our larger coinmunities. Proba-
bly they will be more eflicient and fruitful, if, as a rule,
those whose opinions and tastes are similar are united in
the same communion. Most city churches will be made up,
not only of those who are near, but of some also who are
afar off. But when the church itself considers the ques-
tion of its own membership, and sends out its invitations,
it can have but one message : " Ho, every one that thirst-
eth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money ;
come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk with-
out money and without price." ^ " And the Spirit and the
bride say, Come. And he thatheareth, let him say, Come.
And he that is athirst, let him come ; he that will, let him
take of the water of life freely." ^ If those from afar
choose to come to its solemn feasts they must be hospitably
treated ; but those who are near must not be left in any
doubt as to the warmth of their welcome. The very first
problem for any church to solve is how to make the people
of its own neighborhood — all the people — understand
that its services are for them ; that its bell rings for them ;
that its doors open to them ; that its ushers are waiting
for them ; that its seats are for them to occupy ; that it
stands, as the representative of Christ, repeating to all
the people, with such powers of persuasion as it can com-
mand, his gracious call : " Come unto me, all ye that labor
and arc heavy laden, and I will give you rest." ^ That
there should be any mistake about this, any possibility of
misconception, any misgiving in anybodj^-'s mind that this
church does not really mean this, that it wishes only for
the adhesion of those who belong to a certain social class,
or who can bring contributions to its coffers and social in-
fluence to its assemblies, — this is a thought not for one
moment to be entertained. What I Can it bo true that
there are cliurches bearing the name of Jesus Christ which
are understood to l)e churches for the " upper class," or
churches for the " lower class " ; churches in whicli con-
siderations of wealtli or rank or culture largely determine
llic membership ? The sooiun* such churches are blotted
1 Isa. Iv. 1. - Hcv. xxii. 17. ^ Matt. xi. 28.
THE fHURCri 81
from existence, the sooner tlic Kingdom of God will
come.
It is true that in some neighboi'hoods the majority of
the residents belong to one class, and in others the majority
belong to another class ; such a geographical distribution
of wealth and poverty may be unfortunate, but it exists,
and we must make the best of it. It is therefore probable
that the social standing of the membership of some churches
will be different from tliat of others. But there are few
neighborhoods in which many poor people may not be
found, and few which are not accessible to some well to do
people ; and wherever the sentiment of the church heartily
favors it, the rich and the poor will be woishipping together.
The pastor of a church which has lately moved to a rather
fashionable residence district in one of our fairest Western
cities, told the writer that his congregation contained a large
working-class element. These were serving-men and serving-
women in the households of the neighborhood, poor clerks
and shop girls living near, and others of the same social
class. Ordinarily these persons, if in church at all, would
be found worshipping in some small mission chapel on a side
street, probably at a distance from their place of residence ;
but this churL-h had somehow convinced them that there
was room for them in its asscndjlics. This is by no means
an impossible task for men and women of good will ; and
no church has justified its existence until it has exhausted
its ingenuity and patience in seeking to accomplish it.
Not only will many working people be found scattered
through the districts where the more favored classes dwell,
l)ut it is not seldom the case that sections inhabited l)y the
poor are closely contiguous to churches now frequented
by the lich. In multitudes of instances the most aristo-
cratic churches are within easy roach of thousands of the
humblest people. If the worshi[)[)ers in these churches
are all of one social class, the reasons for this are not topo-
graphical, but purely moral. Tlic oidy reason why the
poor are not Ihoro is that th:'y arc not wauled. If these
were IJonian Catholic churches the jinor woiilil lie found
in them. There is no cathedral on the eonlinenl i>i I'-urope
32 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
SO splendid tlmt the poor are not perfectly at home in it.
To say that the same thing cannot exist in Protestant
churches is to proclaim that Protestantism is a failure.
We often hear it said that persons of this class are offen-
sive to the more refined by reason of their uncleanliness.
But a fastidiousness which cannot endure some discomfort
of this sort for an hour or two, once a week, for the sake
of the Kingdom of God, is not likely to achieve any im-
portant victories in the Christian warfare. And nothing-
would be more effective in improving the personal habits
of these people than bringing them into association every
week with tliose to whom such matters were a care. An
object lesson like this is the best way of teaching them
the important truth that cleanliness is next to godliness.
It is sometimes said that the poor prefer plainer churches ;
that they are more at home in them ; that they enjoy asso-
ciation with those of their own class. Doubtless they
would not feel at home in churches that Avere ostentatiously
luxurious ; but we have already assumed that the Christian
church Avill not be built upon that plan. They can have
no distaste for a beautiful and comfortable interior. It
would not be pleasant for them to W()rslii2i in churches
where most of the worshippers were richly and gaudily
dressed ; but few people of refinement are in the habit of
dressing for display when they go to church. The ordi-
nary laws of good breeding require plain and inconsi)icuous
attire in the house of God. And as to the preference for
association with those of their own class, it is to Ijc said
that very few worldng people w^ould fail to respond to the
overtures of a genuine Christian courtesy. Condescension
or patronage the best of them do not want and will not
endure ; but a sincere interest in them and a real friend-
ship for them will win tlieir confidence, no ]natter liow
large may be the possessions or how fine the culture of
those wlio proffer it. Th(! Cln-istian churcli is on tiial
before this generation upon this very issue, whetlier there
exists within it a genuine l)rotherliood by which tlie bar-
rici"S of social caste can be broken down. The separation
of classes threatens the disruption of existing society, and
i
THE CHURCH 33
the overturn of all our institutions. There appears to be
no agency by which this separation can be averted except
the Clu-istian church. If the church is true to the prin-
ciples of its Founder we may escape revolution, and go
forward with the processes of a healthy social evolution.
If the church, faithless to its trust, becomes the embodi-
ment of that pride and exclusiveness which its Master
came to rebuke and destroy, the church, with the state,
will be revolutionized ; the ecclesiastical structures now
existing will be demolished, and the Kingdom of God
will be rebuilt on sure foundations. The question of the
social structure of the existing churches is one of great
moment to the churches themselves, and to society at
large. If tlie principle of Christian fraternity means any-
thing, it is high time that we were beginning to compre-
hend its meaning, and to give it full scope in our church
organizations. The questions about which we are forever
squabbling, — whether our churches shall be governed by
bishops or elders, or committees of their own choosing;
whether the clergy shall be robed in one color or another ;
whether prayer shall be oral or written ; whether baptism
sliall l)e with little water or with much ; whether we shall
sing psalms or hymns ; whether Moses wrote all the Penta-
teuch or not, — are of very small consequence compared
with the question whether we are the disciples of the
iMaster who is shown us in the fust seventeen verses of the
thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of John. If we are, in
deed and iu truth, learners in his school, followers of his
divine example, we shall find some wa}^ of administering
our churches so tliat those to whom lie came to bring the
glad tidings shall feel at home in them.
The unity of tlie church of Christ is something more
than a voluntary association ; it is a vital, an oi'ganic unity.
"For in one Spirit," says Paul, "were we all l)aptized
into one body, whether Jews or (Jreeks, whether ])()nd or
free, and were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the
body is not one member, but many. If the foot sliall say.
Because T am not the hainl, I am not of the body, it is
not therefore not of the body. And if the ear shall say,
3
34 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND ^^ORKING CHURCH
Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, it is not
therefore not of the body. If the whole body were an eye,
where were the hearing ? If the whole were hearing, where
were the smelling? But now hath God set the members
each one of them in the body even as it pleased him.
And if they were all one member, where were the body ?
But now they are many members, but one body. And
the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee ;
or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem
to be more feeble are necessary ; and those parts of the
body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we
bestow more abundant honor, and our uncomely parts
have more abundant comeliness ; whereas our comely parts
have no need; but God tempered the body together,
giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked ;
that there should be no schism in the body, but that the
members should have the same care one for another.
And whether one member suffereth, all the members suffer
with it, or one member is honored, all the members rejoice
with it." 1 Here is the constitution of the Christian church ;
and a right understanding of this, and a hearty acceptance
of it, are a th(Uisand times more important than all that is
involved in our disputes about polities and liturgies and
doctrines. The one damning licresy is the rejection of
this organic law of the church ; the one intolerable schism
is tliat by wliich Christ's poor are practically cut off from
the fellowship of their more prosperous neighbors.
It is true that it is becoming increasingly difiicult to
realize the fellowship on which tlie Christian cliurch is
founded. In all our larger cities the conventionalities of
society are so multiplied, and there are so many outside
interests that engross tlic time and thought of churcli
members, that it is hard to maintain any general acquaint-
ance, even among those of the same class. But it must
not bo a(lmi(t(!d that this is im])0ssible; the maintenance
of 1lli^^ relation is essential to the development of tlie
Cliiistian character. Tlie kind of association whicli is
1 I Cor. xii. 13-2G.
THE CHUECH 3$
furnished by a Christian cliurch in which the rich and the
poor, the cultured and the uncultured, the old and the
young, meet together on a i)erfect equality, is a little dif-
ferent from any other that wa enjoy in this world; and it is
the only environment in which some of the best fruits of
the spirit are likely to be cultivated. We do not find in
our philanthropic work, in our condescension to those who
are content to be our beneticiaries, still less in the super-
ficial amenities of general society, the opportunity for the
kind of social commerce which the church affords to those
who intelligently accept its covenant and heartily endeavor
to realize the life which it implies. There is pertinence
in the counsel which bids us do good to all men as w^e
have opportunity, " especially toward them that are of the
household of the faitli." ^ The absf)lute mutuality Avhich
lies at the basis of that relation calls for the cultivation of
some of the highest Christian qualities.
All classes in the congregation need this discipline.
The capitalistic elements need to be brought, through the
church, into fraternal relations with the laboring classes,
and the laboring classes need it not less. The church
ought to be a constant and unfaltering witness to the
people of both these classes that they are members one
of another. Tlie learning of this lesson is the beginning
and end of wisdom in the solution of what is known as
the social question ; and where is this lesson to be learned
if not in the fellowship of the Christian church? Neither
of these classes, it is to be feared, wishes to learn it ; both
of them shrink from association with each other ; both of
them often seem to prefer to cherish the alienations and
animosities by which tlie bond of society is sorely strained
and often sundered. Tliere are In-iglit exceptions on bolli
sides, but tliis is the prevailing temper. It is liere, if any-
where, that the true priestly function comes into ]ilay, —
the function of mediation. If we, as Christian disciples,
are nia(l(^ priests to (Jod, it is for sueli work as this. Tlie
cliuicli wliirli (Iocs not see llial this is its lii^li ealliiiLC at
this hour saill}- fails to discern this time.
1 Gal. vi. 10.
S6 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AISTD WORKING CHURCH
Between the educated and the uneducated classes the
same work of reconciliation is called for. The conceit of
culture is often about as virulent and anti-social as the
pride of wealth. The fact that he can pronounce the
English language a little more accurately than his neigh-
bor, or that he can interpret some literary allusion which
to the other has no meaning is, to many a man, good reason
why he should treat that other with indifference, if not
with contempt. The tendency is strong to erect these
barriers of caste and exclusiveness between those who
know a little more about certain things and those who
know a little less. Such tempers are fatal to the best
social construction. There will be diversities of knowl-
edge in society ; the Christian theory is that men should
be united and not divided by these diversities.
"And what delights can equal those
That stir the S})irit's inner deeps,
"When one that loves, but knows not, reaps
A truth from one that loves and knows?" ^
If these precious fruits of the Christian discipline are
to be gathered in the church, it would seem clear that the
church must have all these classes in its membership.
No clmrch should tlierefore be content for a day to be a
church of tlie rich or of the poor, of the educated or of
the uneducated. It is hard, no doubt, to prevent these
social stratifications ; the tendency is strong to bring the
churcli under the domination of .Tsthotic rather than of
ethical standards. The notion that wc arc to seek, in our
church relations, that which will minister to our cnltuie
and gratify our tastes, and surround us with congenial
associations, is far too prevalent, even among our most
orthodox Christians. How many are tlioie wlio do not
make these or similar considerations ])aramount vlien
they are selecting their phices of worshij)?
It is not true, however, that the obstacles which liinder
the realization of the ideal of the cliurch arc all interposed
])y the more foi-tunate classes. However the fact mny be
explained, it is the fact tliat the spiiit of exclusiveness and
' Tennytioii, In Mevwriam, XLI.
THE CHURCH 37
alienp.tion exists among the poorer classes, and is keep-
ing a great many of them out of the church. The families
that tend to pauperism can usually be reached without
much dilticulty; their children can be brought into the
Sunday school; they themselves are willing, for reasons
that are usually too apparent, to maintain some sort of
connection with a charitable church. Ikit among the self-
supporting working people the notion seems to be growing
that the churches are for the rich and cultivated people ; that
they are not in sym]3athy with the working classes ; that
they are the apologists and beneficiaries of monopoly.
Tliis is by no means the universal fact; there are many
churches which are largely composed of working-men ;
and the sweeping condemnation of the churches as aristo-
cratic and exclusive which we sometimes hear from work-
ing people need not be admitted, though we may recognize
certain ominous tendencies in this direction. It is plain
that the alienation of the working people from the churches
is in part the result of a systematic and energetic effort to
separate them from tlie rest of the community and compact
them in a class by themselves in the warfare with capital,
or rather with the employing class. Industrial societ}^ is
at present on something like a war basis, and the leaders of
the labor army do not like to have their forces fraterni/e in
any way with tlie enemy. It a[)pears to them, therefore,
good tactics to keep the working people out of all associa-
tions in which kindlier relations might be cultivated; and
many of the denunciations of the churches are prompted
by this policy. The aristocratic temper of the church is
not the real objection ; the more of real fraternity there
was in it, the less they would like it. It would not be true
to say that all labor leaders are governed by this ])urpose ;
j<erhaps it is not often consciously cherislied ; but the obvi-
ous logic of the maintenance of industrial society on a Mar
basis nuist lead them in this direction. Such, then, aic ob-
stacles to the fraternization of classes wliich are found in tlir
tempers of the less fortunate classes. There is just as nnuh
human nature in the under crust of society as in the upper
crust. r>ut it is the Inisiiu'ss of llu' Cluislian ihunh to
38 CHKISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
break down all these obstacles, to bring these suspicious
and antipathetic people all together in one fellowship, and
teach them to respect one another and care for one another.
To this separation, quite as truly as to that of an older
day, we may apply Paul's words : " For lie is our peace,
who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of
partition, . . . that he might create in himself of the twain
one new man, so making peace ; and might reconcile them
both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain
the enmity thereby." ^ The church that wrought this
reconciliation in the olden time between Jews and Gentiles
can do it to-day for capitalists and laborers, if it will only
hold fast by the truth on which it is founded. And in or-
der that it may do the work for which it exists, it must
place itself firmly on this foundation.
It may thus be evident that the question of the consti-
tution of the local church at the present day goes a great
deal deeper than our disputes about polity and dogma and
ceremonial. It is a question which strikes at the very
heart of the social order ; which challenges the principles
of our conduct as social beings. The first question for
any church to ask is, "Who is my neighbor?" That
question must be answered in the Christian sense, and the
whole regimen of the churcirs life must be conformed to the
answer. If Christianity has a law for society, the church
must first of all learn that law and o])ey it.
The relation of the churcli to the Kingdom of God is a
matter concerning which it is necessary to have clear ideas.
To a considerable extent it is a question of words, but
there are, after all, important distinctions which we must
learn to make. In one of the most inspiring books ^ of this
generation. Dean Fremantle urges that the church is tlie
inclusive word; that all departments of what is known as
secular life are in reality departments of chuich life; that
''the church ("the fulness of Ilim thiit liilctli all in all') is
the whole community of Christian pcoph' in the whole lange
of their life, and tends to c'lnbraee the ^\ hoh; world ; and
therefore that it cannot ])v, adequately represented by com-
1 Kpli. ii. Il-IG. - The H'oiUl tis the Subject of Ilrdetiijition.
THE CIIUIICH 39
numities organized for iiublic worsliip and its accessories.
Why, then," he demands, '" do we hear the words ' The
Church,' or 'The Churches,' applied solely to bodies or-
ganized for public worship, doctrinal teacliing, and a few
adjuncts of beneficence ? Why do historical writers con-
stantly speak of acts that are those of the clergy alone as
acts of the Church ? Why do we find that, in nine cases
out of ten, when ' The Church ' is named, the clergy and
the worshipping body (most commonly the clergy alone) are
meant ? . . . Each of the rings or circles of human society,
the family, the communities which exist for the further-
ance of science, of art, of social intercoui-se, of commerce,
as well as for public worship, are essentially religious so-
cieties, and the Nation most of all. Why, then, are those
societies still spoken of as secular or worldly, instead of
the attempt being made to raise their spheres of action to
the dignity of church functions, and their leaders to that
of church ministers?" ^
The central idea for which this book contends — the
sacredness of all life, the essential religiousness of every
kind of useful work — is not to be gainsaid ; it is indeed
part of the great constructive idea which is giving us all
our new departures in theology as well as in practical
Christian work. But it is a question whether the word
church has not become so thoroughly fixed in its mean-
ing that it cannot be stretched to cover all tliat Dean
Fremantle tries to include under it. Will the old wine-
skin hold the new wine ? Is it not l)ctter to keep tlic word
church f(jr the " comnumities organized for pul)lic wor-
ship and its accessories," and to a])ply to "• the whole
community of Christian people, in all the range of their
life," Christ's own phrase, the Kingdom of Clod, or tlio
Kingdom of Heaven. It will be necessary, then, to show
that it is possible and greatly desirable to widen the scope
of the church, and make it touch the life of the people at
many more points than it has liitherto done; and it will
also be necessary to show that the church, so deliiicd, —
even when so enlarged, — is subordinate in all respects, to
' Preface to the new cilitiDii, 1 8'J5.
40 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WOKKING CHURCH
the Kingdom of God ; that it is a part, and not the whole, of
that Kingxlom.
It might be possible, following the suggestion of Dean
Fremantle, to include under the term church all the
spiritual and ethical interests of the community, and to
conceive of charit}^ and education, and even of art, as
proper functions of the church ; but the function of civil
government involves methods and agencies that cannot
well be identified with the church in fact or in name.
Civil government must employ force, and the weapons of
the church are not carnal. The state does not lose its
divine character when it employs force ; the powers that
be are ordained of God, and they bear not the sword in
vain,^ but the work to which the state is called is a differ-
ent kind of work from that to which the church is ap-
pointed, and it is essential to the effectiveness of each that
the two functions be separated. The state with its politi-
cal and retributive functions is an integral part of the
Kingdom of God ; and the duties to which it summons us
are not less sacred than those to which the church calls us,
but they are duties of a different nature, and must not be
confused. So, at least, it seems to those of us who do not
live under religious establishments. The Kingdom of God
includes both state and church ; it is, indeed, "• the whole
community of Christian people in tlie wliolo range of their
life " ; every part of that life is sacred, but there are some
parts of it which are not wisely considered as functions
of the church.
The church and its ministry are, then, a part, a vital part
of the Kingdom of God, but they do not constitute that
Kingdom. It is not the churcli and its righteousness that
we are Ijidden to seek first, but the Kingdom of God and
his righteousness. The church is auxiliary to the King-
dom, it is one of the means by wliich tlie Kingdom is
brouglit in ; but every Christian's first loyalty is to the
Kingdom, and not to the churcli. 'J'lic clmrcli, in its best
estate, liolds much the same relation to the Kingdom that
the political party, at its best estate, holds U) the govern-
' IJoin. xiii. 1-6.
THE cHrncri 41
ment of the country ; it is an instrument which men em-
ploy to secure the progress and the permanence of the
Kingdom. Better, perhaps, we may say that it is the
training school, ordained by God, in which men are fitted
for the life of the Kingdom. The usefulness of the church
is tested by observing the condition of the community in
wliich it stands. If the life of the community is healthily
affected by its presence its life is vindicated, otherwise it
lacks credentials. By its fruits in the civic community
its character must be judged. It is never an end in itself,
it is a means to an end. The city which John saw in his
vision, the New Jerusalem, which represents the perfected
society that is to fill the earth at the latter day, was a city
without a temple. All its life was sacred ; its home life,
its business life, its education, its art, its work, its play, were
all consecrated. Men had learned the meaning of that hard
saying, " Wliether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do
all to the glory of God." ^ All work was done in the
spirit of prayer ; all callings were sacred. That city is
coming down out of heaven from God even now; but it
comes without observation ; of its enduring temples one
living stone after another is silently descending to its
place, but long years are yet to pass before this process
win be consummated ; it is only in its idea, its promise,
its elemental forces, and in certain beautiful beginnings,
tliat this city is now here upon the earth; the actual
society of the municipality or the commonwealth is yet a
long way from the millennial perfection. And yet this
promise, this ideal, is always before tlie mind of eveiy
well instructed servant of Christ. What lie is chiefly
working for and praying for is not the success of his
church, or his denomination, or any ecclesiasticism what-
ever; it is the upbuilding of this Kingdom.
To this end tlie churcli is a divinely a])])oint('d moans.
As things now are, tlu' s])iritual interests nuisl, to a ccn-tain
extent, be specialized. In our northern climates the green-
house and the nursery are ini[)ortant adjuncts of tlie garden
and the orchard. Yet it is not by what is grown in tiui
' 1 C.ir. X. :i\.
42 CHRISTIAX PASTOR AND WORKING CHFRCH
greenhouse and the nursery that life is nourished, so much
as by that which is planted out in the open air and in the
broad fields. And the church, while the spiritual climate
remains what it is, serves the Kingdom of Heaven in the
same way; it affords a care and a culture in which the
beautiful growths of the Kingdom may be made ready for
planting out in the field of the world.^
It is necessary that religion should be specialized in in-
stitutions which are devoted to its interests. The problem
is to make all life religious ; but in order that it may be-
come so, associations are needed whose function it shall
be to cultivate religious ideas and feelings.
Electricity, we are told, })crvades the whole earth and
the whole atmosphere. It is everywhere about us ; per-
haps the time may come when we can make this diffused
electricity do our chores and run our errands ; but for
the present we must have tlie power-house with the dyna-
mos, where it is collected and concentrated and distributed
to the places where it is wanted. And, in like manner,
although the spirit of Christianity ought to pervade and to
some extent does pervade the whole of the society in which
we live, — though the Kingdom of Heaven, like the liidden
leaven, is here, living and working upon the earth, — yet
there is need that this inlluence be gathered up and con-
centrated in institutions formed for this special purpose,
that its nature may bo more distinctly seen, and its power
more wisely directed.
As we study the laws of life, we find the higher orders
of being distinguished by what the physiologists call an
increasing specialization of function. " In the progress
from the lower to the higher organisms," says JMr. Huxley,
" there is a gradual differentiation of organs and of func-
tions. Each function is separated into many parts, which
are severally intrusted to distinct oi-gans. To iLse the
striking phrase of jNIilne-Edwards, 'In passing from low
to high organisms there is a division of physiological
labor.' " 2
1 I take tlio lilicrly of (|iiiilintx Imtc a few [);irai;;r:i|ilis from a small hook of
my own, obscurely ijulilislicd, eutilletl J'hc V/utich uud tin- Kimjduin.
^ Enci/c. Brit., Art. Biolo(jy.
THE CHURCH 43
Thus in the lower orders of sentient creatures the ner-
vous system is diffused through the living nuiss, or dis-
tributed over its surface ; but as the creatures rise in the
scale, the nerves are gathered into knots or ganglions, and
their function is gradually separated until in the vertebrates,
and especially in man, you hnd the brain, a great central
organ, safely housed in a strong cavity made for its pro-
tection, whence it moves and directs the whole bod}-. The
separation and specialization of the nervous function does
not make the human body as a whole less sensitive or less
responsive to nervous action than the bodies of the snails
and the worms ; the contrary is the fact. By concentra-
tion the nervous force is increased and intensified.
In the same manner, as society advances, the different
social functions are specialized; this is likely to be more
and more the case. And although religion ouglit to per-
vade and govern the whole of society, just as the nervous
system pervades and governs the human body, yet religion,
for this very reason, needs to be specialized in institu-
tions of its owm, as the brain is specialized and localized
in the human body. It is thus that it gains power to move
and direct human society.
This illustration may suggest to us the relation between
the church and the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kinodom
of Heaven is the entire social organism in its ideal perfec-
tion ; the church is one of the organs, — the most central
and important of them all, — having much the same rela-
tion to Christian society that the brain has to the body.
The body is not all brain, but the brain is the seat of
thought and feeling and motion. A body without a brain
could not be a very effective instrument of tlie mind ;
society, without those s))eciali/,cd religions functions wliicli
are gathered u\> in the clnircli. wmild not very readily re-
ceive and iiieaiiKile and distrihnte llie gifts of the Sj)irit
of (lod.
And yet the lirain is of use oidy as it fninishos to all
the other oigans and parts ol the body feeling and motion.
It must make the eye sensitive 1o light, the tongue to
flavors, ihc ear to sound, the hands and I'et't to the \(ililions
44 CIIUISTIAX PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
of the will which set them in motion. The brain is in one
sense the master, in another sense the servant of the whole
body. It helps to co-ordinate all the physical powers, and
it supplies them all with the conditions by means of which
their work is done. Suppose that the brain undertook to
set up housekeeping on its own account ; to look out for it-
self, and have little relation to the other parts of the body ;
to assume that the brain was the man, and that, so long as
the brain was Avell developed, it mattered little about the
other parts of the human economy. Is it not evident that
any separation of the brain from the rest of the body
would kill the brain as well as the rest of the body ? The
life and health of the brain are found only in ministering
to the whole body.
In the same way is the church related to all the other
parts of human society. Its life is in their life ; it cannot
live apart from them ; it lives by what it gives to them ; it
has neither meaning nor justification, except in what it
does to vitalize and spiritualize business and politics and
amusement and art and literature and education and
every other interest of society. The moment it draws
apart and tries to set up a snug little ecclesiasticism Avith
interests of its own, and a cultus all its own, and stan-
dards and sentiments of its own, and enjoyments of its
own, — the moment it begins to teach men to be religious
just for the sake of being religious, — that moment it
])ecomes dead and accursed ; it is worse than useless ; it is a
InuHi and a l)light to all the society in which it stands.
These illustrations may enable us to see what arc the
true relations of the church to the Kingdom of (Unl. And
they will point out two eriors, of an exactly oi)posite
nature, both of wliicli are too prevalent.
The first error is that of those to whom Christianity is
churcliism ; tliose who separate the church fi-om tlie rest
of the world, and giv(^ their whole tiiiu^ and strengtli to
exalting it, and l)uil(niig it up, caring little oi' imtliing for
tlie other departments of life ; not A\isliing, or at any rate
not trying, to estal)lisli any vital relations 1)etween it and
those interests which ini-n call secular. To these persons
THE CHURCH 45
the cliui'cii is not a means to an end, but it is an end
in itself. The church is not the channel through which
tlie life of God flows into the world ; it is the reservoir
into which the tribute of the world is to flow for the
honor of God. Humanity exists for the church, not the
church for humanity. The great object is to make men
into good churchmen, not to train churchmen to be good
men.
Tlie other error is that of those who think that, because
it is the oflice of religion to mingle with and sanctify
every department of human life, therefore there is no
need that we should have any separate institutions of
religion. This is much as if one should say, " Because
we want the nervous influence diffused through every part
of the human body, therefore we do not want any brain."
This does not appear to be good philosophy. Is there not
the same need of separate organs for the development and
manifestation of the spiritual life in the social organism,
that there is for the concentration and diffusion of nervous
influence in the physical organism ? They are not wise
who disparage the function of the church, or imagine that
we are likely to outgrow it, as we go on toward social per-
fection. We are just as likely to do without it as we are
likely, in our ascent toward intellectual perfection, to dis-
pense with brains, and return to the condition of the oys-
ter, with the nervous system diffused through the whole
molluscous mass.
This relation of the church to the Kingdom of God, as
that of a vital part of the whole, is often but dimly com-
prehended. Tlic stanch ecclesiastic often maintains to-
ward his church precisely tlie same altitude tlnit tlie
partisan maintains toward liis party. As the pdliticiau is
often willing to sacrilice the interests of the nation to the
su(!cess of liis partvi so the churcliman often sliows liiui-
self more tlian willing to put the interests of the Kingdom
of Ili'aven in jeopardy for the aggrandizemnit of his sect.
Not until the idea more widely prevails that eveiy Chris-
tian's hrst loyalty is due. not to the i-hureh. not to any
or all cluuehes, but to the Kin^dijui of llca\ru, ami that
46 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AXD TVORIONG CHURCH
the chiirclies are simply helps in the building of that King-
dom, shall we see any rapid [)rogress in the Christianiza-
tion of the world.
Those who have the care of churches find themselves,
therefore, included in a larger organism which claims their
constant interest. This is the community in which they
live, and the commonwealth of which they are citizens.
This larger society, with its government, its political
machinery, its industrial and commercial organizations,
its educational and charitable institutions, its groups of
artists and writers, its manifold social life, — all this is the
field of their labor. What they are there, as a church, to
think of and work for, is nothing less than this, — that
all this complex, highly organized life may be redeemed,
regenerated, sanctified. That is the ideal always before
their thought. Whatever kind of work will helj) toward
this consummation is lawful : that which does not clearly
tend in this direction is of small account. They pray,
every day, " Thy Kingdom come," and their labors nuist
tally with their prayers. What they do in and through
the church will be done with the Christianization of this
society constantly in view. If they should succeed in
building up their church in numbers, in wealth, in social
position ; if its individuals maintained a good degree of
personal integrity, and its families were nurtured in do-
mestic purity, and if, at the same time, the community
round about them were steadily deteriorating; if its ])()li-
tics were becoming more corrupt; if its laws were more
and more disregarded ; if its business methods were in-
creasingly tricky ; if the chasm between employers and em-
ployed were widening and deepening ; if its society were
sinking into profounder de])ths of vanity and frivolity;
if its amusements w('r(^ degenerating from rccrcalion to-
ward dissipation, — tlii'ii llie satisfaction with wliicli these
cliiirclunen recounted tlie. details of tlieir elmich work
sliouM, it would seem, be greatly chastened by the sjkm-
tacle of tlie sinking eivili/.atinii I'ound abont them. It may
be (|uestion(!(l whether tliey onglit to be very comfortable
in tlieir own little sheepfold, with tlie Hock ever so well
THE CHURCH 47
shepherded, if evil were raging and triumphing in tho
community round about tlieni.
In truth, however, it is hardly possible that they should
be able, by the most strenuous exertions, to maintain such
a contrast between their religious society and the rest of
tho community. The ethical standards, the social senti-
ments of the outside world will surely affect the congre-
gation ; no separation between those within and those
without the fold can be secured which will prevent the
church life from being constantly and profoundly influ-
enced by the thought and the life of the political and the
commercial and the industrial world round about. They
cannot save the church from decadence unless they can
save the community from deterioration. The churches
are, indeed, the salt of the earth ; but the salt is for the
l)reservation of society. The church is not in the world
to save itself, but to save the world ; and when it ex-
hilnts no power to regenerate the community in which it
stands, it is clear that the salt has lost its savor, and is
good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under
foot of men. " Ye are the light of the world," said the
Master to his disciples. But when no radiance streams out
tlu-ough the windows of the church, lighting uji the spaces
round about, it is to be feared that the light which is in it
is darkness. And how great is that darkness !
It is impossible, therefore, to segregate the church from
tlie community. The very function of the church is found
in its organic relation to thi; community. It is no more
possil)le to have a sound churcli in a decaying community
tlian it is to liave pure air within our garden walls while
the surrounding region is infested Avith malaria. The
church must either 1)0 pouring a steady stream of saving
power into the community, or it will be receiving a steady
stream of poisonous and debilitating influences from llic
community. The current will go one way or llic other.
If the church is not to the comnninity a savor of iilV unto
life, the commiuiity will be to the churcli a savor ol' death
unto death. Indeed, in spite of nnv best exertions, our
most vicorous churches do feci coiitiuuallv these cK'adh'
48 CHRISTIAN PASTOll AND AV^OIIKING CHURCH
influences froni tlie materialism of the outside world. It is
hard to hold up the standards of fidelity and honor before
the thought of the young men, when the methods of jioli-
tics and of business are generally disreputable ; when great
fortunes are made, if not by downright dishonesty, at least
by a cynieal disregard of the rights of the weak; when
honor and humanity are sacrificed to greed ; when the
spoils of office are selfishly sought and corruptly distri-
buted ; when the oath of office is lightly taken and appar-
ently forgotten, when the sense of public duty is obscured
by party passion or personal ambition. Such methods are
by no means universal, but where they are more or less
common, and there is no effective public opinion to de-
nounce and resist them, and those who practise them lose
no credit among their neighbors, but are pointed to as
the successful men of the community, the efforts of the
teacher and the preacher to make the young believe in
things honorable and true and of good report will be
laborious and often ineffectual.
If the church wishes to save itself from extinction, then,
it must send out its light and its truth into the community.
If it docs not wish to be pulled down into the mire itself
it must lift up the community to a higher plane of thought
and action. It is childish to suppose that we can shut
ourselves within our little conventicles and sing and pray
and have a happy time all by ourselves, saving our own
souls, and letting the great roaring world outside go on its
way to destruction. Nor is it enough to go out now and
then, and pull a few of the passers-by into our conventicles
to save them. Such evangelism is utterly inadequate.
It misses the true function of the clmicli liy as much as
the sanitary engineer would miss tlie problem of curing a
malarious district, if he should try to catch tlie air in bas-
ketfuls and treat it with disinfectants.
If this trutli is many times repeated, it is l)ecaiise it is
one of the things that most need to 1)0 said, and one of the
things most easily misconceived and most constantly forgot-
ten. It is to be feared tliatthe idea of the Cluirch still gen-
erally prevailing is that of an institution into which men
THE CHURCH 49
are withdrawn, as much as possil)le, from knowledge of or
contact with the workl outside. '' Come out from among
them and be separate," is still the classical text. In many
churches there is a strong sentiment requiring the minister
to make but little reference in his teaching to the affairs
of daily life. " We have enough of that," say these pious
folk, " in our week-days ; when we come to church, we
want to stop thinking about this world and think about
heaven ; we want to sing hymns and pray, and be soothed
and comforted by purely spiritual ministrations." Whether
such people have been born again we may not venture to
judge, but it is certain that they have not seen the King-
dom of God ; that they would not know it if they should
see it ; that they do not even know ^^•here to look for it.
Of that great realm to which their superior loyalty is
due, which their Master bids them seek first, they in their
unctuous sentimentalism are utterly oblivious.
It scarcely needs to be said that the whole theory of
Pastoral Theology is revolutionized by this conception of
the relation of the church to the Kingdom. If the church
is an instrument, and not an end, a great many of the
theories and practices now prevailing will need to be
reconsidered.
CHAPTER III
THE PASTOR
The names by which the minister is known among Iris
parishioners are somewhat significant. Hector and Domi-
nie describe him as a ruler of his congregation ; Parson
points him out as the Person, by eminence, of the com-
munity; Ekler represents him as j)roving a maturity
which in the primitive cliurch may have belonged to
him ; Preacher, which appears to be the ofhcial title in the
Methodist Episcopal Church, misses that part of the min-
ister's function with which we are concerned ; Father, the
familiar designation by which Roman Catholics address
their minister is affectionate, but somewhat lacking in
fitness when applied to one Avho knows only by observa-
tion or by hearsay what the word means ; " Priest " they
used sometimes to call the New England minister ; but
that term was a stigma, invented by those who hated the
standinsf order ; the liiss of the sibikmt with which it
closes is distinctly audible.
"St. Paul," says Bishop Burnet, "does also call church-
men by the name of ])uilders, and gives to the Apostles the
title of master-builders. This imports both liaid and
patient lal)or, and likewise great care and exactness in it,
for want of which the building will be not only exposed to
the injuries of weather, but will quickly tumble down ;
and it gives us to understand that those who carry this
title ought to study well the great rule by which they
must carry on the interest of religion, so that they may
build up their people in their most holy faith so as to be
a building fitly framed together. They are also called
laborers in God's husbandry, laborers in his vineyard and
liar vest, who are to sow, plant, and water, and cultivate
THE TASTOK 61
the soil of the churcli. This imports a continual return
of daily and hard labor, which requires both jjain and dili-
gence. They are also called soldiers, men that did Avar
and fight against tlie powers of darkness. The fatigue, the
dangers and dithculties, of that state of life are so v,e\\
understood tliat no application is necessar}^ to make them
more sensible.^ "
The name by which the New England minister wished
to be known, the otficial title by which he has always
been known, is, perhaps, the best name of all, — the
Pastor. This is the name by which our Lord loved to
describe himself. " I am the Good Shepherd," he said ;
and in the new version we find a statement about his rela-
tion to his flock which startles us by its boldness : " I am
the Good Slic})licr(l; and I know mine own, and mine own
know me, even as the Father knowcth me, and I know
the Father."^ The intimacy between Christ and his peo-
ple, on the one hand, is the same kind of intimacy as that
between Christ and the Father, on the other. All that
this means we may not try to tell, but it must signify a
very near and dear relation between the shepherd and the
flock. If this term may be adopted by an under shepherd,
it must have a deep and tender signification.
" He calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them
out. When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth
before them, and the sheep follow him, for the}^ know his
voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee
from him, for tliey know not the voice of strangers." ^
'Fliis is the parable which Jesus spake unto his disciples.
It is said that they did not understand it. It is to In-
feared tliat it has been very imperfectly understood by
many mIio Imve come after llieiii. The Master's words
suggest a close and sacred frieiidsliii) between the shrj)-
herd and liis flock. Ifc calls them, and they know his
voice. His relation to them is not merely that of teacher
with pu])il nor of master with servant, but of fi'iend with
friend. A luigc part of his work among them is to be
^ Of till- PiixlDinl Cnre, in The CIcnji/iiK ii's fiislrnrtui-, }). 92.
- .luliii X. M, 15. -I Joliii X. ;j-5.
52 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
wrought through familiar association and personal influ-
ence. His chief function is that of teacher; but their
love for him becomes the solvent and the medium of the
truth which he imparts. " We can sum up the fundamen-
tal idea of the ministry of the church at the present day in
the conception of the scriptural Troifirjv. ' Shepherd ' brings
out the idea of pre-eminence above the rest of the chui'ch,
tlie dignity of the position, but at the same time it brings
out also its aspect of duty, the obligation which he owes
to the church, and his responsibility to the Lord of the
Cluirch; moreover, both aspects, that of dignity and that
of duty, are seen united in the shepherd by the tenderest
bond, the bond of love or of mutual attachment. The
shepherd's dignity is not one of lordly command, but of
benevolent guidance ; the shepherd's duty is not one of
servile herding and hireling labor, but of cherishing and
tending." ^
It has just been said that the title of priest was ill-
naturedly applied to the pastors of New England by those
who did not love them. The word imputed to them the
habit of assuming sacerdotal functions, the tendency to be
lords over God's heritage. Doubtless the imputation bore
some color of truth. The New England ministers at one
time had more power than was good for them, and tliey
were only men. There is no better opening for a pope
than the Congregational system oiTers to a strong man in
a church composed of weak or ignorant members. Never-
theless, the sacerdotal assumptions of these pastors were
openly at war with their own theory of the ministry. By
tliat theory the minister is the servant of his ])oople; from
them his ollice is derived ; he lias no spiritual riglits and
powers that are not shared by the humblest member of liis
flock. Whatever of clerical authority or extra-human
agency the word " priest " coimotes is foreign to tliat
conception of the ministry ujtoii \\hi(li tlie New England
churches were founded.
It is true, however, tliat some Christian ministers con-
1 Pnstnriil Thcnlogij of the New Testament, by J. T. Bock, I). D., l-diii-
Imrgh c(l., Traus.
THE TASTOR 5S
sider and describe themselves as priests ; it is the official
title of the second order of the Anglican Church ; Charles
Kingsley called himself a priest, and so do multitudes of
the best men in the same communion. The term implies
a distinction of functions and powers between the clergy
and the laity ; it involves questions with whicli we cannot
ade(|uately deal.
Some of those who call themselves priests maintain, to
use the language of one of them, that " within the Apos-
tolic Church all are priests. There is no sacerdotal caste,
as some opponents of Catholic doctrine have imagined the
church to create, — performing religious oftices for a secu-
lar laity. The contrast between clergy and laity is that
between a higher and a lower degree in the priesthood.
This is implied in the ancient title of ' Ordination,' and
of ' Holy Orders,' which bear witness to the fact that the
difference between clergy and laity is one of function and
airangement and mutual relations, not a difference of
fundamental opposites. If wilfully severed from the faith-
ful laity, the clergy would liavc no right to act in tlie name
of Christ. Their priestly ministries are those of the whole
body, performed through them as its natural organs." ^
""JMiis view differs widely from that which regards the
Cliristian minister as belonging to a separate caste. On
the otlier hand it differs not less widely from the theory
tliat tlie minister has no powers that do not belong to
his Ijrethren, and that lie owes his oifieial funetion and
leadership to their choice. For the higher and lower
degree in the priestliood, to wliicli this writer calls atten-
tion, marks an indelible distinction between clergy and
laity, and sup])Oses the former to be invested with powers
which the latter may not exercise. 'I'liis is a (•on('ei)tion
wliich does not seem to have prevaih'd in (lie v.wly cliurcli ;
as I)]-. Hatch has shown, preaoliing, tlie exercise of disci-
pline, and the adininistratioji of bajitisin and tlie I'hicharist,
were all practised by laynuii in the lirst two centiiries.-
These duties were usually jierfdinied liy llie president or
^ Tlir Faith oftlir Coxprl, hy Artlinr Jaiiifs Mason, ])j). Iij5, 25G.
^ The Organization of the Early Churches, Lcct. V.
54 CUKISTIAX PASTOR AKD WORKING CHURCH
leader of the congregation ; but when occasion demanded,
laymen also performed them. The assumption of the
priestly prerogative was a later development. Dr. Fair-
bairn points out this change : —
" In all that is said concerning the office, in the words
either of our Lord or of liis apostles, not a hint is dropped
which would bespeak for the ministers of the Gospel the
character of a secret-loving, wonder-working priesthood.
And when, a few centuries after the gospel era, we light
upon descriptions which present them in such a character,
one cannot but be sensible of a huge discrepance between
them and the representations of Scripture. It seems as
if an essentially new office had come into being, rather than
the original office perpetuated with certain slight modifica-
tions. Listen, for example, to Chrysostom's description of
what he calls the glory of the Christian priesthood : ' The
priesthood, indeed, is discharged upon earth, but it takes
rank with heavenly appointments, and deservedly does
so. For this office has been ordained not by a man, nor
by an angel, nor by an archangel, nor by any created
power, Ijut by the Paraclete himself, who has laid hold on
men still abiding in the flesh to perpetuate the ministry
of angels. And therefore should the priest, as standing
in the heavenly regions amid those higher intelligences,
be as pure as they are. Terrible, indeed, 3'ea, most aAvful,
were even the things which preceded the Gospel, such as
the bells, the pomegranates, the stones in the breastplate,
the mitre, etc., tlie holy of holies, tlie profound silence that
reigned within. Uut when the things belonging to (lie
gospel are considered, those others will be found little,
and so also what is said concerning the law, however truly
it may be spoken: "That Avhich was glorious has no glory
by reason of that which cxcellcth." And wlu-n you see
the Loid tliat has been slain, nini now lies lu'lore yon,
and th(! i)iics( bending over the victim, and interceding,
and all d3-cd Avith that ])reeious blood, do yon still reckon
yourself to be \\\\\\ men and still standing on the earth?
Do yon not lather feid transi)lanted into licaven, and,
casting aside all llcshly thoughts and feelings, dost thou
THE TASTOTl 55
not with thy naked soul unci thy pure mind behokl the
things of heaven ? O the marvel ! O the philanthropy
of God ! He who is seated above with the P^ather is at
that moment held by the hands of all, and to those that
are willing gives himself to be clasped and received ; all
which they do through the eyes of faith ! ' He then refers
to tlie action of Elias on Carmel, declaring that of the
Christian priest to be much greater, and he asks : ' Who
that is not absolutely mad or beside himself could slight
so dreadful a m3-stery ? Are you ignorant that the soul
of man could never have borne the fire of such a sacrifice,
and that all should have utterly perished had there not
been the mighty help of the grace of God ? ' Such was
what constituted, in Chrysostom's view, the peculiar glory
of the Christian ministry ; and he proceeds in the same
magniloquent style to enlarge on the pre-eminent dignity
and power connected with it in its prerogative to bind
and to loose souls, to forgive or retain sins, to purge men
through baptism and other rites from all stains of pollution
and send them pure and lioly into the heavenly mansions.
All that is, of course, priestly work ; work in Avliich the
officiating minister lias something to offer for the i)eople,
and something by virtue of his office to procure for tliem ;
benefits, indeed, so great, so wonderf id, so incomparably pre-
cious, that the typical ministrations of the old priesthood, and
the benefits accruing from them to the people, were com-
pletely tlirown into the shade. Now this is a view of pas-
toral work on wliicli New Testament Scripture is not only
silent, but against which it virtually [jrotests. The ser-
vice which it associates with tlie nunistry of the gospel is
one tliat employs itself not with presenting a sacrilice for
men, but in persuading them to believe in a sacrifice already
offered, and through that promoting in tlnin a woik of
jiersonal reconciliation Avitli God, aiiil growing iiicctncss
for his j)resence and gh>ry.'' '
This extract clearly presents the contrast between the
sacerdotal theory of the ministry and the theory generally
accepted by the reformed Churches. Yet even in these
1 I'asloial Thiuloiiij, j,j). 47-49.
56 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
churches there are survivals of the sacerdotal principle, in the
belief that none but an ordained clergyman can administer
the sacraments or pronounce the benediction. Thus one
of the stanchest of the Puritans, Professor Austin Phelps,
in his lectures on the Theory of Preaching^ recognizes
the benediction as a sacerdotal act, and urges its retention
on this ground. He says : —
" It is the only act of clerical prerogative except the ad-
ministration of the ordinances, in which the idea of clerical
mediatorship is retained. The sacerdotal theory of it does
no harm to either preacher or people. . . . Often the final
effect of song and sermon and rehearsal of God's word is
to excite a profound feeling of dependence, of which a
craving for the blessing of a ' man of God ' is the natural
sequence. The intervention of a solitary human voice
between the silent assembly and God, si^ealdng in his
name, and pronouncing his blessing upon them, becomes a
relief to their wrought-up emotions. They feel the natural-
ness of it. They volunteer to clothe it with the authorit}^
of their own devotional desires. It is an act in which the
preacher is not as other men. He is invested by the wants
of the people with a mediatorial office. Pie is an intercessor
by divine appointment and by popular choice. The peo-
ple will have it so. . . . Time has indeed wrought revolu-
tion aiy changes in the ancient theory of Morshij). We
will not ignore them. Ikit it has not destro3'ed, nor essen-
tially impaired that instinct of human nature which exalts
a teacher of religion above other men, and often invests his
service with a mediatorial significance. Tlic one thing in
which our Congregational society recognizes that instinct
and in which the people, if left alone to follow tlieir own
religious intuitions, will certainly obey it, is this act of
pastoral ])enodi('ti()n. We are in no danger of an al)use
of it in the direction of sacerdolal arrogance. We cannot
afford to spare it. It is not wise to sacrifice it to eccle-
siastical theory. Human nature craves it, and in some
form will have it. For llic \\:\\\[ of it and sonic tilings
kindred to it. Congregational and I'lcslytciian cliurches
arc losing their hold upon ciitain materials in the con-
THE TASTOR 67
stituency of churches Avhich by hereditary affinities belong
to them." ^
This plea for a slight infusion of the sacerdotiil element
coming out of the heart of independency, may be regarded
as significant. Some of the facts which it adduces are indu-
bitable, whatever may be the interpretation put upon them.
The craving of men for the intervention of some person
or power between themselves and God cannot be denied.
Just how far this craving is to be encouraged is a question
which the hierarchical churches commonly answer in one
way, and the reformed churches in another way. The
fact that men want some kind of human mediatorship may
not be a conclusive reason for offering it to them. Is it
a natural or an artificial want? Does it grow out of a
true conception of the Father in heaven, or out of a
heathen conception of him ?
Still, if it be true that the minister possesses any media-
torial function, even the slightest, he ought to exercise it
to the fullest extent. If his office empower him to bless
his parishioners, or to forgive their sins, or to offer sacri-
fices for tliem, let him discharge, with all fidelity, tlie
duties of his office. If his office confer upon him no such
exclusive power, it is better not to go through the forms
of it, no matter how much the people may crave it, nor
how many of them may go over to the hierarchical com-
munions in search of it. An assum[)tion, \\h('ther open or
covert, of powers that do not belong to him will not be
found, in the long run, to promote the influence of any
pastor.
So far as the fonii (if tlic bciicdictioii is cdiu'crncd, it
seems to be a slight mattei-, and yet it is not dillicult to
})resorve the dignified and beautiful (('iciiiony witliout
employing language which implies saeerclotal functions.
The benediction may be a prayer, in which tlic j)reac]ier
identifies himself with the congregation. '• The grace of
the Lord Jesus Christ be with us all "* is a form of
words no less impressive or signilicant than that whith
implies equality with the Apostles. It appears to answer
1 Oi>. n't., i)p. 502-.'i04.
58 CHEISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
all the ends of reverence for wliicli Professor Phelps is
pleading', while it avoids an assumption which, though it is
a little one, is repugnant to the feelings of some of the
ministers of Christ.
It will be said that the minister, in these acts ^\•hich
have a sacerdotal color, is not speaking for himself ; that
he is the mouthpiece of the church ; that he is conveying
the grace which is committed to the whole church ; that
he should recognize himself only as the instrument or
channel through whom that grace is imparted.^ That this
is the view taken by multitudes of devout men cannot be
denied. There are many who call themselves priests wdio
are as humble and self-distrustful as any men on earth.
It is not assumed, in this discussion, that the sacerdotal
theory is inconsistent with devoted and heroic (christian
service. The whole history of tlie Christian Church con-
tradicts such an assumption. But it is important that
every pastor should have a clear understanding with him-
self about the matter ; that he should know exactly what
his functions are, and that he should make his conduct con-
form to his theory. And those of us who do accept the
reformed doctrine - can do no better than frankl}- and
fully to accept the logic of our theory and utterl}^ to refuse
to take upon ourselves any prerogatives or privileges by
which w^e may seem to be separated from our brethren
in the churches. We are ministers of the churches, and
we are supposed to have enough knowledge of Latin to
know what the word " minister " means. P^'or those who
adopt this theory, it is well to avoid, so far as they can
^ " Wo flic Kirclic al)cr ciii solclios Wort liiit, d.i ist .audi ilir Tlnin niclit
ein Mosses Wiinsclicii uiul Cctcii, niclit cin Wunsdiscfxcn bloss, wic Lutlicr
sagt, sondern eiu Thatsegcn, sidi fruchthar crwcisend an Jodcm, dcr in sei-
ches fifottgcordnotcs Vcrliiiltniss tritl. iiiid don Soijcn dossclboii von Ilert/.cn
ergreift." — Harnack, (ieschichtc unci Thcoric tirr Prcdujl iind dcr Srd-
sorrfe, 512.
'■* " Lo niinisloro occh'siastifnic scrait la consirration, faite sous ccrfaliios
conditions, de f[Uol(|uos incmhros du troupeau clirt'tion a s'oi'(Mii)cr spccialo-
ment, niaia non ii I'exclusion d'aucuns autros, do I'ailministration du culte,
et dc la oonduito dcs fimos. line socic'to roliciouso pent d'aillours rc'p;lor quo
les si)]oiinit('s qui la rounissont, soront prt'sidc'os oxclusivomont par cos
hommos spec-iaux (jn'on appcllc ministres ou pjistcurs." — Vinct, T/ir'olo'jie
Pastordle, p. 41.
THE TASTOR 59
do so without rudeness, everything which implies minis-
terial privilege. " Christianity," says a great authority,
"allows no place to a tribe of priests, ordained to direct
other men, as under religious pupilage, having exclusive
charge to supply men's needs, in respect to God and divine
tilings. "While the Gospel removes whatever separates
men from God, it also calls men to fellowship with God
through Christ ; it takes away, moreover, every barrier
wliieli separates men from one another in respect of their
highest interests. All have the same High Priest and Me-
diator through whom all, as reconciled and united to God,
have themselves become a sacerdotal and spiritual race ;
the same King, the same celestial iMaster and Teacher,
through Avhom all have become wise unto God ; the same
faith, the same hope, the same spirit, by which all are ani-
mated ; the same oracle in the heart of all, — the voice of
the Spirit proceeding from the Father, — all citizens of the
same celestial Kingdom. There were here neither laics nor
ecclesiastics ; but all, so far as they were Christians, were,
in their interior life and state, dead to wliatever there was
in the world that was contrary to God, and were animated
by the Spirit of God. Who might arrogate to himself,
wliat an inspired a])ostle durst not, to domineer over the
faith of (Christians? The olliee of teaching was not ex-
clusively conferred on one man or many ; but every believer
wlio miglit feel himself called might s[)oak a word in the
assembled church for the common edilication." '
By our theory sacerdotal authority does not belong to us
as pastors. The kind of power to forgive sins Avhich is
claimed by the priest under the Roman or the High Angli-
can rite is not ours, nor anytliing akin to it. Nevertheless,
there is a certain priesthood which is shared l)v all .be-
lievers. We are a kingdom of i)riests. Tlu' author of the
Ki)is(le to the Hebrews shows that there is a liighcr jiriest-
hood than that which is ollicial or ecclesiastical ; a ]»ricst/-
hood like that of Melchisedec ; a priesthood whose basis is
high and benign character. There are ]iries(s who ai-e made,
' Ncanilcr, *l//^CHit('HC (Jeschichtc dcr christliclK n Hilii/lmi mid KiicIk, \'o\.
I. p. 177.
60 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORiaXG CHURCH
"not after the law of a carnal commandment " (for so tlio
sacred writer characterizes the Levitical ecclesiasticism),
"but after the power of an endless life," the eternal life,
wliose elements are righteousness and peace and joy in the
Holy Ghost. Every good man, in whom the life of God is
dwelling, through whom the love of God is manifested, is
in the Christian sense of the word a priest ; he has a woik
of reconciliation to do; he is called to reconcile men to
themselves and to one another, and to God. Men are
often at war Avith themselves; the law in the members
fiofhts aorainst the law in the mind ; there is need of the
communication to them of a larger life in which these con-
tradictions and conflicts shall be reconciled. So also are
they at strife with one another, and the good offices of a days-
man are needed to bring them together. So also are they
estranged from their Father in heaven, and in deepest need
of being led back to him in the ways of trustful reverence
and obedience. Here, now, is a work of mediation in
wliich men can lielp one another. It is for this work that
Christians are made priests unto God. But this is no
official function ; it is wrought l)y influences which are
purely spiritual; it is the love of God, shed abroad in the
good man's heart, incarnated in his life, whicli gives him
the power to do this work.
There is also a Christian priestliood of syin])athy. We
are permitted to bear one another's burdens both of sin and
of sorrow. The guilt of my sin no man can share, but tlic
misery of it, the shame of it, my brother may share. And
in all our cares and conflicts and woes the sympathy of
those in whom we love and conflde is often a great allevia-
tion. The best offices of the Roman confessional have
been wrought tlnougli this power of sympatliy. When
the priest is a wise and large-hearted man, liis words of
gentle consideration and linn counsel are often the very
words of life. But it is not the officialism of his counsel
iliat mak(^s it oflicacious: it is the truth and love of God
that aic in il.
To tbis si)iritnal jtriesthood, tliis priestliood of Cliristly
character, tlie pastor is ccrtaiidy called. The ministry of
THE PASTOR 61
reconciliation, the ministry of svnipath}-, will enlist his
highest powers. No matter what view he may take of his
office, the real value of his service to liis people will be
found in his pereonal and spiritual, rather than in his
formal and ecclesiastical relations to them. His usefulness
among them will be due not to any powers by which he is
elevated above them or separated from them, but to a char-
acter which in the fullest sense he shares with them. He
is the servant of a iMaster whose work for his disciples
is done, not by being made unlike Ids brethren, but by
becomin"' identified with them. If the mind of Clmst
is in liim, liis word will be with power, no matter how
little claim he may make to superior dignity. If that
chaiucter is wanting to him, the attribution of priestly
rank will not add anything essential to his influence. It
was said of our Master, that when he had linished his
Sermon on the Mount, " the multitudes were astonished at
his teaching, for he taught them as one having author-
ity, and not as the scribes." ^ The one thing that the
people knew about him was that he did not speak officially •
there was no ecclesiasticism behind him to give weight to
his words, and yet there was an autliority in them which
they liad never felt before. Ilis ministry, in all its phases,
derived its efficac}^ not from the law of a carnal command-
ment, but from the power of an endless life. And the
ministry of every true pastor will draw its power from the
same source.
This brings us to llie consideration of the question dl' the
pastoral rule over the flock. Wliat sliall be said of Ids
governmental prerogatives? If he has no sacerdotal func-
tions, can we affirm tliat he has no power as a ruler to
direct the conduct of those under his charge? Words of
tlie a[)ostles are supposed to imi)ly i)astoral authorily:
"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to
them; for tliey watch in behalf of your souls, as they that
shall give account." - " Likewise, ye younger, be sul^jeet
unto tlic elder." "^ Passages from the I'urly I-\itliers bear
1 .Matt. vii. 1^8,120. - Ih-h. xiii. 17.
« 1 IVt. V. 5.
62 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORIONG CHURCH
the same significance.^ But this does not necessarily im-
ply anything more than that wholesome subordination
which is the condition of all concerted action. It does not
argue any hierarchical powers, pertaining to the ministry
as a separate and permanent order. The members of any
association owe to the officers, whom they have chosen to
take the direction of their affairs, respect and co-operation.
The subjection and submission enjoined in the passages
quoted above may mean no more than this. The words
of Jesus are not to be forgotten : " But be not ye called
Ilabbi; for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father on the earth ; for one is your
Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters ;
for one is your Master, even the Christ. But he that is
greatest among you shall be your servant." ^ This seems
to point to a genuine democracy as the social foundation
of the church. But democracy is not anarchy; it implies
order and subordination and leadership. And most of the
New Testament passages which refer to the government
of the church " agree in connoting primarilj^ the idea of
presidency or leadership." ^ This is the very conception
of the pastorate whicli the present conditions are tending
to emphasize. For as a learning church needs a teacher,
and a feeding church needs a pastor, so a working church
needs a leader. It is not as a lord over (rod's lieritage, but
as a wise organizer and guide of the working body that
the pastor is appointed to rule the churcli. The eiriaKOTTO'i
was the superintendent or overseer of the early cluii'cli ;
the same term had been employed by the Greeks to de-
scribe officers of private associations and also of munici-
palities ; the eVtcr/coTrot were persons to whom authority
had been del(\gated l)y the bodies over whicli they pre-
sided. That the church must be to this extent an ordcily
association; tliat those who are called to tlie leadersliip
sliould 1)(^ loyally followed by those who call them ; tliat
their administration should b(» firm and consistent and
fearless, and that the spiiit and traditions of the organi-
1 Hatch's Orijnnization of the Earhj Christian Churrhnt, p. 113, note.
'^ Matt, xxiii. 8-11. :' Hatch, rit. sup.
THE PASTOR 63
zation sliould couspiro to maintain this order, — sucli is
the logic of all human co-operation. The pastor of a work-
ing church is the leader, and he should take the lead, and
steadily maintain it. The initiative belongs to him, and
the support of the church is due to hhn. If he is not
capable of such leadership, the churcli should not have
chosen him, and should now, as soon as it can safely and
kintUy do so, replace him by one who can lead. But,
having chosen such a leader, the church owes him a prompt
and hearty following. This is not to say that nothing
which he proposes is ever to be questioned or criticised ;
if he is a wise pastor, he wdll welcome any ingenuous
criticisms ; but the fact remains that in any working or-
ganization there must be trusted leadership and willing co-
operation ; and those who are chosen as leaders must be able
to count on the harmonious co- working of jdl the rest.
Taking the lowest conception of the pastor's rank and
dignity, he is entitled, therefore, to a certain deference as
the one to whose hands the administration of the church
has in an especial degree been confided. If his autliority
is delegated, still it is delegated authority, and as such
ought to be respected.
Other theories of the office impute to tlie pastor a larger
power. Tliose who find in tlie Chiistian minister a sacer-
dotal character are compelled, of course, to ascribe to him
a kind of autliority altogether different from that of which
we have been speaking. Those who suppose that the
sacraments are necessary to salvation, and that the minis-
ter has the power to give or withhold the sacmmcnls,
clothe him with a power which he is able to wield with irre-
sistible effect in the government of the church. To such
a priesthood the rule of the church must c\clusi\(ly be-
long; the laity are there not to rule l)ut to l)c nilcil.
Uut even when sacerdotal ])owcrs arc denied, there is
sometimes a conception of j)astoral jjowcv whicli sejiarates
the minister from his flock, and clothes liim ^\ itli essential
governmental rights and dignities. In all such cases,
however, the assumjttion of supeiioiity may well lie de-
clined. The wise [)astor will noi, whatever may be his
64 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
theory of his office, undertake to overbear the judgment of
his parishioners by force of his prerogative. Even if he
suppose himself to belong to a different order from theirs,
his wisdom will be shown in understating that fact, and
in putting himself on a basis of equality \\ith them. His
problem is to secure their co-operation with himself in
Christian labor. An arbitrary assertion of authority is not
the best method of accomplishing this. He must convince
their reason and get the consent of their judgment. His
authority must be confirmed by the methods of influence.
A familiar maxim declares that " governments derive
their just powers from the consent of the governed." The
accuracy of this proposition may be challenged. "Just
powers " are not the creation of majorities. But this much is
true — that governments derive their effective powers from
the consent of the governed. Even the despotisms reign
by consent of their subjects. And it can be no otherwise
with the pastoral authority. It is only effective when it is
" broad based upon the people's will."
The day of absolutism in government has gone by. One
or two European rulers still continue to assert an unlim-
ited prerogative, but the whole w^orld listens with a smile
to their presumption, and knows that they will keej) well
within the limit of the popular approval. Representative
legislatures, in almost all states, have assumed the chief
control of the national exchequer. The power of the purse
is in the hands of the people.
Even the papal government shows many signs of sen-
sitiveness to popular opinion. The Pope is infallible
and supreme, by decree of the Vatican Council ; but the
present Tope, witli these vastly reinfoiced ])rerogatives,
shows himself to be far more closely identilied with the
people than any of his predecessors. Even to him it is
apparent that persuasion is stronger than coercion ; that
if he would keep liis place at the head of tlie churcli he
must lead his flock, not drive them. 'I'liat indeed would
seem to be the pastoral method. "lie called liis own sheep
by name, and Icadcth ihcvi out." Tliero is a whip for the
horse, and a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's
Tin-: TASTOii 65
back, but sheep are not well shepherded by any of these
coercions.
Considerations of this nature arc urged, with consider-
able force, by one who lately adorned tlie episcopal office.
" Wc have no question" says Bishop Bedell, "■ of the truth of
the Divine appointment of our ministry, and that Christ him-
self directed the mode of its perpetuation hij a tactual succes-
sion unhroJccn from apostolic days. And inasmuch as it is
true it is to be inculcated. Judiciously taught it will ben-
efit a congregation ; and a right appreciation of it will also
increase our solemn sense of responsibility to God, and of
obligation to be faithful to souls whom he has committed to
our care. But, injudiciously obtruded, tenaciously insisted
on, forced upon unwilling ears, and presented in such a
manner as to lead our people to think that we feel our-
selves elevated by divine intention beyond their reach
and beyond their sympathies, and, more especially, if the
cherishing of such an idea should separate us in the least
degree from perfect unity of feeling with the people of
our charge, this idea of clerical authority will annihilate
our power. While, then, theoretically, our divine appoint-
ment is an element of power ; practically under prevailing
sentiments it will not be an element of influence. . . . Noth-
ing remains from the conflicts of the clergy witli past
generations but clerical character. The clergy have no
spiritual power apart from their moral influence ; that
idea, altliough once maintained, has disappeared. The}'
have no sacramental miracle by which to enforce a tyranny
over conscience. That idea, once held, has been exploded.
Even their divine Ordination, tlieir right as lieavenly am-
l)assadors by virtue of oflicc divinely bestowed (as I liavc
said) lias been thrust out of sight by the hurry of niw
and false ideas. So that, practically, nothing remains to
be a somce of clerical influence in tliis age, excej)! indi-
vidnal clerical cliaracter. Nor need we desire any other
influence."^ Wliatevcr may l)e said of the logic of this
argument, the practical wisdom of the conclusion cannot
be. tlisputcd.
1 Tlic Pastor, \)\). li 1, 25.
5
CHAPTER IV
THE CALL TO THE PASTORATE
The call to tlie work of the ministiy, and the training
of the minister for his work, are subjects which do not
come within the scope of this treatise. It is necessary,
however, to refer in a general way to the nature of the
minister's call, because of the conceptions of his work
whicli grow out of it.
We have found reasons for denying to the pastor sacerdo-
tal or hierarchical functions ; we regard him in one aspect
as the servant, and in another as the leader of the church,
— as one who ministers to the people in holy things, and
who superintends and guides them in their work. There
is, however, a higher relation which must never be ob-
scured. The pastor is not only the minister of the Church,
he is also, and first of all, the minister of Christ. In some
important sense he must derive his authority and power
from the Plead of the church. Between these conceptions
confusion is apt to arise.
It may help us to solve this difficulty if we remember
that every man is called of God to lioly and Christly ser-
vice. Let us hear the judicious Fairbairn : —
" It is a fundamental principle in Christianity that there
is nothing absolutely peculiar to any one who has a place
in (lie true church. Among its members there is room
only for relative distinctions, or for differences in degree,
not in kind. It is a consequence of tlic vital union of
true believers to Christ by virtue of Avhicli there belongs
to all the same spiritual standing, the same privileges
and prospects, and, as a matter of course, the same general
obligations of duty. If every sincere Cliristian can say,
THE CALL TO THE PASTOKATE 67
< I am one with Christ and have a personal interest in
all that is his,' there can manifestly be no essential differ-
ence between him and other believers ; and whatever may
distinguish any one in particular, either as regards the
call to work, or the capacity for work, in the Lord's ser-
vice, it nmst in kind belong to the whole community of
the faithful, or else form but a subordinate characteristic.
The ministry itself in its distinctive prerogatives and func-
tions is but the special embodiment and exhibition of those
which pertain inherently to the church as Christ's spirit-
ual body. And the moment any one recognizes himself
to be a living member of this body, it thenceforth becomes,
not his right merely, but his boundon duty, to consider
what part of its collective responsibilities lies at his door,
or what part of its common vocation he should apply him-
self in some specific manner to fulfil. . . . The church
collectively is the habitation of the Spirit ; so is the incU-
vidual believer. The works, which, as a believer, he is
called to do in order to make his calling and election sure
must be works of God ; and for one and all of them he
needs the illuminating and strengthening agency of the
Holy Spirit. No Christian parent within the private
walks of domestic life can fulfil his obligations in regard
to the godly upbringing of his children; no Christian
philanthropist, yearning over the miserable and degraded
multitudes around him, can discliarge the labois of love
which tlie mercies of God in Christ impel him to under-
take in tlieir behalf ; no solitary individual, even, warring
in his personal experiences with the solicitations of the
flesh and of the power of evil in tlie world, can resist,
and stand fast, and do the will of God, except by ri'-
ceiving gifts of grace to qualify him for the work, and
to render the work itself serviceable to the end toward
wliich it is directed. In sliort, all who would serve their
generation according to the will of God must stand in
living connection with the heavenly world. Their call-
ing as the Lord's servants warrants them to expect, and,
if they succeed in that calling, tlieir success i)r()V('s (hem
to have received, grace for spiritual work; in which re-
68 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHUECH
spect, therefore, they are vessels of honor fitted for the
Master's use, and partakers of the blessing." ^
Is it not possible to go further than this, and say that
men are called of God not only to work which is dis-
tinctively religious, but to all other kinds of honest and
beneficent work ? Is not every man who helps to increase
the sum total of human welfare a co-worker with God?
Has any man a right to engage in any kind of labor in any
other than a consecrated spirit ? Is the work of the min-
istry distinguished in this respect from the work of the
teacher, or the artist, or the mechanic? "Whatsoever
ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto
men, for ye serve the Lord Christ." This is the apostolic
conception. That eveiy good man's work is a divine vo-
cation is what he ought to believe. But the evidence that
God has called him to this work must be gathered from
various sources. It will not do for him to depend on
supposed intimations and impressions ; these are often mis-
leading. A strong inclination to undertake the work is,
indeed, the primary indication of a divine call. Where
such an inclination to the work does not exist in the man's
heart, there is no evidence that God has called him to the
work.
But an inclination is not enough. There must be a
love of the work itself, — not a hankering after its per-
quisites, the position it offers, the gains and emoluments
it promises. In the case of the ministry there must be a
genuine i)assion for righteousness, and a strong desire to
lead men into the knowledge and the joy of the Lord,
and an unconquerable faith in the Kingdom that cannot
be moved.
There must also be a reasonable assurance on llie part
of the candidate that lie possesses the qualilications of
body and mind and licart for whicli tliis work specially
calls. It is manifest that tlie mental and social equipment
for a salesman or a l)anker or a dranglitsnian would be dif-
ferent from that re([uired in a minister; and a man ought
to be a]jle to judge his own al)ilities, and to determine
1 Pastoral Thcolojij, j)]). G2-GC.
THE CALL To THE PASTORATE 6^
wlictlier lie possesses a natural fitness for the work of the
ministry.
When any man can answer these questions satisfactorily,
what is sometimes described as tiie imvard call may be
regarded as sufficient. But in every vocation the imvard
call must be corrected or confirmed by the outw%ard call.
If a man thinks himself called to the vocation of a teacher
or an engineer, and, after his best exertions in this direc-
tion, can get no one to employ him in his chosen work, it
is rational for him to conclude that he is mistaken in re-
gard to the call. So if a man thinks himself called to
preach, and can find no one who wishes to hear him preach,
he ought to decide that the inward call was misunderstood.
Thus it is plain that, whatever a man's inward impulses
may be, he is compelled to test his inspirations by the
judgment of his fellow men. And the Christian Church
has wisely provided that this double test shall be applied.
No minister ought to undertake the woi-k unless he be-
lieves that he has a divine vocation ; but he ought to sub-
mit this conviction of his to the approval of his brethren.
Whether this approval is given by the church that calls
him, or by the presbytery, or by the conference, or by the
bishop, is a secondary matter ; it is well that oiher clear
and judicious minds should confirm his choice and send
him forth with their blessing into the work of the ministry.
Thus it is clear that the minister is both the servant of
the cliurch and the ambassador of Christ. This twofold
relation he must always recognize. lie must preach tlie
I)reaching that God bids him, yet he must wait upon the
church to do the work to which it has called him. It is
evident that, as the truth which lie is to teacli is divine
truth, he sliould expect to receive his message direct from
God, tlirougli prayer and meditation and llic study of
every woid tliat proceedetli out ol tlic monlli of (Jod.
TIk! ])roi)li('ts of all tlie ages haAc been men who spoki' the
word given them by (Jod, wliether men Avould liear or for-
bear, 'i'he preacher wlio iiKpiires onl\- wlial his jx'ojile
wish to lieai', and adjusts his message to their demand, mav
often prove a blind leader of the blind. The truth which
70 CHKISTIAN PASTOR AND WORiaNG CHUECH
they need is often the very truth which they do not de-
sire. As preacher, the final responsibility rests with him.
They have called him to be their teacher because they
credited him with ability to teach; if he does not bring
them a message from God, he is not faithful to the trust
which they have reposed in him. The physician who in-
quires what is agreeable to his patient, rather than what
is good for him, is false to his profession. So the j)astor
who is loyal to his flock will hearken most diligently for
the word that God may give him.
Still, the wise j)astor will listen also to the voice of liis
people. They, too, are the people of God ; many of them,
no doubt, are serious and consecrated men and women;
it is by their godly judgment that he has been put into the
pastorate ; God is speaking to them as well as to him ; and
sometimes they, or some of them, may hear the word not less
distinctly than he hears it. If those among them whom
he believes to be intelligent and devout should question his
message, it would not be a sufficient reason why he should
recall it, but it would be a good reason why he should
carefully reconsider it. After all objections have been duly
weighed, he may still find that he cannot modify it, and
lie must be faithful to the truth tliat God has cfiven iiini.
But it will often be the case that the pastor will learn
much from those to whom he ministers. " Let him that is
taught," says Paul, " communicate unto him that teachcth
in all good things." ^
Such, then, is the nature of the relation between the
pastor and his people. He ought to be regarded b}^ them
neither as a mere employee, nor yet as a master, but as
their spiritual guide and fellow helper in the Gospel. He
is their minister, but in a sense which they must never dis-
regard he is the bond-servant of Another; it is because
they believed and Avished him to be sucli that they laid
tlicii" liaiids upon liini. Tliis character they must I'espect
in biiii, so long as they Ix'lievo liim to jiossess it. If lie is
not to thorn the monllipieee of tlie Divine Wisdom, lie is
not the man they want for tlieir pastor; if this is his liigh
1 Gal. vl, G.
THE CALL TO THE PASTORATE Yl
calling, tliey should listen to the truth he brings them, and
the demands he makes upon them, never with abject and
unreasoning submission, always with wakeful and discrim-
inating minds, but with docile tempers and readiness to
know and follow the truth.
The ideal relation between the pastor and his flock will
thus be seen to be founded upon their common relation to
the Head of the church. The minister and those to whom
he ministers all are called with a heavenly calling. All
of them are about their Father s business. The minister is
a servant of God ; so is the man who walks in the furrow
or pushes the plane ; so is the woman " who sweeps a room
as for God's laws." All are in some true measure in-
spired, but none is infallible ; each has need to correct,
l)y comparison with the truth given to others, his own
inspirations : —
" For all wc have power to see is a straight staff bent in a pool." ^
The refractions of our human imperfection make but
broken lights of our best intuitions. And therefore pastor
and people will dwell together in mutual confidence and
expectation, each waiting for any word that the other may
receive, all remembering that God is the author, not of
confusion, but of peace in all the churches of the saints ;
and that all the messages which he has inspired must agree
with one another.
But how shall this relation between minister and peoi)lo
be formed? Every church needs a pastor, and every min-
ister wants a church. Sometimes the two are long sepa-
rated. How can they wisely be brought together? How
shall the church find a minister, and the minister a (ihurch?
Ill most established churches this is not a practical ques-
tion. As there are social systems under which a maiden
lias little to say in the choice of her husband, so there are
ecclesiastical sj'stcms under which the church is furnished
with a pastor without asking its consent. Doubtless some-
thing can be said in defence of both these dispensations;
^ Tennyson, The llijhcr Pantheism.
72 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND "WORKING CHURCH
we are not here disputing the validity of either. The
Anglican Church numbers more than eleven thousand par-
ishes; for about a thousand of these the Crown provides
pastors ; twelve hundred or more look to bishops or arch-
bishops for their leaders; deans and chapters have the
choice in about eight hundred cases ; other dignitaries in
about eighteen hundred, colleges in seven hundred, and
private patrons in about six thousand. This last category
includes all parishes in which the owners of estates are
charged with the payment of the salaries of incumbents ;
to the proprietor belongs the right of nomination. Neither
the church, nor the bishop of the diocese, has much voice
in the matter ; the patron has it all his own way.
For a long time patronage prevailed also in the Church
of Scotland, though here some form of consulting the
people must be gone through with ; it was a dispute about
the force wliich shoukl bo allowed to the popular veto upon
the choice of the patron that led to the Disruption of 1843,
and the establishment of the Free Church. In 1874, pat-
ronage was abolished in the Church of Scotland ; the people
now choose their own ministers under certain conditions.
In the Protestant Churches of Germany, Sweden, and
Denmark tliis right of patronage exists, subject to some
important modifications; the consistory is generally allowed
some voice in the selection of the pastor.
In some of the Protestant churches of America provision
is made, by the polity of the church, for furnishing every
congregation with a minister. The Metliodist L^inscopal
Church puts tlic whole power into the hands of its bishops.
Rut even when the ecclesiastical rules are definite, the
principle of natural selection often proves too strong for
the church machinery, and the best pulpits are apt to be
filled by tlic choice of the congregation. It is a rule almost
universal in American Protestant cliuichcs that the local
church has the virtual control of its own pastorate. The
selection of a pastor tlion becomes an important practical
question, — the most important question with which any
church has to deal. Mow shall the church tind its pastor?
It would seem reasonable, to begin with, that the church
THE CALL TO THE PASTOKATE 73
should come to a good undei'standing with itself as to what
kind of man it wants for a pastor. Too much is generally
left, in such cases, to mere instinctive impressions and
attachments.
The first qualification commonly demanded is preaching
ability. And this, when rightly conceived, is indeed a
capital qualification. The church is yet, and probably will
always be, a teaching body ; efficient and adequate pulpit
power is therefore always to be considered in calling a
pastor. It is only to be remembered that the main thing
in a religious teacher is not elegance of manner or elocu-
tionary brilliancy, but the power of conveying spiritual
truth to the minds and hearts of his hearers. The tempta-
tion is strong: to choose the man whose discourses cause his
hearers to exclaim, " How fine ! how eloquent ! " instead of
the man whose sober words lead them to search their own
hearts, and stir them to new efforts and larger sacrifices.
The preacher who promises to fill the pews and swell the
revenues is too apt to be chosen, without much reference
to his spiritual thoroughness. There is need of much seri-
ous thought and prayer when the church is looking for
a preacher.
The social gifts of a pastor are also to be considered.
lie ought to 1)0 a courteous and kindly man, with some
genius for friendship, with the power of drawing to liim-
self the old and the young, and the strangers within and
witliout tlic gates. The qualities which inspire not only
respect, but confidence and affection, are greatly to be
desired in a pastor.
It will be well also, if lie possess some good knowledge
of human nature, and sometliing of that saving sense of
humor whicli serves as a lubricant of life's frictions.
It is involved in what has lieen said already, tlial. Ix-foro
all tilings else, he must be a genuine Christian man. \\li(>
l)olicves from his heart the word that lie will ])r('ach. \\]\o
knows by heart tlie Master wliom lie seeks t<i eoniincnd,
ami whose deepest purpose it is to seel; liisl the Kingdom
of (iod and liis righteousness.
But if this is a working church, one of the piime (piaii-
74 - CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
ficaticns of the pastor will be leadership. The question
whether he is a man who possesses the gift of organization,
and the power of enlisting others in the work of the church,
would seem to be very important. The relation of the
superintendent of a factory to the work of the factory is
not in all respects similar to the relation of a pastor to a
church ; but there is, after all, an important analogy. So
far as the church is to be considered as a working body,
the question about the pastor is simply, not how much nor
how good work he will do himself, but how much he will
get the church to do. And we have seen that the new and
higher conception of the church is that it is primarily a
working body ; that it is formed not mainly of those who
seek to be fed and ministered unto, but of those who are
working together to extend the Kingdom of God. The
church which has attained unto this conception of its own
vocation will emphasize in its choice of a pastor the func-
tion of leadership.
Having determined what manner of man it would have
for its pastor, the church sets forth in search of him. In
some of our American communions at the present time,
there is no need that the church shall go far from its own
doors after a candidate. As soon as the vacancy in its
pastorate becomes known — sometimes long before it is
known, even when it is first anticipated, — the candidates
come flying as a cloud, and as the doves to its windows.
It is soon suffering from an embarrassment of riches.
And the need of a sober judgment and a firm will in
dealing with this problem must soon be manifest.
In independent churches a committee is generally formed
to wliom the matter of procuring a candidate is intrusted ;
in other churches the permanent officers — the session, or
the vestry, or the consistory, or the ofTicial board — may
act for the church. It would seem to be wise, whenever
tlie rules of the church permit, that a sj)ocial committee
for this purpose be carefully selected, representing all the
different elements of whicli the churcli is composed and
enil)odying in iisclf thi^ best wisdom of the organization.
To the candidates brought to its notice the committee
THE CALL TO THE PASTOllATE 75
should faithfully apply such standards as we have just
been considering, and when the minister is found who
seems to promise a fair measure of conformity to them,
his name, with the facts which the connnittee has learned
about him, should be reported to the church. It would
be well, of course, if some or all of the committee could
first see him in some pulpit, and become acquainted with
him, that they may testify concerning him not from hear-
say merely, but from personal knowledge.
The question whether the candidate should be invited
to preach in the church before the invitation is extended
to him is one to v.-hich it is not possible to give a positive
answer. If the candidate is a man Avell known in all the
churches, such an exhibition of himself seems quite super-
fluous. Even if he is not well known, the practice of
requiring him to preach before the church is often of doubt-
ful expediency. The test is apt to be unfair. The better
preacher he is, the less likely is he to be quite himself in
such an ordeal. The consciousness that he is on exhibi-
tion is not conducive to the highest spiritual frame in the
best preaclier. The knowledge that his own personal for-
tunes are in au}^ way affected by the work that he is doing
needs to be put far away from him. The church that
insists on hearing a candidate has, therefore, adopted a
method by which its own ends are apt to be defeated.
Still, it is possible for a good man to forget himself in
such an emergency, and there can be no doubt that many
happy pastorates have been initiated by this metliod.
" When one is professedly preacliing to do good," says
Professor Willcox, "it must be an awkward matter to
preach for a position. But there are alleviations. You
are not mercenary in seeking a pulpit. You can lionestly
say, 'I seek not yours, Imt you.' Tlu-n, loo, it is as mucli
in the line of God's ordering that you slioiiM |irc;i(h on
trial as that you sliouhl afterward preach as a pastoi-.
Therefore thorouglily pr(>pare for the service, coumu'iid
yourself to God for liis presence and his grace, aud then,
as far as possil)lo forgetting yourself, aim to benefit your
hearers. Tho best of them will be looking for a man who
76 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
hides behind his Master and throws his heart into his
message." ^ But it is safe to say that, on the whole, it is
not only less embarrassing for the minister, but wiser for
the church, if the whole matter be intrusted to a large and
judicious committee, upon whose report, without further
investigation, the church consents to act.
Should a vacant church, in any case, make overtures
to the minister of another church? Here, also, it is not
wise to lay down hard and fast rules. Ordinarily, it is
not best to disturb with suggestions of removal a pastor
who is happily at work. Yet this cannot be erected into
a maxim. It may happen that a church in search of a
pastor will find in some comparatively obscure and unim-
portant place a man to whom it can offer a far larger op-
portunity ; and it cannot be wrong for the church to make
this offer. Paul may have been contentedly working at
Troas, but tlie vision of the man from Macedonia who
said, " Come over and help us," constrained him to arise
and depart. In such a case the voice of the peoi)le may
be the voice of God. When the Church of the Pilgrims
in Brooklyn found its present pastor comfortably settled
in his J\lassachusetts parish, it ought not to have been pre-
cluded, by any notion of the exclusive right of a church
to its pastor, from calling him to the position which ho
has filled for so many years with honor. No church pos-
sesses any exclusive right to any minister. The interests
of the Kingdom of Heaven are paramount. Every man
ought to be in the place where, on tlie wliole, his service
can be most effective. A vacant clmrcli may act, consci-
entiously, on this principle, in calling to its service the
pastor of another church ; and it is fair to presume, when
such a call is given, that lliis motive has entered into l]ic
transaction. It is true 11i;i( churches, like indivitbials,
may act selfishly, that llic main consideration may be the
social aggrandizement of the local church making the call;
but that ought not to ])o assumed, nor charged without
abundant evidence.
Churches thns dispossessed of their pastors arc apt to
1 The Pastor (uniclst his Flock, p. 24.
THE CALL TO THE PASTORATE 77
make complaints which imply a sweeping accusation against
all churches and all ministers. They say that the pastor
has been tolled away by the offer of a liigher salary and
a more conspicuous position ; they resent this trespass on
their demesne, and denounce the perpetrators of it. All
this indicates not merely a bad temper, but a sad estimate
of the motives governing Christian people in their work.
If, indeed, their pastor is a man who can be induced to
to abandon the post of duty by sordid or selfish consider-
ations, why should they wish to retain him? lias not
the church that drew away from them a false and fickle
shepherd done them the greatest possible service ? Their
pastor has gone from them either for selfish or for unself-
ish reasons. If his reasons are unselfish, they have no
right to complain ; if they are selfish, it is absui-d for them
to complain.
It must, however, be said that the vacant church, which
thus seeks to remove from his field of labor a pastor in
active service, ought to be sure that it is acting consci-
entiously in the matter. It must not assume that, because
its congregation is large and its position is more conspicu-
ous, it offers necessarily a more important post of duty.
The work which this minister is performing may be so
fruitful, and his adaptation to it so peculiar, that any at-
tempt to draw him away from it would be manifestly
wrong. Every church must proceed in this business with
a deep and prayerful sense of its responsibility, not for
its own welfare alone, but for the interests of its sister
cliurch and of the Kingdom of Heaven. To build it-
self up by pulling down other churclics is not the ju'in-
ciple on wliich it is founded. It is surely possible for a
Christian church to understand and obseiTc, in its rela-
tions with its sister cliurclies, the law of Cln-ist tlie J^ord.
The question wliether, in the formation of the pastoral
relation, the initiative should bo taken l)y the churcli or
l)y tlic minister is one of somo practical interest. Ordi-
naiilv, it would appear, the cliiiicli should be first to
art. Although to the cliui-ch the feminine pronoun is
ap[)lied, custom seems to require that the proposition
78 CHRISTIAN PASTOE, AND WORiaNG CHURCH
sliould come from her and not from him. There is a
seeming indelicacy in the direct approach by a minister
to a church. The decisive action must be taken by the
church, and for this reason the overture should, ordinarily,
come from the church.
The normal condition of the minister's mind in this
matter would seem to be one of passivity. It is natural,
under the law of the Kingdom, for him to say, "I am
where I am, because God has placed me here; I would
not have come hither unless there had seemed to be provi-
dential leadings ; I ought to stay here until Providence
makes it clear that he wants me somewhere else. When
I am sure that he has called me to a more important or
more difficult work I will go." This is not always the
proper attitude of the minister's mind, for Providence may
have made it plain to him that he might probably do
better work elsewhere, before Providence has shown him
the opening. And therefore it may sometimes be his duty
to seek a change. The conditions of his health, or of that
of his family, may indicate the wisdom of such a change ;
lie may have discovered that the peculiar kind of work
required in his present parish is work to which he is im-
perfectly adapted ; he may know, by a careful study of his
own capabilities, that he could do more effective work in
a different field ; he may feel that the opportunity to
employ elsewhere the intellectual capital which he has
accumulated here, would set him free for other higldy
important services which here he cannot render. And
therefore he may wisely desire a change, althougli he feels
that it would be unwise for him to abandon his present
work, and indelicate for him to offer his services to any
vacant church. It is this state of things which makes it
lawful and expedient to give to the vacant church the
right to open negotiations with tlie pastor in active ser-
vice. Often it finds a man in precisely this state of mind,
and its inquiry opens to him a clear jiath of duty. But it
need not be laid down as a universal rule that the minister
must always wait until the church has spoken. " Should
one seek for a pulpit, or passively wait till Providence
THE CALL TO THE PASTORATE 79
opens the way for it? " is a question which Professor Will-
cox puts into the mouth of a theological student. And
his answer is : " Faith is not inactive. Faith and works
belong together. But do not apply in person to a vacant
chiu'ch. Commonly it would prejudice your case. Some
pastor or theological teacher can be found to introduce
you." 1 The customs of the churches being what they are,
this would seem to be the proper principle of action. The
minister who has determined that a change of parish would
be wise for him can usually, without any indelicacy, make
tliat decision known to a judicious friend, who will see
that his name is properly presented to vacant churches.
One rule is to be always observed, both by the vacant
church and by the ministerial candidate. No church
should enter into negotiations with a second candidate
while it has one before it whose case is not yet determined;
and no minister should permit himself to be considered as
a candidate by a church until he is positively assured that
that church is negotiating with no candidate with respect
to whom it has not reached a decision. The plainest dic-
tates of good sense and Christian decency should enforce
upon every church the rule of one candidate at a time, and
should require every minister to see to it that the church
lives up to this rule. Nothing is more scandalous than that
a churcli should pass tlu'ough its pulpit a line of candidates,
suspending judgment upon them until it has heard a con-
siderable number, and then picking and choosing among
them. Into sucli a competition no self-respecting minister
will consent to go. Out of such conflicts over candidates,
the bitterest and most disgraceful church quarrels often
arise. The cliurch should permit but one name at a time to
be presented to it ; not until it has determined that it docs
not want this man, should it open negotiations witli any
other man, or permit him to aj)pear in its pulpit as a pos-
sible candidate. The condition into wliich clnirclies are
sometimes thrown by long periods of candidating, and of
disputation over candidates is melanclioly in the extreme.
The whole attitude of the congregation becomes critical
1 The rusior ,im!,!st A/.s- F/orL: ],. 21
80 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
and captious ; the people come to listen, not with devout
and receptive minds, but with itching ears ; a3stlietical
standards replace spiritual standards ; the question, " How
much good can I find in this message ? " is overlaid by the
question, " How do I like this messenger ? " Add to tliis
the disagreements and alienations which such strife in-
volves, and a state of things is revealed which offers an
unpromising field to the wisest and most devoted pastor.
Yet it is quite possible that the experience of seeking a
minister should bind the church together in a closer fellow-
ship, and deepen the sources of its spiritual power. Cases
are not unknown in which the church left vacant has come
together in a prayerful spirit, and has sought so earnestly
to be divinely guided in its search for a pastor that a new
baptism of love and gentle consideration has descended
upon it; all its deliberations have been full of harmony
and sweet reasonableness ; each has sought to conform his
choice to the will of the others, and to make tlie general
good rather than his personal preference the standard of
his judgment, and when the new pastor has come, he has
found a warm welcome from a united and happy church.
One word of caution is not superfluous. No church
should admit to its pulpit, no, not for a single service, a
man who does not come with the clearest and amplest and
most recent credentials of ministerial standing. However
it may be in other lands, it is true that in the United States
not a few ministerial vagrants are abroad, and many of
them are plausiljle villains, with smootli tongues and tak-
ing ways, Avho are able to do incalculable injiuy to those
churches which harbor them even for a day. "• These are
they that creep into houses and lead captive silly women,"
and no less silly men; and the church that unwittingly
gives tliem a footing is apt to repent, at its leisure, of its
unwise hospitality. Tlie pains that are taken by most
Christian communions to kecj) the lists of their ministers
clean, and to allow no discredited name upon them, are
not needless ; the purpose is to protect the churches against
adventurers. It is easy for any man who lias a riglit to
the confidence of his bretluen to bring clear and ample
THE CALL TO THE PASTORATE 81
evidence of the fact. The papers shoukl be recent, and
explicit; it would be better if testimony as to their genuine-
ness should be furnished by some neighboring minister of
the same communion. Simple carelessness about this on
the part of church officials has resulted, not seldom, in the
blighting of characters, the blasting of lives, and the rend-
ing of the church in twain. For it is a melancholy fact
that the most obvious scoundrel, if he be a fluent and in-
sinuating person, is generally able to attach to himself
and to lead away a considerable portion of almost any
congregation. Important churches in the United States
ha^e l^een divided by men whose pro[)er place was the
penitentiary. It is a grave responsibility which is taken
by church officers who admit an unknown or doubtful
candidate to the pulpit of their church.
One or two other matters of practical interest should
be referred to. The question may arise whether a call
which is not unanimous should be accepted. The answer
of Professor Willcox is, on the whole, judicious: "'That
depends.' Ask several questions. How large is the mi-
nority ? Are they persons of weight or influence ? Are
they obstinate or reasonable ? Is their opposition based
on reasons that you can probably remove ? Seek candid
answei-s to these questions. Seek them not only from
your friends, but directly from the objectors themselves.
But avoid implying that you submit to the objectors the
decision of the matter. If you conclude to accept the
call, give your first attention, after settlement, to the mi-
nority. As the foremost duty conciliate them. Many a
pastor soon has a united churcli s))lit into factions. Many
a pastor who l)cgins liis work with n divided church soon
lias tlipin harmoniously united."' ^ The only (lualification
needful licre is that the efforts at conciliation of the mi-
nority, after settlement, sliould not be too demonstrative.
It is rather l)ettcr to assume tliat there is no minority, and
to treat those wlio were supposed to constitute it with
the same consideration and courtesy that arc oil'crc<l to tlie
rest.
^ The Pastor (imitlst his I'luik, p. 'J7.
82 ("HinSTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHTIRCH
Another question concerns tlie temporalities. The min-
ister is a man amongst men, with what are known as secu-
lar obligations and responsibilities, with physical needs, with
a family, presumably, to provide for, and it is one of the
prime necessities of his position that lie meet all the just
demands of his neighbors, promptly and honestly. One
thing that cannot be tolerated in any minister of Christ
is financial looseness or irregularity. The minister who
is always in debt, and who leaves a legacy of unpaid
claims behind him in every parisli is never able, by the elo-
quence of the pulpit, to counteract the damage done by
his example. Therefore, as a matter of course, the min-
ister must be enabled, by his people, to provide things
honest in the sight of all men. It is not necessary that
the stipend should be large, for the actual necessaries of
life cost but little ; but it is necessary on the i)art of the
minister that he should live within his income, be it large
or small, and it is necessary on the part of the people that
it be promptly paid. A fair and explicit understanding
on this matter between minister and people is advisable,
at the outset. The minister may wisely say, "I propose,
with the favor of God, to owe no man anything but lo-\-e ;
therefore I hope that my people will not permit themselves
to be in any other kind of debt to me." It is generally
far easier for the cluirch to meet engagements of this na-
ture promptly than to bring up large an'earages ; to insist
upon a business-like policy is to ligliten the burden of the
church. There is often a Avoful lack of common lionesty
in the administration of church finances, and the influence
of the cliurch is greatly impaired thereby. It is not well
that tlie minister should be burdened witli ilic linaiuinl
athninistration ; the less he needs to know about it, the
better ; but, on the otlier hand, there arc certain princi-
ples of punctuality and probity which tlie church ought
to observe in all its business relations, and it is not to the
credit of the minister if those ])riiK'i])les aie violated. lie
is bound to see that the administration of church affairs
conforms to the highest princii»les of moi-aiit}-.
CHAPTER V
THE rASTOR IX HIS STUDY
The Cliristian minister is first of all a student. This
is, indeed, the primary designation of all followers of
Christ. Before they were called Christians at Antioch
they were called disciples in Jerusalem, in Capernaum, and
along the banks of the Jordan. The great name of the
Founder of Christianity is Master, that is, Teacher ; and
the generic description of those who bear his name is dis-
ciple, that is, student. " To this end have I been Ijorn,"
said the Clu-ist, " and to this end have I come into the
world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Every
one that is of the truth heareth my voice."'
When we are told by the Lord himself that the disciple
must be as his Master, it is involved in that saying that
the student must become a teacher ; it is for this that he
r^tudics, that he may be qualified to teach. The Master
himself was a learner before he was a Teacher. As a
child he advanced in wisdom and in stature : " They found
him in the temple, sitting in tlie nudst of the teachers,
both hearing them and asking them questions." ^ And
Ins method throughout his earthly ministry was that of
the teacher. He " went about in all Cialilce, teaching in
their synagogues and preaching the Gospel of tlie King-
dom." 2 And his great discourse was delivered after the
manner of an instructor rather tlian an orator; ''when lie
liad sat down," — the posture of the teacher, — ''liis dis-
ciples came unto him, and he oj)ened lus mouth and
tauglit them." And to those who had l)een sitting at his
feet he said wluii lie sent them forth, " Freely ye received,
freely give.'" '^ He wlio teaches nuist first be u student,
and lie studies that he may teach.
^ Luke ii. 4G. - Matt. iv. 23. •' Matt, x, ».
84 CHRISTIAX PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
We need not forget that the Christian minister has
other functions than that of the didactic instructor. He
is, to begin with, to be a living illustration of the truth
which he teaches. Unless it can be said, with some good
measure of verity, of him as of his Master, " He is the
truth," his teaching will not be influential. He must
have digested and assimilated the vital word which he tries
to utter ; it must have become bone of his bone and
flesh of his flesh, else it will have but little power on his
lips.
There is also that great work of evangelism which is
sometimes distinguished from the work of teaching, and
there is a sense in which the distinction may be main-
tained. Christ said, " Go ye therefore and make disciples
of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the
Father and of the Son and of tlie Holy Ghost ; teach-
inr/ them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded
you." ^ Men were to be made disciples, and then to be
taught ; that is to say, they were first to be enlisted and
enrolled, and then instructed. In a certain large sense
this ought always to be true. The greater part of the in-
struction which men receive follows rather than precedes
the date of their discipleship. They become disciples not
because they are fully instructed, but because they desire
instruction. The preaching which awakens in their minds
this desiie is what we rightly call evangelistic preaching.
And yet there is, in these days, a great deal of the element
of teaching in the best of the evangelistic preaching. It
is difficult to separate, in fact, the function of the teacher
from that of tlie evangelist. It is unfortunate for both of
them when tliey are separated. The evangelist who does
not care to teacli is apt to 1)ecome a bad kind of sentimen-
talist ; and the teacher who has no evangelistic fervor is
apt to degenerate into a critic or an essayist.
The minister, as we have seen, and sliall fiirtlior see,
is also a leader of men, an organizer and inspirer of spir-
itual activities. And yet this is all to come as the result
of his teaching, — because the trutli wluch he has im-
i Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.
TITE PASTOR IX HIS STUDY 85
parted to his hearers has awakened in them the desire of
service, and has pointed ont to them the work that needs
to be done. In order that this desire of theirs may be
sane and healthful, and in order that his leadership may
be wise and effective, there is need that he should be a
patient and faithful student. The man of God who is
" famished completely unto every good w^ork " must be
a patient and thorough student, lie must not only know
his books, he nuist know men ; he must be familiar with
the experience of the world; he must be able to avoid,
in his leadership, the rocks and shoals on which many
generous enterprises have been wrecked. Thus it becomes
evident that before he can be a good leader he must be a
patient learner.
It may be said, however, that the function of the Chris-
tian minister is mainly that of the prophet ; that his equip-
ment for his task must come, not thi-ough study but through
inspiration ; that the truth which he is to teach and the
wisdom by which lie is to guide will be given him directly'-
from heaven ; that the true Word of God which it is his
vocation to declare and incarnate is immediately communi-
cated to those who have the spirit of faith; that there-
fore study is superfluous ; that meditation and prayer arc
the only true methods of preparation for the minister's
work. It is scarcely needful to confute this crude con-
ception, but it may be well to give a little thought to the
necessary relation between study and insi)iration. That
tlic relation has long been recognized among rational men
may be suggested by the fact that in the days when the
prophetic function was most exalted among the Hebrews
there were schools of the prophets. Even then some study
was deemed necessary to fit a man to bo a prophet. If
it is the breath within the flute that makes the melody,
there is still need of mueli careful fashioning of tlic llulo
before it receives the breath.
The fact of inspiratioii — the iiuiiu'diale comniiiiiicali(»n
of tlie trulli and life of God to the soul of the preacher —
is indeed the one great fact that none nuist miss. For
every preacher there is access to the very heart of the
86 CHRISTIAN PASTOK AND WORKING CHURCH
spiritual reality. Prophets we must be, and not mere
reciters of traditions learned by rote. It is only when
" The finger of God, a flash of the Will that can,
Existent behind all laws," i
touches our lips that we speak with authority. A strong
statement of tliis need is found in Mr. Robert F. Horton's
Vcrlum Dei. The possibility of inspiration, the truth tliat
even in these days the Word of God is nigh to the mouth
and the heart of every devout man, the fact that the
preacher is not called merely to report what he has been
taught that some one once knew about God and his King-
dom, but what he himself knows about it, — all this is here
set forth most impressively. Whatever reservations one
may wish to make concerning some of these statements,
he will feel, as he reads these burning pages, that the
prophetic function is not wholly obsolete. And yet it will
also be clear that this mystic has not disregarded the in-
tellectual discipline by which the prophet is prepared to
receive the message. Every page gives evidence of patient
and profound study. Language, i)hilosophy, history, lit-
erature, all have helped to furnish the transparent medium
through which the winged word flies to its mark. The
vivid metaphor, the felicitous phrase, the just discrimina-
tion, the vital analogy, could not have been given to an
untrained mind. So it must always be. If the message
comes from God, the form which the message takes nuist
be largely determined V)y the dimensions and the furniture
of the mind through which it is conununicated.
Language is the instrument by which the greater part
of the minister's work is done. If he has a message to
deliver, it will be conveyed in the forms of human speech.
The Word of God must reach the minds of men throucfh
the language of men. All revelation, all inspiration, is
conditioned by this fact. There can be no more revela-
tion tlian there is language to convey. A truth for wliich
no word-mould has been prepared is a trutli tliat can-
not 1)0 directly communicated. Every written or spoken
revelation consists of words; and the words an^ iiiaiiu-
' IJrowuiiig, Aht Voijler.
THE PASTOR IN HIS STUDY 87
fautiiied by men. The relation of this fact to the theory
of un inerrant revehition ought to be well considered.
That a revelation absolutely without Haw could be given
through a medium so cloudy, by an instrument so inexact,
so full of imperfection, so constantly undergoing repair, as
human language is and must be, could be maintained by
no one who has the slightest acquaintance with philology.
The revelation may be sufficient for all the purposes of
the spiritual life, — its very imperfection may adapt it to
our needs, — but infallible it cannot be.
Nevertheless, this instrument of human language, intri-
cate and complex in its structure, constantly changing in
its forms, growing as human experience grows, always ap-
proaching that perfection which it can never reach, — this
is the instrument by which the truth of God is conveyed
to the mind of man ; and it is also the instrument by
means of which men communicate with one another. It
goes without saying that the better a man understands the
instrument, the more familiar he is with its structure and
its possibilities, the more perfectly he can convey his own
conceptions to the minds of other men. And it is not less
true that the Spirit of all truth can use the mind thus
trained and equipped to convey messages which could not
be given to minds less perfectly furnished. One of the first
things that Paul found to thank God for, when he began
to write his first letter to the Corinthians, was that they
had been enriched in Christ Jesus "//i all utterance^ and in
all knowledge.'" The enrichment of our utterance, the
improvement of all those faculties by which thought linds
expression, — this must ever be a large part of the duty of
all who desire to be the messengei's of God to men.
The fact of inspiration is, therefore, and nuist always be,
a very liomely, familiar fact. It was so in the days of the
propliets and apostles, it will be so in the millennium, it
ought to ])C so now. Tlie primary reason why more of the
Word of God has come to us through Isaiah and I';.iil llian
through other men is that the minds of Isaiah and I'anI
were l)ctter fitted to receive those sul)liine trutlis than the
minds of other men. This lilness nia\- have bi-cn thic in
88 CHRISTIAN TASTOE, AND WOIIKIXG CHURCH
part to providential causes, but it must have been largely
explained by the thoroughness with which they had pre-
pared themselves for such mediumship.
The laws which govern the inspiration of the prophet
must be in many respects similar to those which govern
the inspiration of the artist. The artist must become
familiar with the forms by which beauty, the beauty of
which his art is the vehicle, iinds its best expression.
Long and painful courses of discipline are needful in order
that he may gain the power of utterance. There is a lan-
guage for him to learn, and the task is difficult and tedious.
We have been told that poets are born, not made ; but if
this implies tliat all their powers are the gift of nature,
and that none of them is due to training, it is far from the
truth. The poet, for his part, was first compelled to learn
the language in which he writes ; a great deal of patient
training was expended on him by his mother, and his nurse,
and all the household, before he was able to articulate the
simplest words of our common speech. Later he was led
by many tutors through the mysteries of alphabet and
spelling-book and grammar; there is no royal road even
for poets through these mysteries ; the knowledge must be
gained by toil. After the rudiments of the language have
been mastered, there is a great deal more for him to learn
of the idioms and forms by means of which the spirit of
beauty finds expression in language. And after llie tech-
nique of his art, so to speak, has thus been acquired, if he
is to be an interpreter of nature and of life — and tliis, as
we are taught, is the poet's function — there will be room
for long years of patient study of nature and of life before
he will be able to interpret them to any clear purpose.
Some men get this preliminary training more easily tlian
others do, — get it, indeed, almost unconsciously, — but
they must get it, before they can do genuine poetic work.
And it is when, with faculties thus trained, with tastes
thus purified, witli vision thus sharpened, the poet stands
in the presence of nature or of life that liis inspiration be-
comes productive. 'J'lie delight in beauty, the swift insight
into truth, have found a voice.
THE PASTOR TX IIIS STUDY 89
True it is that all this study and discipline would be
worthless if through the forms thus furnished the spirit of
life did not breathe. The inspiration is the essential thing.
Life is diviner than form. Yet life is never formless. The
poet's power is not all the gift of nature. The old adage
is one of those vicious antitheses in wliich the thing denied
is not less true than the thing affirmed. The poet is born
and made. His faculty is from nature, his facility is from
art. The tuneful breath is divine, but the instrument
through which it speaks is fashioned for its work by the
care and skill of man.
Of every kind of art this princii)le holds true. The
musician must prepare himself by the same kind of disci-
pline. There is a certain manual facility which can be
gained only by the most patient toil. Abt Vogler is right
when he tells us by the lips of Robert Browning that the
melodies and harmonies that flood his thought as he sits
improvising at the organ are not products of art ; but if
art had not had the training of his fingers they would
never have found expression.
The principle is not different in the case of the minister,
even when we are thinking of his prophetic function.
Prophecy is the divine Word spoken by the human voice,
and the voice must be trained for speaking. Surely it
must be to him who has most carefuUj' disciplined both
heart and mind by patient and long study of the truth
within his reach, that the larger truth, the unifying truth,
will be given, — that the spirit of prophecy will be imparted
in largest measure. Ins})iration is not cajirice ; it must
follow the law which conditions all divine intervention in
behalf of men. The gods help those who liclp themselves.
Tlie grace of God is not given to relieve us from effort or
to discharge us from responsibility, but to suj)plement our
powers, and to stimulate our activity. Luther said that
j)rayer is study, and it is true, — hcnc orClssc est hctic stu-
ff uissr ; but it is not less true tliat study is ]irayer. The
diligent prejjaraliou of lli'.- uiiiid for the heavenly gifts
is the indispensable condition of llic bestowiuent of these
gifts.
90 CHKISTIAX TASTOIi AND WOEKING CHURCH
The minister who has spent many years in the University
and the Theological School has evinced his conviction that
study is an essential part of the preparation for the work
of the ministry. Possibly, however, there may lurk in the
corner of some mind the notion that the period of prepara-
tion is the period of study, and that the pastorate will be
devoted to other kinds of activity in which study will not
be an essential part. The conception was once quite preva-
lent that when a man had passed through the professional
school his education was substantially finished. That, in-
deed, has been, so far as the ministry is concerned, a pretty
general understanding. It has often been supposed that
the minister is taught in the theological school all that it
is needful or proper for him to know ; that it is rather
dangerous and even disloyal for him to venture beyond
the boundaries there prescribed for his thought ; that one
of the chief functions of the theological seminary is to lead
the student all round the field of investigation, and show
him authoritatively the limitations thereof, and to say to
him, " Thus far shalt thou go and no farther." But this
phase of thought is becoming antiquated. Most of the
younger ministers know that the teachings of the theologi-
cal institution are no more final than those of the acadenfic
department ; that the function of the divinity school, like
that of every other school, is best fulfilled when it has
tauglit us how to study. In the theological college the
minister learns the use of the tools that he will be handling
all his life. He is not to spend his life in rehearsing the
lessons that he learned there ; things new and old will
come forth every week from his treasury.
But if tlie divinity school is a place where we learn to
study, it would seem that the su1)jocls of study, after the
work of the ministry is entered upon, would be likely to
be, to a considerable extent, the same as those winch oc-
cupied us in the preparatory period. Wc have not mas-
tered those subjects ; we liave been fairly introduced to
them ; we go on fiom the point at wliicli tin' teachers
leave us in the paths into wliich they have led us ; we
proceed to build on the foundation wliieli they have helped
THE I'ASTOU J.N IILS STUDY 91
US to lay. Whatever it was worth our wliile to study in
the days of preparation it will be worth our while to keep on
studying after our work is begun. If Hebrew and Greek
were wisely placed in the curriculum, the minister in his
study cannot afford to drop them. Of course his manner
of using these languages will be modified ; he Avill not
necessarily continue to study them philologically, — there
should, at any rate, be little need of studying them in this
way ; he will employ them rather as the instruments of
investigation ; he will not study the ancient languages ;
he will study history and archaeology and sacred litera-
ture and theology by means of the ancient languages.
Other studies of the professional school will be treated
in the same manner. The author of the Epistle to the
Hebrews counsels those to whom he is writing to '* leave
the word of the beginning of Christ" behind them, and
press on to perfection, — not laying over and over the
foundations, but going on to build on tlie foundations.^ This
is the true method for the studious minister. The history
of doctrine, the history of philosophy, are full of instruc-
tion; the light which they throw upon the evolution of
belief is profitable for guidance ; some general knowledge
of the course which religious thought has followed, every
Christian teacher ought to have. But it may be ques-
tioned whether the effort to ti-ace the speculations of the
church through all tlieir vagaries is altogether worth
while ; whether we have not expended upon the eluci-
dation of these erratic and fruitless efforts after religious
certainty time that might have been more productively
employed. A great deal of wood, hay, stubble, has been
heaped together in past ages on the true foundation, and
tlie fire of criticism has already consumed the larger part
of it: to what extent it is wortli wliile foi- tlu' working
pastor to reconstruct, from tlicir allies, tlic-i' \:inislied
systems, is an op(;n question. 'J'lh' thinking which has
advanced to some sure conclusion may be jjiofitably stud-
ied; tlie thinking that conducts us into a cul dc sac or a
bcttomli'ss bog may hi' safely ncglecte(l. IWqu in the divin-
' llcb. vi. 1, 2. li. V. Maiy.
92 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
ity school these studies of morbid theology and abortive
philosophy might be wisely abbreviated ; outside the semi-
nary, the busy pastor is not likely to pursue them. It
may sometimes be useful to know what not to believe, but
the proper nutriment of faith is not negations. The value
of contrast and comparison in elucidating truth is not to
be denied, yet in our efforts to reach certainty we may
easily spend too much time in the contemplation of what
we know to be uncertainties. A sermon by a profound
scholar was once preached in a New England church,
from the text, " Where sin abounded grace did much more
abound," and the preacher spent so much time in showing
how sin had abounded, through the centuries, and made
such an appalling picture of it, that he was by no means
able, in the few minutes devoted to the other phrase, to
counteract the impression; so that his discourse, without
his intending it, exactly contradicted his text, and left liis
hearers with the feeling that though grace had somewhat
abounded, sin did always and everywhere exceedingly
supcrabound. The laws of proportion must not be dis-
obeyed ; they should govern our studies as well as our
speech ; and they require that the great affirmations should
always prevail ; that life and not death should evidently
have the mastery ; that the things which cannot be shaken
should occupy tlie uppermost place in all our thinking.
Perhaps the same maxim will relegate studies of an
apologetic nature to a secondary [)lace. If it is not wise
to fill our minds with the futile speculations of past centu-
ries, it may not l)e wise to spend a great deal of time on
tlie doubts and denials of the present century. Too much
stress must not be laid on this admonition, for the present
difficulties of many minds in every intelligent congrega-
tion must 1)0 met by the preacher, and if the preacher is
to meet them he must understand tliem. l>ut when a man
begins to preach the Gospel tlie great underlying verities
of the Kingdom of Heaven ought to be settled in his mind
beyond questioning ; it sliould not be necessary for liim to
keep convincing liimself that they are true. That will
not be a fruilful ministiy which is continually digging up
the gerniiiKil Initli to see if it is alive.
THE PASTOE, IN HIS STUDY 93
As to the directions which the minister's study shoukl
take, it is possible to speak only in a general way. lUit
there are two main lines which he may profitably follow
in his studies. The problems about wliich his thought
will chiefly revolve are the problems of the soul and the
prol)lems of society.
By problems of the soul are intended those which relate
to the fundamental facts of character, — ethical and spir-
itual, rather tlian ontological questions. The existence of
the spiritual realm and the main facts of that realm are
the postulates of the pastor's problems. That love and
not law is the heart of the universe ; that there is a con-
scious God, our Father, who loves men and seeks their
welfare ; that between the spirit of man and the Spirit of
(xod there may be fellowship and communion, so that
light and help and peace and power can flow from the
grace that abounds to the need that implores ; that man
is a free spirit whose choices determine his own destiny, —
all this is assumed. Any man who is in doubt on any of
these propositions stultifies himself by accepting the oflice
of a Christian pastor. His problem is not to assure him-
self of these things, but to bring them home to the lives
of men.
This involves, first, a patient study of the facts of human
nature. The men and women and children of his parish
and his vicinage will l)e tlie principal objects of liis study.
Jle is likely to find a great variety of t3-pes among them
and all sorts of tendencies; tlio laws of character are work-
ing themselves out before liis eyes ; he will see some sowing
to the flesh and rea[)ing corruption, and others sowing (o
tlie spirit and reaping life everlasting; retriljution \vill
not l)e an obscure fact to a minister avIio keeps liis eyes
open ; redemption should not be. A most fascinaling
study is this to which liis voiiation calls him ; it uncov-
ers many painful facts ; it raises many hard (piestions ;
but it is more interesting and more significant than any
other subject which can engage the Imman intellect. And
every minister can be and must be an original investiga-
tor. Genuine laboratory work is demanded of him. He
94 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
must not get his knowledge of human nature wliolly or
mainly from books, though books may greatly aid him in
interpreting his phenomena. What other careful observ-
ers have seen Avill guide him in his search. But first-hand
knowledge is imperative. The people with whom he is
dealing will be apt to know whether he is speaking from
tradition or from observation ; he must be able to say,
" We speak that we do know, and testify that we have
seen."
The power of the teaching of Jesus lay, as a recent
writer has told us, in the appeal to life. Jesus taught
with authority, and not as the scribes, because he adhered
closely to the facts of nature and of human nature. More
than one hearer, like the woman at the well, cried out in
wonder, " He told me all that ever I did." It is not for
any of us to know as perfectly as he knew what was in
man, but it is possible for all of us to follow his method.
One large division of Christian theology is Anthropol-
ogy, the doctrine of man. What is the ideal man? What
are the elements of his constitution? What are the normal
and the abnormal tendencies of his nature ? Has lie any
verifiable relations to other powers above or beneath him?
If there are evidences of disease and disorder, what is the
pro])able outcome of these? Such are the primary ques-
tions of tliG Christian thinker. Now it is oljvious that the
truth about all this must be gathered by the study of human
nature. There is no other source of knowledge. If the
Bible gives us any information about this, it must be
simply a repetition of what is before our eyes, every day,
in living examples. Tlie I>il)le may liave something to
tell us about the remedy for the ills of liuman nature,
which we could not Icmii IVnm llie study of liiniiaii nature
itself; but these ills thciusclvfs are part of our own ex-
perience, and no otlier statement about man can possll)ly
outweigh in autliority that wliicli is based upon a l)i()ad
.and careful induction of the facts of liuman nature. The
right way to study the geography of Biljle lands is to ex-
plore the lands themselves, and explain the references of
the Bible to them ; the right way to study the condition
THE PASTOi; I\ HIS STUDY 95
of the human race upon the eartli is to investigate the
facts, and compare with them the statements of the Bible.
We shall hnd many statements in the Bible that will
throw much light upon our investigations; but our doc-
trine of man must rest, after all, on facts which we ourselves
can verify.
It will be found, indeed, that the more careful our in-
vestigations are, and the more complete our induction, the
more perfectly will the doctrine of Jesus respecting the
nature and needs of man be verified. The better we know
the facts of human nature as they are displayed before our
eyes, and as they report themselves in our own conscious-
nesses, the more sure we shall be that He did indeed know
what was in man ; that he spake as one having authority
— the authority of perfect knowledge — when he dis-
coursed of the human soul and its problems. But it is
better, in our treatment of all this matter, to appeal as he
constantly did to life, and to l)ring confirmation for his
words from the experience of men.
It has been said that books may greatly help the min-
ister in his study of anthropological and spiritual prol)l('ms.
Books contain a record, more or less complete, of human
experience, — a report upon the facts of life. Patrick Henry
said that experience was the only light by which his feet
were guided ; it may be doubted whether his words were
true of himself, and whether they have been true of any
great leader of men. There are other and diviner guides
— pillars of fire by night, and of cloud by da}-. 'J'lie ideals
that transcend experience, the intuitions that throw light
forward on our ])ath are also to be trusted. P)ut if cxpcri-
once is not the only guide, it is a safe guide in many paths,
and the record of it which we find in l)ooks is of []\v great-
est value. Is it not true that for the minister more help is
to be found in literature proper than in science or philoso-
phy? Matthew Arnold's familiar siiyiug is to be rcnuMu-
bered, — that our umlcrstanding of lif(^ is (Milargfd and
purilit'i] b\' means of "getting to know on all tln' sultjccts
which most concern us, (he 1)cst whidi has been tliouglit
and said in the world, and through this knowledge turn-
96 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
ing a stream of fresh and free thought on all our stock
notions and habits." ^ The best that has been thought and
said in the world is to be found in books, in sermons and
essaj^s, in history and biography, in liction and poetry.
Much of this literature is, of course, worthless ; all of it
must be studied with a discriminating mind ; but it should
not be difficult for the scribe instructed unto the kingdom
of heaven to select out of all that has been said in the world
something of the best, that it may turn " a stream of fresh
and free thought " upon the facts collected in his own
investigations. The great poets, the great novelists are
always dealing with these very facts and tendencies of
character ; the essayists have left us the results of their
thinking on the same themes, and the preachers of many
generations are ready to show us how they have grappled
with the problems that are confronting us.
Best of all books for the pastor are the good biogra-
phies. The good ones, mark ; there is nothing worse than
a bad one. Many successful pastors bear testimony that
they have found more stimulus in books of this class than
in any other kind of literature. Now, as always, life is
the light of men. The life of Christ, incarnated in the
lives of his bravest and best servants, is full of inspiration.
The lives of Clement of Alexandria, Athanasius, Savonarola,
Colet, Thomas More, Luther, Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas
Arnold, Thomas Chalmers, Frederick Robertson, Charles
Kingsley, Norman McLeod, Frederick Denison Maurice,
Dorothy Pattison, Horace Bushnell, will always l^e found
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness.
That studies of this nature will be most useful to the
working pastor is obvious enough. An artist perfects
himself in liis art by making liimsclf familiar with nature,
and willi the b(>st tliat has l)e('n done in his own dej)art-
ment of art. The painter studies nature and the best
paintings; the poet studies nature and tlie masterpieces
of literature: tlie musician studi(\s forms of natural melody
and the woi'ks of the Ix'st musicians. What they all crave
* Cidture ai)(l Annn/iij. rrefacc, p. xi.
TIIK I'AyTUU IN HIS STUDY 07
is the power to convey the beauty of the world to other
minds, and they study the works and the words in which
this beauty has been expressed. IJcneath all these arts
there are dee]) questions of philosophy, of metaphysics ;
the artist may be interested in these questions, but his
power and success as an artist depend in no great degree
upon his ability to answer them. Poetry rests on meta-
physics, painting on perspective, music on mathematics,
but it is not by digging among these roots that a man be-
comes an artist. Ai't is one thing, philosophy is another
and perhaps a higher thing ; but it is rather dilficult for
a man to excel in Ijotli.
Is there not, in this analogy, some instruction for min-
isters ? Might not tlie minister have too much ambition
to be a philosopher, and too little care for the equipment
which shall lit him for his calling ? It is not so much the
solution of the fundamental problems of existence as the
shaping of human character that is his proper task ; and
therefore the actual working of the spiritual laws in the
lives of men will be his chief concern, rather than the
ontological problems which underlie all existence. If this
is true, then literature, which deals directly with life, will
give him more practical liclj) than pliilosnpliy, which deals
with origins.
All that has l)cen said al)out the studies of the minister
lias been intended to throw light upon the question vv-
specting his use of the Bible. That this book, above all
others, will be the subject of his study, needs scarcely to
l)e urged u])on these pages. Antlu-opology does not dept'iid
on it, l)ut Soteriology does. No revelation was ncedc*! to
sliow tliat man is a siiuifi- ; but a revi'latinu is iici'(l(<| lo
tell him t)f a Saviour. And no other Ijook but the IWlilc
lirings to him this v\vmv knowlcdgt'. All tliat the min-
ister knows about that Christ wliose name he bears, whose
g()S])el he proclaims, whoso life he ti'ics to cxem|)lifv, is
contained in tliis [u-ecious Ijook. The I. iff whusc ii|)|»fiir-
ancf in the woild nineteen centuries ago lias revulut ion-
i/cd histoi'v, and gi\cn us tiie dale b\' whieli we reekdU
the things of time, is (leseiil)iil \'nv us uiioii th<' jtages of
98 CHRISTIAN rASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
this liook ; we read tlie record of the long ages of prepara-
tion for him ; we are made familiar with the transcendent
facts of his birth and death and resnrrection ; we hear the
very word of him who spake as never man spake ; we see
the marvellons growth, in the first century, of that King-
dom of his which, in two more centuries, had overspread
a good part of the then known world. To know all that
human language can tell him of tliis divine Life is the
minister's first task. The Book which puts this knowledge
within his reach is the one book of the world for him.
His reason, his imagination will be always under its spell.
What Lamartine says of the young Bossuet should bo true
of every minister : —
" The Bible, and above all, the poetical portions of Holy
Writ, struck as if with lightning and dazzled the eyes of
the child ; he fancied he saw the living fire of Sinai, and
heard the voice of omnipotence reechoed by the rocks of
Horeb. His God was Jehovah ; his law-giver, INIoses ;
his high priest, Aaron ; his poet, Isaiah, his country, Ju-
dea. The vivacity of his imagination, the poetical bent
of his genius, the analogy of his disposition to that of the
Oi'ientals, the fervid nature of tlie people and ages de-
scri])cd, the sublimity of the language, the everlasting
novelty of the history, the grandeur of the laws, the pierc-
ing eloquence of tlie hymns, and, hnally, the ancient, con-
secrated, and traditionally reverential character of the Book,
transformed Bossuet at once into a biblical entluisiast.
The metal was malleable, the impression was recei\ed and
remained indelibly stamped. This child became a prophet ;
such lie was born, such he was as he grew to manhood,
lived and died, the Bible transfiincd into a many ^
Tlie devotional reading of the Bil)lc is, of course, tlie
first and most important use of it ; after this some critical
knowledge of it is needed ; but its use as the sword of the
S|)irit is tlie great thing for the pastor to learn. " To be
al)le," says Dr. Blaikie, " to grasp the great purposes of
Divine revelation as a whole ; to see at the same time the
drift and Ix'aring of its several parts; to apprehend the
1 t^uutfd by Bliiikie in For thcWork of the Ministri/, p. 77.
THE PASTOli IN lllS STUDY 99
great lessons of the various histories, biographies, and epis-
tles, tlio parables, the sermons, the doctrinal statements,
the allegories, the lyrical allusions that make up Holy
Scripture ; to know where to find the most striking state-
ments on any subject which Scripture embraces ; to make
one part throw light on another, and bring out the chief
lessons of the whole are attainments of inestimable value
to the preacher of the Word." ^
All this falls in with ]\Iatthcw Arnold's true contention
that the Bible is literature and not science nor pliilosophy.
When it is so regarded and treated we get the best results
of our study. The questions of criticism, now so hotly
debated, are of temporary interest ; it is necessary for the
minister to have some knowledge of the matters in dis-
pute ; but the staple truths with which he deals are not
touched by these discussions. The Bible, intelligently
studied, will thi'ow just as much light on questions of
conduct, on the laws of the spiritual life, under the new
h}pothesis as it has ever given us under the old hypothe-
sis — perhaps a little more. Some moral confusion may
]je avoided by recognizing as altogether human certain
elements which were formerly supposed to be divine. It
is a great gain to be discharged from the task of defend-
ing the historicity of certain narratives, and to be able
to give our whole attention to their moral and spiritual
values. The question wliether Jonah was swallowed by a
fish or not can have no possible relation to the life of any
living man ; but the moral and spiritual questions whicli
the story so vividly brings before us are well worthy of
our attention. The date of the B()f)k of Daniel is a matter
of curious iiit<,'rest ; tlic character of Daniel is a tluiiu'
of prolitable study. " Tlie importance of AI»raliaiii and
Daniel does not lie," says a recent writer, " in tlu'ir Ix-ing
uiu(jue personages, l)ut in (lieir representing Hebrew icU'als,
the highest life of Israel. Of tlie reality in this sense of
tlie patriarclial narratives there can be no doubt wliatever.
They embo ly profoundly real experiences ; they were re-
ceived into the traditions and literature of Israel because
1 i'iir the Work of the. Ministri/, p. T'.t.
100 CHRISTIAN PASTOll AND WORKING CHURCH
they appealed to, influenced, and inspired generation after
generation of pious Israelites. They maintained their
place through successive revisions of the Hebrew Bible;
they have passed into the sacred literature of Christianity
and of Islam, because they have been recognized by men
of many races and of many periods as representative of
spiritual experience and fruitful of spiritual instruction.
Whatever view may be held as to the origin of Genesis,
its narratives are no longer mere histories of Bedouin
sheiks ; they stand as symbols and emljodiment of what
is most permanent and universal in human iiature." ^
Such is the merest hint of the direction which the stud-
ies of the minister may profitably take when he seeks to
comprehend the facts of the spiritual life. It is all summed
up by saying that the pastor's main interest is in charac-
ter, and that the studies which fix his attention upon
character, the laws by winch it is conditioned, the influ-
ences by which it is affected, the motives by which it is
governed, the approaches by which it is brought into vital
communication with the unseen Helper — are for him the
studies of supreme importance.
To the other great dej)artraent of pastoral study, that
which relates to the problems of society, less space can
here be given. But it should ])0 evident that no man can
be understood when he is studied by himself, because " no
man liveth unto himself." The individual can no more
be se])arat('d from his kind in our study of Ins spiritual
prol)l('ms tlian a stamen can l)e separated from tlie rest of
the flower in oui- study of its nature, — llian a liaiid can
be separated from the rest of tlie body in our study of its
uses. It is in liis social relations that the spiritual activi-
ties of th(! mail find exercise.
The in(H\i(lual and the society in which lie lives are as
inseparaljk; as the inside and tlie outside of a curve. But
it is necessary foi- us to stmly tlir areas on both sides of
tlic curve. TIk; individual linds liis perfection by seek-
ing first tlie Kingdoni ol' (Idd. And the one sublime con-
' Kcv. W. H. IJciinctt, in Fdil/i ami Criticism ; Essni/s hij Cougrrtjtttion-
alisis, ]). 29.
THE PASTOR IX HIS STUDY lOl
ception which must never depart from the mind of the
minister is the thought of the Kingdom of God, for whose
coming he dail}* prays. To comprehend this Kingdom;
to gain that anointing of tlie vision by which he shall he
able to discern it; to become sure that it is a present
reality ; to understand the nature of the laws by which it
is governed ; to trace the movements of those unseen
Powers that are working to establish it; to learn how to
help in extending its boundaries and in confirming its
dominion, — this is a large part of the life work of the
Christian minister.
The question is sometimes raised whether the minister
should devote much time to the study of sociology. If
the relation of the individual to society is what we have
represented it to be, it would appear that studies of this
nature involve the very substance of the learning which
he must acquire. If the Kingdom of God is here in the
world, if it is not a remote possibilit}', but a present
fact, and if it is every man's first business to seek it, then
those studies which are called sociological must put the
minister in possession of the facts and laws of this king-
dom. TIcro, as in the case of the individual soul, he will
liiid Ills induction confirming the teachings of Christ;
lie \\ ill lind oljedience to the law of Christ bringing health
and peace and contentment and social welfare, and diso-
l)edience producing poverty and anarchy and social dis-
integration. Tlie kingdom of God is discerned not only
in the blessings which it brings, but in the woes w liidi
are inherited by those who depart from its jncccjits.
And these are the facts which confront the minister on
every side. He ought to be familiar ^itli them. i'licy
are the voices with wliich God is speaking dircntly to him
and to the peo})le of liis genciatiou. A (liorougldy scien-
tific sociology, a sociology wliieli takes in all the facts
of tlie existing social ordei', which rccogni/.cs the fact, ot"
human freedom, wliich includes the facts of historical
Christianity and studies the actual working in the woild
of the C'hristian morality, will fuiiiish a ih'odI' of the
truth of C'hristianity which no cavilK-r can gainsay. Such
102 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
studies have a great apologetic value. They show that
Christianity has never yet been fairly tried anywhere in
the world; but they indicate by cumulative evidence
that the partial trials which have been made of it prove
it to be the only social rule that will bring peace and
good-will, with happiness and plenty. The minister who
does not know this is not thoroughly furnished for
his work as a Christian teacher. The fact is one that
vitally concerns his people ; it is the one fact which they
ought to recognize in all their conduct. The work of
the church, in its largest sense, is the enforcement of
this truth. The Christianization of society, in all its parts
and organs, is the high calling of tlie church. How any
minister can properl}^ guide his people in this work with-
out faithfully studying the conditions of the society in
the midst of which he is living it would be difficult to
explain.
Of course this study will involve some familiarity with
political and economic science, for the kingdom of heaven
rules in every department of society. But so far as politi-
cal science is divorced from ethics and becomes a mere
consideration of expediencies, and so far as economics
confines itself merely to material interests, and leaves
out of sight the larger interests of humanity, the minister
of the Gospel has no concern with either of them. It is
a question whether sciences which undertake such a frac-
tional investigation of Iniman life have value for any one ;
l)ut if any one can find profit in studying tliem let him
do so ; the Christian minister has other and more im-
portant Imsincss. When he studies social questions, his
sole interest in them is found in their relation to the
facts of the spiritual realm. What lie seeks to know
is the effect of social conditions upon cliaraetor — the
character of individuals and of the social organism. That
the character of every man is decj)ly itiid constantly af-
fected by the society in the midst of wliich lie lives, we
have seen already; how can the minister of Christ, whose
high calling resjiccts only the values of character, bo
unmindful of those social forces which so powerfully
THE PASTOll IN HIS STUDY l03
tend to shape the characters of the men and women to
whom he ministers?
So long as the old individualistic philosophy prevails it
is possible to think of saving men as separate souls, with-
out paying any regard to the social order. But as soon
as the conception of society as an organism enters the
mind, — as soon as it becomes evident that we are indeed
members one of another, — then the attempt to fence
off religion into a department by itself becomes manifestly
absurd. The question whether any individual is living
rightly, — whether he is saved, in fact, — can be an-
swered only by considering how his life affects the society
in which he lives. If his life is a savor of death unto
death to those with whom he associates, it is idle to talk
of him as a "saved" man. The distinctive quality of
the saved is their power of saving the society in which
they live. They are the salt of the earth. But in order
to know whether his life rightly affects the society in
which lie lives, we must have some clear conception of
what that society ought to be. The separation of spiritual
problems from social problems is, therefore, a most mis-
chievous business ; it rends asunder what God has joined
together; it can only result in sterilizing religion and
in demoralizing society. That is a painful story which
tells us of the rise in the early church of those purely
theological distinctions by which tliis separation was
effected. A failure to comprehend the true doctrine of
the Incarnation lies at tlie root of it all. The faith for
which Athanasius stood against the world would never
have given room to this deadly heresy. We have no
time to study the origin of that "principle of dualism
whi(;li sanctioned the divorce between the human and
the divine, the secular and the religious, the body and
the spirit." But we shall find, if we look into the matter,
that, in the language of another, it " runs through all the
institutions of the Middle Ages, affecting not only the
religious experience, but the political and social life of
Christendom. As a theological principle it underlies as-
ceticism in all its forms; it creates and enforces the
104 CHPJSTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
distinction between sacred and profane things, holy days
and common days, between the clergy and the people,
the church and the world, the pope and the emperor, the
city of God and the city of man. As a theological jDrinci-
ple it reigned supreme from the time of Augustine till
the age of the Reformation." ^ If, since the Reformation,
its reign has not been unchallenged, it is still able to
affect very powerfully the thought and the conduct of
many of the stanchest of the Reformers. And it is not
difficult to see that the whole evangelistic work of the
church has been paralyzed by this unnatural bisection
of human life. No valuable work can be done for the
individual which does not keej) constantly in mind his
social relations.
It may be said that the minister should study sociology,
indeed, but only Christian Sociology ; that he has no use
for merely scientific sociology. Here, again, the old dual-
ism crops out. It is assumed that there is a sociology
which is scientific, which is anti-Christian or non-Christian.
But sociology is the science of society. As such it ought
to be able to formulate for us the law of the best human
society. But it does so simply by collecting and com-
paring all the facts and tendencies, and drawing from them
the proper inferences. Much social science, so-called, fails,
like many other attempts at science, of being truly scien-
tific, because it either overlooks, or does not properly esti-
mate some of the facts of the social order. Thus jNIr. Kidd,
in his stimulating book on "Social Evolution" has pointed
out to the sociologists that they have wholly failed to make
due account of the one capital fact in tlio development of
Western ('ivilization. Tliere may therefore be works treat-
ing of social science whicli would not be profitable read-
ing for any minister of the Cospel, because they either
carelessly or dogmatically exclude some of the ruling ideas
or elements of modern society. But the true fjbjection
to these books is not that tliey are not Christian, but tliat
the}' are not scientific. The genuinely scientifii; sociology,
wliicli iiiclu(]rs nil llie ideas, influences, ninvciuents, by
1 'I'hr ('ontinnit>i of ('liriMinn Tlinnqfit, liy A. V. (!. Allcti. ]). 145.
THE PASTOIl IN HIS STUDY 105
which society is formed, and gives to each its proper
weight, must be the true sociology. If what is called
" Christian sociology " does less or more than this it is not
worth studying. The Christian student may, indeed, sUirt
with the hypothesis that a complete induction will verify
the Christian law, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
witli all thy heart and thy neighbor as thyself." But his
study ought to be pursued in a purely scientilic spirit, with
a determination to observe all the facts and to give them
their proper weight. Let us not be afraid to subject Chris-
tianity to this test. It is simply the test of reality. If a
careful and thorough investigation of the facts of existing
society does not prove that the Kingdom of God is here
in the world, does not clearly indicate that the law which
Christ has given us is the true law of human society, then
there is no good reason why any man should be a Christian.
But if these things are so, then there is a reason for being
a Christian that no sane man can gainsay.
The minister's study is also liis oratory. It is the secret
place where he communes, not only with those Avhom God
has taught, but witli their Teacher. It is not necessary,
it is even a kind of impertinence, to dwell ujion tlic im-
portance of this secret communion. He who is not fully
aware of it, not only has no right to preach tlie gospel, but
lie is not likely to be convinced of its value by any word
of man. "It may, however," says Dr. Faii-l)aii'n, "be laid
ddw 11 as a general principle, that the wliolc of a miiiislcr's
labors should be intermingled with meditation and prayer.
He should never be simply a man of learning and study,
for this itself may become a snare to liim ; it may even
serve to stand between his soul and (Jod and nnisc asjjirit
of worldliness in one of its most relined and subtle foi-nis.
If h(,' l)e really a man of God, experience will teaili liini
how much, even for success in study, he needs to be under
the hal)itual dii'ection of (Jod's )iresenc(>. and to liave the
direction of his s])irit. It will also teaili him Imw little
he can jirevail, with the most careful pi-e])arations and ac-
tive diligence, in regard to the great ends of the minisliy,
106 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
without the special aid of the Holy Spirit ; how, when left
to themselves, his most zealous efforts and best premeditated
discourses fall to the ground ; yea, and how often, amid
the comparatively great and orderly events of ministerial
employment, he will himself err in counsel and do that
which he shall have occasion to regret, unless he is guided
by a higher wisdom and sustained by a stronger arm than
his own. Continually, therefore, lias the true pastor to
give himself to prayer ; his study should also be his pros-
euche in which he daily holds communion, not only with
the better spirits of the past and present through the
written page, but with the Father of Spirits in the secret
communications of his grace and love."^
" La priere," says the French apostle, " est n<jcessaire
pour nous maintenir au vrai point de vue des choses qui
nous cchappe toujours; pour gudrir les blessures de I'a-
mour-propre et de la sensibilitd ; pour retremper le cou-
rage ; pour pr^venir I'invasion toujours imminente de la
paresse, de la frivolity, du relachement, de I'orgueil spirituel
ou eccldsiastique, de la vanity de pr^dicateur, de la ja-
lousie de mdtier. La priere resscmble a cet air si pur de
certaines iles de I'ocdan, oii aucune vermine no pent vivre.
Nous devons nous entourer de cette atmosphere, comme le
plongeur s'entoure de sa cloche avant de descendre dans
la mer." 2
1 Pastoral Theology, p. 101.
2 Viuet, The'ologie Pastorale, p. 123.
CHAPTER VI
PULPIT AND ALTAR
Nothing which has been said in the preceding' chapters
shoukl be interpreted as a disparagement of the teaching
function of the Christian minister. This teaching, as we
have seen, differs from some other kinds of teaching in
being largely prophetic ; nevertheless it is teaching, the
impartation of vitalized truth. The minister has other
functions, as we have already seen, and shall hereafter
more clearly see. Some of these functions were but
slightly emphasized in the earlier treatises on Pastoral
Theology ; the newer conception of the church in its rela-
tion to the Kinsrdom brinofs them out in clearer lij^lit.
Nevertheless the first and highest function of the Christian
minister is that of preacher.
The minister's throne is his pulpit; Avhen he abdicates
that, to become an organizer of charities, or a purveyor
of amusements, or a gossip in parlors and street-cars, the
clerical profession will cease to hohl the place Avhich be-
longs to it in the respect of men. A great mau}^ kinds of
work are now expected of the minister, and some of them
are of great importance ; but tlie minister makes a great
mistake who permits his pulpit Avork to take a secondaiy
place. Christ said that the one supreme purpose of liis
mission to the world was tliat he miglit bear witness to
the truth ; and tlie same must always be tlie liigh calling
of the servant of Christ. To ])()ur unto tlie minds of men
a steady stream of the truth wliicli rcvc;ils the Kin;_;(liini nf
Cod; to keep the realities of the moral oidrr always be-
fore their thought, — this is his oiu' great business. Men
are saved from being conformed to this A\nrl(l only wlnn
th(>y are transformed hi/ fhr rcncwinu of tJirir iiiiuii-<; ;in<l
it is tlie minister's chief business to keep their minds will
108 CHELSTIAX PASTOR AND AVORKIXG CHURCH
yupplied with the truth by which this transformation is
wrought.
In pointing out the main lines whieli the minister will
follow in his studies, we have indicated the scope of his
work as a preacher. If the problems of the soul and the
prol)lems of the social order are the themes of his study,
the interests of character, and the interests of the Kingdom
of God will be the topics of his discourse. Let all things,
said Paul, be done with a view to building. A symmet-
rical and beautiful character is the temple of the Holy-
Ghost ; a Christianized society is the city of God, the New
Jerusalem, which is to stand in the latter day upon the
earth. This temj)le and this city are the structures which
the minister of Christ is called to build.
Let us think, first, of his preaching as a message to the
individual. It used to be said that the chief end of preach-
ing is the salvation of souls. If these terms are rightly
understood no fault can be found with them. A soul is a
man ; and there can be no question that a great many men
are in danger of Ijeing lost, and that all men are worth
saving. The preaching that saves manliood, — that saves
it from being frittered away in the frivolities of life ; from
being consumed by the canker of avarice ; from being
blasted by the mildew of idleness ; from being wrecked on
the breakers of passion ; from being enervated by luxury ;
from being crippled by the creeping paralysis of doubt, is
a kind of preaching which the world -will always need.
Tlie meaning which we put into the phrase is thus a little
larger than that whicli once it carried ; for once it signi-
fied very little more than getting men to a place of safety
after death. It is now pretty generally believed that if a
man is saved in Ihis Avord from selfislmess and animalism,
and liate, and ])ride, and all the otlier evils that are de-
stroying his manliood, there is no need to be anxious about
his future welfare; wlhle any assurance of salvation in
anotlier worl<l tliat lias no j)or('e])libh' innuciice uj)on liis
life in tliis world is ))rol)ably (bdnsivc. 'I'lic minister is
preaching, (lien, \n sunc hkmi, — to save IIhmh fi^nm sin and
sorrow and shame ; lo save them from losses that are
rrLTlT AND ALTAR 109
irreparable ; to save them for lives of honor and nobil-
ity, and for the service of hunianit3\ The longer any
earnest minister lives, the more deeply he will feel the
need of such preaching as this, — the more earnestly he
will long for the power to speak the persuasive word which
shall turn men from the ways of death into the paths of
life.
No fault can be found, therefore, with the statement
that a lai'ge part of the preacher's work is the conversion
of men. That lias been the mission of preachers and
prophets from the beginning. In all the ages they have
been crying to purblind and deluded men, " Turn ye, turn
ye, for why will ye die ? " That many of the men whom
the preacher addresses from week to week are going in
wrong directions is a palpable fact ; it is his business to
show them whither their steps are tending, and to persuade
them to turn. There are a great many people in all our
congregations for whom there is no salvation but in a
complete reversal of their general course of life ; and the
squeamishness which withholds from them this salutary
truth is worthy of the severest censure.
The value of what is called evangelistic preaching is
therefore clear; and it would seem that any preacher,
whether he call himself orthodox or liberal, who expects
to serve the ends of character in the most effective way
will find that he must do a large amount of this kind of
preaching. The question of life or death with many a
man is simply whether he will break with his past life and
take a fresh start; whether he will take steps which hi;
himself recognizes as revolutionary; whether he will burn
his bridges, and so openly and manfully commit himself to
another way of life that there shall be no line of retreat
left open to him. No matter what the minister's theology
may be, he must face just such problems as tliis; and lie
will do well to make his preaching confoiin to obvious
psychological facts.
The old prca(diers used to make a distinction between
preaching tli(^ law and preaching the gosjx-l. V>y {\\v law
they generally meant the penalties of the law; and by the
110 CITUISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
gospel the promises of escape from these penalties. The
matter does not shape itself in our minds exactly as it did
in theirs, for we have come to see that the spiritual laws
are natural laws ; that they are self-enforcing, and that
the only way to get their penalties remitted is to stop dis-
obeying them. But Christianity is, as it has always been,
a law as well as a gospel ; and the importance of preaching
the law is not fully comprehended by some of our most
orthodox preachers.
Law connotes both precept and penalty. The Christian
precept, which is grounded in the nature of things, which
is, indeed, a clear induction from the facts of human ex-
perience, is summed up in this sublime generalization :
" Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and
soul and mind and strength, and thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself."
Thou shalt love thyself with a rational love ; with a love
that prompts thee to seek the completion and fullilment of
the nature with which thy Maker has endowed thee ; with
a love that restrains thee from degrading and imbruting
thyself.
Thou shalt love thy neighbor with an equal love ; be-
holding and honoring in him the same divine humanity
which is thine own birthright ; interfering in no way with
the development of his manhood, but helping him, with
all wise ministries, to become what God meant him to be.
Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, who is the Life of
all that lives, the Source of all love, and the Archetype of
all perfect ideals, with a supreme and perfect love.
This is the Christian law which the minister is to preach
with all good fidelity and patience, whether men will hear
or forbear. ITo is to apply this law intelligently and un-
compromisingly to all tlie interests of life ; he is to show
men that this is indeed the way of life, and that there is
no other safe way. Tie will find that it is a very compre-
hensive law; he will slowly come to understand what the
Psalmist meant when he said. '• Thy commandment is
exceeding broad."
The penalty of the law as well as its precept he is also
rULPJT AND ALTAR 111
to declare. As tlie lav/ is grouuded in the nature of things,
its penalties are natural. They are simply the fruit of our
own doings, — the effects of causes which we ourselves
have set in motion. This is the fact which the preacher
has to emphasize. The old forensic conceptions still hold
sway over the majority of minds ; the notion that penalty
is an arbitrary infliction winch waits to be visited upon the
transgressor at some future assize, and that the judge who
inflicts it is clement, and may easily be persuaded to remit
it, — this is the popular idea with respect to the punish-
ment of sin. One great ])art of the duty of the Christian
teacher is to show men how immediate and inevitable are
tlie consequences of evil doing ; how sure is the law of the
spiritual harvest, that he who sows to the flesh will reap
corruption.
But there is a gospel as well as a law to preach, a gospel
of forgiveness and salvation. That gospel is that there is
love as well as law in the universe, and that love is the
deepest fact in the universe, the foundation, indeed, of all
law. For while the retiibutions of natural law can never
be set aside, the infinite love is always seeking to restrain
the sinner from the ways of disobedience, to lead him into
the ways of life and peace, to re-enforce him in every struggle
to overcome the evil, to redeem him from the bondage of
corruption and to lead him into the glorious liberty of the
children of God. And tlicre are also remedial forces which
the divine love knows how to use, by which the damage
wrought in our natures l)y sin may ])e repaired ; a blessed
vis medicatrix, for tlie si)iritual nature, as well as for tlie
physical, by which wounds may be healed and wasted
powei-s restored. IIow it is that tliis saving inlliiciicc of
the divine love finds its way into human hearts and lives
is a mystery; all life is a mystery. Hut this is the one
fact that Jesus came into the world to l)ear witness to and
to make men believe, — that their Father in heaven loves
them and knows how to lielp tliem in overcoming th(; evil ;
that he can help them when they have lost the |io\vi r (o
hell) themselves; that where their sin has alKiiindcd his
grace can mueh more abound : thai (here is hope fur (he
112 CinilSTIAN PASTOll AND WOKiaNG CHURCH
degraded, suecor for the tempted, life for the dying. This
gospel has beeu told in a great many ways ; it has often
been encumbered with all sorts of theological impedimenta ;
but the substance of it has been the message of all the great
preachers of all the ages, and the world needs it to-day
as much as ever it did. It is the men who have a gos-
pel to preach, and who know how to strip it of its glosses
audits excrescences, and to bring the light and the joy and
the hope of it home to human hearts, whom the hungry
world hears to-day most gladly. A literary man of the
present day bears a striking testimony to this truth. " Much
Christian symbolism," he says, "is doubtless entirely fanci-
ful ; but the great central symbols are as exactly records of
fact as any proven scientific proposition. The dogma of
Conversion, the New Birth, for example, is no mere figure
of Mysticism, but a psychological fact daily illustrated in
the lives of thousands of persons. The change is not ne-
cessarily brought about by confessedly religious agencies ;
most frequently it comes of the mysterious workings of
natural love, — but by whatever chance influence it is set
in motion, tlie fact of its daily occurrence is undeniable. A
man is a brute to-day, and in a week's time, without any
apparent cause, he is seen to be undergoing a mystical
change ; a new light is in his face, and he is every way a
new creature. This is no invention of Cluistianity, but
simply a natural process which Christianity has included
in its body of spiritual doctrine. . . . What also is tlie
dogma that man cannot be ' saved ' of himself Init a
recognition of the obvious fact that lie did not make him-
self, and the resulting doctrine of Grace but a more im-
pressive way of stating man's entire dependence for his gifts
and liis fortunes on a power beyond his own control?" ^
liut the preacher has a message, not oidy for the individ-
ual, but for the society in which he lives. The Gospel of
the Kiiigdoin is also committed to him. The Gospel of
the Kingdom I 'J'Ik; l)readth and length and depth and
lieight of it are yet hiii imperfectly measured. A glorious
gospel it is, lliough some have never heard it, that (iod is
* The lieligion of a Literary Man, by Riclmrd Lc Galliennc, pp. 75-77.
PL'LI'IT AND ALTAIl 113
organizing on earth a clivine society ; that the New Jerusa-
lem, whose walls are salvation and whose gates are praise,
is rising here upon sure foundations ; that there is no need
to say Lo here, or Lo there, because the Kingdom of God
is among us I The power to discern this Kingdom ; to
recognize the silent forces which are building it ; to inter-
pret its legislation ; to identify liimself with it, heart and
soul, is one of the characteristics of the scribe instructed
unto the Kingdom. One of the facts that he needs to get
most clearly fixed in his mind is tliat the Christ is rightly
named, — that he is the King ; that he does give to human
society its law ; that it is only when men learn to conform
their political and industrial order to his teachings that
they find peace and welfare. Christianity is not merely
for Sundays and prayer-meetings, for closet and death-bed ;
it is for shop and office, for counting-room and factory,
for kitchen and drawing-room, for forum and council-
chamber. Unless it has the power to rule all these multi-
farious affairs of men it is less than nothing and vanity ;
the sooner the world is done with it, the better. The main
reason why it has failed, thus far, to gain the allegiance of
the whole world is that its adherents have contented them-
selves with claiming for it only a secondary and remote
relation to human affairs. Grievously is Christianity dis-
paraged when it is represented merely as a scheme for
getting human beings safely out of this world. When men
begin to compreliend tliat the law of love is not a senti-
mcntul inaxiiii, but that it is wliat the apostle James has
named it, the Uoyal Law, the supreme regulative princiitle
of human society, and when they l)egin to make their
business mid their politics conform to this law, tliey will
discover tluit C'hristianity is not a failure.
It is the business of the ministers and witnesses of Christ
in the world to lift up his law into its rightful regnancy,
and to ])reach tlie Gospel of his Kingdom. It is a (iiosj)cl,
the; good news that the world needs to hear. The wliole
creation groans and travails together until now, under the
burden of strife and confusion which it has lieaped uj) for
itself through the long ages of greed and force and compc-
8
114 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
tition, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, —
for the day when it shall appear that men are of divine
origin, made to be ruled by a heavenly law ; and to this
groaning world the tidings of one who is able to compose
its strife and to hush its tumult ought to be welcome.
Doubtless it may be hard to make the multitude believe
the message, but that is no reason why the messenger
should hesitate to speak it. And no man can tell how soon
the day will come, when the meaning of it and the joy and
glory of it shall burst upon the world with convincing
power. For as the lightning cometh forth from the east,
and is seen even unto the west, so shall be the coming of
the Son of man.
Such is the substance of the twofold message which tlie
ministers of Christ are commissioned to deliver, — the word
of salvation for the man, the gospel of the Kingdom of
God.
It would not be difficult to find, in the treatises upon
Pastoral Theology, statements of the relation of the pastor
and his message to the world outside the church which
would not agree with the foregoing. It may be well to
consider some of these statements. Vinet, in his classical
treatise, puts the question thus : —
" It remains to ask what, apart from his pastoral rela-
tions, the pastor should be in his relations to general so-
ciety. Does he belong only to his parish ? Does he belong
only to religion ? " In the light of all that lias been con-
tended for in this discussion we miglit answer at once,
that the pastor does not need to go outside of his pastoral
relations in order that he should be a very active force in
general society. If the church is one of tlie organs of the
social organism, vitally related to every part of it, then the
pastoral relations to general society arc of the very closest
and most influential character. Tlie question " Does he
belong only to liis parish?" is much like tlie question,
" Does the linger belong only to the hand, and not to tlie
wliole body ? " Vinet is not wholly oblivious of this fact,
for lie goes on : '' It appears at first thnt, as religion adopts
the whole of human life in order to elevate it, the pastor
PULI'lT A^'D ALTAR 115
\vho is the most perfect representative of religion ouglit,
in the same degree, to be representative of human life. . . .
We agree to all this, and we acknowledge that duties may
vary M'ith times, but we must make the following reserva-
tions. Keligion is a specialty. It embraces everything,
but it is not everything ; it is itself. To connect itself
usefully with the things of life it must separate itself from
them. Cliristianity has been in no haste to mix itself with
the leaven of tlie people, or, when it has done so, it has
been dynamically, as a spirit. It should be the same with
every individual. He must be well rooted at the centre
to sj)read his shade over the circumference. Let the min-
ister be first of all occupied with his own affairs ; let him
be solely a Christian, and a minister ; as a consequence
his branches will spread out and his beneficent shade ex-
tend itself over all the affairs of society." ^
In a later paragraph Vinet makes his meaning a little
clearer. " The minister may extend his ministry by con-
ferring external advantages ; still when there are others
to do this, let him confine himself to his calling. He may
employ himself in agriculture when it is necessary, also
in schools and in religious music ; but before everything
he should be about his ministry. Nevertheless, when it
is his duty to ait, as did Oberlin and Felix Neff, by all
means let him do it without hesitation." ^
With this compare the quaint words of old George Her-
bert: "The Country Parson is full of all knowledge.
They say it is an ill mason that refuseth any stone ; and
there is no knowledge but in a skilful hand serves either
positively as it is, or else to illustrate some other knowl-
edge. He condescends even to the knowledge of tillage
and pasturage, and makes great use of them in leaching,
because people Ijy what they understand are l)est led to
what they understand not."''
Two (lU('stif)ns are here suggested. Whether a min-
ister should make himself familiar witli i)i-aetical alTairs,
so that lie may inshuct his peoph; and set them a good
1 TliO)li,<iie. Pdstonilr, pp. Kil), 170. - /hi, I., 170.
" The Counliy Parson, tliaj). iii.
116 CHEISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
example in their trades and their domestic life, as Ober-
lin and Felix Neff did, is one question. Doubtless this
is one of the duties of many a missionary; and it may
easily be that practical skill of this kind would often add
to the influence of ministers on the frontiers, and in the
rural parishes. Nevertheless, the counsel of Vinet is sound,
as a general rule, that the minister had better not try to
be a jack at all trades ; his function is that of the spiritual
leader, and not the business counsellor.
What Herbert says respecting the value of such prac-
tical knowledge for purposes of illustration is obvious
enough. Analogies are not always proofs, but they help
wonderfully to let in the light. None who sit at the feet
of the great Teacher will fail to understand this. The
common men who listened to Jesus were astonished at his
doctrine, because he showed them the truth of the spirit
mirrored in the life with which they were familiar. Jkit
the minister's business is not only to find proofs of spiritual
law in the natural world, it is also his business to make
the spiritual law regnant in the natural world ; to show
how all the realms of life must be brought under the domi-
nation of the principles of Christianity ; and if this is his
task the kind of separation for which Vinet, in some of the
sentences above, seems to be pleading is not possible. And
yet what Vinet has said about specialization contains a
truth, as we have seen.^ The confusion of the thouglit
arises from the failure to distinguish between specializa-
tion and separation, in the inability to see that the special-
ization of functions does not imply any separation of life^
but rather a vital union with each other of the parts thus
sj)ccialized. The organic conception of society clears up
all these confusions. One cannot, in these days, be "solely
a Christian and a minister," any more than the liand can
be solely a hand, or the eye solely an eye. Tlie life of the
body is in all the organs of the body; and eacli nf llicm
ministers to all the rest, and finds its b'fc and its iicaltli in
the life and health of the whole. All this, Vinet liiiu-
self did not fail to sec, for in otiier sentences following
^ Chap. ii.
PULriT AXD ALTAR 117
those quoted he states with much clearness the essential
trutlis for Avhich we are here contending. " In short," he
says, " let us not condemn beforehand all extension of the
ministr}-, nor undertake to define its limit ; we think that,
when the times call for it, it is capable of an indt'linite
extension ; but these times have their signs which it is
necessary to attend to and understand." ^ And again, in a
student's report of a later lecture of Vinet appended to
Skinner's translation of the Hieologie Pastorale^ is this
weighty counsel : " In a wider sense we may say that the-
ology attracts all to itself, that it subordinates to itself all
the sciences, and receives from them their tribute. And
without disputing as to the word ' theology,' consider that
there is not a development of the human mind which does
not eitlier benefit or injure religion. As it borders on every-
thing so everything borders on it. It must embrace all
life, under penalty, if it does not, of being banished from it.
This is true now more than ever. Our time, notwithstand-
ing its chaotic aspects, is still a time of organization.
Piety only can organize the world, and to he organized the
ivorld must he hnoiun. Preaching, accordingly, that of the
world and of books, must undergo some modification. The
minister must know many things, not to be cumbered by
thorn, but to serve himself of them with reference to the
one thing needful. The more we sift everything, the more
we shall be able to bring into captivity every thought to
the obedience of Christ. The great awakenings have all
l)een ])romoted by science. The Keformcrs were the learned
men of their age. Unenlightened men have never suc-
ceeded in anything." 2
Here, surely, is the gist of the wluiU' uialler. AVe need
ask for the pulpit no wider scope than that which Vinet
here concedes to it. We must not say that all tiuth comes
Avitliin the proper purview of the javaehcr. ThiMe are
whole realms of science and art and industry and finance
with whic'h he is not called directly to (K-al ; he is not
commissiouiMl to investigate the propeilies and hiws of
1 Chap. ii. p. 17.3.
'^ Thvoloijie Pastorulf, Skiniirr's traiislalion, p. V12.
118 CHRISTIAN PASTOIi AND WORIONG CHURCH
matter, nor to teacli men how to plough or weave or build ;
it is only when these interests and occupations come into
direct relation to the interests of cliaracter that he has any
concern with them. He has no call to instruct the manu-
facturer as to what kind of machinery he shall put into his
mill ; but he has a very loud call to study the human rela-
tions which exist between the manufacturer and his men,
because in these relations character is deeply affected on
both sides, and the interests of the Kingdom are vitally
concerned.
As emphasizing the prophetic remark of the French
teacher quoted above, respecting the extension of the min-
istry for which the times may call, take these serious words
of one who lately fell, greatly lamented, upon the threshold
of his work as a teacher of teachers : " Industrial changes,
added to the change of population, have modified our social
customs, individual habits, ways of thought. The frame-
work of society is subtly altered. Interests are isolated,
men have grown apart, a common feeling is lost, mutual
indifference succeeds, classes are strongly marked and
separated. The simple conditions of the past are gone ;
relations grow strained ; new social problems arise ; ethical
questions become multiplied and complex. Differences in
thought and life growing out of differences of inheritance,
birth, training, and association are not lightly overcome.
Men misunderstand one another, and a common standard
is lost, . . . The church cannot remain untouched by these
changes all around her ; she must hear and heed the call
of each new occasion. If her members grow lethargic, it is
the pnstor's task to awaken them, and set more clearl}^ be-
fore their eyes the duties of to-day. In each community,
along all lines of modern movement, in society, business,
politics, the higlicst Clnistian principle, as already under-
stood, needs to be made effective and paramount by the
influence of an aroused, united church. Religious prol)-
lems, also more complex than in other days, demand for
tlieir solution larger intelligence and charity, sympatliy
and patience. The diverse elements in every church, all
ages and all classes, must be not simply harmonized, but
rULl'lT AN1> ALTAll 119
lifted into some Lroader union, knit together as members
of one body, by diverse yet mutual service. Organization,
so potent a factor in all our work to-day, must be extended
here, and informed with life, until the church has brought
her special blessing near the whole community and home
to every heart.^
Having thus determined what the general trend of the
minister's teaching must be, we may attend to certain prac-
tical questions concerning his administration of the truth.
Whether and to what extent questions of casuistry
should be discussed in the pulpit is an interesting inquiry.
That the pulpit should clearly inculcate the principles of
good conduct is unquestioned. " Let the business of your
sermons be," says Jeremy Taylor, "• to preach holy life,
obedience, peace, love among neighbors, hearty love, to
love as the old Christians did and the new should ; to do
hurt to no man, to do good to every man ; for in tliese
things the honor of God consists, and the Kingdom of the
Lord Jesus." ^ But George Herbert counsels an applica-
tion of the Christian law to life which is nmch more specific.
In his description of the Country Parson he says : " He
greatly esteems also cases of conscience, wherein he is
much versed. And, indeed, herein is the greatest ability
of a parson, to lead his people exactly in the ways of truth,
so that they neither decline to the right hand nor to the
left. Neither, indeed, does he think these a slight thing.
For every one hath not digested when it is a sin to take
something for money lent, or when not ; when it is fault to
discover another's fault, and when not ; when the affection
of the soul in desiring and procuring increase of means or
honor be a sin of covetousness, and when not; wlieu tlie
aj)petites of the body in eating, diinking, slecj) and tlie
pleasure that comes from slec[) be sins of gluttony, drunk-
enness, sloth, lust, and when not; and so in many cir-
cumstances of action. Now if a shepherd know not wiiich
grass will ])anc, and which not, liow is \n\ tit to be a sliop-
heid? Wherefore the parson hath thoroughly canvassed
' 'I'lif Christian Minislri/, l)y 'I'licodorc C rcasc, pp. .'Jl—'II.
- " Advice to Clergy," in 'J'/ic VIcnji/ man's Instructor, j). Jtii.
120 CHRISTIAN PASTOR Am) WORiaXG CHURCH
all the particulars of human actions, at least all those
which he observeth are most incident to the parish." ^
Such a statement seems forcible, and yet it may be ques-
tioned Avhether the Christian teacher would wisely under-
take to discuss, with much fulness, the details of human
conduct. The New Testament method seems to be the
enforcement of general principles, rather than i)ractical
rules. The Book of Leviticus in the New Testament, so
strongly desiderated Ijy one strenuous character, does not
ap2)ear to have been written. It is, however, difficult to
enforce principles without giving some illustrations of their
working. The preacher must not be so abstract that no-
body shall understand him. Sometimes it is clearly neces-
sary to make a definite application of Christian principles
to the affairs of common life. Especially in these days,
when a new system of industry has completely revolu-
tionized human relations, the bearing of the Christian law
upon the new conditions needs to be carefully explained.
The question as to the right division of the word of
truth between the interests that are more personal and
spiritual and those that are more public and social is some-
times difficult. The pulpit that becomes nothing but a
platform for the discussion of sociological questions soon
loses its power ; the pulpit which I'eflects only a cloistered
piety is of little use in this generation. The problem is to
fuse a genuine faith with a broad philanthropy ; to keep
the people in the closest fellowship with God and with
their neighbors; to lill the hours of the life that now is
w itli the power of an endless life. He who seeks to s[)irit-
ualize the whole of life must have the power to In-ing
home to men the things of the sjjirit; and liis ministry
must be one that sliall make real to liis jx'oplc the power
of prayer, the reality of faith. How lu' shall or(l(>r liis
ministrations so that neither oi' these interests shnll lie
neglected is a serious problem for every minister. Tliere
can be no hard and fast rule for this matter, l)ut it may
sometimes be well to devote the morning services to themes
more closely relating to tlie ])ei'sonal life, and llie eveii-
1 C'ountri/ J'arniin, (.'li!i]>. v.
ITLl'IT AND ALTAR 121
ing to a wider application of Christian principles, or to
the discussion of sul)jects germane to the progress of the
kingdom of heaven.
In America, at least, the problem of the evening service
is one of considerable difficulty. In England and Scot-
land the embarrassments seem to be less ; the churches
there are fairly well attended at the second service. On
the continent of Europe, many of the Protestant churches
appear to have abandoned the evening service; and the
tendency is strongly in this direction in America. In
most of our churches the service is thinly attended, and
the question of its maintenance weighs heavily on the
minds of the pastors. Where it has not been abandoned,
various devices have been resorted to for increasing the
congregation, — praise services, musical services, spectacu-
lar services with lanterns, and such like. One despairing
pastor, of one of the larger cities, has lately grasped at the
device of employing young lady ushers as bait to catch the
young men. It would not be diflicult to hit upon a less
objectionable method. If the great concern is to get the
young men into the church, a free luncheon Avith liquid
refreshments would be more effectual and less indecent.
It nmst be admitted that all the plans for increasing the
evening cr)ngregation which have the tendency to turn
the church into a place of amusement are of doubtful
utility. Hie churches cannot compete in the amusement
line witli the Sunday tlieatres ; and Avhcn tlie chui-clies
admit that Sunday evening uiay Ix' [)r()pcrly devoted to
anuisement, their congregations will resort to the theatres.
In all conscience it must be allowed tliat tlie jicople of our
cities — the Cliristian people even — have amuseniciit,
enough on the other six days, and are in no nianitVst ntid
of amusement on Sunday evenings. The ;iLti.iu[)t to make
the services attractive, therefore, in tlie sense of making
tlii'tn amusing or diverting, is, to say tlic least, a mistaken
policy. Nor is the plan of making tlieiii (i.rtiatinillii at-
tractive any more legitimate'. The s(M\iee of the eliureh
onglit to be decorous and beautiful. " l>i't the beauty of
till- Lord our (Jod be upon us," is always an ap[)rojiiiate
122 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
prayer for the Lord's house. But the element of beauty is
always to be kept in strict subordination to the ethical and
spiritual elements ; it is not to the aesthetic nature that the
services of the church make their appeal ; and the moment
it becomes evident that pleasure, no matter of how refined
a sort, has been exalted in these services above serious
thought, the power and the glory of the churcli are gone.
It must be said, therefore, that the minister makes a
serious mistake who seeks to furnish men diversion on any
part of the Lord's day. The church may, under certain
circumstances, be called on other days of the week to be a
purveyor of amusement ; but the use of its Sunday ser-
vices for this purpose is notliing less than the prostitution
of a high office.
There is no reason, however, why the evening service
may not be made deeply interesting, and, in a strong sense
of the word, attractive, without appealing to the love of
diversion. There are plenty of themes which the minis-
ter, in his public teaching, can make interesting. Most
men are thoroughly interested in the social questions of
the day ; they are, indeed, the burning questions ; and all
these questions have, as we have seen, a spiritual side ;
character is profoundly affected by them ; the coming of
the kingdom of God depends upon the answer we give to
them. The discussion of these questions from this point
of view is, therefore, tlie minister's business. The applica-
tion of the Christian law to the solution of these ques-
tions is good work for Sunday evening ; and such work as
this will be found legitimately attractive, especially to
men, who are apt to be in a small minority in our Sunday
congregations. The labor question, in all its moral as-
pects; the questions of poverty and pauperisui ; llie tivat-
ment of the criminal classes; the question of the public
Ileal th, especially as it relates to the welfare of the people
living in neglected districts; the (lucstiou of cducatiou,
with'particular rcfci'eiice to its effects upon chiiracter; the
Hilation of nuiiiicipal government to jiublic morality; tlie
ctliical bearings of jiolitical mcasui-cs and methods, — all
sufh t(.i)ics as lliese, if liiey arc intelligently and temper-
rULTIT AND ALT^Ui 123
ately treated, \v\\\ a[)peal strongly to tlioiightfiil men and
women.
Objection is sometimes made to the discussion of these
topics in the pulpit on the ground that they are mere
secularities. Two classes of people make these objections,
— those who hold the old notion that religion is mainly
concerned with another world, and those who do not wish
to know what are the applications of the Christian law to
the business of this life, because they fear that it would
interfere with their gains or pleasures. Such objections
constitute the strongest justification of this kind of preach-
ing. The pulpit may, indeed, be secularized; but it is
not secularized so much by the kind of topics treated as
by the manner of their treatment. Jesus dealt, in his
teaching, with many common things, — seed-sowing, fish-
ing, bread-making, — but his teaching was not secularized
thereby. One can treat the doctrine of justification by
faith in such a way as thoroughly to secularize it ; it has
been so treated thousands of times in the pulpit; it has
been represented primarily as a commercial transaction;
the spiritual element has been virtually eliminated from it.
On the otlier hand, one can preach upon the wages ques-
tion in such a way as thoroughly to spiritualize it; the
divine elements entering into this relation may be so pre-
sented that masters and men may sec in it something sac-
ramental. "The discussion of doctrine, the determining
of duty," says Dr. George Hodges, " may be no more relig-
ious than the transactions of the Stock Exchange ; the
distinction between the sacred and the secular dors not
depend on the subjects that men talk aluiut, nor on the
places where men meet to talk about them, nor on the
})i'ofession or the position of the debaters. An election is
not made sacred by the fact that the ])eoi)le are voting for
a bishop, nor is it made secular l)y the tact ilial tlic people
are voting for a congressman. A good many political
speeches have been really more religions llian a good
many sermons." ^ It is of course the spirilual side of
all tliese (jnestions that the niinister is to ])reseiit ; he is
1 Chrislianili/ betivcvn Sutulai/s, \> 17 1
124 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
to show how the Christian law bears upon these problems ;
he is to indicate the way in which a Christian man will
act when confronted by them. The idea that the Chris-
tian pulpit is secularized by such uses of it is a singular
misconception. "There is a social psychology," says
Vinet, " as there is a social physiology. It forms part of
the domain which we have just opened to the preacher.
Nothing is more natural and more easy than to connect
all providential institutions with the idea of God ; to
show, for example, that from the beginning of the Bible
and of the world, God was the Founder of society and of
civilization by the almost simultaneous institution of the
family^ of the Word of laiv and of labor. These objects,
which are very much neglected, and which at the same
time give a sort of religious shock to the hearers, are
comprehended in the preceding one. In truth, institu-
tions, manners, and, with them, industry, arts, civilization,
multiform developments, flow from human nature. All
truth leads to truth. Christ, without doubt, is the centre
of all truth; but to show that Christ is the centre,
we must speak of the circle, and of the most remote
circumference." ^
It is quite true that preaching of this kind makes some
unusual demands upon the intelligence of the minister.
To speak instructively upon topics of this nature requires
careful study and close observation. A minister may
easily lose the respect of thoughtful men l)y his treat-
ment of sucli themes. There is good reason, therefore,
wliy much time sliould be given, in studies prepara-
tory for tlic ministry, to subjects of this class. In many
of the theological seminaries they have recently been in-
troduced, and the proportion of time given to them miglit
profitably be increased.
The relation of such discourses to tlic ])i'ol)lciii of tlic
evening service is the s])ecial point now iiiidci' discussion ;
and the sum of what is to !»' said about it is lliis: that
the minister who deals with these themes wisely and intel-
ligently, never forgetting liis divine commission, always
' Homiletics, jiarl i., section i., cliaii. ii.
PULPIT AND ALTAR 125
keeping the spiritual values and the laws of the Kingdom
of God clearly in view, will be obeying, in this, the com-
mand to make good proof of his ministry.
Events are frequently occurring the significance of
which may be profitably impressed upon the hearer. If
God is now in his world every day, the things that are
happening here should be of some importance to those
who witness them. There may easily be a straining after
the novel and the sensational in such presentations, but
there can be no worse sensationalism than that which is
often exhibited in the treatment of Scripture texts. The
sensationalism is not in the subject, it is in the mind of
the preacher. Regeneration may be treated in a perfectly
sensational fashion, and the financial panic may furnish
the theme of a reverential and earnest sermon.
" Connecting general truths," says Vinet, " with certain
and well known facts is doubtless a means of reanimating
general truth, and, on the other hand, it is giving to parti-
cular facts, which are often misjudged or unobserved, the
form of instruction. If the preacher may say God in-
structs us by events (God also preaches occasional ser-
mons) why should he adopt the absurd inference that he
ought never to speak of events? Undoubtedly, indeed,
the substance of preaching is not that which is transient,
it is that which does not pass away; but this does not
imply that we deprive it of this cliaracter by using it to
connect with passing events truths Avhicli do not pass
away. The hearer brings into the temple all the sinall
money of his particular impressions that it may become
history. He wlio preaches in this manner, lliat is to say,
in the spirit which generalizes the particular, wliuli eter-
nizes the temporary, may discours(! of circumstances. We
forltid it to the man who only regards it as a means of
sliimihitin'^- our dull curiosity.** '
()llicr lilies of |iiil]iil work may be found useful tor
this jiinposc. IlistoiN has fi-uitful lessons foi- ihc wise
preacher. The great events which have signalized the
presence in the world of tliat '• I'ower, not ourselves, that
1 Uoniilitics, p. 8.') ; Skiiiucr's triiiislatiou.
126 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
makes for righteousness," may furnish good themes of
Sunday evening discourses. It is of great importance to
present, now and then, such careful pictures of the life of
those "good old times" to which pessimists are always
harking back, and of the people then called saints, as shall
make evident the progress of God's kingdom in the Avorld.
The best course of lectures upon the Evidences of Chris-
tianity that any minister could preach would be a course
which traced in outline the history of law and govern-
ment, of family life, of social life, of industry and trade,
of language and literature, of philosophy and religion,
through the Christian era, showing, by representative
facts, picked up all along the ages, how the etliical stand-
ards have been steadily but surely rising in all these
departments, and how very inferior, morall}*, were those
" good old times " to the times in which we live.
The preacher should lay hold on the help of the great
poets. It may be plausibly asserted that the best theolo-
gian of the nineteenth century is Alfred Tennyson. Brown-
ing is a more subtle analyst of the soul, but his ethical
intuitions are less sure. Wordsworth may almost be called
the leader in this age of tlie intellectual movement which
has banished a dismal deism, and restored the living
God to his world. Lo^^■cll and Longfellow and Whittier
have all expressed, in words that will not die, many of the
deepest truths of the spiritual realm. Studies of these
and other poets wlin liave made these greatest themes
their own, bringing out the testimony which they liave
borne to the spiritual laws, and pointing out what may
appear to be marks of disproportion and defect in their
message as preachers may, with skilful handling, be very
instructive. A more impressive statement of the su])lime
prol)ability of the Incarnation it would be dil'licult to
iind than some passages in Browning's " Saul," or the
closing words of " The I'^pistle of Karshish." The best
that man can say about immortality is said in Tennyson's
" Wages," while liis poem "The Iliglicr Pantheism" puts
into words tliat cannot be forgotten tliat trulli of the
immanence of God which is leading iu the Jiew era.
PULPIT iVND ALTAR 127
Most fruitful of all these lines of study, as we have
seen already, is Biography. It is the living epistle that
has in it the power of God and the wisdom of God. Life
is the light of men ; it was in the beginning, is now, and
ever shall be. Careful studies of the great characters of
the Bible, male and female, putting each of them into his
environment and illustrating through them the laws of
conduct and the rise of the ethical standards, will be
found prolitable. Great historical personages, like Con-
stantine and Hildebrand and Savonarola and Wiclif and
Huss and Luther and Cromwell and Wesley and Chan-
ning, offer luminous lessons.
The legitimacy of such topics will be made manifest by
their proper treatment. If the ethical and spiritual pur-
pose do but control the preacher, they will commend
themselves to the most devout of his hearers. A minister
whose main pui-pose is to amuse his audience would, of
course, make very unprofitable use of themes like these.
So would ]ie make an unprofitable use of any proposition
of dogmatic t]ieolog3\ A man whose strongest motives
are artistic or literary might also present such subjects in
a way that would do little good. But the true preacher,
the man who is seeking in these events, these characters,
these testimonies of the spirit, for some word of God which
he can bring home to the hearts of his hearers, may make
them serve the higliest purposes in a very effective way.
If all life is to be sanctified, such an ethical and spiritual
criticism of events, characters, creations of art, would
seem to be imperative. Discourses of this character dis-
cover tliesc essential spiritual truths in regions of life
where their presence had not been suspected by tlie aver-
age hearer, and help liim to understand liow pervasive
and universal are tlie principles of Christianity.
These suggestions are offered, primarily, :is bearing
upon tlie ])V()bh^m of tlio Sunday evening service. Tliey
are not, iiuk^ed, limited in their ajiplication, l)ut inasmuch
as the maintenance of this service has l)een fdund (iitli-
cult, there may be more wiUingness to consider methods
of this nature in connection with it. In short, it may bo
128 CHRISTIAN PASTOli AND WORKING CHURCH
said that the modern minister, who will put his mind into
his work, can make his Sunday evening ministrations
interesting and attractive in the highest sense, without
worshipping the idols of the theatre, or pandering in the
least degree to the craving for diversion. It will take
work, hard work, to treat effectively such themes, but
such work greatly strengthens the preacher's influence
among thinking men. The only way to maintain the
pulpit in the rank and dignity that belong to it is to hold
it steadily to its own highest purpose.
A question of some practical importance relates to the
uniform use of a text from the Bible in pulpit chscourse.
If the subject is some current event, or some modern
personality, shall a text of Scripture alwaj^s be taken as
the foundation of the discourse ?
Most of the authorities in Iiomilctics are emphatic in
saying that no minister should ever speak in the pulpit
without founding his remarks upon some passage of Holy
Writ. It is the minister's function, they say, to explain
and enforce the truth of the Bible ; the word which he
speaks has authority over men because it is not his Avord,
but the word of God; it is therefore a tactical blunder,
to say nothing worse, for him to divorce his message from
this source of authority, and give it in his own name.
" Preach the Word," it is said, is the minister's conunis-
sion ; and there is nothing for him to do as a public
teacher but to expound the truth of the Bible. There is
no need that he sliould exceed his commission. Tliero is
truth enough in the Bible to cover every j)art of tlie realm
of human conduct; and the minister will never l)e at a
loss to find a text to fit any message wliicli lie is called
to deliver.
Tlion^ is iiuicli force in these suggestions, and yet they
come a little short of the entire truth. The minister is
called to preach the Word of God, but we have no
warrant Inr identifying the Word of God with the Scrip-
tures of the Old and New Testaments. 'I'iiese contain
a most precious portion of tlie Word of God, but by no
means the whole of it. Other Avords of God, of the very
\
TLLl'IT AND ALTAR 129
last importance, are found outside the Bible. Through
the whole course of history God has been revealing him-
self to men ; he has never left himself without a witness
in the world; and we do not well to ignore all these
manifold revelations. It is doubtless true tliat we can
generally find some passage of Scripture which we can
connect with the present revelation; and a great deal
of ingenuity has been exercised in making such adapta-
tions. But it is a question Avhether this straining
after accommodations of biblical words to the events of
to-day adds any impressiveness to the teaching of Provi-
dence, or any sanctity to the old Revelation. It is often
painfully evident that a text has been dragged in by the
hair of the head; that its relation to the discourse is of
the most artificial nature. The Bible is not honored
when it is treated in this way. Professor Phelps gives
several illustrations of this manner of using texts, some
of which he mildly approves. " Professor Park," he tells
us, " once preached a sermon on the value of theological
seminaries upon the text, ' That the soul be Avithout
knowledge, it is not good.' .... From the text, Prove
all things, hold fast that which is good,' the late Pro-
fessor Edwards once preached a discourse on the state
of the Roman Catholic religion in Italy. On the follow-
ing Sabbath, in the same pulpit, a sermon from the same
text was preached on education societies. Some years
ago, on the occasion of a famine in Ireland, a charity
sermon was preached in Boston from the text, ' I saw
the tents of Cushan in allliction.' A Sal)bath-Sfho()l mis-
sionary preached a discouise in Iviclimoiid, soiiu; years
ago, on the text, 'The licld is tlu' wdild." The object
of the sermon was to give some inlVtriuation ri'specting
the estal)lishment of Sabbalh-scliools in Minnesota. Tlie
result \\as the request for tlic sum of t wcnU-livc doJlMrs
for a Sabbath-school liln-ary.'"' I [oniilL'tical acrobatics of
this sort are at least of (loul)tful propriety. Nor does there
appear to be any good reason why, if there is a famine in
Ireland, and the minister tliinks it good to speak about it.
' riip Theori/ fif fn aching, Icct. \s..
130 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AXD WORKING CHURCH
he should not do so, without hunting u[) some Scripture
text, more or less pertinent, to tack his remarks upon.
The event is the proper text ; his business is to draw the
Word of God out of that, and bring it home to the hearts
of men.
If the examples of biblical preaching are consulted, they
will afford very little warrant for the modern theory that
a minister must always speak from a text of Scripture.
Several of Christ's discourses are reported, and not one of
them is founded on a text. In the most considerable and
formal of them he mentions several texts only to repeal
and set aside the maxims they contain. The teacliings of
Christ were almost always founded on events which were
happening before his eyes ; on similitudes drawn from
facts and laws of nature ; on the circumstances of daily
life. The same thing is true of the preaching of the
apostles. Stephen's address before the Sanhedrin is a
rdsumd of Hebrew history, but it is not the exposition of
a text. Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost is a recita-
tion of current history, into which Scripture is woven for
illustrative purposes, but it is neither an expository nor
a topical sermon. We have several of Paul's discourses,
and none of them was preached from a biblical text. On
the Areopagus, before the Athenian philosophers, he took
for his text an inscription which he liad just found on a
heathen altar. The modern homilctical rules are not
drawn from biblical models.
Tliat the minister should speak God's word, and not
his own, seems to some persons to be an end of contro-
versy on this question. But what minister, let us ask, for
a moment imagines that he has any word of his own to
speak ? Any teacher who should intimate tliat his doc-
trine was his own peculiar possession, a nostrum of his
own concoction, Avould at once write himself down a char-
latan. 7\11 truth is of God, and should be spoken revei-
ently l)y tliose who fear liim, and l)oldly by those Avho trust
in him. The fact that a preacher does not take a text
must not be considered as a sign that he does not wish an<l
intend to declare tlic truth f)f God.
PULPIT A.Nl) ALTAll 131
The liomik'tieal teachers are not all agreed upon tlie
proposition that the Scripture text is indispensable. " I
do not," says the prince of them all, "regard the use
of a text as essential to pulpit discoui-se. What gives a
Christian character to a sermon is not the use of a text,
but the spirit of the preacher. A sermon may be Chris-
tian, edifying, instructing, without containing even one
j)assage of Holy Scripture. It may be very biblical with-
out a text, and with a text not biblical at all. A passage
of Scripture has a thonsand times served as a passport for
ideas that were not in it ; and we have seen preachers
amusing themselves, as it were, by prefixing to tlieir com-
position very strong biblical texts for the sake of the pleas-
ure of emasculating them. We have witnessed a formal
immolation of the Divine Word. When the text is only
a deceptive signal, when a steeple surmounts a playhouse,
it would doubtless be better to remove the signal and
throw down the steeple." ^ And one of the great German
writers, Klaus Harms, is even more positive : " ^Nlay we be
permitted to ask if preaching on texts is founded as much
in reason as on custom? May we venture to express the
opinion that the theme and the text approach each other
only in order to their mutual exclusion of each other;
that a theme does not need a text, and that a text does
not need a theme ? May we dare even to say that the
usage of preaching from a text has done injur}', not only
to the perfection of preaching as an art, but to Christian
knowledge also, and what is yet more serious, to the
Christian life?"- Vinet, in commenting upon this passage
of Harms, is inclined to iidmit its truth, I>ut sucli a
sweeping condemnation of tlie practice is <iuite as far
from the ti'uth as is tlie insistence U[)on it as in all cases
indispensable. For, after all is said, the I)ible must be
to every ])reacher the JJook of religion. All llie central
facts and prin(ni)lcs with which he deals aic there, and
some of the most central of them are nowhere else, lie
who is himself Tlic Word is there revealed. ills life and
' ViiU't's Ifumilctirs, pari i., sorl. i., ilia]), iii.
^ I'astoniltheoloijie, vol. i., |). O'l.
132 CHRISTIAN PASTOll AND WORKING CHURCH
his words must be the one great theme of the preacher.
The exposition and enforcement of the truth as it is in
Jesus is his high calling. Most sermons of a devout and
studious minister are apt to grow directly out of some
portion of this written revelation. There need be no hard
and fast rule about it ; but this will be the natural con-
sequence of the kind of study and devotion required of
every faithful minister of Christ.
A practical question for the busy pastor of this genera-
tion is whether or not sermons may be repeated. It has
been the custom of the great preachers to repeat the same
sermon very often. Whitefield had comparatively few ser-
mons ; Mr. Moody repeats the same wherever he goes ;
the same has been true of all the great evangelists ; and
when the polity provides for an itinerant ministry this is
undoubtedly the general rule. But the repetition of the
sermon to the same congregation presents a somewhat
different (question. Even here, however, some great ex-
amples warrant a judicious repetition, at sufficient intervals,
of sermons carefully prepared. " Dr. Chalmers," saj's
Bisliop Carpenter, " was fond of preaching his old sermons.
He did so openly, giving notice of his intention; but tlio
crowds still came to liear from his lips even sermons whicli
were in print." ^ ]>isliop Phillips Brooks often preached
old sermons, and the piles of manuscript and notes in tlic
closets of most of the great preachers would be found
bearing inscriptions of numerous dates and places. There
seems to be no good reason wliy a sermon, which embodies
important thought, which has cost the preacher many liours
of painful labor, and Avhich embodies, perhaps, the reflec-
tion and experience of a lifetime, should not be given
more than once to the same congregation. Congregations
are constantly changing, and many will hear it on the
second deliver}' who did not hear it on the first. And it
is safe to siiy that, after an interval of five years, not one
in one liiiiHlnd of the regular congregation would clearly
recall even such sermons as those of Pliilli])S Brooks. A
stranger hearing the preaclier once would be more apt to
' [jfctiiri X nn Prrarhini/, ]). 0.
I
ITLI'IT AND ALTAii 133
remember the text aiul some portions of the sei'mon ; those
who hear him reguUirly, and who are accnstomed to liis
modes of jjresentation, would be much less likely to retain
the form of the presentation dehnitel}' in their memory.
But it seems rather absurd to suppose that, even if the
sermon were remembered, no good could be derived from
it by the auditor who heard it the second time. Those
of us who possess the printed sermons of Robertson or
Brooks or Mozley or Bushnell, are not, probably, con-
tented with reading them once. Sucli sermons as Brooks's
"The Light of the World," or "The Bread of Life," — as
^lozley's " The Unspoken Judgment of Mankind," or
" Our Duty to Equals," — as Bushnell's "Unconscious Liflu-
ence," or " Every Plan's Life a Plan of God," — as Kobert-
son's "God's Revelation of Heaven," or "Elijah," — have
been read over by many of us, not once, but scores of
times ; we have gone back to them, not because we had
forgotten them, but because we remembered them, and
desired to bring the truth wliich they contained once more
into vital relations to our own souls. If printed sermons
may be read many times over with profit by the most intel-
ligent Christians, it is probable that a good sermon might
be preached more than once with no detriment to the
same congregation. The young woman who liad "ivad
Browning once," and therefore did not care to read him
any more, is the type of a class wlio would l)e troubled
l)y hearing a second time a good sermon. It is often
true that a sermon five or ten yeai-s old contains a truth
whicli is specially })ertiiu'nt to tlie congregation in its
present condition, — mon^ pertinent, perhaps, than wlicn it
was iirst written. I'iici'e are circunistanccs wliidi make
it specially applicable at the present jnnctnic. Possibly,
also, it is a trnth wliidi was given out at first witli some
misgiving, but expel icncc has slrtiintlicncd the preacher's
hold uj)on it, and lie will uttci- it the second time with far
more vigor and conviction than he was able to put into it
at the Iirst deli\'el\-. It is also possible, vel'\- ot'leii, to
l)ring an old sei-nion down to date, as it wci'e. hy added
illustrations drawn from current events. \\'hile. theiefore,
134 CHEISTIAX PASTOR AND WOHlvlNG CHXJIICH
the repetition of sennons may become the excuse of hizi-
ness, yet it is not to be forbicklen to the diligent and con-
scientious pastor ; and in these days, when his burdens of
administration are so greatly increased, it may furnish him
at times a great and needed relief.
The pastor in the pulpit is the leader of the worship of
the congregation. Even when the worship is liturgical
the proper conduct of it largely depends upon Ids judg-
ment and spirit. "If the officiating minister should go
through this department of his work in a dull and spirit-
less style, like one treading the round of a i)rescribed
formalism, the performance is sure to repress and deaden
the devotional feelings of the people, rather than stir and
quicken them into lively exercise. Let the mode of con-
ducting worship be what it may, if it is to be for a congre-
gation of believers a worship in spirit and in truth, the
person who conducts it must himself enter into the spirit
of the service, uttering from his OAvn heart what he would
have re-echoed from the hearts of others. And, obviously,
the more beaten the track that is to be followed, the more
familiar to all the specific forms of devotion, the greater
at once must be the need of a lively devotional sentiment
to inspirit them with life, and the difficulty also of express-
ing it through the appointed channels." ^
The need of entering the chancel or the pulpit in a
proper devotional temper must, then, be apparent to every
thouglitful minister. The people are there for worshii);
this is the pi'imary object of the assembly. Jle must keep
lliis trutli steadily l)cfore tlicir minds. They are some-
times in the habit of calling themselves an "audience;"
that is a word which lie will not use in des('ril)ing them.
They are not there to "hear" liim, 1)iil to woisliip the
Father of spirits. Unless the service lyings tlicni inlo
this attitude it fails of its proper effect upon them. 'I\)
this end llicic is need, whatever tlie foiin of worsliiji ni;iy
be, tli:it the leader of the worship prepare Iiis own mind
and heart for the service before liim. The reading in
' Fairliaini's Pustunil Tlnoloi/ij, ])j). .'JOT, .308.
rULl'IT AKD ALTAR 135
the last hour before the worship begins of some stirring
book of devotion, of some presentation of truth that
shall awaken the mind and quicken the pulses of the
heart, is a wholesome i)ractice. It is not the hortatory
Ijooks that are best, but those which Idndle the emotions
by stimulating the thought. A sermon of Phillips Brooks
or of Horace Bushnell is often better than any manual of
devotion. Nor is it needful to protract the reading.
When the spark kindles the mind, lay down the book,
and muse while the fire burns.
If the service is not liturgical, the question will arise
whether verbal preparation should be made for public
prayer. That some careful thought should be given to
this })art of the service is evident. Yet it is difficult to
lay down any rule of conduct. To some minds any formal
preparation would be a fetter ; to be in a praying frame is
enough. Others are undoubtedly helped by reflection
upon the substance if not the form of the petition. " For,
as tlie pastor, when going to conduct the services of the
sanctuary has to bear on his heart various interests and
relations, none of which should be overlooked or passed
lightly over, he botli may and should have in his eye dis-
tinct topics for notice in prayer and particular trains of
thought to Ijc pursued. Not otherwise will he be able to
give suflicient freshness and point to his supplications, or
present tlium in a form altogether ap[)ropriate to the occa-
sion. Entirely unpremeditated prayers will usually par-
take much of the character of unpremeditated discoui-ses ;
they will consist chiefly of comm()n[)laces Avhicli float iinu-h
ujxiii tlu! memory rather tlian of tliouglits and feelings that
well up from the liiddcn man of tlie heart; and as tliey
have stirred no depllis in the l)osom of the speaker, so
tliey naturally awaken but a feeble resj)onse in the liearls
of tli(^ hearers. . . . Pinlcililx- llie nioic advisable coiii'se
for ministers of settled congregations will be to meditate,
rather than formally eomniit to writing, the chief prayei-s
they are going to olTer in tlie puljlic nu^etings foi* worship;
to think carefully over, occasionally also to jiote down, the
train of thought, or the special topics and petitions tluy
136 CHRISTIAN PASTOll AND WOIIKING CHUECH
mean to introduce, with snch passages of Scripture as are
appropriate to the occasion. The mind will thus be kept
from wandering at large in the exercise, and yet will move
Avitli more freedom than if it were trammelled by the for-
mality of a written form ; will be able more readily to sur-
render itself to the hallowed influence of the moment." ^
The minister must never forget that in the public wor-
sliip he is exercising, in a special manner, the priestly
function which belongs to all believers. He must be able,
by the exercise of a true sympathy, to put himself in the
places of those whom he is leading in worship, and to give
voice to their needs and their desires. Perhaps he knows
the real needs of some of those before him better than
they themselves know them ; perhaps he may be able, in
his prayer, to utter the word that shall reveal to them the
condition in wliicli they are, the good which they ought
to crave. Tlie words which follow, from the pen f)f a wise
and faithful pastor, show the nature of that priesthood of
sympathy exercised by the pastor in his prayers : —
" We may derive materials for prayer from the lives of
our conofreo'ations, — materials of incxhaustil)le variety.
There is always sin to be confessed, sorrow which Ciod
alone can soothe and comfort, weakness that needs divine
support; and there is always liappincss for Avhich we
should offer thanksgiving. But wc must be ver}- indolent
or else we must be cursed with a dull and unsym})athctic
nature if we are satisfied with a vague and general remem-
])rance of the sin, the sorrow, the weakness, the joy whicli
cloud or brighten the lives of our people. Tii our })repara-
tion for our public prayers we should thinly of Uu' ])eoplc
one by one, and make all their trouble iiud their gliidiiess
our own. "Jliere arc the children, — cliildren whose faces
arc [)alf' from I'cccnt sickness or accident, oi- ^\•h(^sc forms
are never rol)ust, and wliose s])irits arc never high ; cliil-
dren that are strong and healthy, with pure blood in their
veins, with sound liinlis, mid wlio -.wo always as happy as
birds in snmmer-tinic : cliildivn lliat ai(^ wrclclird because
they liave no kindness al lioiiic: cliildicii thai want to do
' l-'airKiiirn's f'asturnl '/'/irnlnr/i/, ])p. ."119, 'WO.
rULI'IT AND ALTAIl lo7
well, Init who have inherited from their parents a tempei-a-
nient whieh makes it hard for them to be gentle, obedi-
ent, industrious, com-ageous, and kindly ; and children to
whom with the earliest dawn of reason there came a purer
light from the presence of God, and to whom it seems
natural and easy to be good.
" We should think of the young men and women, with
their ardor, their ambition, their vanity; their dreams of
the joy and glory that the opening years are to bring them ;
their generous impulses ; the inconstancy in riglit-doing
AA'hich troubles and perplexes them ; the disappointments
which have already imbittered the hearts of some and
made them imagine that for them life has no gladness left ;
the consciousness of guilt which already rankles in the
hearts of others ; the frivolity, the selfishness, of wliich
some are the early victims ; the hard light which some are
carrying on with temptations Avhich are conquered but
not crushed ; the doubts which are assaulting the faith of
others ; the bright heaven of happiness in which some are
living, happiness which comes from the complete satisfac-
tion of the strongest liuman affections ; the still brightei-
heaven whieh is shining around others who are ali'eady
living ill tlic li^iii of God.
"The enumeration, if I attempted to go tliroiigh with
it, would occupy hours. We liave to thiidc of aged pe()[>le
who have outlived their generation, and whose strength is
gradually decaying, in lonely and desolate houses, un-
cheered by the presence of living affection and sanctilicd
by memories of the dcail. We have In lliiiil< dt" tlic nini
and ■\\'oiiU'ii \\li()sc cliildrcii are growing up al)(>ut lliciii,
:iii(I (111 wlidiii the cares of lil'c ai'C resting h('a\ily. We
have to l!iiiil< of places wliicli are vacant in some scats
Ix^cause a boy is at college or lias gone to sea, or lias just
entered a liouse of Inisiness in a distant city, or because a
girl has lieeii sent away to 7-ecover liealtli under some
kindlier sky. There are other jdaces vacant for other
reascms. Tliosc wlio once filled tliein lia\e foisakcn and
forgotten llic God of tlieir fathers. W'e liave to think oi
families in liie coiitrreiration whosi; fortunes have been
138 CHIIISTIAN PASTOll AND WORKING CIIUPvCII
ruined, and of orphans and widows ; and of the young
bride whose orange-flowers have hardl}^ faded ; and of
the young mother whose heart is hlled all church time
with happy thoughts about her first-born at home." ^
The pastor who can identify himself with the life of his
people after this manner, who can bear upon his heart
their burdens, and enter into their joys, will have no lack
of themes for his pastoral j^rayers. Only, this must be
handled with the ^utmost delicacy. Any definite allusions
to individuals in public prayer is of doubtful wisdom;
the petition must be one in which the persons praj^ed for
can heartily join, because it expresses the sense of their
need, but which does not embarrass them by calling the
attention of the con aeration to them."
Above all we must remember, as taught by Van
Oosterzee, that "even the best precepts with regard to
liturgical matters and liturgical actions run the risk of
failing of their object, unless powerfully supported by the
liturgical personality. ... In the words of Goethe, 'say
what one will, everything turns in the long run upon the
person.' The liturgist, too, not less than the homilete,
must be not merely a something, but also a some one ; no
speaking-trumpet merely of the Holy Ghost, but his in-
spired mouth-piece and living organ. The claim of the per-
sonality is just as little unlimite(l in the liturgical as in the
homiletic domain, but nevertheless real, and precisely from
the Evangelical-Reformed standpoint to be emphatically
maintained, in connection with the princi])le of freedom.
The one prays and thanks, consecrates and blesses in a
wholly different manner from anollier, and lie is free to do
so, inasmucli as he is really a different man from liis more
iiighly or less liigldy endowed brothel'. Here, too, the diver-
sity of charism is unmistakable, ^ — ^ Ii;iiiiilcss, yes even of
advantii'^e to lliu unity, beauty, and growth of the whoh;
sjiiiiiii;il organism. In order to be a good liturgist the
lirst requisite is not brilliant lalcnl, luil the spiritual bent of
tlie heart, and the presence of a radically moral character." ^
' Diilc's Lectures on /'rdu/iiiii/, jiji. lifiT-liG'.t.
■■^ Practical Theolof/i/, p. 443.
rULTIT AND ALT All 139
Tlie imstor in his pulpit is tlic director of the worship of
the congregation, including it« song. This part of the ser-
vice should never be surrendered by him to the control of
irresponsible choirs and untutored music connnittees. The
service of song in the house of the Lord is an integral part
of the worship ; it should harmonize with all the other parts
of the service ; it should be made tributary to the general
effect of prayer and Scripture and sermon. The indepen-
dent conduct of the music by organist or choirmaster, who,
in many cases, is utterly devoid of the sentiment or spirit of
wtn-ship, is a shocking anomaly. It is not too much to say
that the musical portion of the service in many American
Protestant churches verges close on blasphemy. In many
congregations it is the first duty of the minister to instruct
his people in the first principles of Christian worship; to
make it entirely clear to their minds that the church is no
place for the exhibition of vocal gymnastics ; that Chris-
tian song must never degenerate into a show, and that art
must always be suljordinated to reverence.
There is need, no dou])t, of judicious and considerate
treatment of this matter on the jjart of the minister, for in
many cases the tastes of the congregation have l)eeome so
vitiated and their standards so debased that it will hv luird
for them to i-eceive tlie truth. I>ut if the minister will
begin Avith the ollicial membcis of his congregation, aud
will seriously and kindly consider the whole subject willi
them, pointing out the principles which must rule in nil
Avorshi[), and the sacred and ])riestly character of those who
lead in every act of worship, lie Avill generally be able to
carry them Avitli him in his eff(jrts to reform this portion of
the service.
The choice of the hymns rests with the pastoi'. It is a
mattci' of great importance. It is nol (o be assumed thai
all the li\ inns in tin; best hynniai aie lit to be sung ; some of
them exj)ress a mawkish si-nliment, and others a bad the-
ology: the ministei" must not ask his ]»eoj)le to tell lies in
their songs. It is a (piestion also w lietluT the old style ol
didactic hymns should be used in jmblie worship. .\s a
rule the hymns should be worshipful ; praise, adoration,
140 CIirJSTIAN I'ASTOR AND WOr.KING CHURCH
aspiraUon, trust, contritit^n, supplication — are the proper
voices of Christian song. Yet hymns of a meditative sort
may sometimes be used, and there arc sj^irited work-songs
and battle-songs of the Church which are fidl of lyrical fire,
and readily lend themselves to the best ])ui'poses of congre-
gational song.
The hymnals now in use are, as a rule, far better than
those of a former day ; most of the objectionable hynnis
have been eliminated, and the tunes are, as a rule, dignilied
and worshipful. But it must be admitted that many con-
gregations of our American churches have become addicted
to a style of hymnody which is an offence against good
taste and good sense. Verbal jingles which are destitute
of all poetic character, and which often express an effusive
sentimentalism, are joined to melodic jingles which are
equally destitute of musical meaning ; and the result is a
series of combinations that tend to debilitate the mind and
pervert the sensibilities of those who use them. Such com-
binations do not long endure ; the prattle of the rhymes
soon palls upon the sense, and the catchy melody becomes
dull and stale, and a new batch is soon called for, to give
place, in its turn, to something lighter and more worthless
still. But it is with hymnody of tliis sort precisely as it is
with flashy literature ; those who get a taste for it ar(> apt
to think that anything of a higher order is stupid and uu-
profitaljlc. The consequence is that when the hynnials
which try to confine themselves to hynnis Mliicli are really
poetic, and to music whic^h is not suital)le ior opera hovffe
or a cafe ehantant, are introduced into the congregation, it
is (liHicnlt to secure for them a gencial ;iii(l hearty accept-
ance. There is much jiaticnt educational work to be done
along this lino by ind'Higcnt pastors, in seeking to correct
llic pcrvci-sidiis of liistr, and In elevates the staiidai'ds of
jisahnody in llicii- conLi'icgatiDUs. The l)cst liynins. when
they become familiar, will never grow stale or did, and llic
best tunes an- those that can no more be anti(|uatfd than
daisies or daily ])icad.
'I'lic ))asl(ir slmiild Icnnw enough about music to be able
to select tunes which his conofrecation can and will sintr.
m.lMT AM) AI/l'AIl 141
It is sometimes difiicult to find in the hymnal provided for
him the h3'nni which he wants, adapted to a time which the
congregation can use ; but such a combination justifies and
will reward a careful search. The adaptation of the hymns
to the sermon and the other parts of the service should al-
ways be carefully considered. The hymns which are sung
in the earlier portions of the service may be simply wor-
shipful ; but if any hymn follows the sermon, it ouglit to
be in closest harmony with the thought which has been
enforced.
As a rule our church hymnals are far too large. It is
(piite impossiljle that a congregation should become famil-
iar with twelve hundred or fifteen hundred hymns ; it is
probable that the minister will use, out of such a book, not
more than one hvuidred and fifty hymns. A carefully
sifted collection of three or four huncb-ed hymns would be
better for any church than the hymnological libraries which
burden the hands and oppress the minds of most worshi[)-
pers. In the use of such a small collection the congrega-
tion is more apt to become thoroughly familiar with some
of the best of the In-mns and tunes, so as to sing them with
spirit and heartiness. The ideal church hymn-book is yet
to appear.
As to tlie tunes, that canon of judgment which tends to
prevail among recent scliolarl}- writers upon psalmoth', to
the effect that the church tune should always be a choral,
in common time, and with a })lain and even movement,
leads in the right direction, ])ut goes too far. Sncli an
excess of conservatism would not be salutary. 'I'hc t-horal
is a good form of church tune, and may be used in America
nnicli more freely than it has yet been; but otlit-r rhylli-
inical forms are admissible ; and it is indeed dcsiraltie that
there should be a good degree of variety in llir iiiusieal
service of the Lord's house. Suih a sjiiritcd niii\ ciin-iit as
Lowell Mason's "Duke Street," such a Mowing melody as
Mr. Bradbury's '' Woodworlli." such a ringing jtraisc-song
as Giardini's " Italian ilyiiiii."'or even such an elaborate
composition as the setting whirh Mr. Dykes has given, in
"Lux lienigna," to Newman's immortal livmn, ma\ ho
142 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
sung, under good leadership, with the greatest enjoyment,
by the average congregation.
The leadership of the congregation is, of course, the
main thing. If this leadership is intelligent, reverent,
and enthusiastic, the congregation can be made to render
the best music in the best manner. How to secure such
leadership in the service of song is the principal question.
Not inthspensable, but highly important to the best
rendering of sacred song, is that " king of musical instru-
ments, the organ." "There are not wanting," says Van
Oosterzee, "instances here and there of such harmonious
congregational singing that the absence of the organ, in
that case at least, is not felt ; while it is equally undeni-
able that a defective, tasteless style of playing proves
more of a hindi-ance than a help to edification. Yet in by
far the larger number of 2:)laces the singing is of such a
character that, in default of something better, a mediocre
leading ■\\ith the organ is preferable to that which only
improperly bears the name of church song. . . . The
religious value of the organ in churcli depends mainly on
the hand to which it is intrusted. This remark will not
be without its value, if it only impresses on the liturgist
his duty of using every endeavor to secure tliat the organ-
ist to be chosen for this purpose is in the fullest sense of
the word a Christian artist, who feels and understands
what he is playing, and shows that he is penetrated with
the desire to serve tlie Holy by means of the truly Beau-
tiful. Sacred art must support the sacred Word, and
place its great power entirely and exclusively at the
service of the Most Higli ; while the artist feels liimself
not only the ])riest of art, but also the servant of the con-
gregation. Wlien the opposite is the case, tlie Puritan
polemic against tlie organ is still to a great extent justi-
fied. It is — what is too often forgotten — not neces-
sary that tlic origan should always be luMid. and still
less that it should always be heard equally loud, liathei-
would now and then, with sullicient vocal strength of
itself, a temporary silence of the instrument be desirable.
When, however, the organ is heard in the rliureh, let
PULPIT AND ALTAR 14o
it never give forth the note of false taste or of mere
worldly art." ^
With the organist, or the choirmaster, or whoever is
employed to conduct the musical part of the service, tlie
minister should be in constiint co-operation; there sliould
be, at the outset, a clear understanding that all parts of
the worship are under the minister's direction, and tliat all
must be made to harmonize. When it is understood that
the ends of worship, rather than of art, are alwaj^s to be
kept uppermost, many of the causes of contention among
church musicians will be eliminated. Among artists jeal-
ousies are natural, for the aesthetic judgment rules, and
the fundamental question is one of pleasure. But among
worshippers sttcli contentions at once appear to be gro-
tesque. To strive for the privilege of prayer, or to
dispute about the highest seats at the altar of sacrifice
"would be so manifestly incongruous that the dullest minds
Avould revolt from it. i\Iake the singers understand that
they are there, not to exhibit their voices or to display the
results of their musical training, but to Avoi-ship God, and
they will be ashamed to quarrel.
What the vocal leadership of the congregation shall l)e
is a question of some seriousness. The perfection of con-
gregational worship is perliaps attained in those English
Dissenting chm-ches Avhere the organ is the sole leader of
the voices, so far as can be seen by the casual visitor. :iiid
where the whole congregation forms a great chorus, render-
ing, with heartiness and precision, anthem and chant and
hymn. In these chui'ches, however, a nucleus of traini^d
voices is usually clustered aljout the organ, who form an
invisible choir, and whose strong initiative carries (he
congregation steadilv along. In one of these cliniclies we
are told that the '* Ilallelujah Chorus," fioni ''Tiie Messiah"
is sometimes sung with fine eiVect by the whole congrega-
tion. In many of tliem, anthems of eonsiderable inlrieaey
are rendered with no hesitation; voices all over theehureh
are heard joining in tlieni. The use of llic iliant in these
congregations is almost univeisal ; tlie ]iid|p|e li:i\e hi-en
' Practical T/nolniii/, j). ;}7y.
144 CHltlSTIAN rASTOr. AND WORKING CHURCH
accustomed to it from their childhood, and the musical
declamation is as natural to them as reading.
In most of the English Congregational churches there is,
however, a large choir in plain sight of the congregation,
and the leadership of the church song is committed to them.
In few cases do they undertake any performance of their
own; the anthems and the chants as well as the hynnis
are all sung by the congregation, the choir serving only as
leaders of the song. This full, strong chorus, with such
other members of the congregation as wish to attend, meets
once a week for practice under the direction of the organ-
ist. The ability to render the music of the church so accept-
ably is in almost all cases the result of some painstaking
effort. In one church in London the regular choir, of hfty
or sixty members, is supported by a substitute choir of
about the same number. To one person in each part is
assigned the duty of filling up the ranks, at ever}^ service.
If, at five minutes before the beginning of the service, the
seats of the bass singers are not full, the gentleman in
charge of that part makes an immediate levy upon the
substitute bass singers already in the house, to fill the seats,
and so with each of the other parts ; thus each part is
always full of trained singers. Very little in the way of
fine artistic effects is attempted by these English choirs,
but they sing with great heartiness, and the congregation
is admirably led. English organists are also, as a rule,
expert leaders of congregational singing, and the congre-
gation is made to feel the meaning of the words of the
hymn and to respond to the sentiment expressed.
In many of the state churches of England the vested
choirs, with boys upon the upper parts, perform the high-
est style of music in a very admirable manner. So large
is the number of the English boys who thus receive a
thorough training in sacred music that male singers of
cultivation appear to be more numerous in tliat country
than female singers. At one of the triennial ILindel
festivals at the Sydenham Palace, when nearly four thou-
sand singei-s were present, tlie basses and tenors (piite
outnunilu'icMl the sopranos and altos. This may bo one
PULPIT AND ALTAR 145
reason why the men in any English congregation generally
join in the song, while in an American congregation the
reverse is the rule. The vested choirs, in the cathedrals,
and in the larger churches are, however, left to perform
most of the service. AVhat is called a choral service is
not congregational worship ; we find that, in far greater
perfection, in the Dissenting churches.
In America, however, the choir is often permitted to
have matters all its own way. In the majority of Ameri-
can churches the choir is a quartette, and the congregation
takes but little part in the singing. Even the hymns are
sung by the people in the gallery, without much aid from
the pews. Quartette choirs, as a rule, disapprove of con-
gregational singing, and make it difficult, if not impossible,
for the congregation to follow them in the hymns. And
the hymns are rendered in a manner so unintelligent and
perfunctory that no one cares to join in them. It would
be far better if churches employing choirs of this character
would abandon wholly the congregational hymns.
The purpose of the quartette choir is, almost always,
the artistic rendition of some highly elaborate and florid
musical composition. It is rare that a performance of this
natm'e awakens in any auditor a worshipful feeling. Pre-
cisely the same emotions are excited as those Avhich are
appealed to in the concert-room. Those who enjoy the
performance will Ije seen nodding one to another, at its
conclusion, as if to say: "Was not that a splendid exhil)i-
tion?" To any reverential person such a perversion of
the act of worship is little less than horrible. It is a
grave question whether the musical service, in very many
American cluu'ches, is not a savor of death unto death,
rather than of life unto life.
Tliis iinist not be understood as a condemnation of thc^
employment of single voices or any coml)iMations of voices
in worship. It is (luitc ]»ossible that a song or a jirayer
should be rendered in clnirdi ])y one or more persons with
the true spirit of devotion, in such a maimer that the
thought of the listeners sliould be lixed upon th(^ theme,
and not upon the art of the performance. If many voices
10
146 CHRISTIAN PASTOll AND WORKING CHURCH
may worship God in song, so may a single voice. If the
pastor may lead the worship in prayer, so may the singer.
But in such case the singer must be a real worshipper.
The art of the rendition must he hidden in the sincerity of
the worship.
These elementary truths are well-nigh forgotten in many
of our fashionable churches. Music should be an aid to
devotion ; but many of those who most keenly enjoy it in
the concert-room or the drawing-room listen to the same
thing in church with pain.
The first thing to be desired in the church song is that
the whole congregation should heartily participate in it.
The full choral song admits of no efforts at display. The
vanity of the individual is merged in the voice of the mul-
titude. When all the people thus praise God in the sanc-
tuary it is possil^le that each should join with some real
uplifting of the heart. Yet even tliis service may be ren-
dered with regard for beauty and fitness ; the congrega-
tion may be tauglit to observe the sentiment of the hymn,
and properly to express it. The people will learn, if they
are taught, to sing with the spirit and witli tlie understand-
ing also. The organ and the leading choir can easily sug-
gest to the people tlie subdued and tender expression of
the plaintive lines, and the accelerated time and accumu-
lated power of the triumphant strains. Congregational
singing must not be considered good when everybodj^ sings
all the time with all his might; there must be evidence
that the congregation is thinking of the words of the song
and is touched witli their meaning. It is beautiful to see
how a congregation will learn to follow sucli intelligent
leadership, and will come, after a little, to make the words
of the hymn their own. The spiritual value of this part
of the service is thus indefinitely increased.
The cliief use of the choir nnist be to h\'id tlie worsliip
of the congregation. It sliould be diligently impressed
upon the singers when they arc called into this service,
that this is their main business. If they help the per»])le
to praise CJod in song thev will do well; if they fail of
that tliev are worse than useless, no matter how artistic
PULPIT AND ALTAR 147
may be their own pei-forniaiice. To this end the hymns
must he studied and their meaning understood and felt by
the singers in the gallery. The choir will sometimes sa}-,
" Oh, that is ' Federal Street,' or ' Ilursley,' — surely we
do not need to })ractise that old tune." But the question
is not whether " that old tune " can be sung, it is Avhether the
hymn now set to the tune can be intelligentl}^ and feelingly
sung ; whether its meaning can be conveyed in the use of
tliis old tune. The intelligent and reverential leadership
of the congregation is the lirst business of the clioir. To
this end they ought to be intelligent and reverential per-
sons, and the spirit of their leader ought to be so full of
intelligent reverence that the true nature of tlieir Avork
sliould be constantly kept before them.
The best kind of choir to lead a congregation is, mani-
festly, a large chorus. There may be quartettes which can
lead congregations, but they are not numerous. Tliere is
difficulty, however, in maintaining large choruses, because
members of the congregation who can sing are often, un-
fortunately, slow to lend their services for the promotion
of the good of the church. Those who can sing or play
upon an instrument are apt to feel that if they render any
lielp in public worship they must be paid for it. The
prevalence of thio feeling shows how this whole dejiart-
ment of church life has been secularized. When music
touches the life of the church the standard suddenly falls.
Those who possess some little musical ability or training
arc wont to say tliat tlicy have paid nuich money for tlieir
iniisi(;il education, and th;it therefore they ouglit to receive
compensation for their services. But it is equally true
that the people who teach in the Sunday-schools, and who
speak in the prayer-meetings have paid nuieh money for
the education which (pialilies them to assist so eHii-ientlv
in the work of the church. In many of our congrega-
tions there are many college graduates and ])rofessional
people whose education has cost them iive times :is nnieh
as that of the singers and the players on instruments, and
who are yet rendering to the church, weekly, ni.inv hours
of uncompensated laboi-. There seems to be no good rea-
148 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
son wliy the musicians slionld make themselves exceptions
to the rule of willing service, which binds all the members
of the church together in unity. It is true, of course, that
some musicians recognize this principle, and give to the
churches to which they belong, a great deal of the most
valuable assistance. But the failure on the part of many
to comprehend the fact that musical gifts, like other gifts,
are subject to the law of consecration, makes it diiificult,
in many congregations, to gather the singers in chorus
choirs.
The maintenance of artistic standards of judgment upon
the singing of choirs also strengthens the mercenary claim.
If the service is really a performance for the delectation
of an audience, perhaps the audience ought to pay the
performers. If the service is recognized as having another
and higher function, perhaps those who recognize their
Clrristian obligation would be more willing to assist in it.
The question whether the choir, however organized,
should be expected to render any music of their own, apart
from the leadership of the congregation, is answered in
one way, as has been said, by most of the Nonconformist
churches of England, and in another way by most of the
Anglican churches, and by the great majority of Protestant
clmrches in America. There is danger, no doubt, that
choirs, and especially quartettes, if tliey are permitted to
sing anthems or set pieces of their own, will embrace the
opportunity to make a great display of their own musical
powers, thus turning worsliip into mockery. lint, on the
other hand, it is quite possible that the choir should be so
instructed and led as that it shall keep steadily in view its
true function as the leader of worship; and so that it shall
render dignilied and inspiring music, not only witli pro-
priety, but with excellent effect. Choruses like Costa's
" The Lord is Good," or jNIendelssohn's " He Watching over
Israel," f)r Sullivan's " O Taste and See," could not well
be sung by tlie ordinary American congregation ; but they
may be rendered by large choirs in such a way as to stir
the hearts of the worshippers, and to kindle the flame of
sacred h)vc. Smaller combinations of voices, or single
rULPTT AND ALTAR 149
voices may serve in the same ^Yay. It is not true that the
singing of the congregation is the only kind of music to
be tolerated in church ; the congregation may Avorship by
silently joining in the prayer or the thanksgiving or the
asj)iration to which their leaders give voice in song. The
only thing to be insisted on is that the congregation shall
be able to recognize this as worship, and to feel that it is
worship.
If the choir is permitted to provide music of its OA\ai,
the leader of the worship should see that the anthems or
solos sung are of a character appropriate to public worship,
^luch of the music printed for American choii-s is too florid
and showy for the sanctuary. But it is possible to find
dignilied and serious music for this purpose, and much
care should be exercised in this selection. Especially
should the minister take care that the service be not
marred by the introduction of choir joieces which, however
unobjectionable in themselves, are wholly out of harmony
with the occasion. The most grotesquely inappropriate
selections are often thrust into religious services by aml)i-
tious choir-leaders. Not one in ten of these worthies
exhibits the slightest sense of the fitness of things. lie
is quite apt to sing a morning hymn at an evening service,
or to introduce, just before the sermon, such words as
these : —
" Saviour, again to tliy dear name we raise
With one accord our parting liynin of praise ;
We rise to bless thee, ere our worship cease.
And now departing, wait thy word of peace."
Such a delicate suggestion to the mijiisler that the congre-
gation has finished its business and is going home — that it
has no use for his sermon — has been listeut'd to by the
minister witli such e([u;numity as he could muster. ( >n the
occasion of the celeliratioii of the hundreihh anniversary
of a church whosi' life had l)een especially harmonious, and
whose ministers, without exception, liad been well beloved
and generously treate(l, tlu' selection by the clioir consisted
of tlie followiiiLT words: "() .lerusalein, .Icrusalcni, tlioii
150 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent
unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children
together even as a hen gathereth her cliiekens under her
wings, and ye would not. Plenceforth your house is left
unto you desolate." The effect of such words upon intel-
ligent and sensitive listeners may be imagined.
There are choir-leaders whose taste and judgment can
always be trusted. Happy is the pastor who has such a
helper by his side. But it is his duty to guard against
all such monstrous incongruities, and to see to it that
the whole service of the Lord's house is appropriate and
harmonious.
The question as to what is sometimes called " the en-
richment of worship " is now discussed by non-liturgical
churches. That the forms of worship in some of the Ee-
formed churches, notably the Scotch and the Puritan
churches, both English and American, have been some-
what bare and meagre can scarcely be denied. The reac-
tion against a sacramental ritualism swept away even the
decencies of public worship. For a long time, in New
England, even the reading of the Scriptures was under
the ban ; that seemed, to these sturdy Protestants, a rag
of popery. In the diary of the Rev. Stephen Williams of
Longmeadow, i\Iass., under date of March 30, 1755, he
writes : " This day I began to read the Scriptures publicly
in the congregation. Wisli and pray it may be service-
able and a means to promote Scripture knowledge among
us." His biographer adds : " This was an innovation
which Stephen Williams had some diihculty in sustain-
ing," ^ ]Many of the old New England town liislories
record disputes upon this su])ject. It is a curious fact
that in their rebellion against the sacerdotal principle,
which lies at the foundation of the system witli which
they had broken, these reformers gave to their minister,
under another form, a priestly character; for the public;
worship was almost wholly committed to him, and tran-
sacted l)y liiiu for them; tlicy took no part in it whatever
^ J,uiii^mead(jw Cciitciiuial, ]>. 222.
rULl'lT AM) AI.TAi: 1'>1
beyond the singing of a psalm which he "lined out" to
them. The present tendency is toward the restoration to
the people of the privilege then voluntarily relinquished
by them. .\s the Protestant church of to-day is seeking
to become a working church, so, and for kindred reasons,
it is seeking to Ije a worshipping church. It wishes to
take a larger part, audibly and openly, in the service of
the Lord's house. The changes in the order of worship
introduced or advocated are mainly, if not wholly, changes
in the direction of congregational worship.
The question whether these additions to the accus-
tomed order shall be made by the officiating clergyman,
or ^^•hether the people of each communion, through their
wisest and most devout representatives, should set forth
some forms of praise and prayer for the guidance of their
congregations, has been discussed in some of the ecclesi-
astical assemblies. One of the most distinguished and
broad-minded of the Congregational clergymen of New
England, in an address before a church congress, said : —
" Here I am constrained to say and confess that worship
cannot do its whole good work as the vehicle of truth to
the mind, except as it is formulated and prescribed by
general authority, and is not left to the genius and piety
of the officiating minister, according as he may liap[)cn to
have the use of his genius or liis piety at the moment.
As a minister in a non-liturgical comnuuiion I can say
this more easily, })erhaps, than some other ministers could,
and I do say it. There are extemporizing ministers whose
study of woi'ship has been so complete, whose good sense
is so good, and whose natural gifts are so great, that they
accomplish a pretty complete liturgical sweep in their ser-
vices; and when ministers do nt>t accomplish much of a
sweep ever, as leaders of worship. l>ut bear ditwn h;ibilu-
ally and oidy on a few facts and (Incirincs lying in-ar the
heait of Christianity, Clod forbid I siiould (h-ny them
access to God, and tlieir use as j)reachers of truth through
the worsliip they couihicl. Unl, laking all things into
ac(;ount, it si'ciMS to inc clcai- that in the one i-('S|»('ct of
truth conveyed, conM'veil in its cutiri'tN, and convcyrd
152 CHRISTIAN PASTOll AND WORKING CHURCH
proportionately, a worship })rt'scribed, or .substantially pre-
scribed, is not only vakial)le but indispensable. 1 contrib-
ute that item towards the reunion of Christendom on the
point of worship." ^
There would be much dissent from the proposition to
formulate a uniform ritual for any of the non-liturgical
churches. Even if considerable freedom were allowed in
the use of it, the tendency to a monotonous and lifeless
repetition would be regarded by many as far outweighing
the gain that would be realized through a more complete
and comprehensive presentation of the truths on which
worship is founded. Christians of different temperament
and different training will answer this question differently.
Undoubtedly a prescribed ritual avoids much irreverence
and many painfully arid performances ; but on the other
hand it sacrihces a spontaneity and timeliness which, in the
service of the preacher who has both the gift and the spirit
of prayer, are often very inspiring. But if no such com-
plete ritual is furnished, it is surely lawful to add some-
thing to the barrenness of the old Purifcm ritual.
The responsive reading of portions of the Scripture is
now quite common in American churches, and when prop-
erly conducted it is an excellent feature. The tirst re-
quisite of success in this service is the selection of a
suitable manual of responsive readings. Not all Scripture
is suited to this use ; the historical, philosophical, and
didactic portions lend themselves but awkwardly to such
a service ; it is really only tlie poetry that ought to
be treated in this way. A few of the New Testauient
passages, like the Beatitudes, and the Proem of John's
Gospel, and some portions of the epistles which ajiproxi-
mate to lyrical form may l)e read rcsponsively, — tliougli
even here the verses should be broken up into phrases
that are antiphonal or cumulative. But for the most pai't
it is the Psalms and the prophet i(- poi'iiis tliat are best
suited to responsive reading. Tlicse should always be
put for this j)Ui"p()se into tlu' rhytlimic I'drm (li;i( Ixdongs
^ Address of Rov. N. J. Burton, 1).I)., ProrfeduKjs of l/ic Amrrimn Con-
ijrcss of Churches, 1885, p. 02.
PULPIT AND ALTAK 153
to them. It is little less than absurd to adhere to the
verse divisions in the responsive reading of the Psalms.
The poetry is constructed for the very purpose of anti-
phonal expression ; our verse divisions simply destroy its
artistic form. The parallelisms of these okl lyrics, as we
find them arranged in the revised version, are better
adapted than anything else in literature to the responses
of a congregation.
The congregation should stand up to read; and the
leader should read with distinct but rapid enunciation, suf-
fering no long pauses between the responses. There is no
room here for elocutionary effects ; anything of that sort is
grotesque enough ; but the reading should be full of spirit
and feeling, — and the responsory character of it should
be so marked that it shall seem more like a chant than a
reading. Any painful attempt of the congregation to
speak in concert should be avoided; but on the other
hand the helter-skelter reading of many congregations is
not particularly inspiriting. If the parallelisms are used,
and the leader sets the pace with a firm, rapid, steady
tempo, the responses will naturally and almost ine vital )ly
maintain a good measure of unity, and the rhythmic effect
will be marked and beautiful. In some congregations tlie
outpouring of the full heart in these reponsory voices of
praise and hope and aspiration is more inspiring than
any other portion of the service.
The repetition of one of the ancient creeds — the
Apostles' or the Nicene — by the congregation is also com-
iiiiiii ;iiiil altogether suitable, while the people of most
of our ciiurches have learned to join with tlie minister
in tlic audible repetition of the Lord's Prayer. Whether
the Decalogue should be employed liturgically is an open
question; our Lord lias translated tliat law into a (hffer-
ent language, and his rendering of it shouhl Ix' nearest
to our thouglit. The Pcatitudes and the Lord's siniiinarv
of tlu! Law miglit well take llic ]»lace, in our congregational
worshij), of the Ten ( 'oiiiiiiainliiients. Some judicious so-
l(M'tions might also be made; from the Anglican I^iok
of Connnon Prayer; its (u-niTai Confession, many of
154 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
its beautiful collects, and sometimes its majestic Litany
might be introduced into the service of our non-liturgical
churches. Language like this, which has been hallowed
by centuries of use, into which many generations of pray-
ing men have poured their hearts, possesses a value which
no newly formed phrases could possibly contain. If the
enrichment of the non-liturgical ritual is sought, it is
in these sources that we shall be most likely to find it.
It is well to remember that not all the reformers sought
to banish from the sanctuary the hallowed forms of prayer
and praise. There was really, at the beginning of the
Reformation, a decided disposition to enlist the people,
as they had not before been enlisted, in the public worship
of the Lord's house. " The spirit of Protestantism," says
Dr. Samuel M. Hopkins, " requires that the people shall
take part in the public wT)rship of God, and thus make it
'common worship.' The Komisli church, during the
Middle Ages, resolved worsliip into a spectacle. The
great cathedrals were built for a dramatic religion, in
which the ])Cople could look on, while the priests went
through with tlie service of the mass; down whose broad
naves, chanting and cross-bearing processions could move,
and through Avhose ogived arches the pealing tones of
the organ could resound. Throughout the whole the
people were only a body of spectators. This accorded
entirely with tlie spirit and policy of the Romish church.
Protestantism changed all that. It recognized the Chris-
tian body as something more than a dumb and passive
laity. It recognized them as a ' holy priesthood,' each
called to offer spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise
to God. Tlie great reformers, therefore, all of tliem, pre-
pared or ma<le use of liturgies for the use of the wor-
sliippors. Thei'e was the Lord's Pray(^r and tlic Creed
always to be I'ccited aloud by the jxMtph'. Tlici'c was the
'genei'iil ((nircssion,' which every one joined in rej)eat-
ing, making it Iiis own ])ersonal confession of sin. Tlicrc
was tlu! reading of th(! Decalogue, to which tlie peo])le
i'es]ioii(le(l, ' Loi-d. ]i;i\-e inerc\' Upon US, and incline oni-
hearts to keep this hiw.' There was the resj)onsive read-
PULPIT AND ALTAR 155
ing of the Psalter, an exercise to which it might seem
the most exaggerated Puritanism could make no objection.
All these features appear in the Strasburg Liturgy of John
Calvin, in the Saxon Liturgy drawn by Luther, in the
Liturgy of the Palatinate prepared by Melanclithon and in
all the other forms of prayer tliat were the product
of the Reformation period." ^ The Lutheran Church
still employs a considerable liturgy; so also does the
Moravian. It is evident that a desire for the extension of
congregational w'orship is making itself felt in many of the
non-liturgical churches ; and this movement is, in realit}',
very nearly the antithesis of the ritualistic tendenc}', which
in effect confines the audible worshiji to the priest and
the vested choir.
With the introduction of responsive readings, chants, and
creeds, it is evident that some reduction must needs be made
in other parts of the service ; and it is probable that what
is known in the Reformed churches as the " long prayer "
might, in many cases, be usefully shortened. One cannot
have too much of the spirit of prayer, and the habit of
lingering long at the mercy seat must not be rudely cen-
sured; Imt the physical and mental demands of the con-
gregation must be considered, and it is doubtless true that
this prayer does often become a weariness to the flesh.
No rule as to length can l)e laid down ; but most of us
have attended services in wliidi we have felt that a far
more devotional frame would ha\c brcn maintained by the
congregation if the h)ng prayei" had not Ih-cu half as long.
Wliitefield cannot be suspected of uiidcrvaluing public
prayer, and liis remark to a good minister, whose jiraycr
had been unduly protracted, may well be remembcrt'd :
"You prayed nu; into a goo(| tVaiiic, ami you prayed me
out of it."
One ciiiiclnncnt of the si'r\ic(' is suggested witli some
dinideiiee. If the song of the reverent singer may lift
our liearts to God, might not the simj>le and devout nail-
ing of a sacred lyric sometimes liave a (le\otional \ alue?
The reading would convey the words more perfectly than
' Piorccilliiijs of tlic Aiiiirirdit Coinircss o/ Churches, lS8."i. ]i|i. 7.'), 7(i.
156 CHIIISTIAN PASTOll AND WORKING CHUECH
the singing ordinarily does ; and the confession, the trust,
the hope, the aspiration expressed in such beautiful words
might help to kindle a worshipful feeling in tlie minds
of listeners. There are many hymns of the highest liter-
ary merit, and the deepest spiritual insight, which cannot
well be sung ; might not a truly liturgical use be made of
them ? There are many other excellent hymns which the
hymnal of the worshipping congregation does not contain,
and which might be employed in this way. If, just before
the " long prayer," one or two of these sacred lyrics were
reverently read, not with elocutionary effect, but as if it
were a prayer, might this not be, in some cases, an inspir-
ing introduction to the prayer about to follow ? Nor
is it essential that these devotional excerpts should be
expressed in lyrical form. Words that contain the
heart of prayer, the spirit of devotion, may be found in
sermons and in contemplative writings. A beautiful col-
lection of such meditations has been added to tlie devo-
tional literature of the church by the blind preacher of
Edinburgh, the Kev. George Matheson, and there is many
an anthology of devout and uplifting thoughts, from which
selections might be made. These should alwa3-s bo very
brief, and should be manifestly joined by vital bonds with
the prayer which follows. It cannot be too strongly said
that this part of the service must be as far as possible
removed from everything that savors of the theatrical ; if
it is not essentially worship it can have no place in the
pulpit.
All this matter of the enrichment of public worship
needs to be wisely and firmly handled. Changes which
have no merit but novelty, and which are intended chiefly
as baits to draw auditors should be rigidly excluded ; only
tliose should l)e permitted whicli jjromise to assist in mak-
ing the worshi]^ of the congregation more general, more
hearty, and more intelligent.
Tlie pastor, as the leader of tlie worship of tlu' congre-
gation, must sometimes descend from the ]iul})it to the
altar. I'^or even where nothinLT reseiiil)linL!- that iiiueli dis-
PULPIT AND ALTAP. IT) 7
puted piece of ecclesiastical furniture is visible in the
sanctuary, there are still services whose nature is sacra-
mental, which cannot fitl}" be performed in the preacher's
desk. The administration of these sacraments is an
essential part of the pastor's duty.
Among the Protestant churches the only rites to which
the sacramental character attaches are Baptism and the
Lord's Supper. Respecting the nature of these sacra-
ments, no extended discussion is here called for; we
assume their practice, and simply seek to know how the
pastor ought to regard and administer them. It is, how-
ever, necessary to recall the conclusions of the third cha[)-
ter of this treatise, and to remember that the Christian
pastor, in Protestant churches, in the administration of
these sacraments assumes no sacerdotal powers, and that
the sacraments themselves are not supposed by him to
possess any intrinsic or magical efficacy. They are not
oiKra opcrata ; they are symbols of spiritual facts and
relations, — beautiful symbols which may greatly aid in
impressing upon our minds these spiritual facts and in
leading us to enter joyfully into these spiritual relations.
The history of Baptism, beginning with the Day of
Pentecost and coming down through the first five centu-
ries of the life of the Church is a striking illustration of
the growth of ritualistic elements. What Matthew Ar-
nold calls the invasion of AhcrglauU is here visibly set
forth. "Originally administered in connection with im-
mersion by the Apostles and tlieir fellow-laborers, we sec
Holy Baptism in the ancient Church already indicated by
names which testify of a high degree of appreciation, but
at the same time lend [no ?] countenance to the supersti-
tious view which we see beginning to make its ai)iH'aranec
already in the second and third centuries. I {apt ism was
very soon termed 'anointing, seal, ilhuninatinn, s;ilv;i-
tion ; ' also 'the s])iritual gift, grace, the garb of inmu.r-
tality.' In proportion as infant l)a])tism Ijecaine more
general, <li»l also tin- notion gain gi-ound lli;it in li;tptisni
one was eleansed from sin, whether ht-ri'ditary or actual, —
a consideration whieli led not a few to delay the reception
158 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
of baptism as long as possible. By preference was tlie
sacred action administered by the bishop, yet also by
presbyters and deacons, even, in case of necessity, by lay-
men, — a course Avhich, among others, Tertullian and
Jerome declared to be admissible, provided it was per-
formed in a becoming manner." ^
In the third century baptism began to be assigned to
special seasons and places; Easter and Pentecost were
supposed to be more appropriate than other times ; and
buildings were erected for this purpose. One by one the
various ceremonial appendages of the rite were added :
the eastward posture, the anointing, the consecration of
the water, the laying aside of the old garments, the impo-
sition of hands, the white vestments of tlie candidates, the
burning tapers in their hands, the kiss of peace, the milk
and honey, the sal sajnenticc, and finally the administration
of the iirst communion.
All this involves a theory of the nature of baptism which
is still held in a large part of Christendom. It sup})oses a
transaction of great and vital importance ; it connotes a
belief that in the performance of the rite a spiritual change
is wrought upon the recipient. The phraseology of some
of the Protestant rituals expresses this belief, and the rite of
Exorcism, which is part of the baptismal service, not only
in the Roman Catholic church, but in some branches of
the Lutheran church, possesses a significance which cannot
be ignored.
The discussion of these questions does not come within
the scope of this treatise ; it is only necessary to admonish
the i)astor that lie nnist know wliat baptism means to him,
and that he must see to it that those who seek it for them-
selves or for their children are instructed as to its mean-
ing. The manner of administering tlic saci'anu'nt will be
affected by the belief on which it rests.
The I'rotestant pastors into whose hands this treatise
will fall will disagree respecting the mode and the subjects
1 Van Oostcrzoe's Prnrlirnl T/ieolo^i/, ]). 41 'J. Soo also Christian Inslitu-
tlons, hv A. V. (r. Allen, in tlils-series, Stanley's V/trislian Institutions, .and
Smith's C'l/rlopcdia of Christian Antifjnilics, Art. Baptism.
rULl'IT AND ALTAR 159
of baptism. By some of them the rite is Ijelieved to be
confined to adult believers, and to be administered to them
upon the confession of their own faith in Christ. By others
it is believed to be intended for children as well as for
adults. In either case the administration ought to be
performed in a reverent spirit, and with a dignified and
simple ritual. Never should it be disfigured by rude haste
or indecorous familiarities. A grave solemnity it always
is ; and not only those who participate in it but all who
witness it should be made to take this view of it. When
baptism is administered by immei'sion, whether in the font
or at the river-side, great care should be taken to make
the rite impressive and beautiful. It is, in this observance,
the ratification of the covenant of the soul with God ;
and the nature of the transaction should be kept clearly
in view.
In Paedobaptist churches baptism by sprinkling is usu-
ally administered to adults, in the churches, in connection
with the solemn rite by which they are received into the
fellowship of the church. It is fitting that the candidate
should kneel wdien he receives baptism; Avomen should lay
aside the covering of the head.
The administration of the sacrament to children raises
some questions respecting the significance of the rite,
\\ liicli the pastor must settle before he can determine upon
the form of the observance. By most of the lieformcrs the
ba[)tism of children is regarded as the seal of the covenant
made by God with believing parents. It is argued that
the performance of this rite is the outward fulfilment, (m
till" part of the parents, of their part of this coAcnant, and
that, if lightly done, it establishes a claim on their part to
the bestowment of the grace of (Jod uj)()ii their (hiidn'n.
If such is the nature of the observance, the words in which
the rite is luliniiiistered, and tlic jjiaycr l)y whidi it is fol-
lowed will conform to this tiieory of it. If llic cliiuch is
one of those which provides delinile forms and rubrics for
the administration of l);i])tisiii. the jmstor has, indeed, no
choice respecting the ])hrasi'ology which ]\v. will use: but
if considerable liberty of liturgical expression is allowed,
160 CHEISTIAiSr PASTOR AND WOIIKING CHUIICH
the pastor must have some clear idea of the nature of the
ordinance, and must make the administration express the
idea. The parents presenting the chikh-en slioukl them-
selves be carefullj^ instructed respecting the meaning of
the rite, and a brief addi'css to them, at the time of the
administration, should put this meaning into a form to
which they should be expected to signify their assent.
If the doctrine of the covenant is adopted by the liturgist,
let him express the covenant, in simple words, and call
upon the parents to accept it for themselves and for their
children.
There are those, however, Ijy wliom this sacrament of
baptism is not regarded as the seal of a covenant, but
rather as a solemn declaration of the fatherhood and the
redeeming love of God. This is the view so impressively
set forth by Frederick W. Robertson, in his instructions
to catechumens.^ Baptism is not, according to this \'w\y,
a ceremony the observance of which entitles the parent
to claim for the child the saving grace of God ; it is rather
a solenm arfirmation, made by the church, and assented to
by the parent, that the child belongs to God ; that God is
his Father, Christ his Redeemer, and the II0I3' Spirit his
Teacher and Inspirer. Baptism does not make him God's
child, any more than coronation makes a prince a king.
The prince was king the moment his father died ; corona-
tion solemnly witnesses to a fact, but it does not create
the fact. So baptism testifies to the truth that this child
has a Father in heaven. Nothing whatever is done in
baptism by which the child's claim upon God's grace, or
the parent's claim in the child's behalf is cstablislu'd ;
God's love and care are not conceived as conditioned upon
the observance of an outward rite ; but the rite expresses
the fatlicrly love of Ilim who said, "All souls are mine,"
and llio ro(hMMiiing grace of Tlim who said, "Of sueli is the
kingdom of licavcii." It" siicli is llic view of llic iiatui'c
of l)aj)tisni, the woi'ds in which it is a(hninistercd will ex-
press tliis ihouglit. T]\Q jiarents will understand that
tlu'y are joining in a solemn declaration lli;il this child
1 /-//'• niid /.rill 1:1 of F. W. Robertson, vol. ii. ]>. ."JJl, scj.
rLLl'lT AND AT.TAi: 161
belongs to Goil ; that the beginning- of wisdom for him
must therefore be to know God and trust and serve him ;
and they shouhl be made to promise that they will teach
the child, as soon as he can comprehend the meaning of
tlie words, whose child he is and what are his duties to his
Father in heaven.
The question whether baptism should ever be adminis-
tered to the children of parents who are not members of
the church is answered, naturally, in different senses, by
the holders of these differing: theories. I'hose who recrard
baptism as the seal of a covenant made by believers with
God can see no propriety in administering it to the chil-
di-en of those who are not believers. By the assumption
such parents can neither exercise the faith nor make the
claim which gives the ordinance its validity. Dr. Van
Oosterzee is inclined to make an exception ; he says that
" no parents who are not yet members must be received at
the font, save under the express promise that they will at
once receive Christian instruction for themselves, in order
that they may be in a position duly to instruct and set an
example to their children." ^ But most pastors of Reformed
churches in wliich the doctrine of the covenant is made
the basis of infant baptism are inclined to say that the
parents must [)ubliely accept the covenant for themselves
before they are permitted to claim it for their children.
If, however, the other theory is adopted, there seems to
be no conclusive reason Mdiy the children of jxirents who
are not believers should not be declared to be the children
of God, for such they are. If the parents wish this declara-
tion to be made, publicly, in God's house, concerning their
children, it is not clear that they ought to be refused.
Tliey ought, however, to be carefully instructed that this
baptism makes no particle of change in the condition of
their children ; that they are no more sure to go to heaven
when they die after than before ba])tisiu; that, although
they are God's chihhcn, tliey may, unless they are i»i(>i>erlv
trained, grow uj) to l)e ])rodigal and rebellious eliiMreii,
and may wan(K'r away into the far country and p^'iish
' Practical T/iro'offi/, j). 422.
11
162 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
there. And they should be required to listen carefully
to the promise which tlie parents must make who present
their children for baptism, — the promise that they will
teach the children to know their Father in heaven and
strive to lead them into his service. If they cannot con-
scientiously make this promise, they ought not to offer
their children in baptism. If they can and will make it,
the privilege of dedicating their children to God should
not be denied them.
All this closely connects the ^Jarents with the rite of
infant baptism, and assumes that the sacrament can have
no validity unless they take part in it. The presentation
of the child by sponsors involves the doctrine of sacra-
mental efficacy. If regeneration is effected by baptism, it
matters little who presents the child. Yet there was, no
doubt, a reason underlying the institution of sponsors.
The Church sought to enlarge the circle of those who
sliould liold themselves responsible for the training of
the child. Tlie parental responsibility was assumed ;
the sponsors were called in to supplement the parental
function : it was understood that in case of the death of
the parents the godfathers and godmothers were to assume
the spiritual care of the children. This obligation has
come to rest lightly on most of those who now assume it ;
yet there are conscientious souls to whom it is not desti-
tute of meaning.
The precise terms of the baptismal formula should be
considered. Should it be, " I baptize thee in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost," — or
does the preposition " /;i/o " better express the real mean-
ing of the ordinance ? The first form seems to assume on
the part of the administrator some sacerdotal or ecclesias-
tical autliority. lie is acting in tlie name and witli tlie
power of (jlod. The other forui rather appears to com]X)rt
with those views of the ministry to which this treatise
adheres. The meaning is that baptism introduces the per-
son receiving it into the name and family of God ; cere-
monially confers on him the Christian name ; publicly
recognizes him as bt'loiiLrinfr to the household of faith.
rULPIT AND ALTAU 163
"\"\''hetlier baptism should be privately administered or
not is a question that often confronts the Christian minis-
ter. No inflexible rule can be laid down ; but it is evident
that, if the second theory of the rite is accepted, the public
administration is far more appropriate. The declaration
involved in the ordinance is made by the church ; the min-
ister is only the mouth-piece of the church, and it is fitting
tliat it should be made in the sanctuary and in the presence
of the congregation. Moreover it is, as Ave shall see in a
later chajiter, the formal initiation of the child into the
fellowship of the church. " Infant baptism," says Dr.
Cannon, '' recognizes that infant church-membership which
is a great privilege ; its public administration, which con-
nects it with the prayers of the church, for parents and their
cliildren, shows that it is an invaluable privilege." ^
Th(! linal words of Dr. van Oosterzee upon this subject
are full of the wisdom and gentleness of Christ : " Do not
always baptize at the close, but at least now and then at
the beginning of the service, while the attention is yet
fresh. Where local services admit of it, the mothers with
their little ones should enter only immediately before the
solemnity, daring the reverent singing of the congregation.
Care should be taken that all the material here necessary
be in due order, and that the weak women be not kept
too long standing. . . . Do not delay to speak a word of
tenderness and love, when this is possible, in the families
after the ])aptism, and be on your guard against all that
may ever give rise to the impression that, in our estimation
the whole matter is only a less significant appendix to the
public service of the sanctuary. Accustom the congrega-
tion, on the other hand, to think of l)aptism in immediate
connection with the confession later to be made, and con-
stantly seek, above all, for the congregati<m and youi'sclf,
the baptism of the Holy (>li<»st. In lliis way tlic fruit of
baptism will become from time lo lime moi'c abundant for
family, congregation, and soci(!ty. und the b;i])tis( Ix' at tin;
same time one who prepares tlu' ^\ay for the kingdom of
heaven." 2
1 I\tstoral ThiDloijji, p. 440. - Pntrtinil Thcoloijij, p. 4'.'.1.
164 CriKISTIAX PASTOR AND AVOKKING CHURCH
The administration of the Lord's Supper is also a sacred
duty to which the pastor must give serious thought. Al-
though among the Reformed churches generally neither this
sacrament nor the other is supposed to call for the service
of a priest, and although by many Protestants it is be-
lieved that a layman may, with perfect propriet}-, adminis-
ter the ordinance, when circumstances render it advisable,
yet the careful and reverent performance of it is esteemed
by all intelligent Christians to be a matter of great
importance.
The practice of the Reformed churches differs greatly
wdth respect to the frequency of this administration. The
Scotch churches formerly observed the sacrament but twice
a year ; the Dutch churches observe it four times a year ;
most Presbyterian and Congregational churches in America
six times a j'-ear ; some Protestant Episcopal churches cele-
brate it monthly, and others weekly. The theories of the
sacramentalists naturally require the frequent observance ;
if the rite has efficacy in itself for the removal of sin and
the conveyance of grace, it cannot be too often celebrated.
But those who do not receive this theory nuist be governed
by considerations of expediency in determining the times of
its observance. The Scotch interval seems to be too long,
but the added seriousness and importance wdth which it in-
vests the Supper is a great gain. It is certain that increas-
ing the frequency of observance does not proportionately
enhance its value, and it is a question worth considering
by the American churches, whether tlie quarterl}- observ-
ance of the Dutch Avould not be better, on tlic whole, than
the monthly or bi-monthly celebration.
Most Protestant churches provide some service of prepa-
ration for the Supj)er. Sometimes, as among the I>a])lists,
it takes the form of a Covenant meeting in which the uieiii-
bers participate, with confession and testimony and song
and piayer. Among the Scotch Presbyterians, the prepa-
ration for tlio Su|t])er is a great soleiiniily, oc'cujning sev-
eral days. Witli fasting and prayci', witli iiuicli solciiiii
instruction and meditation, tlic communicants apjiroacli llic
table. I'resljyterians in America often devote eonsiderable
tTJLPIT A^rt> ALTAll 165
time to services of this nature. jManuals of instruction
prepared for their ministry lay much emphasis upon this
work of preparation. In the early part of the week pre-
ceding the communion, the pastor is advised to call a
meeting of the church for pra3-er. Toward the end of
the week, generally on Friday afternoon or evening, a
more formal service is held, at which a discourse, having
distinct reference to the sacrament, is preached by the
Pastor.
This " Preparatory Lecture," or Sermon, is common to
many of the Reformed churches. The nature of this ad-
dress will be suggested by the circumstances and the pres-
ent condition of tlie church. The underl^-ing thought must
be the Lord's gift of himself for us, — the revelation of his
saving love in his great sacrifice. His identification of
himself with men in his life and death, and our salvation
tlu-ough our voluntary identification of ourselves with him,
will be the central theme of all these services. Paul's words
convey the thought which should be uppermost : " For the
love of Christ constrainetli us ; because we thus judge, that
one died for all, therefore all died ; and that he died for all
tliat they which live should no longer live unto themselves,
liut unto liiin who for their sakes died and rose again." ^
I Jut this thouglit admits of many practical applications to
the existing ]if(> of the church itself; and it is often very
serviceable anIuii llie members of the church are gathered
for this prciiaiatory service, and few others are present, to
consider delinitely what this principle of identihcation witli
( 'In-ist involves with respect to the work in which the climch
is engaged, and how they may l)est manifest their gratituiU'
for liis great love, and show themselves t(t l)e identified with
liiiii in thought and life. If tlic cliiinli is lo undertake any
new service in belialf of the poor or the neglected, the
proper place to consider i( is at the Ivord's table, and at tlie
service of preparation foi it.
In the Roman Catholic church, confession always ])re-
ccdcs the I'hichaiist ; :ind the ]ir('pnra(ion is made in the
convei'satiou between the jx'iiitent and the priest, and in
1 a Cor. V. II, 1.-..
166 CHRISTIAN PASTOil AND WOllKING CHUllCH
the discipline enjoined at the confessional. The Lntheran
church also adheres to private confession, but considerably
modifies the Roman Catholic practice. Dr. Harnack ad-
mits that confession is not enjoined by the Scriptures, but
maintains that it is of great practical value, — especially
as a means of safeguarding the Lord's Supper.^
The manner of the administration differs in Protestant
churches. Episcopalians and Methodists receive it kneel-
ing at the altar ; in some churches large tables are sur-
rounded with the communicants, and are cleared and filled
afresh until all have partaken; and in many others the
elements are distributed by the officers of the church to tlie
communicants sitting in their pews. The form of the sac-
rament is evidently not essential ; each of these methods
has a fitness and beauty of its own which endears it to
those who have become accustomed to it.
In the Dutch churches it has long been the practice for
the minister at the table to address a few questions to the
communicants, reverently standing, to which they make
audible response. Such a renewal of their confession of
loyalty to the Lord seems highly appro2:»riate. After these
questions there were formerly added, in some parts of
Holland, the following beautiful words by the pastor:
"Now, beloved, if we are faithful, and will be faithful
with all our heart, although much weakness and sin still
cleave to us, contrary to our desire, the Lord is faithful,
Avho also will complete his work in us. lie will l)k'ss and
strengthen us ; he M'ill lift up his countenance upon us
and enligliten and sanctify us. He sliall ]irescrve our
whole being, spirit, soul, and body, uiil)laiiiabk! unto his
appearing. Amen." ^
The address at the Comnumiou service must not be
1" Alior in dor Alisolurioii liandolt der Trilgor dcs Anits wodcr als /i/r/er,
wie der roniisdic Kirclio lohrt, nocli als fraler, \\\c die Sclnveltzerisclioii be-
liauptcn, sondcrn als mi'iustrr Dei, als Dieiier, "N'crwalter dos neuestostameiit-
liclien Gnadcnamts. Dariun isf. Absolution wedcr ciii riclitorlicbos .ludirercn,
noch oiii brudcrliilios licratlion ; soiidcrii es ist eiii Spciiden uiid speeiellcs
Appliccrcri der Ciiiade an don ICinzolnen ini Xanien Gottcs." (Gcschichte und
T/tcorir (hr Predifjl und der Seclsorge, p. 481.)
2 Van Oosterzce, Practical T/ieolorji/, ]>. 420.
PULPIT AND ALTAll 1G7
extended ; a brief sermon, of not more than fifteen minutes
in length, may be the best preparation ; but all the exer-
cises should be so ordered that the service shall not be
fatiguing. To append the Communion to a service of
ordinary length is not wise.
In most Protestant churches some form of invitation to
the table is generally given. Sometimes all members of
sister churches or of Evangelical churches, in good and
regular standing, are invited ; sometimes the broader invi-
tation is given to all disciples and followers of Jesus
Christ. It is not to be supposed that any form of words
will serve to bar from the table all unworthy persons ; and
it may be wisest to throw upon the communicant himself
the entire responsibility of receiving or refusing the
Supper.
The pastor will often find among his people some who
hesitate to come to the table because of a conceived im-
worthiness. That blunt translation of Paul's words in the
Old ^^e^sion, that " he that eateth and drinketh unworthily
eateth and tlrinketh damnation to himself," ^ has terrified
many timid disciples. The pastor needs carefully to in-
struct his people as to the force of that word " uuAvorthily,"
and that other word " damnation ; " and should make them
Tuiderstand that those who most deeply feel their own
unworthiness are those who are most welcome at Christ's
tal)le, if only they come Avith contrite hearts and sincere
desire to overcome tlie evil.
The words of Paul just quoted have led, in some
churches, to a careful guarding of the sacrament from
unworthy communicants. In Holland the address pre-
ceding comnmnion is called " feiu-ing the tables," from
the fact that it is designed to A\arn away those who are
unfit to participate. The need of sincerity and seriousness
in this as in all other acts of worship is too evident to be
insisted on ; and it is not unnatural that S(mu3 exceptional
caution be enjoined on those who ap[)roach tlie Lord's
ta])le; yet it may 1)e (pu^stioned whether too much emplia-
sis has not l)een put on these admniiitioiis. A sujxTsti-
1 Cur. xi. 2'.t.
168 CHEISTIAX PASTOR AND AVOIIKIXG CHUECH
tioiis fear of " eating and diinking condemnation," if not
damnation, keeps many Inimble and conscientious Chris-
tians away from the table. Tlie feehng is prevalent that
the rite is only for those whose sanctity is exceptional ;
tliose who most need its comfort often either deprive
themselves of the ordinance, or else draw near to the table
with so much doubt and fear that its benefits are lessened,
if not lost. All such stumbling-ljlocks the pastor miLst
seek to remove. In his preparatory services and in his
invitations to the Sn})per he must make it clear that the
sacrament is not for the sinless, but for all needy souls
who in true poverty of spirit are seeking to turn from
their evil ways and to receive the forgiveness of their sins.
Some churches require intending communicants to be
provided with tickets of admission to the sacrament. The
provision springs from the anxiety of the church to prevent
unworthy communication ; it is not so much the profana-
tion of the Supper that is dreaded as the injvny to the
unworthy communicant. The impossibility of exercising,
in such a case, any adequate judgment upon the characters
of communicants might, however, lead the church authori-
ties to question the wisdom of such a course. The most
vigilant censorship Avill not shut out all the unworthy ;
and it is at least an open question whether it is not better
to require every disciple to judge himself. This seems,
at any rate, to be the clear meaning of the apostolic
instruction.^
One of the most solemn services of the altar to wliich
the pastor is called is the reception of new members to the
church. In some of the churches tlie rite of Confirmation
is carefully defined ih rules an<l rubrics ; the minister's
duty is i)recisely laid down. The instruction of tliose who
are to be received into the communion of the cluirch is
systematized and enjoined ; of tliis we shall liave more to
say in a subsequent chapter. Even in these churches,
however, unidi must Ih- left to the discretion of llie
pastor; it will In- his duty ti) Iti'ing home i]\o ol)ligation
of publicly confessing tlieir Lmd to the minds of many
1 1 Cor. xi. 28, 29.
PULl'IT AND ALTAR 169
Avlin have been consecrated to liis service in their infancy,
and of nrany others who have not received sncli initiation
into the divine society.
In many of the Protestant churches the ritual of admis-
sion is not elaborate, and the whole matter largely depends
on the wisdom of the pastor. To him is chiefly committed
the (j^uestion of the fitness of candidates ; even where there
is a session or a consistory or a committee whose approval
must be secured, the pastor's recommendations are gener-
ally influential.
If the form of admission includes the acceptance of a
creed it is manifestly the dut}" of the pastor to see that
the candidate understands the words to which he will give
his assent. There should be no concealment or evasion
here ; the intellectual dishonesty of repeating phrases
A\liich do not express the convictions of the candidate
should never be encouraged by the pastor. The wisdom
of employing theological creeds in the formularies of ad-
mission to the churcli may well be questioned; but if his
church has establislied this condition, he can do nothing
other than conform to it.
Wlicre no such theological expressions are required of
candidates there is still an important duty iov tlie pastor
in bringing those who are without into the communion of
the church. It is for him to set before them an open door,
and to speak the invitation so graciously that they shall be
constrained to come in. And the moment when he meets
on the threshold of the church these discii)k's who have
been won to confession through his ministry will be lo
him and to them a moment of great seriousness. With
great dignity, with entire simplicity, with deep tenderness
of spiiit the service ouglit to be conducted. Tiie self-
dedication of the candidates is a solemn act, and its sig-
nificance ought to appear. But it is also a joyfnl and
inspiring service to which they are devoting themselves, and
the note of hope and exaltation must not be absent. Not
onlv for the ciindidates, but for the members of the house-
hold ol" I'aitli into wliidi they arc now entering, such a ser-
vice ought to be memorable and niilifting. WlietluT or not
170 CHRISTIAN PASTOK AND WORKING CHURCH
it shall be so will depend very largely upon the spirit of
the pastor.
One other service of a liturgical character the pastor is
often called to perform. Marriage is not, in the Protes-
tant churches, a sacrament ; but it is a rite of great sacred-
ness, and it is entirely fitting that it should be performed
within the church. Wherever the covenant is conse-
crated, however, its true character should not be lost
sight of. The State provides for civil marriage by magis-
trates ; the fact that so few persons avail themselves of
this provision is proof that the sacredness of the act is still
deeply impressed upon the consciousness of the dwellers
in Christian lands. The great majority even of those who
have no connection with the churches desire that the cere-
mony of marriage should be performed by a minister of
Cluist and blessed by prayer. It is a choice which the
conduct of the officiating minister should abundantly con-
firm. Let him see to it that the sacredness of the rite
be manifest to those who have thus invoked his service.^
Let him make tlicm feel, if they never felt it before, that
they are standing in the very presence of God, and speak-
ing their vows directly to him ; that no act of their lives
can ever require deeper humility or greater conscientious-
ness. Not seldom young men and women unknown to
liim will come to him with tlie authorization of the State
in tlieir liands, but with a very inadequate conception in
their minds of the importance of the business in which
they solicit liis offices. It is a pitiful emergency Avhich
he thus confronts ; it is not ordinarily advisable for liim
to refuse to render the service whicli they request, nor is
it judicious for him to offer remonstrance or exhortation.
All that hv can do is to fill the simple rite so full of its
tru(! moaning that some sens(! of its vital significance may
dawn n[)on them, even in the inoincnls wliih^ f^icy are
stantUng before liim. As he pronounces the solemn "words
^ " Lc miliiHtrc doit bieti se ganlor d'arcomplir certains rites, tcls que
lia])tGnie et lo inaria^o, (I'liiie uiaiiiere li'jji'ro ot trop coniniiino. Co. <\n\
est nil ncto journalier pour nous est toujours uu acte solenucl pour autres."
(Vinet, Thi^olor/ie Pastorale, p. 211.)
PULPIT AXD ALTAR 171
of the covenant, as he lifts up his voice in prayer, the truth
may be borne into their minds that the vows which they
are uttering must not be lightly spoken.
In all cases the marriage service, as the Christian min-
ister performs it, ought to be one of the most impressive
and genuinely religious services in which he ever partici-
pates ; the festivities with which it is apt to be surrounded
should never be permitted to encroach upon its sacred
character.
CHAPTER VII
THE PASTOR AS FEIEND
In a previous chapter we have spoken of that priesthood
of sympathy which the pastor exercises through his iclen-
tificatioji with his people. It is evident that tlie fulfil-
ment of this relation is made possible only by a general
acquaintance with the community, and a more or less inti-
mate friendship with the families and the individuals to
whom he is called to minister.
In the general social life of the neighborhood in which
he lives the pastor ought to mingle as freely as he can.
He will not be able to give nearly as much time to this
part of his work as he would like to give ; for his study
must not be neglected, and the administrative Avork, of
which we have yet to speak, must be carefully attended
to ; but he will understand the importance of knowing
liis neighbors, and of being fully informed concerning the
general interests of the commuiuty in which he lives.
'J1iis is not to say that he will devote a very large part of
his time to what is technically known as " society," though
even into this, with due circumspection, he will find it to
his account to enter. The fasliionable people arc his
neighbors; some of them may be his parisliioncrs, and
he needs to know them. Tlicii- fiivolitics and dissipations
he need not countenance: but a liisl-liand ac(|uaintance
with tlicm is indispcnsahlc. 'I'licsc ])C()])1(' arc not clean
gone astray; inan\- of them entertain serious aims; sonic
of tliem are full ol jjcneficent labors; not only tliat lie
may do them good, but tliai he may eidist them in the
wnvk of the kingdom it is important that lie sliould main-
lain IVicndU' relations with theni. '• 'I'ake an illustra-
tion,'" sa}s oJie wi'iter, ■' t Voiii the society of the second
THE PASTOll AS FRIEND 173
century. It is said of St. Ignatius that he longed to know
more Christians, and to give them an interest in eacli
other. This is a natural wa}- in Avhich we can contribute
our share to the drawing-rooms of our parish. We can-
not guide the conversation if we tried, and it would per-
haps savor of presumption if Ave could ; but we can often
throw a kindness into some sharp criticism that is going
on ; we can go and talk with some one who seems shy or
neglected ; we must not argue, but we may quietly give
a practical reason for our faith when questions arise about
it; if we cannot conquer people by the force of our intel-
lect, we may win them by unaffected humility ; we need
not assert ourselves, our views, or our cause, but we may
commend them by their effect on our own character. And
we shall often gain more than we give ; we shall Avear off
the weariness of oiu- parish work, and we shall humanize
our morning study ; we shall enlarge and enrich our own
mind Ijy living in contact with those who see things fiom
anc^ther view-point and from a different training." ^
But it is more important that the pastor should make
himself thoroughly familiar with the industrial, the educa-
tional, and the philanthropic circles, and that he should
have a good acquaintance with the busy life of the com-
munity. He will have much to do with the proper devel-
f)pment of this life. I lis task, as we have seen already and
shall liereafter more distinctly see, is the Christianization of
all this manifold and multiform activity. But our thouglit
at present concerns only his relation to the individuals of
which these social groups are composed. I If needs to
know something about tlic labor question; hut most he
needs to know the men w lio are wrestling with this ques-
tion. It is importaril to understand economic tlieorii's,
but it is more ini])oit;mt to have some jxTsftiial ac(|iiaiiit-
ance witli tlic huiii;iii beings to whom these theories :iri'
matters of life and (h-ath. It is precisely so with all these
social intei'ests. J^aeh has a theoretic side, and each has
a hiiiiiim side; ;iii(l ilie minister needs to klmw wlmt he
can of both. That his preaching will In; more iiitelli^cnt
' I'hc Parish Prirst in Tnwii, |ip. .'10, .'57.
174 CHRISTIAN rASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
and more liumane because of this knowledge is evident
enough; but the point now before us is that he gains, by
such a familiarity with every-day affairs, opportunities of
friendship which M'ill greatly add to the fruitfulness of his
ministry.
The minister ought to be one of the best known men in
liis neighborhood; the men of business, the professional
men, the laboring men, the teachers, the pupils in the
schools ought to recognize him in the streets and exchange
with him a cordial greeting ; he ought to be the one man
in all the vicinage to whom the heart of any one in need
of a friend would instinctively turn. He is, by virtue of
his calling, nay, rather, by reason of the life that is in him,
the friend of all these people. The chief Pastor, when he
was here, was the people's friend. Everybody seems to
have known him ; nobody was afraid of him. Faber's
verses describe what was true of his life in the flesh : —
" O see how Jesus trusts himself
Unto our childish love !
As though by his free ways with us
Our earnestness to prove.
" His sacred name a common word
On earth he loves to hear :
There is no majesty in him
That love may not come near."
He was the Friend of publicans and sinners, but he was
not less truly the Friend of rich men, and of little children.
It is the first business of the pastor to establish sucli
relations as these between himself and all the people of
his neigliborhood. It is not merely to the members of his
own congregation tliat he will manifest tliis friendliness ;
if the mind tliat was in Christ is in liim, no sucli exclusive
affection will be possible to him. To do good to all men
as he has opportunity will be the impulse of his love.
Such free and familiar intercourse witli all classes of
people has not always been expected of the Christian
minister. Indeed, it has sometimes been supposed that
a somewhat careful reserve was most bcrominrr in liim.
THE TASTOR AS FRTEXD 175
" Tlie very question," says Van Oosterzee, '* Avhetlier the
pastor ought to associate on terms of friendship with the
members of his congregation, is by no means answered by
all in the same sense. The Komish church permits this
only within great limitations. J. IJ. Massilon, for instance,
in his Discours sur la maniere clont les Ecclesiastiques doivent
co/iicrser avec les jJ^^'sonnes chi module, would have the
priest, as a rule, associate only with priests ; and cer-
tainly it cannot be denied on the Protestant side that one
may as greatly err in this respect by the too much as by
the too little." ^ For priests, who recognize themselves as
belonging to a separate caste, tliis may be a good rule ;
but not for those who regard themselves as possessing no
such dignity. Even the parish priests of France and
Germany, the best among them, have but lightly regarded
counsels of this kind, and have kept themselves in closest
friendship with the people to whom they ministered.
It is not by withdrawing from familiar intercourse with
the people that the minister best preserves the sanctity of
his character. The leaven must be mingled with the meal ;
and the more thoroughly it is worked into it, the better
the results will be. And this means, among other things,
a close and familiar intercourse between those lives which
have received the divine influence in its fulness and those
which have not. The one task of the minister is to brinsf
the active goodness which exists in the hearts and lives of
his people into vital contact with the needs of the human
beings round about them. It is by this personal and prac-
tical friendshi[) of the members of the church with those
who are witliont that the work of evangelization is to be
carried on. Ami if the pastor wishes his people to do this
work he must show them how to do it. Ilowtlie Chiistian
minister, in this generation, ciin hold himself aloof from
tlic [)Cople of his congregation and of his neighborhood,
or how he can maintain a kind of social (Hstinelion iVoin
them, does not clearly ai)peai".
And yet it is very important that his intercourse with
his neighbors be not of such a character as to uiiderniino
^ Practical Theolo<ji/, \>. 543.
170 CHRISTIAN PASTOK AND WORKING CHURCH
his influence. He is not to assume any superiority over
them, but on the other hand he must beware how he lowers
his own standards of judgment or conduct in conformity to
tlieirs. It may not be necessary for him constantly to
rebuke the selfishness, the frivolit}', the sordidness, the un-
charity which he encounters in his conversation with those
whom he meets ; these people are his friends, and it is of
the utmost importance that he should not forfeit their
friendship ; but it is possible for him to set forth, affirma-
tively, in his own conversation and conduct, such an ideal
of character as shall awaken in them a desire for something
better. When he is in the companj' of those who are too
much given to frivolous amusement, he may lead the con-
versation to more serious subjects — to the great opportu-
nities for unselfish service ; when he hears a word of
ungenerous criticism, he can reply to it with a charitable
judgment ; when lie comes in contact with one who is being
consumed with covetousness or ambition he may gently
endeavor to turn his thought toward higher interests. One
may be in the closest friendship with the selfish and the
worldly and not be overborne by their selfishness and
worldliness. One must be in close friendship with them
in order to do them any good. " As thou didst send me
into the world," said the Master, " even so have I sent
them into the world." "They are not of the world, even as
I am not of the world." " I pray not that thou shouldest
take them from the world, but that thou sliouldcst keep
them from the evil." ^
When the pastor has succeeded in establishing between
himself and liis neighljors and parisliiom-rs such relations
of friendship, great opportunities of ]iel))ful ministr\' will
come to him. As friend ;iim1 (•ounscllor mikI guide of
men, lieavy responsibilities will be laid upon him. Tliere
will be no confessional in wliieli lie will sit as the mouth-
piece of (lod, to heai' tlic wnnl of the penitent and j)i'o-
nounce a])Solution, but if lie is the kind of iniin that he
ought to be, a grciit many stories of doul)l ;ind iieri)lexity
•iud sorrow '.iiid shame and despair are likely to bi' poui'ed
^ Jiilin x\ ii.
THE PASTOR AS FRIEND 177
into liis ears. The cure of souls is liis high calling ; it
invokes for him what tenderness, what dignity, what sym-
pathetic insight, what sanity of judgment, what love for
men, what faith in God! His own personality will deter-
mine very largely the nature of the conlidence reposed
in him. If he is weak and effusive and credulous, all
sorts of sentimentalists will burden him with their tales
of woe and entanoie him in their trillino- toils. There is
peril on this side, and he must be on his guard. But if
he is known to be a man of sober sense and firm character,
the silly sort will not greatly affect him. lie will not, if
he is as wise as Solomon was reputed to be, wholly escape
such confidants, but they will not seriously trouble him.
Above all things let him beware how he deals with
domestic difficulties. To take sides in a quarrel between
a husband and a wife is generally perilous business. It is
a good rule to hear nothing from either except in the
other's presence. In many cases — probably in the great
majority of cases — the right word for the minister to the
one who brings the complaint is a very firm and ener-
getic injunction to go home, and never speak of it to any
mortal, Ijut to settle the trouble without any outside inter-
ference. A minister may often say in such a case, with
all the authority and solemnity of the everlasting truth in
his utterance : " You two nuist live together. You have
covenanted to do so before the eternal God, and you must
keep your covenant. Separation is not to be thought of.
You took each other for Ijetter or Avorse, and you must not
desert each other now. The problem for eacli of you is
to win and compel the respect, the affection, of the other.
Yi)n can do it if you try. You had better die than fail.
Cio home and begin to-day." Such words as these have
put an end, more than once, to discords that would have
destroyed households and left children homeless.
There is, ]i(i\\-e\-er, in every congregation, enough of
real tiouMe to tax the iiiiiiisler's resources of sympathy
and wisddiii. I low niueli there is, in every community,
of anxit'ty and disaj)])oiiitmeiil and h(>ari-])ivaking sorrow
that never comes to the surface, of which the gossiping
12
178 CHIUSTIA^' PASTOR AXD WORKING CHURCH
world never knows anything at ail ! A great deal of this
trouhle comes to the minister; he must always be tlie
sharer of many burdens which are hidden from the public
gaze. This is just as it ought to be; the pastor has as
little reason to complain of it as the doctor has to com-
plain of a multitude of patients. But it is apt to be the
most exhaustive part of the pastor's work; the drafts
made upon his nervous energy through the appeal to his
sympathies are heavier than those which are due to his
studies. Every pastor must be ready for a great deal of
this kind of work, — work that will make no noise in the
newspapers, and that will not greatly affect his clerical
reputation, but that will have its reward in the day when
he is received into the everlasting habitations.
Pastoral work rather tends, in these days, to take this
form, especially in the larger churches. There is less of
what is known as pastoral visiting; but there is more of
demand upon the pastor for counsel and help in all sorts
of personal troubles. Tlie pastor offers less of personal ser-
vice than once he did, but he is called on for more. This
is partly because the sacerdotal character of the minister
is fading out, and the brotherly character is more strongl}^
accentuated. Formerly the pastor was expected to go
regularly to the homes of his parishioners, and there to
enter into religious conversation with every member of
the family, seeking to learn the secrets of the spiritual
history of each one, and offering sucli admonition as
seemed wise to him. Tlierc is less of this than once
there was ; some wise men think that there is less of it
now than there ought to be. Tlie change has i-esulted
in part, no dou1)t, from an enlarged, perhaps an exagger-
ated, sense of the sacredness of personality. Conscien-
tious ministers often have scruples about thrusting their
counsel u]ion those wlio give no sign of desiring it, and
are more than doubtful about the utility of such a method
of family visitation as was formerly practised. Some of
us who were by no means indisposed, in our cliildliood,
to religious conversation, under proper conditions, do yet
vividly recall the repugnance with wliicli the ol'licial visit
THE PASTOR AS FKIEND 179
of the parson to the family was expected, and xlvc annoy-
ance with which we replied to his inquisition. Dr. Will-
cox is not far from the truth when lie says to young
ministers: "In your labor with individuals, to draw them
to Christ, see each of them ahvavs alone. It is a ffriev-
ance to any one to ask him to throw open to a group of
listeners his inmost life. Commonly he will decline. If
he does 3()U will talk, not with, but onl}' at him. You
will preach to him only the general counsel that never
comes home to us." ^ It is not clear that this can be
adopted as a universal rule; the pastor may know of
fanuly circles into which he could safely introduce the
most intimate conversation on religious themes. lUit it
is ordinarily far wiser to respect the natural reticence
which shrinks from the exposure of the secrets of the
soul. And it is }n-ol)able that the pastor who went about
among the homes of his people, questioning husbands and
Mives, parents and children, brothers and sisters as he
found them, in the family groups, would not be so apt
to attract to himself the confidence of those who really
need counsel as if he adopted a less aggressive method.
Pastoral visitation, as we shall presently see, may still
serve an excellent purpose ; but, as affording an oppor-
tunity for serious conversation ujion tlie religious life, it
does not hold the same place that once it held in the
estimation of the wise pastor.
For the personal ministry which we are now considering,
other opportunities must be sought than those which are
afforded by general pastoral visitation. Sometimes the
iiKUi can be found in his ofllce or his i)lace of Inisiness;
but care must be taken not to encroach upon time \\liicli
is occupied with necessary duties. Sometimes a walk or
a drive or a railway journey in company will 1)riiig the
o])])ortuiiity : very often llic ])aslor"s study or his ]iarloi'
at home will rtuiiisli the place for such an iiit(i\ icw. It
is alwaAS far better, of ef)urse, that the conlidcncc shonhl
be sought bv tlie jiarishioiier ; to o])cn tlic \\a\ foi- this
and lead up to it is what tlic skilful pastor will seek to
' T/ic I'lislor timiiht his I-lock, p. 41.
180 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHtJECH
do. Ijiit it may sometimes be wise for liim to invite such
confitlences. He may have reason to believe that some
friend of his in the congregation is in a state of mind in
wliich a frank talk with his pastor would be welcome,
though he would shrink from proposing it. A cordial
invitation might Ijring him to the study or the parsonage.
The wise and faithful pastor is always seeking for such
opportunities of personal ministry to those who have
learned to confide in his friendship.
A confidential note will sometimes open the way for
such a conversation. There may be circumstances in
which the pastor could more easily and delicately invite
the confidence in this Avay. To find the occasion for the
first serious words is often difficult. But the pastor
should be sure that he possesses the entire respect and
confidence of tlie friend whom he thus addresses. It
is always better, when possible, that the conmiunicalion
should be face to face, as a man speaketh with his friend.
The needs of the souls to whom the pastor seeks to
minister are man}- and various. No two cases arc alike ;
each is a separate study. But one may think of types
which are always found in all our congregations.
The pastor is too apt to find among the members of his
churcli some who have ceased to take any active part in its
work, and some who have even lost their interest in s])irit-
ual things ; with such persons as these he should seek to
establish friendship, that he may, if possible, lead them
back to the ways of discipleship. The first thing is to win
their confidence; then he may seek to learn the reasons of
their lack of service.
With some of these the chief dil'liculty will be found to
be intellectual. They have become entangled in doubts,
and cither are, or suppose themselves to be, disabled for
Christian service. The i)roblem of dealing with the doubter
is tluis brought home to the pastor. In these latter days
it is a problem of hirge dinieusions. Tlic tremendous ad-
vance of the ])hysi('al sciences, tlie rise of the ]tliil()sophy
of evolution, the prevalence of tlie methods of historical
criticism, have madi! n('(;essary a restatement of many of
THE PASTOIi AS FRIEND 181
the doctrines of religion, and have swept the foundations
from beneath the feet of multitudes who have not had time
to adjust themselves to these rapid movements of mind.
Many of these doubters, who have withdrawn from active
work in the church, are not really half so widely se[)arated
from their brethren as they suppose themselves to be. The
things which they are inclined to den}^ are things which no
one wishes them to affirm. The pastor finds, when he comes
to close quarters with their difficulties, that the stumbling-
blocks from which they have turned back are not really
there, — that they were swept away long ago by the move-
ments of Christian thought. One is often surprised to find
how ignorant men are of what is going on around them, —
how little aware they are of the progress of theological
science. The wdse pastor is often able to give great relief
to l)urdened minds by showing them that tlie difficulties
wliich had troubled them do not exist.
Real difficulties there are, however, and they nnist be
met with the utmost candor. Not seldom it will be easy
to show that they rest upon an unsound philosophy ; that
wliat the doubters deny would lead, if they consistently
maintained it, to intellectual chaos. And it is generally
true that there are mysteries quite as profound in the sim-
plest phenomena of life as any which theology presents.
Tennj'son's lines are an adequate reply to many sceptical
sugfi-estions : —
" Flower in the crannied wall,
I pluck you out of the crannies ;
Hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
Little flower — but if I could understand
Wliat you are, root and all, and all in all,
I should know whiiL (!od and man is."
The pastor will often be tdjki to ])ut into the liaiids of the
doubter some book that deals s])ecilieally and \\isely with
his (lirticiilties. l"^iniili;iiity witli literature of lliis l<iiid is
liiglih- inij)ortaut. and a jndieions usi' of it; for miieh of
tliat wliieli is em[)loyed is eah'ulated to aggravate ratlier
than til lelii've doubt. (\'rtain cdiMiscls of \)\-. \an ()i)S-
tei/ee may w ell l)e ])ondered : —
182 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHUECH
" The doubter may be led by means of the Scripture to
Christ, but also by faith in Christ to the just estimate of
the Scriptures ; and according to the apportionment of these
times, the last-mentioned way appears preferable in the
case of by far the greater number. From the viulta, there-
fore, direct the attention to the nndtiom ; from the circum-
ference of the circle to its unmovable centre. Learn to
comprehend and explain each of the parts in the light of
the whole ; the miracles of the prophets, from the idea
of the theocracy; those of Jesus and the apostles, from
the whole divine plan of salvation ; those of creation in
connection with the idea of God. In the clearing up of
historic difficulties for persons of intelligence, frankly
surrender all that you cannot, with a good conscience,
maintain; but point out at the same time (in connection
with the details of the resurrection, e.g.) how many a de-
tail less certain, or even for us irreconcilable with other
statements, detracts nothing whatever from the great fact
with which we have here exclusively to do. In the treat-
ment of dogmatic questions, withdraw quickly (when
there is a divergency,) from the province of ecclesiastical
doctrine to that of the purer doctrine of Scripture, espe-
cially of the New Testament, and show that, even though
very considerable difficulties attach to the acknowledg-
ment of the truth, its consistent rejection leads to much
greater difficulties, nay, absurdities. Call attention to
the limitation of the intellect with regard to the lioiv of
invisible things, but at the same time to the validity of the
grounds which compel us to believe in the that. Extol
the power and glory of faith, even according to the tes-
timony of not a few unbelievers tliemselvcs ; and point
not less to tlie depths of denial and misery to which tlie
patli of doubt must in the long run inevitably lead." ^
This whoh- siil)ject of the treatment of doubt belongs to
Apologetics, rather than to Pastoral Theology; yet it is in
this s])li('r(i that the pastor is called to apply wliat lie lias
li;iiii«<I ill many departments of study; and a few simple
piiiiciph's may be serviceable in this part of liis work.
' Practical T/ico!oi/i/, pj). 070-571.
THE TASTOli A8 FKIEND 183
1. Most of the intellectual difficulties Avliicli the pastor
will encounter at the present day arise from the assump-
tion of the antecedent improbability of the miraculous.
Upon this it is well to say that while what is known as
the miraculous may be supernatural, it is not anti-nat-
ural. It may be the revelation of a power which works
upon or within nature in a way that we do not understand ;
it is not a violation of nature.
2. To one who objects to any religion in Avliich the
su})ernatural is implied, it may be useful to put the (ques-
tion A\'hetlier he believes in a supernatural God, and
whether if there be such a God it is possible for men to
liave any relations with him. If religion consists in fel-
lowshi[) and communion with a supernatural divinity, it is
dil'licult to see how the element of the supernatural can be
w liolly eliminated from it.
■]. The proof of religion, so far as it is gained by or-
dinary argumentation, must rest on probabilities ; demon-
strative proofs are out of the question. Kespecting the
existence of God or the fact of a future life there can be
no mathematical certainty. A preponderance of evidence
in support of the proposition may be shown — nothing
more. But this is precisely the ground on which we rest
all our judgments of practical affairs ; we risk oui- lives,
our fortunes, our happiness upon such evidence.
4. The Christian religion is given to us not for specula-
tive, but for practical [)urposes. There is only one test,
tliat is tlie test of life. It is not much less absurd to try
to determine its truth by simply arguing about it than it
would be to tiy to lind out whetlier a ])each was good
without tasting it, or whether air would su[)j)ort life with-
out breathing it. "If any man willeth to do liis will he
shall know of the doctrine." ^ The hrst condition of intrl-
ligent inquiry is readiness to ''do the truth." The man
who wishes light upon the deoj) tilings of God nuist put
liimsflf in the position in which light can come to him.
This business of dealing with doubt is one of tlie most
delicate and dil'licult to which the minister is ealled : it
1 .lelm vii. 17.
18-1 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
requires a large equipment of knowledge, but more than
this it demands tact and sympathy and loving considera-
tion. Doubtless there is much scepticism which is born
of ignorance and conceit and headiness, — wliich vaunteth
itself and is puffed up, and assumes that whatsoever things
have been believed must be disputed, — that this is the
beginning of wisdom. But even this distemper of mind is
to be dealt with patiently ; false logic and arrogant as-
sumptions must be mercilessly exposed, yet always with
kindness. The most of those, however, who will jnako
known to the minister their doubts are honest doubters,
and a generous and patient treatment will lead them into
the truth. Such doubters must be admonished not to bo
afraid of their doubts, but to face them, and grapple with
them fearlessly ; never to accept any sophistries for reason-
ings ; and never to try to compel the mind to assent to a
statement because it is safer or more comfortable to believe
it. " Have it as a law," says Dr. Bushnell, " never to put
force upon the mind, or try to make it believe ; because it
spoils the mind's integrity, and when that is gone, what
power of advance in the trutli is left? " ^
In short, it may be said that in liis treatment of the
doubters in his congregation the pastor has a great op-
portunity of extending his friendsliips. No greater service
can be rendered to any man than an honest and manly
effort to enable him to find the truth. And those who
have found their wa}', under his guidance, out of the wil-
derness of doubt into the green pastures and beside the
still waters, are likely to cherish a deep and lasting affec-
tion for the sliephcrd wlio has led them.
The pastor will find among his parishicjucrs not a few
\\]\n liave fallen out of the ways of active discipleshi[) l)e-
cause the views of the Christian life with which they set
out have not been veriiied in their ('Xjieiience. They
entertained I'atlicr fanciful notions of \\liat it means to fol-
low Christ. At tiie Ix'ginning of th(! way there was a cer-
tain exhilaration and fervor of spirit Avhich on the dull
^ Srrwniix <»> Lii'inij Sulijrrix. p. ISI. Tliis wlmlf .serniuii on "The Dis-
solving of Doubts" is full of the ripest wisdom.
I
THE TASTOIl AS FRIEND 185
levels of eveiy day duty it is hard to sustain ; and when
that exalted mood was lost they thought their religious
life was gone, and relapsed into careless and undevout
wa}'s. It is needful to bring these wanderers back into
the paths of service, and to show them that a religion of
more sober color is quite as genuine and more serviceable.
In the last generation and probably in the former genera-
tions, cases of religious despair were very common. Men
and women were not rare who had settled down upon the
conviction that they were lost souls ; that for them there
could be no future but a certain fearful looking-for of
JLidginent. This state of mind was due in large measure
to the fatalistic theories with wliich theology had been
infested. A thoroughly conscientious person, working
strenuously upon the problems of personal salvation, and
failing to enter into those emotional experiences which he
often hears reported, might easily come to feel that the
reason of his failure was to be found in those inscrutable
decrees by which heaven is sealed to all but the elect.
When such an appalling conviction has been reached, it
must hold tlie mind fast in its palsying grasp ; and the
offers of the gospel forever sound like a dismal mockery.
It is not many jx-ars since persons could be found in nearly
everv conffrecfation who had sunk into chronic hoi)elessness
through the operation of such causes. These things are
better understood in oiir day; the ethical element in the-
ology has supplanted mure force as a regulative principle ;
and tlie belief that the Judge of all the earth will do right
has quieted most of these despairing cries. IJut there are
still occasional cases of religious melancholy which require
to be wisely treated. In most of these cases, the trouble
is physical, and the sufferer nnist be gently l)nt tinnly en-
joined to lose no time in consulting a i)liysician. The \ms-
tor may himself have had experiences of depression arising
from puicly ithysical causi'S, and may be a])le lo I'onvince
tlic victim of melaiK'liolia that lie knows whnf lie is saying.
Tlic close relation of the ImxIn and tlir niiml. ;inil tlie lact
tliiit mental suffering is often eansed by jdiysical nialacUes,
nuist always be kept before the thought of him who is
180 CHRISTIAISr PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
called to minister to minds diseased. The converse of all
this is, however, just as true. Tliere are many physical
ailments whose source is in a troubled conscience or a
morljid fear. The pastor may often call to his aid the
medical man in dissolving doubt and despair ; but, on the
other hand, there are many sicknesses that the doctor with
his drugs can never cure, but that would be quickly put
to flight if the load of shame and remorse that are resting
upon the heart could be removed. The utmost wisdom is
needed in dealing with such cases ; the true priesthood of
the pastor is here called into exercise. If by gentle ques-
tioning he can draw forth the rankling secret, and con-
vince the troubled soul, by his own forgivingness, that
the Infinite Love is able to save to the uttermost all who
trust in him, he may prove to be the bringer of health and
peace. The cure of souls is a phrase Avith a deep and real
meaning.
The visitation of the sick is one of the constant labors
of the Christian pastor. In any considerable congregation
the weeks are few in which some service of this sort is not
laid upon him ; and the duty is one which taxes heavily
his wisdom and his strength.
It is impossible to give directions concerning this minis-
tration which will be applicable in all cases. The pastor
of a village church of fifty families will be able to give far
more time and thouglit to each fannly than the pastor of
a city church with four or five hundred fanulics can
possibly give. In the great congregations the limitations
of pastoral service are obvious. Nevertheless the pastor
will wish to see all meml)ers of his flock who arc seriously
ill, and 111' will iiial-cc llie congregation understand that
this is liis wish. Lc) liim tell them, frequently and
enq)hati(ally, to send U>y him when they need him; to
have no more hesitation in sending for him than in send-
ing for the physician. Let him make liis people under-
stand that the responsibility of calling him rests on them;
that tliey must not expect liim to know by intuition mIio
is sick ; that they must take pains to inform liim. Pai ish-
THP: PASTOIl AS FKIKND 187
ioners are sometimes unreasonable in this matter; it is
difficult for them to understand that trouble wliicli so
profoundly affects them should not be known to every-
body; and in the distress and nervous disturbance which
the sickness brings not only to the invalid but to those
who are caring for him, it is easy to entertain unjust
suspicions of pastoral neglect. The pastor must guard
against this by establishing the rule that those who need
him must send for him. Still, he need not refuse to go
where he knows that there is trouble until he is sent for ;
let him rather say to people : " I shall always try to visit
you when I know that you need me ; but if I do not come
you must assume that I do not know, and that it is your
duty to let me know."
Much discretion must be exercised in the visitation of
the sick. In the first place the pastor should be careful
to co-operate in every possible way with the attending
physician, to whom belongs the chief responsibility, and
whose orders should be scrupulously respected. The phy-
sician will know whether the patient should be allowed
to see any visitors ; and if this has been prohibited, no
question should be raised. It is not often that a pastor,
wlio has sho\vn good sense in his manner of visitation,
will be forbidden the sick-room ; ordinai'ily his visit, if
properl}^ timed, will aid the doctor; but there are times
when even this must be disallowed. The pastor sliould
be very careful about volunteering medical advice ; the
cases are rare in which hv. should venture any suggestion
whicli would have the effect to weaken the confidence of
tlie patient or his friends in the physician in charge.
In cases of serioiLS illness, the visit should ordinarily 1)0
very brief. Laying aside outer garments that arc daiui)
or cold the pastor should quietly enter the I'ooni, and
ahv.ays with a smile and a cheei ful word. Nothing that
savoi>i of olHcialism can be tol('rat(;d ; he is not tliere as
a religious functionary, but as a friend, 'llic <as(' may be
critical, l)ut it is not for him to manifest alarm or i-on-
sternation cncu in the presence of Death. An nnwctnted
solenniity is ne\er demanded in the sick chamber. If
188 CHItlSTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
serious talk is necessary the tone of it should always he
gentle and unflurried.
^V few pleasant and sympathetic words with the patient,
that will tend to calm his apprehensions and strengthen
his courage are generally all that are needed. It is not
wise, ordinarily, to attempt any keen inquisition into the
patient's spiritual condition ; the simple counsel to put
himself wliolly into the keeping of the Infinite Care-taker,
and leave himself there, is generally the best that can be
said. If he wishes to talk, — if he has questions to ask,
anxieties to confess, — it may be wise to meet liis wdslies ;
possibly some word of comfort and assurance will be
spoken that "will be more efficacious than much medicine.
But the conversation should not be protracted ; never let
the patient weary himself in the interview.
Whether prayer should be offered will dej^jend on cir-
cumstances. It is far better that it should be asked for
by the patient himself ; if the conversation opens the way
for that, it will be well. But often the request is not
made, more through diffidence or delicacy than unwilling-
ness; in some cases even when the sufferer is secretly
desiring it. The wise pastor can generally tell whether
such a service would be accex)table or not, and will know
when to propose it. In almost all cases it should be very
brief. A few verses from the Bible, and a prayer not
more than two or three minutes in length A\'ill generally
be more useful than any lengthened exercise.
''Wliat we say to the sick," says Dr. Andrew Intiiar,
"should be ])rief; and when we pray willi tlie sick we
sliould be slioi't in our prayers." ^
S()in(^ of the cliurches furnisli to the ])as(oi' a liluigieal
foiMu for use in tlie sick-room, l)ut llif siiii|iler and less
f(H'iual words that come from tlie heart of a sympathetic
friend will generally 1)e more welconu; than a prescribed
fiinii n\' |)i-ayer.
"Any one desirous, as a maitei- of curiosity, to see a
complete rubric on the visitation of the sicd;, should gi't
hold of Dr. Stearne's Tractatns dc Visitatione Ivjinnorinii,
1 (.inotfd ill r.laikic's Fi>r the Work <if the Mi'ntstri/, )). 201.
THE PASTOR AS FRIEND 189
as contained in the " Clergyman's Instructor." Tliere he
will lind instructions, cut and dried, for all sorts of cases,
including that of criminals sentenced to be hanged. In
the coldest and driest manner, he will find topics sug-
gested for conversation and prayer in such circumstances,
as if tlic whole of a clergyman's duty were exhausted in
saying the proper thing, and no consideration were to be
given to the tone and spirit in which it is said. The
visitation of the sick is of all duties that for which the
S[)irit of formality is most unsuitable, and where the speak-
ing must be most thoroughly from the heart to the heart.
Yet a rubric like that to which we have referred might
not be without its use in the way of suggestion, — it might
show the minister how great a variety of cases he is called
to deal with, and of what value it is for him to be pro-
vided with manifold Scripture texts and references, sayings
and anecdotes of suffering Christians, counsels and encour-
agements of well tried value, in order that to every sick
and sorrowing person he may be able to give his portion
of meat in due season." ^
Whether the Lord's Supper should be administered at the
sick bed is a question to which theological controversy has
sometimes given point. " In itself," says Van Oosterzee,
"an affirmative answer to lliis question a])pears reasonable,
as also histoi'v speaks of blessed observances of the Suj)})er
u]ioii llic l)cd of sickness and df dcutli (Schleiermacher,
Adolph Alonod, and others). On tiie other hand, how-
ever, it can hardly l^e denied that the desire for tlie Com-
munion in the case supposed is sometimes connected with
a not purely evangelical conception Avith regard to the
sacramental efficacy and signilicaiice of the sacred emblems,
and is to l)e but imperfectly harmonized with the view of
the Holy Supper as a social meal. licsides, it is difficult
to make a distinction liy virtue of which wo deny to some
what could be granted witliont much licsitatioii to othci-s.
No wonder that in the age of the JU'formalioii a lliillinger
should deem separate communion undesirable; and that
later it should be opposed by tlioso wlio in otlui- icsprcts
^ Blaikic's For the Work of the Ministn/, [>. li.'.'.t.
190 CHRISTIAN PASTOTl AND WORKING CIITTECH
I'eadily acknowledged the beneticial psychological effect of
the sacred action for sick persons. It might also so easily
degenerate into a custom, observed even in the case of
those but little concerned, and lead to the Romish custom
of a viaticum. For all these reasons we would not will-
ingly see ' private communion ' made the rule ; but only
conceded as a rare exception, when the pastor is convinced
on good grounds that it is desired without superstition, from
a right motive. In particular, from those confined to the
bed of sickness, who wdth sorrow have already been long
deprived of the sacred emblems, and earnestly desire them,
we need not continue arbitrarily to Avithhold them. In
that case, however, a little liousehold congregation must be
assembled round the bed of sickness, and the necessities
of the i^oor remembered, while the pastor fulfils with
dignity and simplicity the task of the liturgist." ^
The difhculties felt by the writer of this paragraph
woidd not, probably, occur to many Protestant pastors in
America. There is practically no danger wdiatever that
the Lord's Supper w^ill be regarded superstitiously by our
sick parishioners ; and there are few cases in which its
administration is requested by sick persons from any other
than proper motives. Often it is a great solace to the
devout believer ; those wdio are drawdng nigh to death find
their hopes strengthened by it; and it sometimes l)rings
to the troubled spirit the peace that passeth knowledge.
That tlie sacrament be administered at the sick bed in a
dignified and appropriate manner is wortli some painstaking.
A few of the sacred vessels should be taken from the church
to tlic liouse ; the bread and wine should l)e properly pre-
pared, and it will be well if one or more of the ofhcers of
the church can assist the pastor in fhc administration. Jf
all things connected with the ordinance can be done
decently and in order, the effoi^t Uj)on the mind of the
recipient is likely to be nion; salulary.-
^ Prncl.icnJ Tlirolnrji/, ]>. ^KtS.
2 " II est li'f^itimc et parfailcinoiit li'gal do donnpr la (•(•no anx inalados clioz
eux ; tnais que ce soil aver solonnitc et qn'il y ait oinntniiiiion, c.'est-ii-dire,
noil scnlcmont dos assistants inais dos porsonnes qui ))rcniiciit la cenc avcc la
maladc." — Vinot, 'J'heiAofjle PaMonilt, ]>. 2I.'3.
THE PASTOR AS FRIEND 191
Whether the pastor shoiihl reveal their true condition
to those who are drawing nigh to deatli is often a dil'licnlt
question. In cases not a few the plu-siciau's orders to tlie
contrary are explicit ; yet the pastor's responsibility in such
a case may be equal to that of the physician. When the
physician has distinctly declared that there is no hope of
recovery, the right of the patient to know that fact would
seem to be unquestionable. It may not be necessary that
he should know it; it may be best that he should not;
l)ut in many cases it is evidently wrong that it sliould be
concealed from him. Respecting all this matter the pastor
is precisely as able to judge as is the phj-sician ; and after
consultation with the famil}^, he must take tlie responsi-
])ility. There are many kinds of preparation which the
dying man may wish to make for his departure ; that right
should not be denied him. It is not, indeed, the salvation
of the soul tliat chieily calls for such a disclosure ; for the
repentance which can only be produced by the imminence
of death is of little avail ; but there are few rational Iniman
beings who would not feel deepl}' wronged if a truth of so
much moment were concealed from them b}- those in whom
they had reason to confide.
AVliat is the duty of the pastor with respect to the visita-
tion of those who are sick with infectious diseases? Plis
obligation to his own household and his other parishioners
must indeed be well considered; putting his own safety
out of the question, he must not wantonly expose others.
Yet there are other virtues besides caution. The Christian
pastor must not be a coward. He must take all necessary
])r('caulions on behalf of others; but lie nuist not l)e afraid
to go where he is needed. The physician must go into all
these dangers, why should the minister be less courageous?
I)ideed, the ])hysiciau"s experience is proof jxisitive that lh(^
d;iU'j;er of infection is, in many cases, greatly exaggerated.
'' When," says A'an Oostcrzee, *' in 1574, the (|uesti()n lieic
pnt was exiiicssly deliberated at the Synod of Dort, the
answer was given 'that they shonld go. bi-ing called, and
even uncalled, insouuich as they know that tliere w ill be
need of them.' With what right shall the physician ol' souls
192 CHRISTIAN PASTOIl AND WOIIKING CHURCH
■withdraw from a task from wliicli even the unbelieving
medical man does not too greatly shrink? 'Das Leben
ist der Giiter litichstens nicht ' (Life is not the highest of
possessions), in the words of Schiller ; and the propter vitam
Vivendi perdere causas is certainly to be desired of no one
less tlian of the true shepherd of the flock. Considering
tlie brilliant example of believing courage and self-denial
on the part of Catholic priests, the Protestant clergy must
not remain too much behind. The risk incurred on that
occasion finds its aljundant compensation in the gratitude
of the flock, the approval of our own conscience, and the
ever renewed experience that the Lord supports his ser-
vants in this school of exercise also, and often manifestly
preserves them. Of course, belief in his power and faith-
fulness can release no one from the duty of taking those
measures of precaution prescribed under such circumstances
by experience and science." ^
No service more delicate or more difficult is required of
the pastor than that which he is called to render in the
biu'ial of the dead. The Anglican church and some of the
other churches furnish a ritual to which the minister is
expected to adhere ; the solemn and beautiful service of
the English church leaves little to be desired in the way of
a dignified ceremonial. But many American pastors have
no such chart to guide them, and they lind themselves
confronted with conditions and expectations which often
tax their wisdom.
Death knocks with e(|ual })unctuality at the doors of llic
niicliurched and of the devout; and tliosc wlio never seek
the churches, and who often rail at tliem, are ahvays in
need, when death invades tlicir dwellings, of the services
of a minister of the gosjx'l. To this call the Clnistian
pastor will never turn a deaf car; whenever it is possible
he will gladly bear to those in trouble the words of conso-
lation. Jn many of tlie lural conimnnities a funeral ser-
uum is ex|)ected; and tlie sui;oessful ''funeral preacher"
is tlie one who can most strongly a]ij)eal to the feelings of
1 Practical T/icoloi/y, p. 559.
THE PASTOU AS FKIKND 103
the mourners, and elicit the most extravagant demonstra-
tions of sorrow. Against this tendency the wise pastor
will quietly set his face. He must not too rudely disregard
the feelings of the afHicted, but with gentleness and kind-
ness he must seek to lead them into better ways.
The funeral sermon may well be omitted, and the brief
address wliieh takes its place should be full of the comfort
of the gospel. The one central truth that God is love ;
that even as we draw nearest to our own children and
yearn over them most tenderly when they are in the deep-
est trouble, so our heavenly Father is nearest to us in the
day of our aflhction ; that while many things happen to us
which we can never explain, nothing can ever happen to
us that he will not overrule for our good, if we will but
trust in him, — all this the minister must seek to make
these mourners see and understand. All this is the most
direct and certain inference from that doctrine of God
A\hieh Jesus has taught us. If we have such a Father in
heaven as our Lord sought to reveal to us, then there are
no sorrows that cannot be comforted, and no wounds that
cannot be healed.
Either in the sermon, or in the '' remarks " which are
substituted for it, some biographical sketch, more or less
eulogistic, is generally expected of the minister. Tliis,
too, is a custom wliich is best honored in the breach. The
njjiiister jiiayiweU-Ji^fl^^Q it ^ fixed rule to eschew all esti-
mates of the character of the deceased. In many cases
the attempt to do this is embarrassingln the extreme ; and
often the minister, who relies for the materials of such a
sketch upon the judgments of partial friends, finds after-
wards that he has been whitening a sepulchre. The simjjle
annals of tlie life, — the time and jtlace of birth, the family
record, the date of death, may in all cases be simply stated
from memoranda furnished l)y the family ; beyond tliis,
])iogra[)hy does not need to go at the funeral service.
Many wise pastors in these da}S are inelined to conlinc!
themselves on these occasions to the reading of the Scrip-
tures and ])rayer. It is bocomiiig more and more rommon
for men and women of high cliaraeter and eminent station
13
194 CHRISTIAN TASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
to give direction, before their death, that the burial service
shall be limited to these exercises. It is greatly to be
wished that all persons of sound mind would make the
same request.
It is, however, possible, to enlarge this simple ritual by
reading appropriate selections, not only from the Scriptures
of the Old and New Testaments, but also from the writ-
ings of saints and prophets and psalmists of later times.
In the book of Scripture selections which the pastor uses
at funerals he may insert loose leaves whereon he has
copied sentences and paragraphs gathered from many
sources, which are full of the light and hope and comfort
of the gospel. In the course of years this anthology of
consolation may become copious and rich ; the pastor has
become familiar with it ; he can tell by glancing over it
which of these gracious words will be most appropriate in
the case before him. Pastors who have followed this prac-
tice for many years bear testimony to its usefulness. Such
words of life as may thus be gathered together, the utter-
ances of men and women of strongest faith, of deepest
insight, are far better than any extemporaneous words
that the preacher would be likely to bring forth.
Tlie service must not, however, be protracted. Seldom
should the whole exercise exceed half an hour. It is no
time for lengtliened homilies and long-drawn-out petitions.
At the grave the service should be brief and simple.
The short committal service of the Anglican church,
which is almost identical with that employed in the Ger-
man Lutheran churches, is always a})propriate ; or a brief
prayer may be uttei-ed, closing with the benediction. In
winter it is well for the minister to admonish the men
standing about the grave to remain covered during this
service; that is not true respect for the (h-ad ^^■lli('ll endan-
gers the health of the living.
These times of afliiction fui-iiish the true jiastor a\ itli a
precious o])]iortunity. His wise and sympathetic friend-
ship at sueli a time will never be forgotten. lie often
gains, in tliese days, an intliicnce tliat lie eould never
otherwise have won : h-t liini use it judicious!}'.
THE TASTOR AS FRIEND 195
The pastor who has proved his friendship for his people
will be welcome in their homes; and a most important part
of liis pastoral service will be performed in the maintenance
of a fruitful personal and social relation between his own
family and the families of his flock. In many large
churches the work of the study, the organization of the
parish, and the multitudinous public engagements make
it difficult for the pastor to find time for such pastoral
work as he wishes to do. That great change, to which
reference is made in the introductory chapter, which has
passed upon tlie chiu-ch during the past twenty-five years
— the change by which, in Dr. Parkhurst's happy phrase,
the church is no longer the pastor's field, but the pastor's
force — itself largely prevents the pastor from undertaking
the amount of pastoral visitation which was common in
former years. "Sometimes," saj'S a successful pastor,
"general parish oversight, through the network of socie-
ties and organizations that fall to the minister to manage,
is supposed to take the place of visiting and personal
contact with individuals ; but this does not meet the
necessities of the case. Tliat general superintendency or
presidency of the parish and pastoral care are not the same
thing. The former has res})ect to the general life of the
community and is busy with the mai-hinery, while the
latter has to do with internal states, conditions, and ten-
dencies. It is possible and not uncommon to do nmeh with
tlie former while doing little with the latter. There are
parislies where things are well organized, where there are
all sorts of activities and societies, but wliere there is no
proportionate apprehension of, and no proportionate i)ro-
vision for, tlie real wants of indivifhial men and women.
There may ])e a lively scene on tht- siu'facc, Imt not niiicli
going on beneath it. It is not easy, in the rcstlcssiK'ss and
cotn[)lexity of his public relations, foi- a minisler to give
to this part of his ^\■ol•k its proper place. Tion ision ninst
be made for this and the pastoi- nnist be helped. I)eniands
upon his time and alteniiDii niulii|)l\. In |)i(ipiirlion to
the im[)ortance ol his jtaiish, to his j)i'rsonal intlueiici', to
his capacity for business, the calls for public and outside
196 CHEISTIAN PASTOll AND WOEKING CHURCH
service are more frequent and urgent. There are meet-
ings here, committees there, constitutions to he tbawn up,
organizations to be kept running, records to be made ; but
shall he be absorbed in presiding, organizing, managing?
The danger is not new in our day. It showed itself in the
early Church, and the apostles met it by division of labor,
saying : ' It is not fit that we should forsake the word of
God and serve tables; search out suitable men for this
business, but we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in
the ministry of the word.' As then, so now, much of the
detail of general parish work can be better devolved on
others, that the minister may be more free to ' teach pub-
licly and from house to house,' ministering the word in its
more spiritual application." ^
The question of finding time for the work of pastoral
visitation is one that burdens the mind of many a faithful
pastor. The need of thoroughly organizing his church for
work, that the powers and capabilities of these disciples
may be developed, and that his force may occup}^ and
cultivate its field, is always pressing upon his conscience ;
and the amount of administrative "work thus required of
him, when added to the intellectual work which the pul-
pit of this day demands, renders it simply impossible that
he should find very much time for social calls. Even if
the pastor has assistance, so that much of the detail of his
adnnnistration can be devolved on others, the general
superintendence of it, Avhich rests with him, is no slight
care. In a church of fifty to a hundred families the pas-
tor may easily become intimately acquainted with most of
his people, but "when the number grows to three or four
hundred families, the task, under existing conditions, be-
comes formidable.
One consideration must be borne in mind in estimating
the necessity for this kind of work; the pastor of a work-
ing church lias many oi)porlnnities of becoming well ac-
quainted witii tliosc of his people who are at work. With
them there are many conferences and consultations; he is
with I hem every week, in tlie Sunday-schools, in the mis-
' ]icv. Lc well VII Tintt, iu Parish Problems, p. 180.
THE PASTOR AS FlllEND 197
sions, in the Young People's Societies, in the Boys and
Girls Guilds, in the Sewing Schools, — in all the active
ministries which the church is carrying forward. It is
not at all as once it w\as, w^hen the people's only chance of
meeting their minister was w^hen they confronted him in
the pe^^'s, at the Sunday services ; there is a fellowship of
work M hieh brings pastor and people into frequent and
close association. The need of calling upon the people
in their homes to get acquainted with tliem is obviously
not what once it w^as. This applies, of course, only to
those members of the church wdio are at work ; but the
ai)plic'ation should be distinctly brought before tlie minds
of all the people. Let them be told, from time to time,
that the fello"\vship of the church is largely a fellowship
of work, and that if they wish to become well acquainted
with their pastor or w-ith their fellow-members, the best
way is to find some place in the active w^ork of the
church.
Nevertheless, when all is said, there remains a large
opportunity and an urgent call for house to house visita-
tion by the pastor. In some w\ay he ought to arrange
the administrative w'ork of his parish so that he may find
some time to see his people in their homes. In most large
clmrches it will not be possible for tlie miiiisler to make
liis round of pastoral calls more than once in a year; some-
times even this will overtax him ; but as nuich as this he
ouglit to strive for.
What should be the nature of these pastoral calls ?
Here, also, it is evident that changed conditions nnist
considerably modify our practice. The late Dr. "William
M. Taylor, of New York, in a recital of his early experi-
ence, lu'ings before ns the ty])ical ])asloral visit of the for-
mer days. ''I was first settled," he says, "• over a church
of about oiK" hundred and eighty members, many of whoui
residcij in the village in which the ])l;i((' ol \\(M>lii|i was
situated, but a cousidci'able numbci-of whom wci'c I'aiiuci-s,
scattered over an arc:i of about six nules in length by about
two in breadth. I made my visits systematically, week by
wi'ck. takiuLT the iiarisli in manageable districts. At lir>t
198 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
I was accompanied on each occasion by an elder. It was
expected that I should ask a few questions of the children,
assemble the members of the household, give a formal ad-
dress, and then conclude with prayer. The presence of
the ' lay brother ' was a great embarrassment. I supposed
that because he was with me I should have a new address
in every house, and should have a prayer in every instance
perfectly distinct from any which I had formerly offered.
... So I went on from house to house, making a new
address in each, until, when it was toward evening, and I
had A\alked perhaps five or six miles and made ten or
twelve addresses, 1 Avas more dead than alive. You can-
not wonder that, in these circumstances, pastoral visitation
became the hete noir of my life, and I positively hated it.
Thus prosecuted it Avas simply and only drudger}', and, so
far as I know, was not productive of any good result." ^
It is evident that visitation of this type is no longer
called for in English-speaking parislies. And there is a
question whether the call of the minister should be re-
garded in any sense as a professional call. ]\Iost of the
writers on pastoral care assume that it should have this
character ; that it should be well understood that the min-
ister, in seeking the homes of his people, is engaged in his
professional duty. " The minister," says Dr. Blaikie,
"has come for the purpose of promoting the spiritual and
eternal welfare of the family, and therefore the sooner ho
addresses himself to this errand the better. . . . It is often
desirable for a minister, after a brief salutation and kindly
iiKj^uiry after the welfare of the houscliold, to proceed at
once, like vMjraham's servant at Padaii Aram, to tell his
eri'aiid, to do wliat h(! has come to do. In speaking to tlie
housi'hohl he may lind a jioint of de[)aiture ))y saying Avliy
he has come, adverting to i\\v. exceeding solemnity of
spiiitiial tilings and to the importance, not of a mere gen-
eral, but of a sjiccial application of what is said from the
])nlpit, so tliat no one may suffer the appeal to go past
him, or think he does right Avhih; he fails personally to re-
ceive the message of God. Something may be said appli-
1 Tlic Miiiislrij of the Word, p. 272.
THE PASTOR AS FRIEXD 199
cal3le to the circumstances of the different portions of the
family, — the parents, the chikben, okler and younger, the
servants, when there are such. Of the childi-en questions
may be asked, and are probably expected to be asked ; but
let this be done in the kindly manner of a friend, not in
the stern tone of a taskmaster. Generally, too, it will be
well to bear in mind that there is a tendency on the part
of people to think of ministers as beings awfully solemn,
with but little of human sympathy, — men to be dreaded
as stern reprovers, instead of respected and loved as affec-
tionate and sympathetic guides. In pastoral visitation,
therefore, let there be shown a frankness, a cordiality, a
humility of spirit, a winning brotherly kindness that shall
dissipate such an impression and tend to gain the conli-
dence of all." ^ But it is a serious question whether even
so much of formality and professionalism as is here de-
scribed would not, in the majority of cases, effectually
counteract the best results of the pastor's call. Is not the
primary object of this house-to-house visitation the es-
tablishment of friendly personal relations between himself
and the members of his flock, old and young ? Is it not,
therefore, far better that the professional business of the
pastor should be subordinated, in these calls, to the pur-
pose of putting himself on terms of cordial intimacy Avith
his people. Tlie minister who is always preaching, who
never meets his parishioners without the word of admoni-
tion and exhortation upon his lips, is not certain to know
them very well, or to have the best influence over them.
Such unljcnding professionalism forces them into ;ni un-
natuial attitude toward him ; he never really knows them.
Tliere is abundant justification, therefore, for the ])as-
toral call, considered simply as the endeavor of the pastor
to draw closer the bonds of personal friendship between
liiiiisrlf and the families of liis congregation, greeting
tliL'm thus, in their own homes, the circumstances of their
lives are better known to him, he more perfectly individu-
alizes them, and every visit gives liiin a larger laiow ledge
of tlie manifold ])hases of human experienee. If there are
' For thn Wnrk nf thr Mliustry, pp. 187, 188.
200 CHKISTIAX PASTOll AND WOUKIXG CHUECH
cliildreii in the lioiiseliold, the pastor learns their names
and fixes them in his memory. He finds tliem at tlieir
lessons or their pastimes, and seeks to enter into their life,
speaking a hearty word of approval of their conduct, when
he knows that such a word is deserved. In these brief
social calls the pastor may be able to let the people see
that he is interested in all that concerns them ; that he
has been thinking about them, and studying their welfare ;
that he is rejoicing mth them in their prosperity, or bear-
ing their burdens with them ; that his deej)est wish is to
be a trusted and a useful friend. If all this is in his heart,
thc}^ will be apt to find it out. The one thing needful for
them to know is that he loves them and wants to do them
good. The pastoral call that conveys this impression to
their minds is a thoroughly successful call, even though
there may have been no preaching nor even praying con-
nected with it.
And yet it must not be inferred that religious conversa-
tion should be avoided. I'he door will always be open for
that. The tone of the interview will be such as to make
that seem natural and fitting. The spirit of the whole
communication will be such as to invite questions or confi-
dences of this nature. The pastor will ]je quick to seize
any intimation or suggestion of a wish to speak of the
higher themes, and Avill deftly lead the talk that '\^■ay if
such a hint is dropped. The people will easily know that
if he refrains his lips from pressing these things upon
them, it is notljccause there is no interest in their spiritual
welfare. If such is tlie posture of his mind, it is altogether
likely that many opportunities for religious conversation
will occur in connection with these social calls, and tliat
th(! net spiritual result of the visitation will l)e far larger
than if, by a perfunctory i)rofessionalism, tlie subject of
religion were everywhere introduced by him.
Many pastors are accustomed to make a systematic divi-
sion of their jwrish, and to announce, each Sunday, tlie
days on whicli the}- intend to visit certain streets. Some
inconvenience may thus be occasional to ])a)-islii(mcrs, mIio
may wish to 1)(' away from home on tlie day designated.
THE PASTOR AS FEIEND 201
hut the advantages of such a systein are considerable. It
[fledges the pastor to a definite task, whicli he might other-
wise neglect or defer ; and it gives those who wish to see
him due notice of his coming that they may, if possible, be
at home to receive him. "^loreover," says Dr. Taylor,
" the public announcement had this incidental advantage,
of whicli at first I had not thought, namely, that it stopped
at once all grumbling on the part of the unvisited. They
saw that I Avas steadily working week by week somewhere ;
it became a matter of interest to them to watch my prog-
ress, and they looked with a certain strange eagerness for
the day when I should name the street in which the}' re-
sided. I do not know that in the long run I actually did
much more pastoral work than I was doing before ; but I
accomplished it with more ease to myself and with far
more'satisfaction to my people."^
The value to the minister of such contact as this with
the people cannot be easily overstated. It keeps him in
vital relations with the people to whom he is sent to min-
ister ; it enables him more perfectly to get their point of
view. Sometimes liis mind will be saddened by revela-
tions of the shallowness and selfishness of those from wliom
l)etter things might have been expected ; but more often
he will l)e cheered and strengthened 1>v discoverirs of
(idelity and heroism in the lives of commonplace i)(>oi)le.
The tendency of most studious men to a certain subtilty
and remoteness of discussion upon spiritual themes will
l)e arrested by the study of the intellectual processes of
the people in the pews, and the effect of this intercourse
will be to give the preaching a greater hdmclinrss and
directness of presentation.
Here is a suggestion worth considering: '• I wonM make
one excei)tion about the house-to-house visitation of the
town parish priest. It is sometimes good to throw himself
into one of his districts, pitch his camp tliere, and jH'rnn'ate
it with his presence. For a month he bi-ings his whole
induenee to bear upon it, hnth getting hold singly of evei'v
iidiabitant and eollcct iii<f all toirether in cottiicfc oi' mis-
1 'J'hr Miiiislri/ of'lln: H'on/, ]). 274.
202 CHKISTIAX PASTOll AND WOlliaNG CHUilCH
sionaiy meetings." ^ The kind of visitation here contem-
plated is, however, that of the whole population, rather
than that of the members of the congregation. But there
may be advantages in concentrating, after tliis manner, the
labors of the pastor among his own people.
It is doubtless well, as things now are, in most of our
city parishes, that the pastor should " lead about a wife "
with him in making tliese pastoral calls. The men of the
household are seldom at home in the da3'time, and not
only for reasons of propriety, but also for the enhance-
ment of the social value of tlie call, the minister may
often wisely claim the companionship of his wife. Her
tact and sympath}" will be a great help to him in many
cases.
The testimony of leading pastors to the importance of
this kind of work is worth remembering. Dr. William
]\I. Tajdor, in speaking to the students of the New Haven
Theological Seminary, said : " You will make a great mis-
take if 3'ou undervalue the visitation of 3'our people. The
pulpit is your throne, no doubt, but then a throne is
stable as it rests on the affections of the people, and to get
their affections you must visit them in their dwellings." ^
Dr. .John Hall, addressing a similar audience, said : " I'ains
should be taken that nothing prevents your pastoral visits.
It is very necessary for you to know the people in their
hc)mes, and for the people to know you. Tlie little chil-
(licn and the young people should know you. U'lie men
shouhl know you. Do not begrudge the time thus s})ent.
In freely conversing with humble peo})le you A\ill get
side lights or particular testimony that will make you a
stronger mnn and a better minister for many a day to
come." •'^ I)i'. I'liincis Wayland, s])eaking on tliis subject
to pastors, said: '' \\\ at last, it be said tliat all tliis is
beneatli tlie dignity of our ])iof('ssion. and that \\i' cannot
expect an educated man (o spend his time in visiting
mechanics in thcii- shops, and in silting;- down w ith women
1 The Parhh Pn'rst of the Town, p. 44.
- 7'/(C Miuislrji of I he. Word, p. 185.
^ Quutoil in Parish Problems, p. 185.
THE PASTOR AS FRIEND 203
engaged in their domestic labor to converse with them on
the subject of religion, to this objection / have no reply
to offer. Let the objector present his case in its full force
to Ilim who on his journey to Galilee sat thus at the well
and held a memorable conversation with a woman of
Samaria." ^ " My heart does not upbraid me," said Dod-
dridge, "witli having kept back anytliing that may be
profitable to my people. But I fear I have not followed
them sufficiently with domestic and personal exhorta-
tions."- "Acquaint yourselves," said Matthew Ilenr}',
" witli tlie state of j-our people's souls, — their tempta-
tions, their infirmities. You will then know the better
how to preach to tliem." "I am too backward," said
John Rogers, of Dedham, " to private visiting of neigh-
bors at their houses, which neglect is very injurious ; for
from this cause their love to me cannot be as orreat as it
would be, nor am I so well acquainted with their particu-
lar states and cannot therefore speak so fitly to them as I
might." 3 " The true portrait of a Christian pastor," says
the Rev. Charles Bridges, " is that of a parent Avalking
among his children, — maintaining indeed the authority
and reverence, l)ut carefully securing along with it the
lo\e and confidence that belongs to this endearing rela-
tion. He is always to be found in his own house, or met
w itli among the folds of his fiock, encouraging, warning,
directing, instructing, — as a counsellor, ready to advise,
as a friend to aid, sympatliize and console, — with the
affection of a mother to lift up the Aveak, witli the long-
suffering of a father to reprove, rebuke, and exliort. Such
a one, like Bisliop Wilson in the Isle dl' Man, (^bcrliii in
tli(! Ban dc la IJoclu', or the Apostolical Pasloi- of ilir
Iligli Alps, — giadiuilly bears doxNii all oiiposition, I'calh-
lives in the hearts ol" his p('oj)le, and will do more foi-
their tenii)()ral and s])ii'ilnal welfare than men of the
most spleiiiliil talents and connnanding elo(|nenee.'
' (iiiolnl in P<irlsh ProhUmx, p. IS"). - Ortoii's A//,', p 124.
^ (Runted ill Hridpos, The Chvistian Miiiistri/, p. 31.'), ;(.
^ TIte C/in'slinn Ministry, ji. 322.
CHAPTER Vni
THE CHURCH ORGANIZATIOX
Every churcli is organized. It is not an incoherent
mass of human beings, it is an orderly association of
Christian men and women. Organization, in the workl
of mind, is the definition of functions. To organize a
church is to make definite arrangements for various kinds
of work, and to assign these to different individuals or
groups who shall be responsible for their performance.
Each of the oihcers of the church is charged with certain
duties, and these duties pertain to certain definite depart-
ments of church work. There is thus a division of labor,
and intelligent co-operation among those whose efforts are
directed to the same result. In the humblest church,
with the simplest polity, some definition of functions is
required. Tlirre must be a clerk to keep the list of mem-
bers and the record of proceedings, and a treasurer to
receive and disburse the funds, and a Sunday-school N
superintendent, with his assistants, and generally deacons
or leaders to take charge of ineetings and direct the work
of the church. Some intelligent arrangement and sui)er-
vision is necessary to the success of all social institutions.
The cluircli has often a dual organization, one depart-
ment devoted to temporal affairs, and another to spiritual
activities. Man is a spirit, but he lias a l)ody with material
needs which must lie i)rovided for: and the clnireh, like-
wise, thougli it is a spiritual organization, has also a Ifiu-
poral side, i'or which some orderly provision must be
made. It lias been found necessary, in the free connnun-
ions, to secure for tlie church a legal incor])oi'ation, that
the body so incorporalcd may bold and adiniiiisler ])ro-
perty, and receive and (lisbuisc I'iiikIs. In some cases tlic
mendx'rs of the churcli are mcinbers of tliis corporal ion,
THE CHURCH ORGANIZATION 205
and there is but one body, with two sets of functions ; in
other eases all those contributing to the support of the
church, whether communicants or not, are niembei"S of
the corporation, with power to vote for trustees and to
take part in all the financial work of the societ}^, but not
to participate in the spiritual government of the church.
The wisdom of this dual organization is often questioned ;
but it possesses certain obvious advantages. "Every
church," says Professor Austin Abbott, "has two very
different kinds of business to attend to. Difference of
opinion exists as to whether they may best be administered
by the same persons, or by different sets of persons. In
some denominations one organization attends to both ; in
others there is a separate organization for each. Some
persons think the pastor should have nothing to do with
the finances ; others think it wrong to exclude him from
them. Without desiring here to discuss the question, it
is well to say that it appears to me that Providence, who
is wiser than all our ingenuity, has so alloted the causes
of opinion and the dispositions of men that there are, and
for a long time to come are likely to be, many churches of
each kind, some of the one form and some of the other,
and some of a composite form, all engaged in the same
oliject, but in different methods, and thus enlisting diverse
gifts and aptitudes. Whether this be an advantage, as I
suppose, or not, the fact exists ; and the reader who would
understand parish business clearly should not fail to
()l)serve the difference between the principles which govern
the two classes respectively ; and even if liis church is a
single organization, lie will l)e repaid for untieing the
forms of or<i:anizati()n in wliieh these two elasst's of func-
tions are separated." ^
If the clnu'ch lias a permanent al)i(liiig-]tla('t', it must
possess land on which its edilicc; siiall stand, and the title
of tliis land must be secured and lirM. Tlic building nnist
be erected, and kept inn'j)air; fuel and lights arid Matn-
nuist be furnished; it" it stands in a city it must l)ear
assessments for the paving and maintenance of streets and
1 Pitn'sh Prohlrms, jip. (V.i, 70.
206 CHllISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
sewers ; the sexton who takes care of tlie buikling must
be paid for Ms services ; the minister and perhaps other
servants of the church wlio are spending their time in its
service must receive some remuneration; it is necessary
to collect the funds required for all these purposes and to
disburse them in a just and business-like manner; the
church, as an organization, is constantly entering into
contracts which must be intelligently made and faithfully
kept ; and this part of its work deserves the serious atten-
tion of all its members. Tliere is room here for the exer-
cise of some of the best Christian virtues. The churcli
must provide things honest in the sight of all men ; its
business must be done with sj^stem and promptness ; honor,
fidelity, consideration for the rights of others must charac-
terize all its transactions.
The men who are chosen to have the care of the tempo-
ralities must be men of the utmost probity. The affairs
of tlie church should not be intrusted to men who are sus-
pected of dishonesty or extortion in their own affairs. It
is a great scandal to put the iinances of the churcli into the
hands of men who do not possess the confidence of their
nciglibors. They ouglit also to be men with iiigh stand-
ards of Christian propriety ; men who can feel the special
unfitness of sharp and shifty fmanciering in church admin-
istration. They will be called on not merel}^ to disburse
with care the funds collected, but also to collect the funds
of the church : the methods of raising the revenues will be
under their supervision; and tliis is a matter concerning
which the church needs wise and high-minded leadership.
Tliere is reason to fear that many cliurelies are greatly
injured by the dubious methods employed in the raising
of tlieii- i-evenues. "Ways and means (liat are positively
unchristian aw. often resorted to; competition in its most
offensive forms is sometimes em})loyed in the collection of
cliunli funds. 'I'he animal sale of sittings in tlu' elinreli to
the highest bidder is a ])raetice wliicli violates the funda-
mental principles of Christian fiaternity. It offers place
and distinction in tlie cliimh In Ihe longest purses; it says
to the man with a gold ling and goodly apparel. " You may
THE CHURCH OKGAXIZATION 207
sit here, in the centre aisle, for you have the money to pay
for the best ; " but to the poor man in vile raiment it says,
"Stand out there in the vestibule, or sit here under the
gallery; you must wait for your place till your betters
have chosen their seats." The sale of privilege in the
church for money is the essence of it ; how this differs in
princi[)le from the simony against which the curse of the
church has l)een pronounced from the apostolic days until
now, it is difficult to explain. It is undoubtedly true that
larger revenues can be raised by this method than by any
other, for there are multitudes who Avill pay well for con-
spicuous sittings and whose contributions Avould be small
if they were compelled to take their chances with all the
rest. But a church which resorts to such methods for
raising money is not apt to receive the benedictions of
Christ's poor. By the very terms of its life they are
practically excluded ; self-respecting people do not wish
to go where " the rich-man's aisle " and " the poor man's
corner " are easily pointed out.
The men who are chosen to manage the finances of the
church should be those to whom considerations of tliis
nature are intelligible, — men who are not onl}'- capable
of skilfully conducting business affairs, but who are also
capable of com[)reheiiding tlie principles on which the
fellowship of the chureh is based. There is a loud call
just now for Christianizing all business relations; there
are those who believe that every department of human life
must be brouglit under the Christian law. It is dinienlt
to understand wliat our gospel nicaiis if it does not uieau
all this. But it" the husiuess of the mart and thi; factory
are to l)e Christiani/ed, the business of the church uuist
fii'st be subdued to the obedience of the law of Clnist. It
must l)e possil)le to raise tlu* revenues of the cluucli li\-
methods whii-h do not in\i>l\c auy eoncessious to tlie piide
of riches or any false distinctions among men. The one
l)lace in the world where money can liny no ])ii\ileges
should be tlie ])laoe whore men meet to W()rs]ii[) (ioil. To
uianage the church linaiiccs witli this {']]<] in \ icw is tin-
task of those to whom this duty is intrusted. It calls,
208 CHRISTIAN PASTOIl AND WORKING CHURCH
therefore, for men of a lofty piu'pose and a genuine
consecration.
When tlie business of the church is conducted in this
manner — reverently, conscientiously, and with a sincere
desire that the mind of Christ shall rule in all the tempo-
ralities of the church, the work of tliis department is no
less genuine Christian work than is the conduct of the
prayer meeting or the teaching of the Sunday-school. It
is sometimes assumed that the business of the church is a
profane occupation ; that whatever has to do with money
must needs be of the earth, earthy; that the trustees and
the treasurer, in their service of the church, are not, in
any proper sense, " Christian workers." But everything
depends on the spirit in which they do their work. They
may, indeed, manage these affairs in such a way that their
own selfishness shall be aggravated, and the life of the
church demoralized; but they may also put so much of
the spirit of Christ into the methods of church business
that it shall be a means of grace to them and to the whole
brotherhood. There can be no more fruitful Christian
work than this. A church tliat organizes its financial
affairs upon Christian principles, and puts them under
Christian leadership is doing as effective missionary
work as the church that plants missions or holds revival
services.
The assignment of the sittings in the churcli is ])art of
the business that greatly needs to be Christianized. In
some churches all sittings are absolutely free, and there is
no need of any distribution. For many reasons this plan
is to be preferred. To have no individual riglits or rescr-
vatiojis in the Lord's liouse, but to o[)en the Avliole of it,
each Sabbath day, to all who come, is the simplest of all
arrangements. But there are many with whom the senti-
ment of locality is strong; who like to sit week by week
in the accustomed place, and to have their families with
them ; and tlicre seems to be no violation of tlie principles
of equality and fraternit}^ if temporary assignments of sit-
tings are made to regular worsliij)pers. It is only neces-
sary tliat the method of selection be something other tlian
\
THE CHUr.CH ORGANIZATION 209
commercial competition, and that frequent redistributions
take place, so that the most desirable places be not perma-
nently monopolized. There appears no better way than a
distribution of choices by lot at the beginning of each
year; the name first drawn taking the first choice, and so
on to the end of the list. Those who are last this year
may be first next year ; and the favors are divided with-
out partiality. When the poor widow who contributes but
five cents a week to the revenues of the church has the
same opportunity of securing the best seat in the middle
aisle as the rich merchant who contributes ten dollais a
week, the opprobrium of ecclesiastical finance is practi-
cally wiped out. The point is to bring the rich merchant
to accept this situation heartily ; to be quite willing to take
his chance of a back seat under the gallery. And this is
by no means a visionary proposition; churches can be
found in wliich the Christian law governs even the dis-
tril)ution of tlie pews. There are Christian disciples who
decline to take advantage, in their church relations, of the
power which their wealth would give them of securing for
themselves privilege and honor ; who have learned to use
neither their freedom nor their power as occasions of the
flesh, but who know how by love to serve one another.
And wlien tliis spirit takes possession of the church and
rules in all its affairs, the Kingdom seems near at hand.
No more effectual work of grace could be desired in many
of our churches tlian would be signalized by the distrilju-
tion of the sittings of the church on Christian principles.
Such an exercise is nothing short of a means of grace to
those who enter upon it in the right spirit; and a revival
of religion, so called, no matter how fervid its manifesta-
tions may be, is of small value unless it does result in
infusing a larger measure of unselfishness and kind con-
sideration into the social relations ol' ilic iiifiiil)ers of the
church, and especially into the niaiuier and sjjirit of their
association in the house of (iod.
The organization of the chnich on its linaiicial side l)c-
comes, therefor(>, a matter of dcc|) and genuine concern to
the wise pastor. It is not a matter which he can neglect
14
210 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
or ignore ; the spiritual life of the church is vitally affected
by the working out of these problems. The church can-
not afford to intrust these interests to men Avho are simply
shrewd financiers, who will adopt in the transaction of
church business the methods of the street and the mart.
One large part of the mission of the church in this genera-
tion is to show the world how business can be done on
Christian principles.
The records of the churcli must be kept with care ; the
register of baptisms, admissions, dismissions, deaths, should
be accurate ; the minutes of all transactions should be
clear and full; and the history of the work of the church
should be faithfully preserved. The officer who has the
charge of this work bears different names in the different
forms of polity, but his service is always important.
In most of the larger Protestant churches the fact is
now recognized that the work of the ministry cannot be
adequately performed by a single man. The fact has long
been known in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches;
the discovery lias been tardily made by some of the other
communions. The preparation of two sermons a week,
Avith the wide reading and study which such a task im-
plies, the visitation of the sick and the afflicted, the super-
vision of all the departments of church work, the participa-
tion in the social activities of the community, in all the
multiform public enterprises of philanthropy and reform
which demand no small share of his attention, — all this is
more than any single man can do. Tliat ]iart of the cor-
respondence of a pastor which grows out of liis pastoral
relation, — which is official rather than personal, — is no
small burden. The number of letters that come to the
busy pastor of a prominent church asking advice, assist-
ance, or sympathy is ahvays very large. Kiddles to solve,
wounds to salve, axes to grind, the postman brings him
every day. All these letters must l)e answered, and many
precious hours of every week are thus consumed. The
work of the faithful ])astor is constantly increasing. Ills
pongregation is growing, its Avork is Avidening, iho organi-
zations within the church are nudtiplying, calling upon
THE CTirilCn OrtCANTZATION 211
hiin for more and more attention ; tlie longer he lives in
the community, the more identified does he become with
all its public and social life, and the heavier are the drafts
upon him for service growing out of these relations. Add to
this that tlie intellectual demand upon his pulpit is heavier
every year, and the need of bringing a fresh, strong mes-
sage to his people every Sunday increasingly urgent. It
seems inevitable that the successful pastor's work should
become more and more laborious and exacting ; the very
sign of his success is the steady increase of his work. And
the peculiarity of the case is that so little of this burden
can be shifted to other shoulders. The successful merchant
or manufacturer or railway manager can relieve himself
of the larger pai't of liis cares ; his work can be so divided
and systematized that he shall have only a general super-
vision. Even the most successful professional man hands
over to subordinates the laborious details of his business,
and the great sculptor leaves most of the chiselling to
skilled workmen. But the natiu-e of the pastor's work
is such that the greater part of it must be done by liim
alone. Nobody can give him the slightest help in the
preparation of his sermons, and a large proportion of liis
pastoral work is of a nature so personal that no one can
perforin it for liini. In spite of all that can be done for
his relief the faithful and successful pastor will find his
work growing heavier year by year.
Something can, however, be done to ligliten his burden.
A competent and well-trained assistant may take from liis
hands a great many of the small details of administration.
Tlie care of the Sunday-school ; the supervision of the
young people's societies, and the boj-s' and girls' guilds ;
the preparation of children's concerts and praise services;
the clerical work of writing notices and ofTicial letters, and
attending to the necessary jtrinting, as well as considerable
portions of the pastoral work, can be delegated to a cajiable
assistant. The young man who has been fitted for this
kind of work may be able to do iiiiich that the pastor him-
self could not do; he can give much personal attention to
the young men of the congregation ; he can develop in
212 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
many ways the activities of the chiklren and the youth.
In the larger Episcopal churches the pastor's assisfcmt has
always been a recognized necessity, and partly for this
reason the parochial work of the average Episcopal church
is apt to be better organized and more vigorously prose-
cuted than that of other Protestant churches. The other
churches are, however, learning this wisdom. Any work
which involves the division and co-ordination of force must
have adequate superintendence ; it is bad economy to neg-
lect the directing intelligence by which " the working in
due measure of each several part " shall be secured. The
first condition of this effective organization of the work of
a large church is the employment of one or more assist-
ants to whom the pastor may delegate such duties as they
may be qualified to perform.
There might be, in many cases, a wise division of labor
along the line suggested by the early Puritan nomencla-
ture. The English Congregational churches of the seven-
teenth century were served by two ministers, one of whom
was called tlie Pastor, and the other the Teacher. This
division of functions was not very clearly made ; the Pas-
tor was to " attend to exhortation," and the Teacher to
"attend to doctrine." The maintenance of this distinction
proved impracticable.^ But it might be wise in these days
to commit to one man the responsibility for the pulpit
work, and leave him free for this service, while intrusting
to another the chief care of the pastoral administration.
Neither of these would then be counted as the other's
assistant; tliere would be no subordination, but each
would liave a recognized and well defined oflice, and could
devote his whole time to his special work. Tlie preacher,
with none of the cares of parish business on his liauds, and
none of the Imrdens of pastoral service on his mind, couhl
give far more time and tliought to his pulpit work; and
the pastor, witliout the millstone of Sunday preparation
about liis neck, could give to the Sunday-scliool, and the
mid-week service, and the young people's oi'ganizations,
1 Ifis/ory oj'/hc. Congregational Churches in the United States, by Wllliston
Walker, p. 220,
THE CHURCH OEGAXIZATION 213
and the missionary societies, and the church chanties his
undivided attention, greatly increasing their efficiency.
For this pastoral service the church would not be likely to
choose a young man, but one of experience and of well-
matured character. There are ministers who have unusual
gifts for Avork of this nature, as there are others whose
strength is in their pulpit work. If two with such com-
plementary qualities could be brought together, the best
provision would seem to be made for the service of the
church.
One or two questions suggest themselves, however, when
such an arrangement is contemplated. The preacher who
came into no living contact with the life of his parish
would be a[)t to lack some of the elements of the best
teacher. A mere book-man could not give the people
what they need. It would be necessary, therefore, if such
a division of labor were proposed, that the preacher should
not be entirely withdrawn from association with the peo-
ple. The care of tlie pastoral administration might be
lifted from his shoulders, but he should keep himself in
close touch A\ith the people themselves, understanding
their problems, and sympathizing with them in their
sorrows.
It is not improbable, also, that the people would crave
the presence in their homes, in their times of sickness and
trouble, of the man whose words in the pulpit had been
tlieir comfort and inspiration. Whether a large-hearted
preacher could easily free himself from the burtlens of
pastoral service may be doubted. It must be admitted
that the division of the minister's work upon this line pre-
sents some serious difliculties. Nevertheless, it is probable
that two men of fair common-sense and Christian temper
could divide tlie work of the cliurcli between them upon
a plan lik(! tliis, neitlici' being exclusively coiilinod to
liis own Jifld, — tli(! pasloi' sonietinies ])re;ieliiii;_;-. and llie
preacher, in the j)astor's absenei", assuming the pastoral
care, — but each holding himself n'S])onsible i'or a dclinite
l)art of the work of the church, and neither assuming the
pre-eminence. 1>\' such a plan vacations could be arranged
214 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
SO that the church shouhl never be left without a minister,
and the work might go on without interruption from one
year's end to anotlier.
The pertinence of this discussion is seen when the ques-
tion of the organization of the church is considered. For
such varied and organized activities as most cliurches now
propose, trained leadership is indispensable, more of such
leadership than one man can furnish. In some way the
executive force must be increased. The volunteer help
of members of the church is not sufficient; most of the
church officers are busy men, w^ho cannot give to the tasks of
organization and leadership the time that they require.
In most Protestant churches there are, however, officers
who render valuable service. In Episcopal churches the
wardens and vestrymen ; in IMethodist Episcopal churches
the stewards and class leaders ; in Presbyterian churches
the session, composed of the elders and deacons ; in Lu-
theran churches the consistory; in the large group of
churches congregationally governed the deacons and the
prudential committee, assist in this work. They are not
only ecclesiastical officers whose function it is to rule, but
they are also, by virtue of their office, leaders in the organ-
ized work of the church. The enterprising pastor often
seeks to assign each of these official members to the over-
sight of some department of the work. Even if he has
an assistant to supervise the entire organization, it is well
to have a department chief for each branch of the churcli
work. Thus the pastor may wisely request one of his
staff of helpers to take special interest in the Sunday-
school work; another to look after the interests of the
young people ; another to study the mid-week service with
a view to suggestions of improvement ; another to give
attention to the benevolent collections, and so forth. It is
well if the various church officials, the ciders, Avardens,
deacons, and the rest, can be made to feel that their prin-
ci])al concei'n should lie not so much \\ith the govci'iimcnt
of tlie church as witli its lal)oi's.
Tliat the churcli is an organism can scarcely Ix' (lisjtutcd.
Life never exists apart frcjm oiganization. Tf the churcli
THE CHUIICH OKCANIZATION 215
is alive something closely akin to Avhat we see in a living
body must a|j2)eui' in the relation of its parts and members.
This is the tiutli which is put with such marvellous power
in Paul's epistles. But there is a distinction just here
which we must learn to make. In a late essay are these
words : —
" As the work of the Spirit is organic in the individual,
so is it in the Church. The Church is an organic unity.
It so organizes its individual members that the Church
becomes a co-operative society. The vision of the wheels
in the lii-st chapter of the prophecy of Ezekiel may be
taken as a vision of the Church, the wheels being the
individual members carefully combined as a divine mech-
anism, and intelligently directed by the living Spirit with-
in. Not simply did the wheels move as he descended
among them ; they moved together. The idea in the
vision may be expressed in one word, as the co-operation
of the wheels with each other, and with the living God,
to whose power they were so completely submissive, and
of which they were so perfectly executive. The reason
for the oi-ganization of Christian activity thus stated is the
divine constitution of Christian life, and of the Christian
Church. We are under a spiritual constitution whose
supreme aim is the organization of life." ^
It is here assumed that the church is both an organism
and a mechanism. The conceptions are used interchange-
ably. There is reason, doubtless, for this combination of
the two ideas. It expresses a fundamental fact. J]ut if
the ideas are combined it is well that they be clearly dis-
criminated, and not amalgamated. Tlie clnuvh is an
organism, and it is also, to some extent, a mecliauism ; Init
the organic fact is deepest, and to this the mechanical
process nuist always adjust itself. Its organization is due
to the miconscions and spontaneous action of llic sj)iritual
life within : its ini'cbanisni is the result of the application
of human thought and volition to its processes of woik.
IMechanism is the child of invention, of contrivance;
1 Rpv. r;. IJ. l.cavilt, ill Disrussiuns (if ihr JiitcnUnominattonnl Coufjirx.t at
Cincinnati , p. lil'.).
216 CHRISTIAN TASTOIl AND AVOIIKING CHURCH
organization is the fruit of that Spirit of Life who divid-
eth to each one severally as he will.
Now it is evident that we must have a certain amount of
mechanism in our church work. There must be wheels,
and wheels witliin wheels. The prophet saw this in his
vision long ago ; that was a prediction which reached far
into the future. The mind must work upon this problem,
inventing processes, devising methods. The failui'e to use
our minds in this way would result in fanaticism. There
is great need of the use of all the wits we possess in meet-
ing tlie difficulties that confront us, and in adjusting our
forces to the work in hand. This is what we see in the
manifold activities of the modern church.
Yet there are those who greatly distrust this whole
tendency. The multiplication of agencies and methods
seems to them a dubious good. Faith in (iod is giving
place, they say, to faith in machinery. Jn tlie perfection
of methods the need of power is forgotten.
Beyond controversy danger lies in this neighborhood.
Yet tlie true wisdom co-ordinates these tendencies, always
keeping the vital energies supreme, and maldng the mechan-
ism sul)servient to life. The problem is to compreliend the
adaptations which life produces and to shape our methods
in accordance with these. Methods we must have ; they
ought to be such methods as "the law of the s))irit of life
in Clu'ist Jesus " would naturally evolve ; and they who
have "tlic mind of the; s])irit " ought to l)e able to devise
tlicm. 'I'he curse of all ecclesiasticisms has been llic
swallowing up of life in what men call organization, w liicli
is not truly organization, but mechanism. And tliis is the
danger against which, in this day, we must be constantly
on our guai'd. Yet we must not neglect to use tlie ne-
cessary instrumentalities. No matter how numerous arc
our wlicels, if tlu; Sjiii-it of tlie Living Creature is in
tlicll).
TIk; church must be organized for tlie dcvclopiiu'iit of
its own life, — that it "may grow U]» in ail things unto
him which is tlic head, even ('hrist: fioin mIioiii all tlie
body, fitly framed iiml knit togctlier through that which
THE CHURCH OIIGANIZATION 217
eveiy joint supplieth, according to the working in due
measure of each several part, niaketh tlie increase of the
body unto the building u]) of itself in love." ^ And
it must be organized also for effective ministry to the
needs of the community, — needs that are manifold and
various and that require many forms of evangelistic and
philanthropic activit}-.
For a clear view of this problem of organization as it
presents itself to a laborer in a wide and fruitful lield,
the little book of Dean Gott, entitled The Parish Priest in
Town may be usefully studied. The organization of an
Anglican parish is here discussed with great particularity,
and useful hints may be found for pastors in every church.
As to the nature and extent of the work, his testimony
is impressive : " The Parish Priest of the town has to
lay tlie Hand of his Lord personally on every mm in his
crowded, ever-changing streets. The minimum population
of a town parish is fixed by the Ecclesiastical Commis-
sioners at 4,000, but this gives only a shadow of the
ditiiculty. I have many streets where no family remains
a quarter of a year ; in these quarters the population is
quadrupled for practical purposes, and the unsettled con-
dition of these people produces a like character of the
inner man. To fix the spiritual impression on so volatile
a subject needs new resources, of which George Herbert
never knew the want. To this ebbing and flowing effect
of large wells of life in a town, you must add the lodging
liouses where many hundreds s[)cnd a few weeks or nights,
in some of whicli one thousand men remain a little while
as straws in an eddy of the river. And you iirst begin
to 'know what you have to do.' The first thonglit is that
to 'do it' is a sheer iiii])ossiI)ili( y. The second tliought
is that inspired coiij)let of St. Taul's, —
' By myself I can do iiotliiiijT.'
''riirr)u;^'li Christ I can do all things.'
Tlie third thoiiglil is (hat li'adiiig genius of man — organi-
zation. Was it not Professor .lardine who said, 'The high-
1 Kph. iv. 10.
218 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
est exertion of genius, — the uniting and concentrating
effort ' ? Into this teeming multitude, ever coming and
going, diffuse yourself that you may concentrate yourself
through an army of church-workers, and unite them \^ ith
your parishioners and yourself in Christ." ^
This leader of Christian work counsels the pastor to
begin by gathering unofficially about him a few kindred
souls, to whom this work of the church will be, as it was
to the Master, meat and drink. A few such can be found
in every parish; and to confer and commune with them
respecting the work to be done, is the wise beginning.
The greatness of the task, and its urgency; the desola-
tion and danger of the multitudes that are scattered
abroad, as sheep having no shepherd ; the call for
faithful, heroic, self-denying service, — let the pastor and
those that are with him lay the burden of all this on their
hearts. It is not for him to make the work seem light
to those whom he calls about him. " The self-sacrifice of
this active Christianity is only an attraction, never a deter^
rent; you need not water it down or assure your would-
be Church-worker that the task is easy and the difliculty
slight. The only helpers this will give you will be a
limp and sorry crew, like Falstaff's recruits. God's ordere
to Gideon in the selection of his first army was an inspira-
tion for all time : ' Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him
return, and depart early.' Lay this to lieart as a principle
of your work in this and other matters. True men and
women love trouble ; they believe in difficulty, for it calls
out their God-given qualities and pra3^s for tliem to the
Almighty. In work they know that they increase their
talents by use ; and in the armies of heaven as well as of
earth, the post of danger is the post of honor." -
Among the organizations named and deseriljcd l)y this
parish leader are his Snndaji-schuoU which he divides into
three departments : the Infants, the Middle School, and
tlie Connnunicaiits, with each of which the pastor is
(•h)sely identilicd; his District visitors, respecting whom
he gives careful instiuclion, each of whom is to kecj)
1 Thr Paiish Prirsl In Town, jij.. 38, 39. 2 HiJ. j,. 40.
THE CHURCH ORGANIZATION 219
a strict roll of all her families, and to report to her curate-
in-charge the names of any whom he ought to visit ; and
all of whom are to meet once a month for prayer and
consultation with the minister ; his Fenny Baiik^ — a
department of his day-school and Sunday-school, officered
by wise men and educating the young in honest thrift ;
his Sinfjiiuj Class, to the care of which he can assign
some who would not otherwise be church-workers ; liis
Athletic Clichs, under the direction of sound-hearted young
men, into which men and boys may be gathered for
wholesome exercise ; his Girls^ Friendly Society, and his
Yoicny Men's Friendly Society, and his Church of England
Temperance Society. For the management of these various
organizations, the services of many church-members will
be required; and the task of the pastor is to get the
right men and women for each of these places, and to
keep them steadily and enthusiastically about their work.
In addition to this he provides also for the opening of
Mission Chapels in neglected districts and for outdoor
preaching. It is a large conception of the work of the
parish which is thus brouglit before us; and it is one,
as we shall see, which underlies the activity of the church
at the present day.
The chapters whicli follow will bo devoted to tlio
subsidiary organizations now existing in most working
churches. These methods of work are now very numer-
ous ; in the development of the life of the cliurch its
functions have been highly specialized. Perhaps the
differentiation of ecclesiastical tissue has gone quite as far
as is wholesome ; we may be suffering, in some quarters,
from a surfeit of societies. It is not likely that all of
them will be mentioned in the pages which follow, but an
effort will be made to bring under consideration those
wliicli ai'o most iinpmtaMt.
CHAPTER IX
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
OxE of the most important departments of the modern
church is the Sunday-school. In most of the excellent
treatises on practical theology to which reference has been
made in the preceding pages, the Sunday-school is virtu-
ally an unknown quantity. The learned and admirable
Van Oosterzee, in his monumental work, devotes barely
half a page to the consideration of this institution. The
later Scotch writers on pastoral theology dispose of the
whole subject with a mere allusion. The Sunday-school
does not seem to them to constitute any essential part of
the Christian pastor's care. In the more recent year books
of the churches of Scotland we find evidence that the Sun-
day-school interest is receiving careful attention. The
general assembly of the Kirk gives a large place in its
business arrangements to the Sunday-school reports ; and
the Free Church is not behind in its devotion to this cause.
In many of the jjresbyteries, Sabbath-school unions have
been formed to quicken and stimulate the interest of the
church in the spiritual care of the young. Schools have
in many cases been carefully graded, well-matured schemes
of Sunday-school lessons have been prepared and pul)-
lished, and many practical teachers of eminence are de-
voting tlicir time and tliougbt to the development of this
work. It is evident that tlie next volume of pastoral
theology pul)lished in Scotland will need to lake account
of tlie Sunday-school as one of the dc[iai-tm('ii(s of {'lniicli
work.
Henry Clay 'I'luniltiill. in liis lectures on the Suuday-
seliool, traces this institution to the Jewish Synagogue,
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 221
and follows its history through seventeen centuries of
varying progress from the time of the rabbins to the time
of Wesley. But the modern institution known by this
name originated in Gloucester, England, in 1780. Robert
Kaikes, the founder of the lirst Sunday-school, was not a
clergyman, but an active man of business, the editor and
proprietor of the " Gloucester Journal." Perhaps his phil-
anthrojjic eiforts at prison reform had convinced liim of the
need of beginning with the children. In the month of
July, 1780, he gathered into the rooms of a private house
in a manufacturing quarter of that city a number of the
poorer children of the neighborhood for instruction in read-
ing and in the elementary truths of religion. " The chil-
dren were to go soon after ten in the morning, and stay
till twelve. They were then to go home and stay till one,
and after reading a lesson they were to be conducted to
church. After church they were to be employed in re
peating the catechism till half-past five, and then to be
dismissed with the injunction to go home without making
a noise, and by no means to play in the street." The
teachers of this Sundaj'-school were four women, employed
by Raikes and paid at the rate of a shilling a day. From
this humble beginning has grown the modern Sunday-
school work.
"The school on Sunday," says Bishop Vincent, "by
which little children of the neglected English populations
were, one hundred years ago, taught lessons in spelling,
reading, and religious truth, has come to be a great and
powerful factor in our social and Christian life. A meas-
ure of this success must be attributed to other ideas than
those embraced by liobert Raikes and his co-workers.
The scliool on Sunday in America at the present time is
a very different institution fi-om that opened and sustained
l)y the (floucester piinlcr in 1780. It is more compre-
hensive, and contains cliiments not di-eamed of in tlie
sclieinc (if Mr. IJaikcs. It retains the name and also the
domestic; niissiniiarv icaturc of the Gloucester nii)\cincnt,
but this feature is only a small pai't of th(> mofleni Anieri-
canSuiulay -school. The tiny stream of laic, oul-of-church,
222 CHKISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
liunianitai'iaii effort that trickled from the humble foun-
tain in Gloucester soon joined the swollen and rushing
flood that had broken loose from fountains of Christian
and churchly philanthroj)j in Oxford, nearly half a cen-
tury before Raikes and his assistants began their work.
The latter effort was in behalf of neglected children. The
Oxford brotherhood did also teach children in street and
private dwelling, but they labored as well in behalf of
men and women in hospitals, prisons, and wretched homes ;
in behalf of tempted and doubting and godless young men
in Oxford University ; in behalf of all classes and all ages
everywhere ; and the key-note of all tlieir Avork was liible
study and holy living. The Oxford idea was broader,
more comprehensive, more radical, as it was earlier by
nearly fifty years than the Gloucester idea. Both, how-
ever, developed a form of social, hand-to-hand, church ef-
fort, to the end that children, and youth, and adults of all
grades of society might know the truth and live for God ;
and thus both Oxford and Gloucester unite in the best
Sunday-school thought of the present day. Those who
study the institution have discovered earlier and similar
endeavors in the same direction, and it is not difficult to
trace all the essentials of the best modern Sunday-school
work to apostolic and pre-Christian times. Whatever re-
lations the Sunday-school may have sustained to the church
in the days of Charles Borromeo in Italy, of Robert Raikes
in England, of Francis Asbury or Isabella Graham in
America, it is a most gratifjdiig fact tliat to-day it is,
especially in America, duly recognized as, in some very sig-
nificant sense, a part of the church. It is held in build-
ings provided by the churcli ; sustained l)y funds collected,
in one way or another, from the supporters of the church ;
organized and officered under the supervision and subject
to at least the veto of the church ; taiiglit by members of
the church ; preached about, prayed for, and in many cases
reviewed and catechised by the pastor of the church ; su])-
plying from its ranks a large proportion of tlie new con-
verts, ministoi's, and missionnrios of the clnircli ; building
up by its patronage immense publishing interests, and con-
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 223
ti'ibuting to the large benevolences which are controlled
and directed by the chnrcli." ^
The Sunday-school was, at the beginning, an institution
separate from the church, and until recently, it has been
inclined in many places to maintain its independence of
the church ; but in later years it has become evident that
this separation could not continue. Nearly all the churches
have adopted the Sunday-school as a constituent part of
the church. The relation of the Sunday-school to the
church is well set forth by Bishop Vincent in the passage
following : —
" There must be one and not two institutions, and that
one institution must be the church. And the church must
make her power — a power of grace rather than of govern-
ment — felt in all that concerns the school. The pastor
must be recognized as the highest ofHcer of the school,
relieved indeed from the responsibility for details of admin-
istration, Ijut present, as pastor, whenever possi]:>le ; sus-
taining it, and identifjdng himself with it, and not merely
patronizing it with an air of superiority and condescension.
The superintendent and all other officers should perform
their duties in the interest of the church, and no thouglit
of rivalry, as between two institutions, should ever be al-
lowed to enter the mind of a child in the school. The
teacliers should be members of the church. They should,
at tlie time of their appointment, be publicly installed or
otlierwise officially recognized before the whole congrega-
tion. They should be thoroughly trained in the doctrines
and usages of the church tliey represent, and seek to pro-
mote an acquaintance witli and loyalty to the church on
the part of their pupils." ^
A few years ago many of the Sunday-schools in the
cities of the Unit(Ml States licld two sessions, one at nine
o'clock in the ^ll(ll•lli^'^^ aii<l the other at two o'clock in
tlie afternoon. Oriiccrs, teachers, and scholars were tlie
same at both sessions. The morning session was devoted
mainly to the stud}' of the lesson; the afternoon (o nioi-e
general exercises. This double session is now generally
» Parish Problems, pp. 301, 362. - I hid. p. ,?f.j.
224 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORK I NT) CHURCH
abandoned. It Avonld be difficult to secure the attendance
of the same school twice every Sunday, and experience
has proved that it is far better to concentrate the effort
of the school upon a single service. At what hour the
session should be held is a question not easily answered.
In some churches the morning hour is best; in others
the school may fitl}' follow the forenoon service ; in others
still a separate session in the afternoon is undoubtedly
preferable. The morning session has its advantage in the
freshness with which pupils and teachers come to the
work ; one of its chief disadvantages is the difficulty
of securing the attendance of adults. The parents of the
children are busy in the early morning with household
cares, and the young men are not given to early rising
on Sunday morning. Many of the children are accus-
tomed to go directly home after the Sunday-school session,
and few children are seen in the morning service.
When the school meets immediately after the morning
service many of the adults can be induced to remain and
take part in the Bible study. The children, also, are more
apt to attend the morning service.
The disadvantage of connecting the two services, whether
the Sunday-school precede or follow the preaching service,
is the weariness caused by the double session ; yet it is
easy to overstate this disadvantage. A brief intermission
may refresh those who pass from the one service to the
other, and the two hours and a half of varied and spirited
exercises are certaiidy much less fatiguing than tlic three
hours' school session to which most of the children are
daily accustomed. And it is greatly to l)c desired both
that the adults should attend the Sunday-school, and that
the children should be present at llic iiioriiiiig service
of the church. It is to be feared that in miiiiy modern
churches the attendance of children is rapidly diiiiiiiisliiiig.
'I'lio numl)er of children visil)le in most American congre-
gations is very small. The children are at Sunday-school
in the morning, but they never attend any other religious
service. The habit of churcli attendance is not formed;
the time never comes when they are ready to begin ; as
THE SUNDAY SCllnOL __.)
soon as they deem themselves too old to attend Sunday-
school, they are wholly outside of all religious influence.
Any adjustment of the Sunday-school session which would
help to retain the children in the churcli is greatly to be
preferred.
For the Sunday-school itself it is probable that the
afternoon hoiu- is most favoi'able. There is time enough,
and the separation of the school from the other services
lends to it dignity and importance. But, considering
the interests of the church, and the future welfare of
the children, it is probable that the best hour for the
school is that which follows the morning service.
The officers of the Sunday-school should be chosen
by the church, although the privilege of nomination may
well be left to the teachers of the school. Every Sunday-
school needs one superintendent, from one to three
assistant superintendents, a secretary, a treasurer, and a
librarian. The superintendent ought to be a man of
good organizing ability, Avith sound judgment and abun-
dant enthusiasm. The most important part of his work
is the selection of teachers, for the success of the school
depends almost wholly upon the ability of these teachers
to attract and hold tlie pupils committed to their care.
Here will always be found the pivotal point of the Sunday-
school work. Interesting geiKM'al exercises, spirited sing-
ing, a good lil)rary are all attractive, but nothing will
compensate for the lack of a tactfvd, resourceful, faithful
teacher. There is no other work within the reach of tlie
members of the church of more vital importance than
this. To gather a little group of boys or girls and huM
their attention, week by week, to the great thiiius n\'
religion is a task whi(-h an angel might covet. No cullui'i!
can be too line, no mental e(juipni<'nt too jx'ifcct for such
a task, since it is only the l)est ('(biciitcd ininds wlm can
make the jirofoundest truths simph' and interesting. It
will b(! found that th(! Snnday-scliool teachers whose
general kiiowleilge of the subjects tliev are teaeliing is
already the broadest are those who will spend the most
time, week by week, in the preparatit)n of their lessons.
226 CHllISTIAN PASTOR AND WORIONG CHURCH
Because they are now so well informed they know the
value and importance of fresh study. The teacher Avho
knows the least is apt to be the one who feels the least
need of diligent preparation to meet his class.
The intellectual equipment of the teacher is not, how-
ever, all that he needs. He is the instructor of these
pupils, but he is also their pastor, the undershepherd by
Avhom they are to be led into the green pastures and
beside the still waters. The one thing needful is that
he should win the love of these young people. It is well
for him to remember that there is only one way to win
love, — the way by which the divine Master won the
hearts of his disciples : " We love him because he first
loved us." No man or woman to whom a genuine affec-
tion for boys and girls is not possible ought to under-
take the work of a Sunday-scliool teacher. 7Vnd this
affection must find constant expression in many practical
ways. The teacher will know his pu})ils in their liomes,
and will often have them in his own home ; he will keep
a record of their birthdays and remember each with a
kind note or some slight token of remembrance ; he will
keep himself informed respecting their school work, their
companions, their occupations out of school ; he will
encourage them to confide in him, and suffer liim to be
their counsellor and friend. Sucli a Sunday-school teacher
supplements in a most effective way the work of the
wise parent, and supplies in many cases the lack of
parental wisdom. It scarcely needs to be said that he
will take good care never to come between the parent
and tlie child, 1)ut always to reinforce i)arental autliority,
nnd emphasize th(; honor whii'h is the parent's due.
There is never any diClic-ulty about uiaiiitaiuiiig tlic
numl)ors and the interest of Sunday-scliools whose teachers
are of this cliaracter. The classes of such teachers never
dwindh:; ; if some ])U])ils are removed b}'' migration or death,
tlieir places are (|uickly filled; })03's and girls are as sure
to find teachers of this ({uality as bees are to find sweet
clover. Tlie great task of the superintendent is there-
fore to secure, for all his classes, teachers of this kind, —
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 227
intelligent, studious, apt to teucli, and, above all, with
a genius for friendsliip, and a power of binding young
hearts to themselves with the cords of a lifelong affection.
Such teachers are not so plenty as they might be ; it
is to be feared that the superintendent will often be
compelled to accept some who do not answer all these
requirements. But it is well for him to know what
he wants, and to liold steadily before the eyes of all
his teachers this high ideal. If he knows how to kindle
in their hearts the love wliich is the fultilling of all
holy law, he possesses the one supreme qualification of
the perfect superintendent.
If he can sing well he possesses another. It is not
essential that tlie superintendent should be a singer ; he
may find some one who can perform this service for him ;
but if the gift of musical leadership does belong to him
he can make excellent use of it. The singing of the
Sunday-school ought to be an inspiring and elevating
exercise. To this end the words and the tunes sung must
l)e poetiy and music, not sentimental doggerel and rhj-th-
mieal ding-dong. The kind of trash which the children
in many Sunday-schools are condemned to sing can have
no wliolesome effect upon their minds or their hearts.
The effusive silliness of the verses is often repulsive to
the mind of an intelligent child, and the manner in wliidi
words which represent great thoughts, and whicli should
always be reverently uttered, are caught up, and tossed
into the air, and pitched about in the shuttlecock and
battledore movement of these fantastic Sunday-sclK)ol
liymns, is enough to make fools laugli and the judicious
grieve. Yet so long liave our Sunday-schools been fed
on this kind of musical provender that it is dillicult to
introduce anytliing of a higlier nature. 'I'lie boy wlio
lias been reading penny-dreadfuls for a few years is not
interested in good books.
Still more diHicult is it to find leaders of Sunday-school
nuisic who will try to teach the childien the more digni-
TumI liyiniis. Vet \\]\ru a leader of inlclligcnce and
enthusiasm lor good words and gofxl music takes uj) this
228 CHPJSTIAX PASTOR AND WOKKING CHURCH
task with a hearty gootl-will, the school will learn the
nobler songs and will sing them with spirit. It is worth
something to be able to teach two or three liundred boys
and girls to sing Caswall's "When morning gilds the
skies," to Barnby's beautiful setting, or Bonar's '^ Upward
when the stars are burning," to Calkin's lovely melody,
or Miss Procter's " The shadows of the evening hours,"
to Hiles's noble tune " St. Leonard." These words a
child may be exhorted to heed and ponder and remember ;
their beauty will steal into his heart, and abide there;
and it will always be linked with music that can never
grow stale or old.
All the general services of the Sunday-school ought to
be spirited and hearty, but they should also be dignified.
Bishop Vincent rightly protests against calling them pre-
liminary services : they are worship, he insists, and the
spirit of worship ought to pervade them all. The singing,
the responsive reading, the prayers in concert should be
full of genuine praise and devotion. Nor should disorder
or levity be tolerated by the superintendent during these
services. It is sometimes supposed that inattention and
irreverence are unavoidable concomitants of Sunday-school
exercises ; that the same pupils who on the Aveek-days are
quiet and decorous in the presence of their teachers, nuist
be allowed on Sundays, in the house of God, to behave
like heathen. It is not possible, it is sometimes said, to
enforce upon children in the Sunday-schools the discipline
of tlic day schools ; if they are disposed to be turbulent
and disrespectful we must simply endure it. All this is
a grave mistake. The one thing tliat sliould not l)e
tolerated in a Sunday-school is disorder. X(ir is ihcrc ;my
difficulty in the case. A superintendent a\ lio (Iciiiaiids it
can secure it. There are mission scliools, drawn from the
slums, in whicli llie childi-cn's behavior in the hour of
worship leaves nothing to be dcsiicd : ;iii(I this has been
secured witliout an}' approach to coercion, l)y siiii]ily en-
forcing u])on tlic minds of the cliihlren the trutli tliat
worsliip is a sacred thing, and that ii-revcrence is an al)()iiii-
nalion. Chihlrcn can uiKh'istaiid this, and tlie iii<h'sl of
THE StmDAY SCHOOL 220
them can be made to respect the sacred exercise. ]\lis-
behavior in the Sunday-school is sometimes tolerated be-
cause superintendents fear that by the enforcement of
order they will drive children from tlie school. It is bet-
ter, they say, that the children should come, even if they
do misbehave ; they may get some good out of the ser-
vice ; we must not drive tliem into the street. But this is
sophistry. It is far better that the children should be in
the street than that they should be behaving riotously in
the Lord's house. The lesson of irreverence, of disrespect
for sacred places and sacred services which many of them
are learning in the Sunday-school, is one of the worst
lessons they could learn. It is doubtful whether any in-
fluence exerted upon them by rude companions outside
could be more injurious than the formation of this liabit.
A Sunday-school of one hundred mend)ers in which rever-
ence and decorum are secured, is likely to do far more
good than a Sunday-school of two hundred members in
which the superintendent is constantly begging for silence,
and in which the voice of prayer is heard with dilTiculty
because of the whispering and tittering of the pupils.
This is no plea for a stupid and formal Sunday-school
service, — it ought to be as bright and cheery as a June
day ; and when tlie conversational and teaching period
arrives, there is plenty of room for the natural vivacity of
children, which no wise teacher will try to repress. lint
in the pul)lic worsliip of the school, and in all the exercises
in which the superintendent is leading, reverence and
respect should be insisted on.
The usefulness of the Sunday-school may be greatly in-
creas('(l by the pi'ovision of ])r()pci' roouis for its exercises.
'1 lie iiiiportance of se[):ii'aling tlie |iiiiiiai\ depaitineiit liiHii
the I'cst of the school has loug been rccogni/.ed ; the exer-
cises ada[)ted to the yoiingcst children art' such as caunot
well be carried forward in a idoni where (dasses are studv-
iug the lesson together. Uut the modern Sunday-school
building undertakes to give, so I'ar as possible, to ea(di
class the same se(dusion ; ami the o|ipi)rtniiit\- of (he
teacher is greatly eidarged ity this device. One teacher
230 CHEISTIAX PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
can more easily instruct a class of twenty or thirty pupils
in a small class-room than a class of four or five when the
groups are huddled together within the same enclosure. A
great economy of teaching force is thus secured; and since
the one difficult thing is the supply of proper teachers, this
arrangement is highly sei'viceable to the interests of the
school. The school should be brought together for the
opening and closing exercises, but the classes may then be
permitted to retire to their rooms for the study of the
lesson. Maps, blackboards, diagrams, and the like can
there be introduced in class work ; and if the teacher
wishes to have a serious word with the class, or a few
moments of prayer with them, the pupils are neither em-
barrassed nor distracted by the observation of others.
The question concerning the subjects to be taught in the
Sunday-school has attracted much attention of late. There
can be no doubt that the Bible must be the central, if not
the sole subject of Sunday-school study. Various substi-
tutes for it have been sought in the schools of some of the
churches which claim to be progressive, but it is doubtful
whether any of them have j)roved to be satisfactory. To
one school belonging to an Ethical Society tlie I>i1)le was
restored, after a period of banishment, and llic jiupils wei-e
told that it had been brought back because it was, above
all other books in the world, the book of conduct ; that the
main interest of the book was in righteousness ; and that,
therefore, although the standards of conduct followed by
its characters were not always perfect, tlie study of it must
be of the highest value to any man who wished to know
how to live.
There is not, liowever, much (|uesti()ii among nioiU'rn
Prott'stant Christians as to the place which tlie I>il)lc
should occui:)y in Sunday-school instruction. Wnt tlicre is
some difference of opinion as to the way in wliicli the
I>il)lo should 1)(' tauglit. A large ]iro]iortion of tlie I'^van-
gelical Christians of the I'liited States and the United
Kingdom have been studying, for many years, the Inter-
national Seiies of Tjcssous, prepared hy a committee in
which several deuoniiiiations are represented. By this
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 231
scheme it is j:)roposed that the entire Bible shall be covered
about once in seven years, Old Testament and New Testa-
ment lessons alternating. In the preparation of lesson
helps and commentaries much money has been invested,
and a vast literature has been created ; the forms and
appliances of intelligent study have been greatly multi-
plied. The study of the same lesson in all the schools of
a town or city gives an opportunity for union meetings
of teachers, and strengthens, to some extent, the bonds of
Christian fellowship. All these are gains, and it may be
that the}^ are important enough to outweigh all the losses
which tlie system involves. Of these the chief is the de-
sultory and disconnected character of the course. The
classes that go skipping back and forth from the Old Testa-
ment to the New, and ranging up and down the centuries
mth no sense of the historic continuity of tlie events
with which they are dealing, are lial^le to find themselves
in a state of intellectual confusion with respect to Bil)li-
cal matters out of which it is not easy to extricate them.
Teachers of general history in the high schools have great
trouble in disentangling the ideas of Sunday-school pupils
with respect to the events of Old Testament history.
It is probable that the worthy gentlemen who prepare
these courses are not altogether clear in their own minds
as to the genetic relations of that history. Perhaps it is
not possible, in the present condition of Biblical science,
to arrange a satisfactory programme for the study of the
history of Israel. In that case it would be better to aban-
don the attempt to cover the entire Old Testament with
this scheme of study, and be content with the selection of
typical events and characters.
Another serious objection to the International Lessons
is in the fact that tlie school adopting tlicm is likely to b(>
hindered from undertaking the gradation of its |ui])ils, iiml
the prosecution of a systematic course of study, it would
seem that the Sunday-school ought to offer to all those
will) ;itlrn<l ni)on its instruction tlir cliance of accomplish-
ing somh; (Iclinite thing. When a boy has been a membi'r
of a Sunday-school fur ten or lifteen years, he ought to
232 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WOJlK'lNG CHURCH
have something to show for it. He ought not to be
compelled to say that he has been present Sunday after
Sunday, going through the routine of Bible study, and
receiving more or less of good impressions, but that he
does not know what he has studied or wliat he has learned.
He ought to have some reason for believing that he has
been making progress ; that in this study, as in every
other, he has been rising from the primary to the higher
grades, — leaving the rudiments behind and going on
toward perfection of knowledge. If every Sunday-school
were graded in such a manner that each grade should be
studying some definite part of the Bible, with the expec-
tation of being advanced to the grade next higher when it
had completed this study, an incentive which is now lack-
ing would be offered to intelligent pupils. Thus the
primary grade should be confined to the simplest record
of the Life of Christ ; the first intermediate grade might
complete the story of his life, getting a clear and connected
notion of the order in which the events follow each other ;
the second intermediate grade might take up his teachings,
including his parables and his discourses ; the third might
study the planting and training of the Apostolic Church ;
the fourth, the epistles ; the fifth, some outline of Old
Testament history and ])iogra[)hy, and the sixth the prophe-
cies and the Psalms. 'JMiis arrangement is a mere sugges-
tion ; objections to it could, no doubt, be pointed out, and a
wiser course selected ; it is only given as an illustration
of what might Ije attempted in the way of systematic study.
Many pupils would, of course, do their work very imper-
fectly ; but the faitliful tcaohci- wouhl try to secure tlie
performance of it hy all the |iuiiils. niid those who have
some intellectual seriousness would ha\e the satisfaction
of knowing that they had accomplislicd it. It Mould not
Ijc wise for the teachers to remain, as in the day schools,
year after year in the same grades, receiving new pupils
from time to time and sending them forward wlien the
work was finished: it would be far better for the teacher
to begin with the class in the first intermediate grade and
go on with the class through the course; and the ques-
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 233
tion of promotion should be largely left to tlie decision of
the teacher. The personal friendship of teacher and pupil
is of far more consequence tlian the character of the in-
struction; and while something might be gained in the
expertness of teaching by having the teachers remain, as
in the day schools, in the same grade, far more Avould be
lost in the way of personal influence.
Such a scheme could be introduced only Avitli great dif-
ficulty and at considerable expense by a single school ; for
it would involve an elaborate arrangement of lessons, and
much expense in the publication of them. But if a num-
ber of schools should unite in the plan the literature could
be printed without much difiiculty. A beginning has been
made in this direction by one organization ; and inductive
studies in the Life of Christ, the History of the Apostolic
Church, and tlie Old Testament History have been pro-
vided. But tlie studies need to be more carefully sul>
divided, and a clear division established between different
grades, with the lines of promotion open from the one
grade to the otlier.
Connected with the ordinary Sunday-school organization
it would be well to have a Senior Department, into which
young men and women should pass on completing the
lower course, and which in its methods of instruction
should have the same relation to the Sunday-school that
the college has to the grammar school. One reason why
tlie .young men and women so generally disappear from the
Sunday-school as they approach maturity, is that the Sun-
day-school is, traditionally and by the terms of our common
speech concerning it, a cliihrs affair. That character has
been fastened upon it, and it is imi)ossil)lo to change the
impression. The attempt has been \\\m\v to counteract
this idea by calling it ;i •• I'.ililc Schodl "; but tlie device
has not been successful. Ii is tni(> that we have " IWblc
Classes " connected with tlu- Sunday-schdol, l)iit tlicy aiT
still ])art of the Sunday-school, and the badgi? »>t' jmcriHly
somehow attaches to tlujm. The suggestion of I5ishop
\'ineenl tlial a separate department be forme(l. to l)e called
"The Assi'inblv" or '"The Institute," in which tlu' vouiiLf
234 CHIMSTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
men and women should be grouped for work of a some-
what different order from that of the Sunday-school is
well worth considering. " The High School Department,"
might be an appropriate name. Into this, young people
of sixteen years of age and over should be admitted on
their completion of the work in the lower grades. " Lec-
tures and outlines," says Bishop Vincent, " should take
the place of mere drills ; individual statements by teach-
ers and pupils, instead of simultaneous responses. A
higher class of music may be rendered, doctrinal discussions
conducted, responsive readings introduced, and the methods
of the College rather than those of the primary or inter-
mediate school should control the hour." ^
jMucli depends on a name, — the adoption of some such
title as has been suggested would go far to disarm the dis-
like of heady adolescence to the Sunday-school. It might
not be necessary to separate this "Assembly," or "Insti-
tute " from the rest of the school ; the young men and
women might be willing to meet with the rest for some
portion of the opening worship, if they could then go away
into a room by themselves and prosecute their studies in
their own way.
Such a group of students should have its own organiza-
tion, with ])residcnt, secretary, and executive committee ;
it might hold social meetings from time to time ; it might
undertake certain philanthropic or missionary enterprises.
" Its existence being guaranteed," says Bishop Vincent,
" it becomes the meeting point for the younger and older
people of the church. It remains w itii lliem as an incen-
tive. It gains a firm grip upon the young people, and
prevents tlieir early escape from llie juvenile and too often
[)uerile influences of the so-called Sunday-school."' -
The need of some sucli device ns lliis to (heck the
hegira of the young men and woincii I'nuii our Sunday-
scliools and from our churches will iml be disputed l)y
any intelligent pastor. Whetlicr this is tlie Ijest method
that can be devised, we need not dispute; the sugges-
' The Modern Siindnij School, p. 224, scj.
2 Op. cit.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 235
tion will have served its purpose if it leads to something
better.
Bishop Vincent assumes that the Assembly thus consti-
tuted will study the ordinary Sunday-school lesson. Here,
however, it is impossible to follow him, for we have
already provided for a graded school in which there is
to be no uniform lesson. This Assembly should have
wide range in its course of stud}-. It may take up the
history of the church, following the Apostolic period; it
may study the history of doctrine ; it may study Christian
biography, Missions, reforms as promoted by the Gospel,
any subject which is vitally related to the progress of the
Kingdom of God, and wdiich the leader can make intelli-
giljle and fruitful. Here doubtless we come upon the crux
of tlie whole experiment. How to find your leader — this
is the difficulty. Yet it ought not to be impossible to
secure, in many congregations, a man or a woman to whom
a task of this nature would not be impossible, — who could
succeed in organizing and directing the work of an assem-
bly of young people in such a way as to make it in the
highest degree stimulating and profitable to all its mem-
bers. It would be important that the co-operation of the
members themselves should be enlisted; subjects should
be assigned at every session for investigation and report
at subsequent sessions ; and freedom of inquiry should be
encouraged.
It has become evident to many careful observers that
some important changes must be made in the Sunday-
school administration, in order that the boys and girls,
from the ages of fourteen or fifteen upward, may be kej)t
in tlie school. The great majority of tliese drop out of it
just at the time when they most need its invigorating and
lestraining influences. Is not the failure of the school to
ap[)eal to their higher intelligence and tli«ir self-respect
res[)onsiljle for this, at least in part? \\'()uld not such an
arrangement as liishop Vincent has outlined helj) to liolil
many of them in the ])laces where sanctifying influences
might reacli them, and to lead tlicuu in due season, into
the active fellowship of the church?
236 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
There is reason to fear that one cause of the somewhat
diminished influence of the Sunday-school may be found
in the uncertain handling of the Bible to Avhich recent crit-
icism has given rise. The faith of many in the inerrancy
of the Scriptures has been shaken ; they may know but
little of what the critics have proven, but they know, in a
general way, that the scholars of this generation do not
use the language respecting the Sacred Book to which,
from their childhood, they have been accustomed. And
many of them have shrunk from informing themselves,
feeling that the admission of such an inquiry to their o^^•n
minds involves a kind of disloyalty. It is not too much
to say that the majority of Sunday-school teachers are
uncertain as to what they should say about the Bible. If
their views are challenged they are likely to re-affirm with
some lieat the old theories, because they know not wdiat
else to affirm. Now it is manifest that teaching of this
nature cannot be effective. The first thing that the teacher
of the Bible needs to do is to get a clear notion of what
tlie Bible is. And it should not be feared that tlie truth
al)out the Bible is going to do any liarni. Tliat a con-
siderable modification must be made in the theories of
inspiration and revelation which were current fifty years
ago is not to be denied; and the sooner Sunday-school
teachers adjust themselves to the facts of tlie case, tlie
better it will l)e for them and for all concerned. Tlie
words of the jmstor of an English Congiegational church,
uttered in a recent newspaper discussion, are words of
wisdom : —
"Are the teachers to go on repeating ideas which the
progress of scientiiic research and r)il)lical criticism have
I'cndered untenable. Ill' arc llicv to have tlicir instiuctioiis
in the light of the new knowledge ac(]iiircd in our own
generation? The foi-nicr course can only end in disaster
to the faith of the chililrcii. The latter, as the honest and
straightfoi'ward couisc, w ill h;i\c, I believe, only hapj»y re-
sults. There are those wlxj wonhl banish (xcnesis fi'om the
Sunday-school. But it is jnsi on subjects connected with
the (Genesis records that the faith of young peo])le will be
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 237
soonest and most sorely tried wlien they mingle with the
world. It is iu Genesis also that some of the most beauti-
ful, suggestive, and attractive stories for children are con-
tained. Great will be the loss to the Sunday-school that
displaces Genesis. Nor do I fear that any damage would
be caused, I think rather great good would accrue, by a
faithful and honest interpretation of these sublimely simple
records. Let the teacher of boys from ten to fourteen
years of age go over the lirst chapter of Genesis, and give
side by side with it the geological story of Creation ; let
him show that tlie earth has been made to tell its own
story of how it was built up •, let him also show that Gene-
sis has nuich to tell on the spiritual side of things of wliich
the rocks say nothing, and I believe he will malce the old
record live anew to his charges, and will })ut into their
minds and hearts ideas by which infidelity will be rendered
powerless. In the same way let tlie story of the Tempta-
tion and the Fall be honestly interpreted. Let the chil-
dren know that the serpent was not a literal serpent ; that
the whole record is parabolic and full of intense interest,
— a mirror, indeed, of every child's and of every man's
experience when he falls into temptation. The treatment
of these records in the light of modern knowledge would,
I believe, imbue young minds with a deepened sense of
the preciousness and never-fading interest of the Bible ;
and the impressions received in the Sunday-school would
not have to be revised in the presence of the sceptic, but
would victoriously withstand liis assaults."
Indeed it is evident that tlie Sunday-school is the very
place where our children ought to be receiving instruction,
not only out of the I^ible but concerning the Bible, which
Avould e([uip them to resist the attacks of a blatant in fi-
delity. Instead of this it is to ])e feared that the Sundiiy-
seliool, in most cases, is giving them ideas about the Bible
which cannot l)e defended, and is leaving them in an in-
tellectual position in which thoy arc sure to find, whenever
they are led to examine the whole question for themselves,
that tliev have been either igiKtranth" or insinceri'ly dealt
with. It is a grave responsibility whiili i\i>- Siinday-'<cliiii>l
238 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
teacher takes, who sends his pupils out into the world with
such a mental outfit as this.
The Home Department of the Sunday-school is an in-
stitution Avhich has proved its usefulness in some American
churches. The plan involves the enlistment of those in-
dividuals and families that are unable to attend the resular
sessions of the Sunday-school in the systematic and con-
secutive study of the Bible, in connection with the Sunday-
school. A superintendent of the Home Department is
appointed, several visitors are chosen, and the congregation
is canvassed, soliciting the signatures of those who are
willing to engage in this study, and leaving with them the
lesson-helj)S for the month, witli blank reports on which
they may credit themselves with the weekly study of the
Sunday-school lesson. These reports are collected quarterly,
and new supplies of the lesson helps are left by the visitors.
Monthly meetings of the members of this department, for
the review of the lesson, are also held at the residences of
the members. Considerable interest in Bible study has
been awakened by this method ; and it results not seldom
in bringing recruits into the Bible classes connected with
the Sunday-school. Those who have undertaken the study
by themselves have often found the need of assistance, and
they wish to avail themselves of the light which is alwaj^s
tlirown upon the study by the conversations and discus-
sions of a class.
Here, again, much depends upon the services of a com-
petent and faithful superintendent. One who has both tact
and patience can succeed in securing the co-operation of
many in this work. But without great thoroughness and
perseverance the interest is not likely to be maintained.
CFIAPTER X
THE MIDWEEK SERVICE
IMosT of tlie Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches
provide for certain week-day services. In the cathedrals
and in some of the larger churches morning and evening
prayer is offered every day in the year, and the fasts and
festival days of the Christian year are also observed.
Worshippers have thus an opportunity of meeting in the
sacred place at stated times during the week for prayer and
praise. The attendance upon these week-day services is
often very small ; but no one who has been in the habit of
attending them can doubt that they are highly valued by
the faithful few who avail themselves of the opportunity.
Few Protestant churches, except those of the Episcopal
communion, undertake to sustain daily public worship, but
some kind of midweek service is maintained by most of the
American churches called Evangelical. These services are
sometimes drearily perfunctory, and sometimes sentimen-
tally effusive, and there are those who counsel their aban-
donment. Tliere is no necessity, however, tliat they should
be formal and frigid ; and no necessity that they should be
emotionally extravagant : it is the pastor's business to see
tliat they are not. When they are what they ought to be,
they serve an important purpose in the life of tlu; church.
The type tn whicli they ought to conform is thai of a free
and informal couference of tlic members uj)oii Ibc life of
tlie Christian and the work of the chui'ch. Tjic demand is
not supjtlicd by a lecture from the pastor; \\]\;\{ is wiintcd
is that the people themselves sliouhl be trained to think
:iii(l to express their thoughts on the great thcnu's of the
s[)iritual life. It is well, also, to connect with these di'vo-
tional meetings consultations about the various charitable
240 CHIMSTIAX TASTOR AND WOKKIXO (^HT'RCH
enterprises of the clmrcli, so that prayer and stud}^ i^^fiy
bear fruit in service, and so that work may be informed by
study and consecrated by prayer. There is no need to
search history for a warrant for such services ; it is i)ossible
that notliing closely resembling- the best prayer-meeting of
tlie present day can be found in the apostolic churches or
in the church of the Middle Ages. It may well be that
social conditions in the earlier days did not warrant this
kind of conference. If existing social conditions warrant
it and call for it, that is enough. It is to be hoped that we
may learn to use many instrumentalities that the early
Fathers never dreamed of. The life of the church may be
left to develop the forms which are most serviceable.
The early prayer-meetings in the Evangelical churches
of America were simply meetings for prayer. The min-
ister generally presided, and sometimes read and ex-
pounded a portion of Scripture ; one or two hymns were
sung, and then those laymen offered prayer, and those
only, who were called on by the minister. Meetings
substantially of this type have largely prevailed in the
Presbyterian clnirch, and sometimes thc}^ have been full
of the spirit of devotion. '• Of the praj-er-meeting proper,"
says Dr. Blaikie, " we have had more characteristic samples
among us of late years in connection with tlie revival of
religic^n. Such meetings are really for prayer ; many
Christian friends take part and the prayers are like arrows
from the bow of the mighty, jets of petition darting up
to heaven. Intercession is a prominent and very blessed
feature of such meetings, as it ought to be of all j)rayci-
meetings. Intercession revives and expands the lieart,
and tends to deepen the spirit out of wliidi it sin-ings.
It is a favored congregatidii Ili;it cnii kcc]) up such a
meeting, leaving to tlie uiinistcr llic (hity <>l siiiijily guid-
ing the proceedings and drawing ont (lie gilts and graces
(if his people."^ And yet there is probably much truth
in llicse words from the same page of the same book :
"' In ni;iny cases the true concejition of ;i |»r;iyer-meeting
lias not been realized. The meeting so (ksciihed is gen-
1 The Work of the Ministrif, p. lih).
THE MIDWEEK SERVICE 241
erally little else than a diluted edition of a pulpit service.
It may be doubted whether the meeting, as it is often
conducted, has in it the elements of permanent vigor.
It is a kind of cross between the college lecture, the
prayer-meeting proper and the pulpit service — without
what is most valuable in any. It is better, if possible,
to keep these separate and let each possess its character-
istic features." ^
In the non-Episcopal churches of America at the present
time, the " conference " has largely supplanted the prayer
in these services. There is far more of speaking than of
praying. In the Methodist churches, generally, this speak-
ing takes the form of personal " testimony." The speaker
undertakes to give some brief account of his own religious
experience, — of the gains and losses, the victories and
defeats of his personal life. Such a recital, if modestly
and honestly made, by persons who are living serious
lives, might often have great value ; but it is greatly to
be feared that those whose lives are most serious are
least inclined to give absolutely truthful reports of their
own spiritual states ; and of that which is most intimate
and most vital, it is hardly possible to tell the story. The
danger is that " experience meetings " will degenerate into
a recital of well-worn phrases which represent no real
facts of the inner life. The mischief of such insincerity
must be very great. When one who has scarcely thought
of spiritual tilings during the week — his mind having
been wholly a1)sor])ed in the pleasures and strifes of the
woild — goes into the weekly meeting and fluently ex-
presses his deep interest in tlie great things of the
Kingdom, and testifies that he is making steady progress
in the religious life, the injury to his own cliaractcr
must 1)0 (leei), and the effect upon the minds of those
who know him well, most unhappy. To this insincerity
the cut-and-dried experience-meeting affords a strong
temptation. Every one is expected to give some account
of his OW71 s])iritual condition, and no one likes to give
a discouraging report. It is too easy to assume a virtue
1 IhliL, p. 210.
ICi
242 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
whicla one does not possess, and to avow an interest wliicli
is optative rather than actual.
On the other hand, the speaking in many of the other
prayer-meeting conferences hirgely takes the form of dis-
cussion, sometimes of debate, and the pure intellectuality
of the performance affords little nutriment to the spiritual
affections. We find the speakers wrestling with subjects
to which they have not given much attention, and on
which they are not prepared to throw a great deal of
light, and the net result of tlie conference is intellectual
confusion rather than spiritual refreshment. How to
escape cant and insincerity on the one side, and the dry
bones of theological or philosophical argument on the
other, is the problem of the conduct of the modern prayer-
meeting.
To begin with, it may be said that nothing is more
to be desired than that the modern American praj'cr-
meeting should recover something of the character which
it has lost as a meeting for prayer. It is quite true that
public prayer, like every kind of public utterance, may
become insincere and formal ; and as such it is more
abominable than any other kind of speech. On tlie other
hand, it is the highest form of expression of which the
human mind is capable ; and its exercise may well be
cultivated in the assemblies of the saints. The sincere
outpouring of an honest soul before God, in confession,
supplication, intercession, communiou, should, in the very
nature of the case, have more ii)S])iration in it for those
wlio join in the prayer than any other p()ssil)h' communi-
cation between human minds. Sucli an act of prayer
brings man at once into fellowship with his Fatlier above
him and witli liis l)rother by his side; it expresses the
heart of both the great conunandments of tlic law.
The utility and even the propriety of social ]»raycr arc
often questioned. Wliat our Lord sa^'S in the sixth chap-
ter of Matthew about the hypocrites who pray in the syna-
gogues and on the corners of the streets is quoted in sn)i])ort
of the position that we ouglit not to jn-ay in jmblic. lint
wlien tliese Avords of liis are compared with liis other
THE MIDWEEK SERVICE 243
commands, and with liis own example, it becomes evident
that it is not social prayer, but ostentatious praying that
he is condemning. It is upon those Avho pray in the pub-
lic places " that they may be seen of men " that he is visit-
ing his censure. " They receive their reAvard," he says.
They are seen of men. They get all that they are praying
for. Their real prayer is not addressed to God in heaven
but to men standing by. Its burden is : " Look at me.
See how devoted I am. Listen to the sonorous solemnity
of my tones and the Avell-feigned fervor of my utterances."
And men do look and listen, and the hypocrite gets his
reward. From such a horrible profanation of })rayer our
Lord bids his disciples to flee. If you are tempted to any
such display of yourself, then hasten to the inner chamber,
and shut the door, and pray to your Father in secret. The
spirit of humilit}^ rather than the spirit of ostentation is
the spirit of prayer. You must keep yourself out of sight
when you pray. If you cannot do that when you pray in
public, do not pray in public. If you cannot pray in a
social meeting without thinking all the while of the figure
you are making, then by no means pray in a social meeting.
But if }'ou can forget yourself in your identification with
your fellows, if your sympathy with man and your fel-
lowship Avith God, rather than your own egotism, can find
expression in your prayers, then tlic act of social prayer
is the highest act you can perform. When you have thus
merged your own personality in the large benevolence
of your wishes, you have, in effect, obe3-cd the comiiinud
which bids you keep yourself out of siglit when you
pray.
It is a singular niisconccptiou wliiili leads incii to (|ues-
tion the propriety of social prayer. What are the words
of the model that our Lord gives us iu tlic same coii\ci-sa-
tioii ? " 0///- I-'ather wlii(di art in bcavcu." 'Idic wIioU;
jiiayer is in the plural number. Its primai y usu must be
social. It is not adapted to th(^ use ol ;isolitar\' worshijijtci'.
One man alone can no nmre riglitly l>ray that ])raycr than
one violin ahnic can play r>i'rt,lioven's Ninth Svni])lioin".
As no man coukl be a Christian alone, or go to heaven
244 CHEISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
alone, so no man can be always solitary in this greatest of
all the exercises of human speech. There are uses, indeed,
for private prayer, and times when we should literally
enter into the inner chamber and shut the door ; but the
highest form of prayer is social and not solitarj'. Even in
the secret place we must perfectly identify ourselves with
oiu" fellows, else there is no meaning in our petitions. The
kind of prayer that isolates a man from his kind brings no
blessing. There is absolutely no spiritual good that we
ask for that can be ours to have and hold ; if Ave receive
any gift it is that we may minister the same one to another
as good stewards of the manifold gifts of God. And since
this is so, it is manifest that when two or three are gath-
ered together, and the social bond is clearly emphasized,
we ought to find the spirit of true prayer more evidently
present. " Our Father," we say, and the meaning of
brotherhood becomes more clear; and as we try to put
ourselves in one another's places, and to covet the best
gifts for others as well as for ourselves, we are able to
offer the fervent, energetic prayer of the loving soul, liy
loving our brother whom we do see, we draw nigh to God
whom we cannot see. If something of the true signifi-
cance of social prayer could only be conveyed into tlie
minds of the worshippers in our midweek assemblies, we
might hope that they would spend more of their time in
that direct speech with God wliich brings to all who enter
into the meaning of it the largest spiritual gains.
The fasliion of "sentence prayers," in Avhich, A\lule tlie
whole congregation sits witli bowed heads, one after an-
other lifts up a voluntary ojai'ulation, mentioning some
one object of desire, has come into use in some of our
prayer-meetings. It is ungracious to criticise any such
practice, and doubtless it may sometimes be helpful to de-
votion ; but the impression made by this exercise on many
minds is not always pleasant. The fragmentary character
of the petitions, and the lack of reflection tliat lliey are
apt to reveal, often make themselves too evident. It is
well, indeed, that the ])rayers sliould l)c generally l>rief,
and that each petitioner should concentrate his desire upon
THE MIDWEEK SERVICE 245
some one thing wliieli seems to liini, at that moment, the
one thing needful. And it is usually far Letter that the
prayers should be voluntary than that they should be
called fortli by the leader, so that no man shall pray un-
less some desire is burning in his licart which he wishes to
pour out before God.
Of the speaking of the conference-meeting what shall
be said? There are critics of this service who point out
the fact that the speaking is often the reverse of edifying.
They say that the time is apt to be monopolized by igno-
rant, effusive, opinionated persons, who have no wisdom to
impart and no inspiration to convey ; that they only suc-
ceed in gratifying their own vanity or in confirming their
own delusions, while they irritate and disgust the sensible
people who listen to them. Or, in many cases, the service
fails of its usefulness by the aridity of its exercises ; no-
body has anything to say ; and after a series of long and
dreary pauses, broken mainly by the vain exhortations of
the leader who tries to stir up the saints to some utter-
ance of the faith that is in them, the meeting comes to a
close in a shamefaced way, and the brethren and sisters
separate with thankfulness that one more midweek ser-
vice is at an end. These complaints and criticisms are
often too well founded. And there is })lausibility in the
suggestion that only tliose persons should be expected
to speak on religious sul)jccts who have qualilied them-
selves to s[)eak intelligently, and who have something
important to say.
Yet there is another aspect of ihis question which must
not be lost sight of. 'J'he use of expression in the develop-
ment of the spiritual life must be well considered. Tlicre
is meaning in the many connnands of the Master aiul his
apostles which place such emphasis uj)nn tlic confession df
tlie lips. It may l)e said tliat one docs not really know
anything nniil lu; has clearly expressed il. 'Hie teacher
requires tiie pupil to express wliat lie is tiying to learn,
not for the teacher's infonnalion, but for llie eonliiinalioii
of the scholar's own l^nowledge. Il is this |)i-iiici|il,' wliich
is involved in ihc c-alls to testimony which disciples ;dwii\-s
246 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
hear. To afford them an opportunity to speak of what
they have seen and felt, and to give utterance to those
conceptions of the Christian life which are shaping them-
selves in their minds is the primary business of the mid-
week conference. It seems to be, indeed, a natural thing
for one who is enlisted in this discipleship, and is trying to
learn by heart the word of his Master, to give expression to
his thoughts and purposes.
'■^ The evident fact is that a true inward experience, or
discovery of God in the heart, is itself an impulse also of
self-manifestation, as all love and gratitude are — wants to
speak and declare itself, and will as naturally do it, when
it is born, as a child will utter its first cry. And exactly
this is what David means ; namely, that he had been obliged
to speak, and was never able to shut up the fire burning in
liis spirit, from the first moment when it was kindled. He
speaks as one who could not find how to suppress the
joy that filled his heart, but must needs break loose in a
testimony for God. And so it is in all cases the instinct
of a new heart, in its experience of God, to acknowledge
him. No one ever thinks it a matter of delicac}^ or genu-
ine modesty, to entirely su[)press any reasonable joy ; least
of all, any fit testimony of gratitude toward a deliverer
and for a deliverance. In such a case no one ever asks,
what is the use ? where is the propriety ? for it is the
simple instinct of his nature to speak, and he speaks.
"Thus, if one of you had been rescued, in a sliipwreck
on a foreign shore, by some common sailor who had risked
his life to save you, and you should discover liim across
the street in some great city, you would lusli to his side,
seize his hand, and begin at once, w ith a choking utterance,
to terstify your gratitude to him for so great a deliverance.
Or, it" yoii slioiild pass restrainedly on, malting no sign,
pretending to yourself tliat you miglit In; wanting in deli-
cacy or modesty to jndjlisli your |iii\;ite feelings by any
such eagei- acknowledgment of ynin' deliverer, or tliat you
ought first to Ije more sure of the genuineness of your grati-
tude, what opinion must w^e have, in such a case, of your
heartlessness and falseness to natuiv? In the same simjde
THE MIDWEEK SEUVICK 247
way, all ambition apart, all conceit of self forgot, all arti-
ficial and mock modesty exclnded, it will be the instinct
of every one that loves God to acknowledge him. He will
say with our Psalmist, on another occasion, — " Come and
hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he has
done for my soul. Verily God hath heard me, he hath
attended to the voice of my prayer." ^
While, therefore, the bald recital of peisonal spiritual
experiences may not be the best exercise for a social re-
ligious meeting, the themes of conversation ought to be
such as shall connect themselves clearly and consciously
with the religious experience of those who speak. Tlie
main thing is to get from them a clear expression of truths
which they have verified. The leader should be wise to
encourage always this kind of utterance. Let every man
remember the words of the Master : " We speak that we
do know and testify that we have seen." Let those Avho
speak be kindly admonished to kcc[) within their own
knowledge ; to avoid speculations and hypotheses ; to bring
forth the truths which they have either verified or are try-
ing to verify. — truths which have been vitaliz.ed by ex-
periment in their daily lives. It is not always necessary
to give the process of verification ; what is wanted is tlic
results. The men and women who are fighting the hard
battles of life and working out its problems can often
greatly aid one another by giving tlie clear issues of their
serious thinking, while at the same linio they strengthen
tlicir own hold on spiritual realities. And specific testimony
to truths verified in the experience is a different thing from
tiic general report of spiritual conditions and tendencies to
whicli experience meetings ai-c mainly addicted.
'V\n'. life of the Christian is the first great theme nl' tlie
nndweek service ; the second, whicli is like unto it, is the
work of the church. The service may frequently take on
a v(MT practical character. The various enteri)rises in
A\lii(h the church is engaged should often come before it
for studv and consultation. Tliosi- wlio Ii;i\i' tlie iinnie-
(Uatc charge of the work under consi(U'ration shouM he
1 r>nsliiicirs Srniiiots /hr ihr New Lifr, Jip. T^l .").
248 CHRISTIAN TASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
present, and their report should be heard respecting the
progress of the work, its difficulties and its hopeful feat-
ures. The problem is to bring all these tasks to the altar,
and let them feel the glow of its consecrating flame. It is
not chiefly about methods that the meeting should be inter-
ested, it is rather about the work in its larger relations, and
the motives that should govern it and the spirit in which
it should be pursued. The inquiry here is, what is God's
part in this work, and how would he have us co-operate
with him ? The machinery is a matter of importance, but
the main question before these social meetings is the sup-
ply of motive power. Thus the Sunday-school, the Parish
Missions, the Young People's Organizations, the Mission-
ary Societies, the Brotherhoods, all features of the organ-
ized work of the church should occasionally be taken up
for study and prayer at the midweek service. Such a cus-
tom helps to clear the meeting of the charge of dealing
wholly with abstractions and sentimentalisms, and brings
prayer and work into closer relations.
To the question who shall lead the midweek service the
answer is, the pastor, unless there is a more skilful leader.
If there is a capable assistant on whom many of the pas-
toral duties devolve, this service would naturally come to
him. The man who leads the meeting ought to be a well
ec^uipped man, ready, prompt, resourceful, enthusiastic,
with an abundance of tact and good-nature. He should
also be one who knows the work of the churcli thorougldy,
and knows tlie people ; else he may fail to guide the con-
versation into safe channels.
It is well that the subject of tlie meeting should be
announced on the preceding Sunday ; and it may some-
,times be advisable to have a series of related topics ar-
ranged for several successive weeks and printed for the
use of the members. To secure a prompt and coherent
treatment of the theme under consideration, some pains
may well be taken. Good prayer-meetings are not apt to
grow spontaneously; they need planting and watering and
diligent cultivation. The leader should study his theme
and take some measures to fjet it before the minds of those
I
THE MIDWEEK SERVICE 249
who will be present. A careful analysis of the subject into
sul>topics or questions mioht be made ; and a postal card
or note, Avith one of these cpiestions clearly stated, might
be sent early in tlie week to each of several persons who
are likely to be in attendance. This brings a specific
inquiry before the mind of each of these persons, and is
likely to secure some consideration of the subject before
the meetinsr. The leader need make no reference in the
meeting to this distribution of questions, but his opening
of the subject would naturally follow the outline he had
made, and might leave these questions open for consider-
ation. This would prevent the leader, also, from exhaust-
ing the subject in his opening, — a vice to which leaders
are addicted. The cliief business of the one who conducts
such a service is to ask questions or throw out suggestions
which others may seize and utilize. At the close of the
meeting he may profitably gather up the ravelled ends and
enforce the salient truths in a brief address.
One advantage of this method of distrilmting the themes
through the mails is that the church directory may be
freely used, and those who are wont to be silent or who
are haT)itually absent may thus from time to time be re-
minded of the service and invited to participate in it.
As to the mode of conducting the service a few sug-
gestions may be quoted from Parish ProUcms : —
" The meeting ought to be so free and so familiar that
one sitting in his seat might ask a question or drop a re-
mark with(jut rising. Sometimes a thought comes that
could be expressed in a sentence. It seems hardly worth
while to get up to say it; the uprising and downsitliug
make it sound affectedly sententious. Yet it would be
spoken very naturally by one sitting still, if that were the
usual ])ractice, and might have a go()(l dral iiioir in it (lian
many long s[)cech('s,
"I remember a foi'incr parisliioiirr of niiiic, ;i iii;iii of
exceeding dinidcnce, wlio n(!ver made a speech in liis life,
in ])rayer-meeting oi- anywlieic else, but wliosi; daily life
and convei'sation were bolli of llu in willi gi-aeo seasoned
\vitli salt. AVe had a liaMt in our iuMver-meetiiig of
250 CHRISTIAoSr PASTOR AND WOEKTSTG CHUECH
talking pretty familiarly ; and. although he did not often
speak, when he did he usually said something. One
evening we had the parable of the great supper and the
wedding garment, and the fact came out that the master
of the feast furnished the guests with garment. "And
is it not so with our Master? " asked somebody. " Does
he not clothe us with the robe of his righteousness ? "
" He does," I answered. " But we must put it on, must
WQ not ? " asked my friend. Nine words ! but nothing
was left to be said on that subject.
" Now, if we can attain unto a measure of freedom in
our prayer-meetings which shall admit of such pithy
questions and observations, I am persuaded that their
interest and value would be very greatly increased. Our
Christian women might, in such a condition of things,
open their mouths now and then, greatly to the profiting
of the rest of us. One step in tliis direction is easily
taken, and that is the repetition of texts of Scripture in
the pauses of the meeting by old and young, male and
female. The subject is known beforehand, and those who
come should be requested to bring in their memory verses
of Scripture which illustrate it, and recite them as they
find room for them during the evening. Sometimes these
well-chosen words will go home to the hearts of hearers
with great power. Verses of hymns, or short and perti-
nent extracts from the writings of good men, might be
repeated in the same Avay with profit." ^
The singing is an important part of this social service.
The hymns may be somewhat less dignified and stately
than those of the church service, but tlie jingling doggerel
which greatly ])revails in our American churclics is not to
be encouraged. .AH lliat was said in the last chapter
al)Out the Sunday- school nnisic is equally ap]ilital)U; to
the mnsic in tliese meetings for social worshij). Tlie
vulgarization of the tastes and the dt'})ravation of the
sentiments of worsliippers tlirough the use of sensational
and sentimental ])rayer-meeting hymns and tunes has been
a gra\e injniy to religion in America. It is not necessar}-
' J'liris/t I'niblcms, ]>]). 204-.").
THE MIDWEEK SERVICE 251
to submit to this infliction. Prayer-meeting hymnals can
be found containing easy melodies and familiar hymns,
which are at the same time good music and good poetr}'.
It is well to have much singing in the social meeting,
provided the singing can be at once musical and worship-
ful. The praise, the confession, the aspiration, the hope,
the desire wliich find voice in the hymns, may afford a
beautiful expression of the devotional feeling which the
prayer-meeting should call forth. The leader of the sing-
ing ought to be one who can feel the meaning of the
hymns he is singing, and can help those who sing wiih
him to feel it also. The leader of the meeting ought to
know the hymn-book so well that he can quickly call for
the hynni which best expresses the thought or the feeling
which is u})perniost at any moment. When any kindling
word has Ijeen spoken or any fervent wish has found
utterance in prayer, it will be a happy inspiration which
calls upon the whole assembly to respond to it in the
words of an appropriate song. In all this there should be
no more formality than is necessary ; the hymn may be
announced by its number only, and no prelude is needed.
A single verse or two verses are often better than the
whole hynni.
The suppi-ession of long harangues and prolix prayers
is a problem for the pastor. Many social meetings are
made wearisome by those to whom the gift of continuance
has been unduly vouchsafed. Those who have not had
large experience in public speech are often unaware of the
ra[)idity with which time passes while they are standing
ui> to speak. The ordinary man to whom thi'ce or five
minutes is assigned for speech on any subject is apt (o
use uj) most of it in getting ready to begin. ]\\ kiiullv
aflnioiiition the pastor can usually guard agiiiiist this
fault; if there be any who are so obtuse tliat they offend
in ihis way without iH'ing aw aic of it, a fiaiil< and fiimdlv
wold from him in privati^ w ill usually correct tlu' i-nor.
Some of our l)risk ]»iayer-nu'eting conductors establisli
a three-minute rule, and introduce a call-bell to admonish
the speaker that his time lias cxjiired ; Init such nietliods
252 CHEISTIAN I'ASTOU A2sD WOIIKING CHURCH
savor too much of the auction-room. It is better to as-
sume that the proprieties of the occasion will be observed
by Christian brethren who meet for social worship.
" Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty," and
if there is also love and consideration and courtesy, the
spirit of the assembly is likely to prevent those who fre-
quent it from imposing upon its patience.
A question box is sometimes introduced, with great
profit, into the midweek service. Difficulties and problems
of the Christian life which are burdening the minds of
members of the church are thus brought to light, and
cleared up, stumbling-blocks are taken out of the way and
trouljled souls are comforted. The pastor thus gains some
valuable knowledge of the mental processes of some of
his parishioners, and is guided somewhat in his public
teaching. The questions should, however, be collected a
week before they are answered, that the pastor may have
time to prepare judicious answers. And the right of re-
jecting any questions which do not seem to him suitable
for public discussion should be clearly reserved by him.
It is well to make this midweek service a social oppor-
tunity for the members of the church. Its devotional
cliaracter will not be marred by using it for the promotion
of acquaintance and fellowship. Sometimes the pastor
may announce that he will be present in the room assigned
to the service, or in an adjoining room, for a quarter of an
hour or half an hour before the meeting, to receive any
who may wish to speak with him, and he may also en-
courage all those wlio attend the meeting to tarry after its
close for fraternal greetings. Such a kindly interchange
of words of goodwill may do much to strengthen the
bond of brotherhood.
CHAPTER XI
PARISH EVANGELIZATIOlSr
The minister is commonl}- supposed to be the pastor of
the chui'ch ; the head of a body, lesser or greater, of com-
municants ; the shepherd of a flock which o^athei'S in a
certain sheepfold. The members of his church, the fam-
ilies also, to some extent, to which these membere belong,
the individuals and families which have sittings in his
church and arc considered as bclongfinof to his conereo-a-
tion, the children of his Sunday-school — all these are
su})posed to be under his care. Here is a small select
community for which he considers himself responsible. Is
tliis the extent of his responsibility? Is his shepherding
well done when these are all housed and fed?
Such is apt to be the habitual feeling of the minister.
He has no such theory of his function, but it is easy for
him to settle down upon some such assumption. Our
postulates are generally implicit. It is well for us to have
an understanding with ourselves at the outset which will
prevent the su.rreptitious entrance of any notion of this
order. The minister needs first of all to know whose
servant he is ; the pastor ought to have clear ideas about
the number of his flock and the extent of their pasturage.
That corporate community with whicli avc have been
dealing, the local congregation, is generally quite iiu-liued
to take a narrow view of the i)astor's resjionsibilitics. lie
is thrir minister, the ]XH)]>le say. They have liiicd Iiini,
and tliey exj)Oct him to devote his time and strength to
tlieni. If there are any individuals or households williin
reach who can be brought witliin tlieir fold, that, of eonise,
is his business, but here his obligation ends. There is
complaint of ministei-s, sometimes, on the part of their
254 CHEISTIAN PASTOR AND WOEKING CHTIRCH
congregations, because they do too much " outside work."
The church seems to think that it has a fair monopoly of
all the minister's production.
That the pastor owes to the people who have committed
themselves to his care faitliful instruction and patient
edification cannot be gainsaid. He is to minister to the
church in holy things, Ijringing to them out of his treasure
things new and old. But there is a little liigher concei>
tion of the work of the minister than that wliicli regards
him as a hired man whose duty is wholly owed to the
people who pay him his wage. He is, to begin v/ith, the
minister of Christ ; he must regard himself as sent to all
those to whom Christ would be ministering if he were
dwelling in that community. And he may sometimes
recall those words of the Good Shepherd, "Other sheep I
have which are not of this fold ; them also must I bring,
and they shall hear my voice." ^ Nor can he well forget
those other tender words, " I was not sent but unto the
lost sheep of the house of Israel." '^ He is, indeed, the min-
ister of this particular church ; but if the church is Christ's
church there can be nothing exclusive in its ministry,
Tlie church is Christ's representative ; and the servant
whom it employs is employed to do Christ's Avork. Tliat
the church should ever conceive of itself as a close corpor-
ation, organized to promote the welfare and happiness of
its own members, is an indication of the melancholy truth
that tlic church itself often needs to Ijc christianized.
" The clnircli is, in a word," says Mr. Herbert Stead, " the
body of Christ. The redemptive and mediatorial purpose
incarnate in him is incorporated in it. He came expressly
to establish and extend the kingdom. Tlic cliurch lives
expressly for the same end. As thou didst send me into
the world, even so sent I them into the world ; and the
same voice has said. The Son of Man came to seek and to
save that which is lost. Ilic later record runs. 'I'lic
Father hath sent the Son to bo the Saviour rtf the wmld.
This, then, is the avowed vocation of the chuicli. Ilciv ;ill
the characteristics we have noticed an^ focusscd. Ulie
1 John. X. If). - Matt. xv. 24.
rArJSII EVANGELIZATION" 255
chiu'cli is the organized Saviour. It is God's implement
for overtly and directly bringing over the world into the
realm of saving health. It is to search for the lost. It is
to save them. It is to make them whole. It is to inte-
grate humanity."' ^
All this is of the rudiments, but there is reason to fear
that it is not well understood. How long must we wait
for the church to be christianized? If we could conceive
the church to be in the truest sense Christian, then it, like
its Master, must say, " I came not to be ministered unto,
but to minister, and to give my life as a ivansom for many."'^
And it is a large part of the pastor's duty to bring the
church into the realization of its high calling as a repre-
sentative of Christ, as the body of which he is the head,
thinking his thoughts after him, filled with his spirit, and
doing his work. When the church so conceives of its
function, its feeling about its minister will undergo a
cliange. The people will still say " He is our minister ; "
but they will not mean l^y that, ours to care exclusively
for our organization or for our households, but ours to help
us in our proper M'oi-k of doing good to all men as we
have opportunity. How many churches there are which
still have need to learn the primary lesson of the kingdom,
lliat to look out and not in, and to lend a liand, is as truly
the law of the corporate life of the church as it is the
law of the spiritual life of an individual ! And how great
would be the gains of some of our churches if they could
only see that the church which is always finding its ow n
life l)y tliat act loses it; while the clmicli wliidi loses lis
lif(! for Christ's sake finds it.
Every pastor finds liimsclf, tlicn. in tlic niidsl df a com-
nninity, in whieli are considerable numbers of j)eopK' who
are not comiected witli his congregation, wov witli any
other Christian congregation. Tlie outside lu-atlieii. llir
neglccters. tlie non-churcli-going classes — these are round
about him ; and, whatever may be the expectations of his
cliurcli. he has certainly some relation (o these peoplr. and
some obligation concerning them, lie may safely assume
^ Faith and Crilicisin, p. 332. - .Mark x. 45.
256 CHRISTI^VN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
that all the people within reach of his church, who are not
under anyhody else's pastoral care, are under his pastoral
care — so long at any rate as they have not made it mani-
fest to him in any way that they do not wdsli to be cared for
by him. This may, in some cases, seem to put a tremen-
dous burden upon him ; doubtless it will ; but no pastor
will be willing to admit that there are any human beings
within the reach of his church for whom no representative
of Christ deems himself responsible.
If there are other churches and pastors in the vicinity,
some part of the responsibility for these unchurched mul-
titudes imdoubtedly belongs to them, and the pastor will
be wise if he shall persuade them to share it with him.
If they will divide the district w^ith him, setting off to him
a certain territory, his burden will be lightened.
His first duty to the parish thus put under his special
care is to get acquainted with it. The problem of " reach-
ing the masses," as it is called, now confronts him. That
phrase is one which always has an unpleasant sound ; it
should always be confined within quotation marks. It is
to be hoped that the wise pastor wall never try to " reach
the masses." One reason of church neglect is that men
have been thought of and talked of too much as " masses."
They are inclined to resent that phraseolog}' and all that
it implies. 1'hey are not to be blamed. Most of us know
that we are not " masses " and we do not wish to be con-
sidered as such. Every human being greatly prefers to be
regarded as a person, with a name and an individuality of
his own. If the men, women, and children dwelling in tlie
territory for which the pastor has now become responsible,
shall present themselves before his thought as individuals,
rather than as "masses," lie will be nuu;h more likely to
" reach " them.
He is likely to over-estimate, somewliat, the extent of tlie
absolute neglect within his ])arisli. 'J'he great majority of
the faiuilios in the worst districts of our American cities,
will (laiin to l)e connected witli some church. Three
Christian ministers of different denominations, canvassed
together very carefully a large district in an American
PAi'JSH ]:vanc;elization 2o7
city, inhabited by the lower middle, and well-to-do work-
ing classes, and only about twelve per cent, of that popu-
lation would confess that they were outside the churches.
It is probable that less than twenty-five per cent, of the
population of any city east of the Mississippi would make
that admission. This shows, if it is true, that the aliena-
tion of the multitudes from the churches is not so hopeless
as it is often supposed to be. For even if the relation of
many of these people to the churches is very slight indeed,
the fact that they are inclined to claim such relation indi-
cates that there is in their hearts no inveterate hostility to
tlie churches.
That the relation of many of these people to the churches
is very slight indeed, the minister will soon discover. Many
of tliem are connected only through their children, who
attend some mission Sunda^'-school. Even those working
men whose complaint of the church is most bitter, are
thus, very commonly, connected with the churches. The
children of these men are apt to be found in Sunday-
school ; the mother, probably, does not feel quite willing
to be wholly separated from the offices and influences of
the church. People of whom he has never heard are often
reported to a city pastor as saying tliat they attend his
church ; he need not always on this account accuse him-
self of pastoral neglect ; probably these are people who
once in a while come in to an evening service; mIio like
his clmrch better than any other, and would call on liim if
there were a funeral in the family. The number of these
semi-attached persons is very large — much larger, prob-
ably, than the numljer of tliose who announce themselves
as non-church-goers. And the great majority of them ma}'
be regarded as practically outside the churches — as lost
shcej) of the house of Israel.
The minister's firet problem is to get acquainted wiili
this unchurched contingent. I>y this is not meant tliat he
must personally visit all these fainilies ; though that, if
lie can lind time to do it, would l>e most productive labor.
There is notliing which Christian ministers need more
than just sucii intimate, personal acquaintance with the
17
258 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND VVORiaXG CHURCH
people who do not come to church. Tlie minister ought
to be able to see life from their point of view ; to learn,
by actual contact with tlieir minds, Avhat are their mental
habits and tendencies. If, however, the church is doing-
the work which it ought to do in this field, the minister
will have all that he can do to care for those who are thus
brought in ; and the work of visitation and invitation
should, in large churches, be assumed by the church. It
is the minister's task to see that the work is done. Nor
can it well be delegated to city missionaries and paid
visitors. The real significance of the work is lost when it
is thus performed by proxy. It must always be essentially
a labor of love, and love-making is not well done by
proxy. It is only when a genuine Christian friendship
is expressed in such a call that it can be other than
impertinent.
The minister ought to see to it then that the non-church-
goers in the vicinity of his church — those for whom he
has become responsible — have the Christian greetings of
the church extended to them from time to time. It is not
necessary to persecute them with attentions, and those
who continue to decline the invitation sliould be passed
by ; it is only necessary that all the people of the vicinage
should be kept aware of the fact that a Christian chui'ch
is there, that it has not forgotten them, and that it wishes
to share its best gifts with them.
For many reasons it is vastly better that this work of
visitation should be done by the co-operation of all the
churches in the neighborhood; as it was recently done,
for example, by the churches of the east end of Pittsburg.
There liave been many such examples. Then the visitors
of each church, instead of seeking to gather into its own
fold all those in its territory who liave no clnirdi liomo,
liiid out tlie denominational preference of each family
culled upon, and gain its consent to report its name to the
pastor of tlie nearest church of that donomiiiatioii. Tlic
effect of such a co-operative Avork is good in every way; it
is a demonstration of Christian unity wortli more tlian
weeks of lalk in union incctiuLrs : iiiul it is nnudi luoi-o
TAlMSir EVANGELIZATION 2/39
effective, because the denominational preferences of these
outsiders count for much ; and the family is more likely
to accept the invitation of the minister with which it is
thus put in communication than that of the church of
Avhicli it has no knowledge, or against which it may have
some prejudice.
It has been assumed tliat these people may be and
ought to be brought into the churches. But this assump-
tion will be challenged. It is impossible, it will be said,
to prevail upon them to come into tlie churches ; they
will not come to us ; we must go to them. Other agencies
outside the church must be provided for the evangelization
of these people. We must go down among them and
plant mission churches, mission schools, homes, refuges,
and all such saving agencies. These people are afraid of
our churches. The churches are, in fact, too fine for
tliem. They would not feel at home worshipping with us,
nor we with them. The social stratification is a fact, and
it is foolish to tr}' to evade it. You must adjust yourself
to the situation.
All til is is urged by the people who have sold their
down-town churches and gone up to worship on the aven-
ues, urged with the emphasis of conviction. Some of us
have listened well but we are not yet convinced. To say
that we do not feel the force of this reasoning would be
inaccurate. We feel it as keenly as we feel the force of
the east wind in .\])ii]. We feel the weiglit of it as we
feel the weight of a muggy atmosphere in the dog-days.
Hut we cannot aver that our faith is strengthened or our
hope invigorated by it. It is not necessarj' to speak dis-
respectfully about mission schools, or mission i-lnuclics.
Many good people are engaged in siidi (iittijiriscs, ;iml it
woidd b(! highly unchaiit;ibl(! to ccnsnre them. Uut llieie
are vigorons clnu'clKis which have never yet fonnd it wise
to propose the establishment of what arc connnoiily know n
as missions. These churches arc engag(>(l in planting
Christian institutions; but they arc not missions, in name
ov in Tact. They are founding Sunday-schools in suitable
localities, but these are not mission Snndav-schools ; care
2G0 CHRISTIAN PASTOK AND WOKiaNG CHUUCH
lias been taken to avoid calling them by that name or
giving- them that character ; the expectation is that they
Avill become chnrches.
In the fu'st place, these chnrches do not go into the
heart of any degraded district to find a site for their
Christian enterprises. It seems to them wiser to select
a place near the border of snch a district, at a mediating
point between the more fortunate and the less fortunate
classes. If the church is to do this work of mediation, it
is important that its purpose should be distinctly signal-
ized by the selection of its site. If it goes np on the
avenue and purchases a very expensive location, that is a
distinct advertisement of the kind of church it intends to
be. It will be perfectly true of the church which stands
on this ground, that the people in the tenement houses
will not feel at home in it. If, on the other hand, a site
is chosen in the midst of the squalor and filth of some
poverty-stricken district, everybody knows that this can
only be a mission ; that self-support is not looked for ;
that it is a purely gratuitous ministration on the part of
certain rich Christians to the spiritual needs of this neg-
lected neighborhood; and if there are any thoroughly
self-respecting poor people in that precinct, they Avill be
inclined to keep away from it.
A chapel l)uilt on the edge of such a district, but just
outside it, appeals quite as strongly to the poorest people
in it as if it stood in th(; midst of them, perhaps more
strongly. They would willingly walk a few squares
further for the sake of worshipping in a more decent place.
Very few of them expect to remain in this squalor; they
do not regard it as their natural habitat, and tliey arc more
iliaii willing to be reminded once a week that their inter-
ests do not ;ill centre here. If the chapel can draw the
people out ol' the slums a few times every Avcek, into
cleaner neighliorhood ;nul better air, it will do them a
good service. They will go back to that dirt every time
a little moi'o unwillingly. And there is no serious difli-
culty in iiidining the people of these districts to come to
llic cliurclifs wliicli stand near them bnl not in tlicm. I(
rArJSTt EVANGELTZATIOM 2(31
is usually a inattL-r of a few furlongs or even rods ; the
S(|ualid areas are generally in surprisingly close neighbor-
hood to the abodes of comfort.
Wlien the chapel or church is thus located, when it
stands as the mediator between the rich and the poor,
reaching one hand to the people who dwell in the respect-
able residence streets, and the other toward those who hive
in the tenement houses, its character and work are at once
determined. It must not be a " mission " ; tlie eleemosynary
features of its work cannot be thrust into the foreground ;
it must be a people's church, a church for all sorts and
conditions of men, where the rich and poor meet together,
confessing the Lord who is the Maker of them all. It
hopes to draw into its fellowship enough of the dwellers
in the respectable streets to give it the needful financial
strength, and enough of trained intelligence to give it wise
guidance, and enough of the surrounding poverty and need
to "'ive it a jjood field for work within its own congreq-ation,
or at any rate within those circles which will open directly
out of its own congregation. This plan has been kept
distinctly in mind ])y some churches, in their evangelistic
work, and experience has justified it. The Sunday-schools
thus started have become churches ; they are not licli man's
cliurclies, and can never be; they arc people's churches;
and that is the only kind of church which has any right to
exist. All classes come together in them and learn in
them the lessons of mutual respect and of self-respect.
l*()or people who are not paupers liave exactly the same
rights in them as their more fortunate neighboi-s enjoy ;
tlie i)Oorest prefer to Ijelong to churches, meml)ershii) in
which is not a badge of mendicancy.
It may be said that there are areas of jjoverty in some of
our cities so large tliat it woidd be ho[)eless to try to draw
the people away from them; that churches and (liai)c'ls
must bi' cstablislied in tlii'iii : and tliat tlicse nuist needs
h;iv(^ the (liaiacter, if not the nainc of missions. The
geogra]ihic;il stat-ement iiiav be true, but (he? ecclesiastical
infenmce does not foll(»\v. It is not necessary that chapels
or churches thus located should be missions. They may
262 CHRISTIAN PASTOK AND WOltKING CHURCH
be colonies. It is possible for members of Christian
churches to be actuated by motives not less Christian than
those which have inspired the founders of the college and
university settlements. It is possible for Cliristians of
wealth and education to care enough for the welfare of
the people of the neglected districts to be willing to go
and live among them. Of course, this would mean that
the sanitary conditions of th.ose districts would be sharply
looked after, for it would not l)e right for the well-to-do
Christians to take their families into tlieso precincts unless
they were made habitable ; and thus their very advent
would bring saving health to their new neighbors.
The churches thus formed by colonies in the neglected
districts would differ widely from what are now kmiwn as
mission churches. The edifices would doubtless be plain,
but they would be tasteful and comfortable ; the minister
would be a man of intelligence ; the services would be de-
corous and orderly. But the important feature would be
the footing of neighborliness upon which the worshij)pers
and the workers would stand together. The leaders in this
enterprise, the teachers in this Sunday-school, would not
be hired men and women sent down here to perform a
certain work of charity ; nor would they be occasional
visitants, letting themselves down, as it were, once or
twice a week, out of some higlicr realm of social life, to
minister to the poor, whose coming was felt to 1)0 an act of
condescension ; they would be neighbors and acquaintan-
ces, whom the ])oor i)eople met every day upnn tlie
street, and with wliom they were identified in many other
things besides the religious services. The social contact
of tliese classes witli eacli other couhl not but be of great
benefit to both of them. Gentleness and refinement wouhl
1)0 taught in the only way in wliich tliey can l)e tanglil ;
and respect foi' labor and s\in])athv loi' the laboi'er Mould
become something nimv tlian a scntiiiicnl. ^\'llat o[)]»or-
tunities, too, of genuine chaiity would come daily to these
Christians, thiongh their close ac(|uaintance with their
needy bretliren ! And how beautifully would the bonds
of social peace be woven by such organizations as these !
PARTSn EVANGELTZATIOX 263
If there had Ijeeii as many as twenty such churches,
phmted by Christian colonies, in the poorer wards of
New York, how different would Ije the social conditions
of that great city ! One su(.;h colony would be a far better
safeguard against anarchy than one hundred policemen.
This, then, is the shape which we could wish to see our
Christian work taking in the cities. No one ought to
speak disrespectfully of missions ; but they seem to be an
impotent device. It is clear that they cannot meet the
demand. Their work, at best, is sketchy and superficial ;
they "heal the hurt of the daughter of my people " very
slightly.
A few yeai-s ago the present writer walked through
some of the worst parts of East London, in company with
an alderman of the London County Council, who is also pas-
tor of a Congregational church in one of the working-class
districts of the metropolis. This pastor was thoroughly
informed respecting the social and religious conditions of
the great city, and his comments on wliat appeared were
full of instruction. In the course of the walk we came
upon a mission chapel, planted by another Congregational
chuich. in one of the worst corners of that section. " See,''
siiid the pastor, " here is Doctor Blank's mission. Can
you not perceive, by the very look of it, that it has very
little relation to the life of these people ? One does not
wish to say a word against such a work as this ; these
I)eople are trying to do good here ; but the sum of what
tliey accomjilish is infinitesimal. They come down liere
once or twice a week ; they are here for an hour or two at
a time; they sing and preach and pray; tlicir services
make a little emotional rip])le in ilic li\(s of these people,
and tlien tliey go away. Sonu; thoughts of ii l)ett('r life,
some wishes for strengtli and pniity an; awakened in the
liearts of those whf) hear, but liow ran smli feelile impulses
struggle into life in such an environment? Voii might as
well plant a violet between these curbstones. The girls
in that Sumlav-school sleep, most of them, in apailments.
whi'n^ from half a dozen to a dozen ])eoi)le are huildled
promiscuously together, male and female, married and un-
264 CIIRISTIAX TASTOll AND WOllKING CHURCH
maniecl. They know nothing about privacy ; modesty is
an unknown word and an impossible conception. How
can you teach such people in Sunday-school how to be
good? How much can an agency like this do to lessen
or purify the deep and dismal flood of vulgarity and
brutality and vice and crime which sweeps forever
through these streets ? " The pastor must not be held
responsible for all the language of this report, but this
is the substance of what he said. As we walked on,
we soon came to another building, in the same neighbor-
hood, of which much is known, and concerning which no
such doubtful verdict could be spoken. That was Toynbee
Hall, the first of the university settlements. Toynbee
Hall may not be an ideal institution ; doubtless its meth-
ods might be in many ways improved ; but this must be
said of it, that it has made a perceptible change in the
face of the neighborhood in which it stands. There are a
great many homes in that neighborhood which are cleaner
and happier because of it ; the gracious and kindly com-
panionship of Mr. and Mrs. Barnett and the young gentle-
men who live here with them, has done a great deal to
sweeten the atmosphere of Whitechapel.
There are quite a number of colonies like this in other
parts of Ivondon, and in several of our American cities,
whose influence upon the vicinage has been quite percepti-
ble. But these college settlements are lacking, after all,
in the finest and strongest influence. Thc}^ arc mainly
composed of young men or women, who live all together in
one house, and who are manifestly only sojourners in the
neighl)orhood ; they are here to stay for a little while, but
not to live. Tlieir life is club life, and not family liCe.
It is far closer to the life of the neighborhood tlian that of
the workers in the average mission, but the relation of
these individuals to tlie people round about them is felt
to be but temporary. Besides, these are young people,
with but limited experience of life, and there is much in
the daily history of many of tliese families ijito wliich they
cannot enter. AVe know liow lieartily and heroically they
have thrown themselves into the work, especially the
TAUISII EVAXGELIZATIOX 205
young women ; but there are many things which au ex-
perienced matron coukl do for these mothers and these
children which a young girl could not undertake. And a
group of families, living in such a neighborhood, would
affect the life of the neighborhood in many ways far more
directly and beneficently than the best regulated club
could possibly do.
All this will seem quixotic and chimerical to many.
They will not be able to conceive of the possibility of such
devotion. " How," they will ask, " could you expect in-
telligent and cultivated families to exile themselves,
socially, after this manner ? It is all very well for young
and unmarried people to go away and live in such places
for a few months or years, but to ask families to tiike up
their residence there is a very different thing. Could you
expect well-bred fathers and mothers to deprive their chil-
dren as well as themselves of the advantages of refmed
society ? "
To all tliis it may be answered that it is, indeed, diffi-
cult to say just how much you can expect in the Avay of
sacrifice of good Christians in these days ; yet it does not
appear that this is, after all, sucli a very heroic adven-
ture. It is no more than we expect of every missionary
wlio goes to Calcutta or Hong-kong ; indeed most of these
foreign missionaries would be glad if their exile was no
more absolute, and the discomforts and dangers of their
lives Avere no greater than a residence in the Eleventli
Ward of New York or tlie North End of Boston would
require f)f tliem. These colonists in the destitute districts
of our .Vmerican cities would not, in fact Ijc, Avholly cut
off from intercourse with tlieir fellow men ; they could
easily keep themselves in touch with all that was really
li('l])fid in the life of the city. 1 1 tin- colony consisled of
a (lo/jii f)r twenty families of iIh' class sup])()se(l, tlu'v
woulil liavc among themselves some excellent society.
Doubtless their life woulil be far simpler lliau if they
lived on the; avenues ; would that be, to intelligent fathers
ami mothei's, a real objection '/ W'ouM not release fiom
the i^xtravatrances and artiticialilies of citv life be a ■'■ri'at
266 CHUISTIAX rASTOR AND WOltKING CHUKCH
gain to tliein and to their children ? Suppose that these
families were compelled, by such a cliange of their en-
vironment, to live a little more within themselves — to
get a little better acquainted with one another, — would
that be an unmitigated misfortune ? On the whole, there
is some reason to sa}^ that, looking at the matter from the
view-point of the family's highest good, the sacrifices in-
volved in such an enterprise are not without their
compensations.
At any rate, it is not easy to discover any other ade-
quate solution of the problem of city evangelization than
this plan of colonization, or something which involves the
same principle. These neglected districts are what they
are to-day because the churches have deserted them. That
was a great crime — treachery to Christ and his gospel.
There is only one way to atone for it. The people who
have abandoned these districts must go back and occupy
them. If this involves some sacrifice, we must not won-
der ; but we need not be so faithless as to think that none
can be found to make the sacrifice. We may trust that
there is enough of Christly love and consecrated purpose
in the church to do this work, if the thought of the people
can only be turned toward it.
These suggestions as to the extension of tlic A\-ork of tlie
church to the districts for whose evangelization it liolds
itself responsible are offered with some conlidence. It is
true that they involve a considerable revision of current
habits of thought and current evangelistic methods, l)ut
this may be the first requisite of successful evangelism.
The full and frank recognition of the clear implications of
the Christian law is not readily yielded. The cliurcli lias
been trying, too long, to apply the Sermon on the Mount
in a narrow and partial way to the prol)lems before it. It
lias not been willing to go after tlie lost slieep into (lie
wilderness; it lias preferred to send delegates. It lias a
great deal to Icai'ii of Die very rudiments of its high
calling.
AVithout resorting cither to coloiii/atioii or (lie jilanling
of Christian inslitutioiis which shall be self-sustainiiifr
PAi:iSII KVAXGELIZATION 267
ratlu'i- than eleemosynary, the chnrcli may often do niiu-li
ANilhin its own gates for tlie evangelization of its neighbor-
hood. JNIany ehurehes attended mainly by the well-to-do
classes are in close proximity to districts inhabited by the
very poor. It is true that the stampede of the churches
from these districts Avhere poverty and sorrow and spirit-
ual need abound has, of late years, presented to the angels
a melancholy spectacle ; but there are still many churches
whose location would enable them to enter in an effective
way upon the work of evangelization. There is a large
population within easy reach of them in the alleys and the
upper stories of the business blocks. These people can be
brought into the churches if they are wanted there. Some
effort will be needed, no doubt, to convince them that they
are wanted, but not more than would be needed to estalj-
lish and maintain a separate building for their use. Says
Hishop llurst :
"The drift of llic city churches is always toward the
cleaner, less packed, and less commercial paits of the city.
All through this century the attraction in New York has
l)een northward. When the strong church moves away, a
weak one is left belund. It seems to need but little care.
A scanty allowance is left for it. So nuich is needed for
the new church elsewhere, and il must be so line, that the
old flmrcli soon becomes a mere skeleton. Little the
l)iM)|)lc iliiiik that for the power to build the new the
obligatiiiii is due to the old!
"Jn KoiiiL! it is never thought of, lliat, beeause St.
Peter's lias to be reached by a bridge, and to reach the
bridge on(! must go through dark and lilthy streets, there-
fore St. Peter's must not Ik; thought of as a sanctuary.
The mere fact that it is St. Peter's makes it an attraction.
In Vienna, St. Stephen's is in the midst of darker and more
rejiellent streets; y<'t it is never urged against it thai
it is t(i() far down town, ;inil nol in tlir West i'"n<l. In
Perlin and in I'aris the same iiile ajiplies. St. Paul's in
LondoTi. is sunounded still, as centuries ago. bv small
slidps. wliili- the city stages and cabs run ainuiid it,;ind
make a ]k riiclual din on every side. \ vi people go \'nn\i
268 CHRISTIAN rA8TOK AND WOKKING CHURCH
palace and noble residence far away to get to that beauti-
ful temple. St. Margaret's and AV^estminster are by no
means in the midst of tine residences. Yet all these places
are visited by the people of every class. Why should we
cry that the churches must follow the people ? " ^
The assumption that poor people cannot be enticed into
a comfortable and pleasant place of public worship is one
that needs to be challenged. It is to be feared that the
unwillingness is largely imputed to them by those who
in their hearts -would rather not have them come. That
is a strange sight, which is frequently seen in England,
of ministers and evangelists standing on the front steps
of churches and preaching to a little group of wayfarers
gathered about them in the street. Wliy are these listen-
ers afraid or disinclined to cross the threshold? If bar-
riers are there whicli they cannot cross, is it not the first
business of the church to tear them down ?
The whole enterprise of street preaching, as carried on
by organized bands of Christian church-members, appears
to be a sad confession of failure on the part of the church.
So far as these services are intended to bring people into
the churches tliey may have some value ; but the impres-
sion which they make upon the casual listener does not
usually convey this as the primary intention. They are
rather an attempt to reach with the Gospel those between
whom and the churches there is a great gulf fixed. It is
possible that some hearts are touched by these street
sermons, Ijut how superficial and fleeting are their influ-
ence ! What these poor people need above everything
else is frituidship — the kind of frii'iulship which tlie
clnirch, in the ideal of its Founder, undertakes to provide.
It is not truth, it is not even Gospel truth, ever so patheti-
cally uttered, it is love that is the fullilliiig of tlie Liw.
What these ])eoi)le want is love, and sucli social relations
■\\\[]\ tlieir Christian neiglibors as shall allow tlie exj)ression
of this love. To be preaclicd to is not the thing they are
liungry for, but to be known and cared for. And tlicre-
fore tlic clmrcli wliich stniitls near to a neigliboiliood where
^ NdlidiKil P(flh(iu<l Ojijinrliiiiilics, p. 107.
PAKISH EVANOEUZATIOX 209
numbers of sacli people live lias a great opportunit}-. Its
work cannot be done by sending bands of its young people
about to stand on the corners of the streets and speak and
sing to those who are passing, but rather by sending its
best and its bravest out two by two into the streets and
the highways, the attics and the cellars to constrain them
to come into its own sanctuary, and by providing such a
welcome for them that when they do come in they shall
feel themselves to be among friends. Doubtless special
services of one kind or another will need to be arranged
for them; and many new measures adopted for their
instruction and edification ; the church will need to exer-
cise all its invention upon this problem of manifesting its
fello\^'ship to tliose whom Christ reckons as " the least of
these [his] brethren."
The families thus gathered into tlie Sunday-school or
the church need careful shepherding, and it is far better
that it should be done by members of the church, in an
unofficial way, than by paid visitors. The pastor may
^\■isely assign to each of the women of the church who
will undertake the care, two or three of these families as
her special charge. She should be instructed to call on
them not as a committee or a delegate, but as a Christian
friend, desirous of making tlieir acquaintance and of enter-
ing into relations of Cliristian friendship with them. She
must not go as an almoner of charit>-, searching out their
penury and offering assistance ; tliat, in most cases, is tlic
very thing to be avoided. When she l)ec()mes tlic Lady
Bountiful, and they the pensioners ui)oii her l)()unt\\ the
relation is apt to be vitiated. She must rather serk to
[•reserve between herself and tliem the friendshi]) Avhich
rests on mutual respect. If relief is needed she liad brlh r
S(>e tliat it reaches them througli some otber clianiu'l. If
slic can Ijecome a trusted friend, giving tliem at all times
counsel and sympathy, aiding tlicni in siciiriiin^ rniploy-
ment and in helping themselves, winning llicir ((inlidi'iu-e,
and stimulating their self-respect and indeitcndcnce, the
S'-rvice that she will i-cndcr tlicm will be one of tlic liigli-
est value. Work of this kind is j)roposed by the cliaritv
270 CHIIISTIAX PASTOR AND WOEKING CHUKCH
organization societies, and much good work of this kind
is, undoubtedly, done by them : but it is above all things
important that the Christian churches should count it
their chief work — a work of which no other organization
can possibly relieve them.
I
!'
CHAPTER XII
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE CHURCH
Ix our study of tlie constitution of the chnrcli we have
foHud that it is, primarily, a social organization, and that
the bond which holds it together must be the mutual love
of its members. The fundamental law of the church as a
social organization is well expressed by the apostle l*aul
in these words: " IS'ow we that are strong ought to bear
the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let each one of us please his neighbor for that whicli is
good, unto edifying. For Christ also pleased not liim-
self. . . . Wherefore receive ye one another, even as
Clirist also received you, to the glory of God.^
This is the paraphrase and the amplification of the new
commandment of Christ — " that ye love one another as
I liave loved you."^ If the doctrine of justification by
faith is, theologically, articulus stantis vel cadcntis ccclcsicc,
it is no less true that of Christian society the only sure
foundation is Christ's law of brotherhood. Wlicn this
law is disregarded or set at nought in the practical ANork-
ing of the body, it ceases to be a Christian churcli. It
may be a school of sound tlieology ; it maybe a jjopular
]iroa('hing place; it may be a place of polite resort; but
it is not any longer a cliurch ot Chi'ist.
If Paul's statement is true, the church relation implies
acf[uaintaiice and friendsliip on the part of the members of
the church. "Wherefore receive ye "iiic iniolhci- as Christ
also received you, to tlic glory of (Jod.'"^ This wdrd
"receive" means miicli. rndoubtedly its couiiotation is
social. It signilies more than merely sUiiidiiig up before the
coiiiniuiiioii tabhi when new membei"S are admitted ; more
' IJoin. XV. 1, 2. .'t. & 7. - tFidiii xv. 12. ■■ luiiii xv. 7.
272 CIIKISTIAN TASTOll AND WOIIKING CHURCH
than sitting together once a week, beneath the same church
roof ; more than having a speaking acquaintance with
members of the church. The primary sense of the word
here translated " receive," is to take another by the hand and
draw him toward yourself ; and the definitions of the word
are these : " To take to one's company, intercourse, house ;
to receive to cmeself ; to admit to one's society and fellow-
ship ; to receive and treat with kindness." ^ This, then, is
the duty which Paul commands the Roman Christians to
practise toward one another. In the church he expects
that there will be friendship and social intercourse among
the members ; the church is to be a genuine sodality.
Various social organizations exist at the present day, some
open, others secret, whose members are bound together by
vows of fellowship and fraternity. But none of these
contemplate a closer fellowship, a more hearty fraternity
than Cluist designed to be the bond of union amonir the
members of his church. This view of the relationship of
church members may seem to some extravagant and vi-
sionary. Be this as it may, it is the view which Christ
and all his apostles held and enforced by precept and by
practice ; it is the only view to wliich any countenance is
given in the New Testament.
It may be said that this implies a sort of communistic or
agrarian equality and that this is contrary to the teachings
of Christianity. It is true that the New Testament docs not
teach state socialism, as tliat term is commonly understood,
nor does it encourage communism. Even the first cliapters
of the Acts of the Apostles, if rightly interpreted, do not
sanction the abolition of private property, and the establisli-
ment of communistic societies. The family is exalted in
the New Testament ; Christianity glorifies and establislies
the family; the preservation of the family as a social unit
requires the accumulation of private property ; and tlie
existence of private property involves disparity of con-
ditions. If industry and traffic are free to all, there will
be incqurlily in men's estates. The inequality in men's
temporal conditions results largely from differences in
1 RobiiisDii's (ircrk Lrriron of the New Testament.
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE CHUllCH 273
their natural powers and capacities. Christianity does not
change these natural capacities, and does not, of course,
change the results that flow from them. It does not make
all men alike either in gifts or in possessions. The Chris-
tian morality assumes that there will be rich and poor,
strong and weak, coarse and fine, fast and slow, all living
together in the same society; it does not undertake to
abolish such distinctions, but only to establish a law by
wliich all these sorts of people shall form one harmonious
societ}'. The good maestro does not desire to have the
instruments of the orchestia all violins or French horns ;
neither does lie wisli to have them all play the same part ;
the silver bugle, and the brass ophicleide, and the wooden
bassoon ; the stringed instruments and the reed instru-
ments, and the instruments of percussion, — he wants
them all, as many kinds of voices as he can get ; and then
he will divide up among them as manj^ melodies as can
be made to harmonize. What is essential is tliat all the
instruments shall be in tune, and that they shall be played
in time, and with a distinct appreciation on the part of
each musician of tlie part which he is called to deliver,
as well as of the complete harmony of which his part is one
harmonious strain. So in the Christian society Christ
wants all varieties of condition and of capacity, so that the
whole body, " fitly framed and knit together through that
wliieh every joint supplieth, according to the working in
due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of
the body unto the building up of itself in love." ^
Tlie churcli is to be an organism, not a mass of inde-
pendent atoms. The members of the churcli have the
same relation to each other that the parts of an organized
body liavo to each other, a vital rehition, a formative
relation. Take the parts of the tree, leaves, baric, l)i anches,
roots — \vh('iic(! do tlicy derive the lih; by which they live?
From tlie sun, the air, the soil. But it is not true that
each individual leaf, branch, roolh-t, seeks its own nonrish-
luent — sujjplies itself with life froui suusliine an<l soil iind
atinos[)liere — and permits the rest ol" the tree to piuvitle
1 Kpli. iv. IG.
18
274 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AM) WORKING CHURCH
for itself. The roots, drawing up from the earth its moist-
ture and its life-giving juices, partake of the nourishment
they thus draw from the soil, and at the same time conve}'
it through the woody veins of the trunk and the branches
to all parts of the tree ; the leaves drinking in the sun-
shine, send its vitalizing currents back along the same
channels to the roots again ; so that every leaf, and every
branch, and every cell of tissue, and every rootlet under-
ground is busy in ministering to the health and growth of
every other part of the organism ; all are working together
for the upbuilding of the body in love. The roots under-
ground may be soiled and scraggy, without form or come-
liness, but tliey have an equal part in the work of vegeta-
tion ; and they are not forgotten or neglected by the gay
leaves overhead; for draughts of nectar that the golden
sunshine brews are sent to them every hour to cheer them
in their lowly toil. A partnership of life, a vital unity,
binds all parts of the tree together.
The relation which the members of the church sustain
to each other is like unto this. The members of the chui'ch
are not only united by an individual faith to Christ the
living head, from whom all their life flows ; but they are
united to each other in a living fellowship, and as every
man has received the gift, they are to minister of the same
one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of
God.
Love is the essence of Christianity. Not love for those
nearest us, for our family, or our social circle, Ijut love for
all who are made in God's image. My nciglibor may lx>
coarse, hard-hearted, stii]ii<l. but lie is a cliild oi" God, and
therefore my brother, and 1 nnist love him, and do him
good as I have opportunity. And this love must l^e some-
thing more than a vapory sentiment ; it must be a practical
power issuing from my life and reaching his life, " As I
have loved you, so ought ye to love one another," ^ said the
Master. If the cherishing of ]n\ing sentiments had been
all that was necessary, he might have remained on his
throne among the angels; he needed not to take on him-
1 .luliii XV. 12.
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE CHURCH 275
self the form of a servant. To love our neighbor as Christ
loved us, means more than to feel kindly toward him ; it
means that we should take pains, and make sacrifices to do
him good. It is not possible, of course, that we should
manifest in this practical Avay our Christian love for all
the individuals in the world, or even to all within the
community in which we live. But, in order that we may
})c fully exercised in loving our neighbors, the Christian
church has been organized.
Into this chm-cli, the local church, all sorts and condi-
tions of people ought to be gathered. Each local clmrch
should Ije, so far as it is possible, an epitome of the univer-
sal church. And that, in its Founder's conception, is not
a theoretical or a sentimental, but a practical and real
brotherhood, — in Avhich the rich and the poor meet to-
gether, learning how, in all their relations with one another,
to put the Golden Rule into constant practice.
It is necessary to the perfection of individual character
that there should be in the church not only diversities of
gifts, but diversities of culture and diversities of condition,
and that thus we should be practised in our relations to all
kinds of people. We need to know how to bear ourselves
discreetly, lovingly, helpfully, not only toward those of our
own station in life, but toward those higher than ourselves
and those lower. A Christian who only knows how to live
in fellowsliip with one grade or caste in society is like a
gardener whose sole recommendation consists in the ability
to raise Japan lilies, or like a woman wlio thiidvs she is
fitted to be a housewife because she knows liow to make
dainties for the table and parlor decorations. The garde-
Jier who is fitted for his calling must have knowledge; of
the habits and needs of all sorts of plants ; ;uid the sl<il-
I'ul lioiisewife must be practiced in otlicr I)r;iiicli('s of licr
art than those which rehite wholly lo luxury and ornament.
So lh(; Cliristian must liave intimate knowh'dgcof all kinds
of people; of their ways of thinking and li\ing; amjile
acquaintance witli all dc] )arlnicnts of Christian houscliold
work. What we should all desiderate as Chi'istians is large-
ness of S3'mpathy ; breadth of view: [)ower to enter into
276 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
the experiences of all our fellows, and to bear their burdens
upon our feeling. Our Master was equally at home in the
hovels of the poor and in the palaces of rich Pharisees. So
shall we be if we are like him.
It is by this close relation of personal friendship, and by
this alone, that the Christian ('liurch can be built up and
the principles of the Gospel be made to prevail. The
religion of Christ cannot be propagated in any other wa}-.
It is only by the contact of mind with mind, of heart watli
heart, of life with life, that its virtues and graces are repro-
duced and multiplied.
The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a w^oman
hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened.
But in order that the whole may be leavened, the whole
must be brought together in one compact body. From one
life to another the sacred influences of love must flow, and
it is only wdien men are brought near enougli together so
that their lives touch each other that the influence can be
communicated.
Courtesy, for example, is one of the Christian graces. It
is a fruit which the religion of Christ will always bear when
it gets its growth in the human soul. But there are many
Christians in whom this grace is not yet perfectly devel-
oped. This is the part of their character which needs
culture. How are they ever to gain this culture if tliey are
excluded from polite society? The spirit of God does
develop this grace, but only under favorable conditions,
Tlie sunshine wakes to life the germ that is in the seed ;
but it w^ill not make it grow through an as[)halt pavement.
And it Avill be dilTficult for those who were born and bred
in rude society to acquire the graces of true courtesy if
they are shut out from the circles in whicli courtesy is the
law — if all tlieir associations are with the uncivil. Tliey
never can become refined except by association with men
and women who are refined. If tliose who lead gentle lives
liold themselves aloof from those who lead rude lives, tlien;
can l)e little growth of relinemcnt in society. I>ut when
all classes of people are brought together in the chiin lu
the expectation is that the pi-inci[iles of the thviue life will
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE CHUllCH 277
l)c cominmiicated from one to another ; that the gentleness
and the nnsellishness and the grace which find expression
in ideal Christian lives, will pervade the Avliole society and
prevail at length over the roughness and barbarism of the
woods. This expectation is always realized when Chris-
tians recognize the duty of using theu' social influence and
their social opportunities unselfishly; of consecrating to
God not only their money and their talents, but their social
life.
What is true of courtesy is true of every other high
quality. Knowledge is a Christian grace that will scarcely
be communicated in any other way. Many of our neigh-
bors are ignorant and dull-witted. Those who are intelli-
gent and cultivated, by their loving and helpful intercourse
with them, may not only impart to them much information,
but, what is better, the contact of their minds with minds
better trained will quicken and awaken their intelligence,
and inspire them with a desire to know. So with patience ;
so with charitableness of judgment ; so with self-denying
beneficence. They are all best learned from the lives of
those who practise them ; and it is hardly possible to learn
them in any other way.
Here, then, are the two main reasons why the members
of 11 le same church should establish and maintain close and
friendly social relations — first, because each individual
needs, for the perfection of his Christian character, to learn
to rule himself by tlie law of love in his intercourse willi
all kinds of people, those above him and tliose below him ;
and secondly, because it is only by the loving contact of
nnnd with mind and heart with heart tliat the Christian
virtues can be reproduced and propagated.
Such associations as these are, no doubt, rei)ulsi\'(' to the
feelings of refined and cultured persons. 'JMii-y do not like
to meet and mingle with su(,'h people, even if they arc llicir
('hi'istian brethren. Their persons arc uiicoiitli : llicir
dress offends the taste; their manners are awkwaid and
constrained; their views are nari'ow ; their ti'inix'rs are
ofU'ii sullen ; it is lianl lo get at tlicni. to t-stablisli any
points of synipatliN- or niulerstanding with ihcin. It seems
2(8 CHRISTIAN PASTOIl AND WOltKING CHUItCH
luud and disagreeable, no doubt. But the disciples of the
Nazarene should bear in mind that it is enough for them to
be as their Master. We know that if he were here in the
flesh, he would gladly receive us to his society ; would
walk witli us and talk with us ; Avould sit dt)wn witli us in
our homes ; would admit us to the closest friendship. Yet
we are not so vain as not to be aware that such association
with us would offend his tastes — let us speak re verentl}-.
For we must not forget tliat his perceptions of beauty of
conduct and cliaracter are far keener than ours ; and tliat
it pains him more than it can pain us to witness such un-
gainliness of soul and body as that from which we are wont
to shrink. He could not have been the Saviour of the world
if he had suffered himself to be governed by his a3sthetic
feelings, instead of his benevolent feelings. If we would
be disciples of his we must take up this cross and follow
him.
But would it not be very diflicult, it may be asked, to
j5ut tins principle of the text into practice? It would be
difhcult. It is commonly difficult to do right. It is dilli-
cult for some to speak the truth ; it is difficult for others
to judge their neiglibors charitably ; it is diflicult for others
to he honest, and for otliers to consecrate their propert}^
to Christ ; but the fact that a duty is difficult hardly ex-
cuses us from its performance. The more arduous tlie
work the o-reater the reward for doino- it.
But would not this make a complete overturning in all
our social customs? Possibly: but may it not be that
society needs a complete overturning? Tlie law of what
is called society is, for the greater part, the law of self-
pleasing. Not benevolence, but taste, is the arbiter of its
affairs. Tlic ([uestion is not in social circles and social as-
seml)li('s, I low can I do tlie most good — how can I confer
the most happiness? but rather, How can I gratify my
own tastes most thorougldy ? As our civilization advances,
tliis becomes more and more tlie ]iriiiciph; on which society
in some of its circles is organized. And this is not Clnis-
tianity; it is heathenism; it is paganism; a refincfl a in I
elegant variety, no doubt, but still paganism; and the
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE CHUKCH 279
religion of tlic meek and lowly Nazarene has no more
powerful foe. Nothing needs christianizing more than
what is called, b}' a polite enphemism, Christian society.
The thorough application of the Christian law to the social
intercourse of neighbors, of members of the same church,
would woik a marvellous transformation.
We sometimes hear it said that the christianization of
the church is a visionary enterprise. In great ecclesiasti-
cal assemblies the suggestion that party spirit be laid
aside, and that, instead of trying to overpower one an-
other, the representatives of the churches seek to please
one another, and to prefer one another in honor, is received
with a signiticant silence. And the proposition to introduce
the Cluistian law of social intercourse into the church is
likely to be viewed in many quarters as an impracticable
innovation. Yet, so long as we call ourselves Christians,
and accept the man of Nazareth as our Master, we ought,
manifestly, to recognize the duty of making some attempts
in this direction. Any church which will throw itself
heartily into the enterprise of realizing the life of Christ
in its fellowship will find that it is an easy and delightful
tiling to do. The dithculty of which we have spoken is
mainly the difliculty of overcoming the disinclination —
of making the attempt. Like many other services from
Avliich Ave shrink, tlie thorough performance of it brings
an abundant reward. That whicli is drudgery in the an-
ticipation often becomes a deliglit when we do it with all
our hearts.
if the social life of the Church is to be christianized, it
is needful not only that the Christian sj)irit dwell in the
hearts (jf the jjastor and the membere, but that methods
and opportunities be provided for the manifestation of it.
Much could be doni; freely and spontaneouvsly by the
members in their intercoui"se with one anotliei-, and tliis
will be the ])est fruit of the Christian spiiit. I'^or such
manifestations of Christian kindness and neighboiliness
no rule can be given; those mIio ])ra{'tise them are a law
unto themselves, lint while i( is true, on the one liiind,
that the spirit will make forms fur itself, it is e(|nally
280 CHRISTIAN PASTOK AND WOEKING CHUECH
true, on the other hand, that the provision of beautiful
and appropriate forms gives the spirit freer utterance. It
is part of our work to " make channels for the streams of
love." And the Christian cliurch ouQ-ht to be so organized
that its members should have ample opportunities of be-
coming acquainted with one another, and of manifesting
the unity of the spirit.
It is true, however, that the best fellowship of tlie ideal
church Avill be the fellowship of work. Those who are
engaged in the various activities of the church are inevi-
tably brought into close relations. It will be well for the
pastor always to keep this fact before the people. Let
him say, very often, from the pulpit ; " This is a working
church ; we are trying to carry on a number of kinds of
religious and charitable work ; and those of you who wish
to extend your acquaintance will do well to enlist in some
of these enterprises." In truth the friendships that are
formed among those who are partners in a common labor
and sharers of an unselfish purpose, are worth far more
than those whose only motive is social enjoyment. Fellow-
soldiers or fellow-workers in the hospital are united by a
stronger bond than that which joins members of the samo
social club. And because the i)astor knows that this is
true his first and strongest effort will be put forth to l)ring
as many as he can of the members of his church into the
fellowship of Christian labor. Those who are taking an
active part in the Sunday-school, in the mid-week service,
in the sewing-school, in the charilable visitation, in the
guilds and brotherhoods, will liiid in th( ii' work a comrade-
ship that will go far to satisfy their social needs. In order
tliat this may be, however, the social side of all tliese de-
partments of labor should be developed, and those a\ ho an-
co-operating in tliem sliould cultivate the l)ond of brother-
hood. In their consultations about their mutual work and
in all their association, they should seek to be helpers of
one another, and sharers of one another's burdens and joys.
If there are any among tliem that arc timid and unpractised
in social intercourse, s[)('(ial kindness should be shown to
them. (!hristian disciples w lio aie thus engaged together
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE CHUllCH 281
ill the labors of the clnircli iiia}^ often be quite as service-
able to those with whom they work as to those for A\hom
they work.
But, in addition to the fellowship of AAork, the church
should make opportunities for fellowship in social pleas-
ures. " Let each one of us please his neighbor, for that
which is good, unto edifying." ^ One important Avay of
doing good to our neighbors is by giving them social
pleasure, and this is a method which every Christian church
should learn and practise.
It is highly important, to begin with, that methods should
be devised of promoting acquaintance among church mem-
bers. In small churches this task is not difficult ; there
are many churches in which it is not impossible for every
member to know every other. But in large churches in
the cities, where the membership is scattered over a wide
territory and where the social engagements are many, this
problem becomes somewhat difficult. It is never solved
with entire satisfaction to the faithful pastor, but a warm
heart and a resolute purpose can accomplish much. There
are many churches in which it seems almost a physical
impossibility that acquaintance should be universal ; but
it is possible to provide that no household and no indi-
vidual shall be left friendless ; that every one shall have
ample opportunities of Christian fellowship. If no one
can know all his brethren, each one may know many, and
may find in the social life which the church provides the
supply of his highest wants.
Those church members who reside in the same neighbor-
Iiood ought to be able to maintain some neighl)orly relations.
To this end pains should Ix; taken to inform those who live
in any given neighbor] lood when a family living in their
vicinity is added to tlie congregation. In some churclics
il is customary, when individuals oi- honsi'hohls are received
into the ehurch, to name the jilace of their residence, tliat
those wlio live nearest them may be able to diseharge tlicir
neighborly obligations. Il is well for the pastoi* t<» liav(> a
sn[)[)ly of eanls printed in blank, on whieli he may inseribe
' K'llll. NV. 2.
282 CHKISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
the name and residence of every new nieml)er, inclosing
them to those who can most convenient!}^ call, and inviting
them to manifest to the new-comers the fellowship of the
church.
For many reasons it is better that the people themselves
should do this work than that it should be done by the
pastor. The pastor's call is perfunctory. He goes be-
cause it is his duty to go. It is well if he has the grace
to conceal this disagreeable fact; but many of those on
whom he calls must be aware that it is an official service,
and does not possess any social significance. A friendly
call from one of the members of the church living in the
neighborhood might wear a different look. It Avould
almost uniformly be accepted as an act of friendship; it
would manifest the fellowship of the church more clearly
than a call from the pastor.
It is desirable that the social ties which bind meml)crs
to the church be as strong as those which bind them to
their pastor. Tliose who join the church, and not the
pastor, should be received by the church at least as
heartily as by the pastor. Pastors come and go, but the
church abides ; and it is of the utmost importance that the
attachment of each member be fastened upon the church,
and not merely upon its minister. ^
There are, doubtless, congregations in which such a
recognition of the fraternal relations of members would
not be possible ; in which the members would resent the
suggestion that they owe any courtesies to one ant>ther
because they belong to the same church and live in the
same neighborhood; in which the barriers of social reserve
are far too liigh and sti'ong to admit of any genuine brother-
hood; but these churches greatly need to consider the
charter of llieii- existence and their right to bear tlic name
of Christ.
In churches which I'ecogni/.e a IVatenial I'elatioii among
tlieir meiiibeis, :iii(l desire to promote and strengthen it, a
eoiiNciiieiit device is the division of tlie parish into a nuiii-
l)er ol well-delined geogra|)hical districts, each of wliicli
' /'iirisli /'rohlcms, p. ^.I.'l.
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE CHURCH 283
slioiild be placed in charge of a pastoral committee, con-
sisting perhaps of one gentleman and three ladies. The
directory of the church should be printed, with the boun-
daries of each district distinctly defined, and the names
and residences of families and individuals residing within
the district brought together. The members of the con-
gregation can thus see at a glance who their neighbors are,
and where they live ; and they can, if they desire, show
themselves neighborly to those wdthin their reach. The
pastoral committee should visit every family in its district
at least once a year, and should report to the pastor any
changes of residence in the district, and any removals from
it, with the names of new-comers witldn their territory
who are attending the church.
Such a division of the parish into geographical districts,
with a pastoral committee in charge of each, is a con-
venient arrangement for many purposes. It is necessary
to canvass the parish from time to time for various objects ;
this machinery provides a way whereby every family can
be expeditiously and surely reached. In some churches
the benevolent collections are thus taken with but little
labor. Cottage meetings and neighborhood sociables may
also be held occasionally in the several districts under the
direction of the pastoral committees.
The chief value of the geographical division is, how-
ever, the aid which it affords in the cidtivation of church
fellowship by grouping the members of the congregation.
By means of such a S3''stem, it is possiljle for those l)elong-
iiig to the same church to fulfil their fraternal obligations
to one anotlier, and t(» foster that sentiment and s[)iiit of
brotherhood on wliicli llic uscfnlncss of the clnirch so
largely depen<ls.'
In the city churches it is often (liflicnlt to make the
acquaintance of those who have become regular atlendanls
upon tlie Sunday services. In such ehni'ciies it is well to
appoint a welcome connnittee, whose duty it shall be to
watrh for such regulai" eoniers, to expi'ess lo llieni (lie
liospilality of tlie elinrclu to olitain tlieir names and
1 /'<(//.s7i Pinl.lcms, ;>. L'.-i."*.
284 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
addresses, and, if they arc willing, to present them to the
pastor. Another simple device is to place in the pews
occasionally plain cards on which any persons who know
that they are not known, and who wish to be considered as
members of the congregation, shonld be desired to write
their names, with their places of residence, dropping the
cards into the collection baskets. The pastor is thus
directed to the homes of strangers wdio desire his acquaint-
ance, and he may bring them to the notice of the pastoral
committee.
It is important, however, that frequ.ent meetings for
the promotion of acquaintance be held in the social rooms
of the church itself — meetings to which the whole congre-
gation should be invited. To this end it is necessary that
the chiu'ch should be provided with social rooms, apart-
ments adapted to social intercourse. The parlors of the
church are an essential part of its outfit for Christian work,
and the social meetings held in them, with which no
religious exercises are connected, are to be reckoned as a
means of grace.
These church sociables have frequently been luadc the
subject of caustic comment, and there is no doubt but that
serious abuses have been connected with them ; neverthe-
less they should serve an important purpose in the develop-
ment of the social life of the church. In some cases they
have been almost wholly devoted to diversions of some
nature ; long programmes of musical and elocutionary per-
formance, and various amusements are provided; thus the
entire evening is occupied and very little opportunity is
gi\('ii for the promotion of acquaintance. The primary
object of tlie church sociable is not, how(!ver, recreation,
Init social)ility, and its exercises should be so ordered as
to give anq)le time for conversation. A little music or a
brief I'ccitalinn or iwo to enliven the occasion may be
allowed, Imt this ])iirt oC the exercise shoidd not Ik^ pro-
tracted. Some light refreshmeiils iii;iy be served, but tliis
also should be a subordinnlc fc;itiiic, ;nid the entertain-
ment should always lie |il;iiii niid iiic\]icnsi\-c. It is bettci"
tliiit it should l)c gi';ituitously sci\-c(l. Tlic pur[»osc of the
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE CHURCH 285
sociable can oiil}- be to afford an opportunity for free and
friendly conversation among" members of the same congre-
gation. They have come together to recognize the bond
that miites them, and to receive one another even as Christ
also has received them to the glory of God. Here they
are neither rich nor poor, learned nor ignorant; they are
l)rethren in Christ Jesus. It is not the place for friends
and cronies to gather into congenial groups ; it is the place
to remember the solemn covenant of mutual help and
sympathy which was uttered or implied when they entered
into the fellowship of the church.
^luch depends on the spirit of the pastor. If he is a
man of genuine friendliness, and if he is fully possessed
with the truth that the church must be a brotherhood, his
enthusiasm is likely to be contagious and the spirit of
good-will and cordiality will prevail in these social assem-
blies. When the leaders of the congregation, the men and
women of wealth and social standing take up this purpose
heartily and devote themselves to seeking out those whom
they do not know, and those who are likely to be neglected,
manifesting to them a true Christian courtesy, the effect
u[)on the life of the church is often very salutary. There
iirc churches in which the prosperous and the cultured
members have learned to use their power and prestige in
such a way as to draw the membership into the most
fraternal relations. No spectacle can be more grateful to
the faithful ])astor than that which he sometimes witnesses
in these social meetings, when with no sign of patronage
or condescension on the one hand, or of syco})hancy on
the other, the rich and the poor meet together as Christian
brrtliron. It is doubtful whether any service which the
(lunch roof shelters has a deeper significance than this,
or helps nujre effectually to bring to earth the kingdom of
heaven.
Tlie kind of social assembly which we have been con-
sidering is intended for the whole congregation. I'.iil
thei'e seems to l)e a ))l;u'(> for a meeting, jiai'llv religious
and ])artly social, to whieh none but conununieauts in the
cluuvh shall be invited, and which shall be whollv devoti'd
286 CHEISTIAX PASTOR AXI) WORKING CHURCH
to strengthening the tie tliat hinds the heUevers into one
houseliold of faitli and one hrotherliood of love. Asscni
hlies of this description, sometimes called fellowship meet-
ings, are held in some chnrches. They may well he called
on the ]Monday evening following every communion, that
there may he opportunity for the memhers of the church
to meet any who may have been received into the church
on the preceding day. It is often the case that memhers
thus received have no early opportunity of making the
acquaintance of those with whom they enter into covenant;
and the solemn words that are spoken by both parties to
this covenant appear to be nothing better than mockery,
unless some way is provided by which the friendship thus
promised may have a chance to begin its life in a mutual
acquaintance. In some churches the pastor, on behalf of
the church, extends to the candidates the right liand of
fellowship ; but it is well if the members are permitted to
express their greetings in their own way.
If it be found inexpedient to devote a whole evening to
this purpose, it may he practicable to give to it half of the
liour of the mid-week service in the week following the
Sacrament. But if the church can be brought to consider
the matter, it will not grudge a whole evening, once in
two months, for the cementing of its own unit}-; for the
more perfect realization of that communion of saints which
its creed so clearly affirms, but which its practice so
imperfectly illustrates.
The conduct of this meeting should be altogether
informal. It will be well to spend a little time in song
and prayer at the beginning ; and if tlierc are members of
the church who can be trusted to speak jndicif)usly and
heartily and l)iiclly ol the friendships A\'lii(li the churcli
fosters and consecrates, of the benclits and joys of Cln-is-
tian fraternit}', a few words from them may be helpful and
welcome.
^rhcn an oj)|)ortunity should he offered for conversation.
This inteiT'oui'se of the fcllowshi]) meeting Avill natuiall)'
lie soiiiewliat less liilarioiis lh;in that of the sociable; the
voices will he keyed to a lower oiteh; the talk will be in
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE CHUllCH 287
a gentler strain; but it onglit to be cordial and unreserved.
No introductions should be required or tolerated; people
who have said to each other what all these have said before
the connnunion-table do not require the formality of an
introduction. Let every one speak first to those whom he
does not know, if any such there be, and then to those
with whom he is least intimately acquainted; let him
reserve his intercourse with familiar friends for other occa-
sions. The themes of conversation cannot be prescribed ;
but the natural drift of the talk in such a meeting would
be, it would seem, toward the more serious topics ; toward
the life and the work which the church is seeking to pro-
mote. After half an hour spent in these familiar greet-
ings and communings, the assembly may again be called
to order, and A\ith a few words of prayer and song, may
be dismissed.
Such a meeting will be of no profit — it will be postively
mischievous — unless there be in the church a genuine and
hearty fellowship which seeks expression. To call together
people who really care very little for one another, who do
not prize the friendships into which the church introduces
them, Avho are liaughty or supercilious or indifferent toward
their fellow-members in the church, and to turn them loose
upon one another in the fashion here suggested, would
result in nothing but injury. Doul)tless there are such in
all our churches. Perhaps thci'c are many churches in
which the number of these is so large that no such method
as this could l)e profitably introduced. But it is certainly
true of most of our churches that there is no lack of a
real friendsliip; the oidy faihu'(! is in a [tropcr exprcssinn
of the brotiiei'ly interest and good-will that are in the
hearts of the multitude. How (iften a better actpiaintaiice
shows us tender sympathy and self-denying generosity
where we had thought were nothing but iiidifTerence and
exclusiveness! The great majority of our i('])u(able neigh-
bors are far kinder than we; thiiilc tliciii: tin- lack wliich
we de])lore is not in the feeling so nnuh as in its expres-
sion. In the church, more than anywhere else, this is
true. Our modern life, in our eities and larger towns, is
288 CIIRISTIAK PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
SO intense that the opportunities are few for the cultiva-
tion of friendships beyond a very narrow circle. And if
some simple ways can be devised in which the people of
the churches can be brought together and encouraged to
express their sympathies and their good wishes, great
benefits will result — to those who give as well as to those
who receive these overtures of kindness.
It is well to have a short fellowship meeting at the end
of every mid-week service. The people should be encour-
aged to tarry for ten minutes or so after the close of this
service, for handshaking and the interchange of friendly
words. The more opportunities of this sort they enjoy,
the less likely are they to indulge in bickerings and
jealousies. One of the deepest needs of our large churches
is a more perfect union. It is needed to consolidate the
church for work ; it is needed to develop and express those
Christian sentiments of good-will which are the only
enduring cement of society in these turbulent and ominous
times. Assemblies of this nature, which arc intended to
bring all the members of the church, rich and poor, old
and young, together on an equal footing, and to cultivate
and manifest a genuine Christian brotherhood, have an
influence that reaches far beyond the confmes of the
church.^
1 Parish Problems, p. 269-271.
CHAPTER XIII
woman's WOIIK IN THE CHURCH
The place of woman in the modern Church is not that
wliich she occupied in the Apostolic Church or in any of
the centuries preceding the Keformation. It is equally
true that the place of woman in the state, in the com-
munity, and even in the family, is unlike that to which
she was confined in the days of Paul the Apostle. From
a position of subjection she has passed to one of social
equality. The natural laws are not repealed, and the
relation of woman to man will always be what nature has
ordained that it shall be ; but the race has come to under-
stand that differences of function and endowment amonsf
human beings do not necessarily signify superiority or
inferiority, and that, since we must all stand before the
judgment seat of God, there ought to be no lordship or
vassalage among us. In the days when brute force was
the arbiter of all disputes, the position of woman in society
was necessarily that of an inferior; but as spiritual values
have asserted themselves, the ground of this subordination
has disappeared. That the emancipation and elevation of
woman are chiefly due to Christianity cannot be gainsaid.
It would be strange indeed it' the Cliurcli of Cln'ist sliould
deny to woman the honor ol wliicli Iiis gosiicl lias niadc
her Avorthy. For \\\u\t else has she been lifted up and
dignified if not that she should occupy that social position
for which she has been fitted?
If, therefore, the entire relation of woman to the society
in which she lives is different now fioni what it was in (he
time of Paul, we need not l)e surprised to lind Ik r relation
to the Chui'eh corres])o]idingly changed. I'auTs injunc-
tions to wmiieii to refiaiii tKnii ]iid)lic s])eecli and to main-
tain a strict reserve in imblie places were wholly jiistiiied
I'.t
290 CUKISTIAN PASTOR AND AYOEKIXG CHURCH
by the social conditions then prevailing, lie simplj^ for-
l)ade women to put themselves in an equivocal attitude
before the community — to adopt a line of conduct which
A\ould have brought scandal upon the Church. It would
have been indecorous for a woman to appear in a public
assembly with an unveiled face; Paul disallowed this as
expressly as he condemned public teaching, and for the
same reason. The social conditions have changed; it is
no longer proof of a lack of modesty if a woman shows her
face or opens her lips in a public assembly, and therefore
the admonitions of Paul are no longer pertinent. There
seems to be no longer any good reason why women may
not do any kind of work in the Church that they are fitted
to do. The time has come of which the apostle's words
were only a prediction: "There can be neither Jew nor
Greek, there can Ije neither bond nor free, there can be
neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ
Jesus." ^ Whether women will, in any considerable num-
bers, undertake the work of the regular ministry may be
doubted. In those communions which have opened the
pastoral office to them they do not seem to be eager to
assume it. But the fields of labor that are opened to them
in connection with the work of the local church are wide
and fruitful. Their influence in its councils everywhere
is pervasive and commanding. Tliey compose about two-
thirds of the membership of our American Protestant
churches and a far larger proportion of the active laborers
in these churches. There is no longer any need to claim
for woman a place of influence and power in the Christian
Clmivli.
'i'he prudential maxims of the A])f>stle Paul, cautioning
woiiu'u against bringing scandal upon the Chui'cli l)y a
violent (Irpaituiv from social customs, are not, however,
the only liiblical references to Avoman in connection with
the work of the Church. In the Jewish dis])ensatiou
prophetesses were recognized, and among the Christians
the active service of women is often mentioned Avith
praise.
1 Cial. iii. 28.
^vo-MA^■'s woi;k ix the ohurch 201
"Our Lord fuuiul among women tlie mo.st ardent and
faithful disciples, and the most efficient in ministering to
His wants. The Son of God, in l)ecoming Incarnate, was
born of a woman. Thus was conferred upon womanhood
the highest honor and a transcendent glory. She whom
all men should call blessed, — she who Avas so highly
favored, is properly the type of what woman in Christ
should seek to become. No privilege could be greater
than to belong to that sex, upon which the mother of our
Lord conferred such distinction. Observe the confidence
our Lord reposed in women and the fidelit}^ of their minis-
trations. The names of the Marys and others are as
imperishable as those of the Apostles. As often remarked,
holy women were ' last at the Cross and first at the sepul-
cln-e ' on Easter morning. Holy women w^ere part of the
Chureli A\hich waited for the promise of the Father, the
coming of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. ^ The gifts of
the Spirit descended upon women, and not upon men only.
They equally shared in the Church's Baptism and Eucha-
ristic Feast. They were ministered unto, and themselves
fulfilled a ministry. It was the wddows of the Hellenic
portion of the church at Jerusalem that gave occasion to
the appointment of the Seven Deacons.^ And that there
were deaconesses in the Apostolic Church is scarcely more
doubtful than that there were deacons. St. Paul says,
writing to the Romans, ' I commend unto you Phebe, our
sister, w^hicli is a servant (Greek, a deaconess) of the
church which is at Cenchrea.' ^ She was evidently a per-
son of much consideration. St. Paul recommends her at
greater length than any others : ' that ye receive her in the
Lord as l)ecometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatso-
ever business she hath need of you, for she liath Ixmmi a
succourer of many and of me also.' In SI. Paul's liist
Epistle to Timothy ' a literal translation of the Cireek would
seem to show, and in this agree the best aucient and
modern iuterpretei'S — that wlicic \\(' read <if the wives of
deacons, the meaning is really ft'iiiale (ieaeoiis. ' l^\cii so
1 Acts i. U. - Acis vi. 1.
^ l\oiii. \vi. 1. '1 'I'iiii. iii. II.
202 CHRISTIAN PASTOPv AND WORKING CHURCH
must the women deaconesses be grave, not slanderers,
sober, faithful in all things.'"^
Precisely what were the ollicial functions of these women
named by Paul is not so clear. His counsels against the
public teaching of women are not inconsistent Avith the
supposition that women may have been employed by the
Church in the quiet ministries of charity. But in addition
to those who may have been officially related to the
Church, (piite a number of others are mentioned about
whom no such suggestion is made, and whose efficient
service in the work of the Church is recorded with liigh
approval. Dorcas was a woman well beloved in the com-
munity where she lived, "for the good works and alms
deeds that she did; " ^ Priscilla,^ the wife of Aquila, seems
to have had equal part with her husband in training for
his ministry the eloquent Apollos, ranking thus among
the earliest of the instructors in divinity; there was a
Mary* in Rome, who as Paul testifies, bestowed much
labor on him ; " Tryphena and Tryphosa who labor in the
Lord," and "the beloved Persis avIio labored much in the
Lord,"^ are also gratefully remembered by him; Euodias
and Syntyche, who appear to have been zealous workers,
receive a message from him, and there is also a general
reference, in the letter to the Philippians, to " those women
who labored with me in tlie gospel."^ Nor should it be
forgotten tliat tlie first Christian church in Europe was
gathered by a wonuiii who opcni'd licr lionse (after the
T.oid had opened her heart) to Paul and his com])anions
on tlicir lirst visit to Pliilippi." None of these appear to
have been deaconesses or official women; but they were
bcai-ing their part, evidently an important part, in the work
of the Church. In spite of the unfavorable social condi-
tions, the Church found (Mnployment for its (l(\oiit woiiini.
It w<mld api)ear from Paul's testimony that the luioriicinl
women — those whose service was voluntary — had (|iiil('
' The Ut. Hov. Juliii F. SiKUildinj^ in Tlif />rsl Mode nf Workinrj <t I'misli,
J). 187-189.
2 Acts ix. 26. " Acts xviii. 24-27. ■• Rom. xvi. f>.
<* Rom. xvi. 10. '■ I'liil. iv. 2, ;?. " Art.s xvi. ll-l.').
woman's \\()i;iv in the chukch 293
as imich to do with the life of tlie Apostolic Church as
tliose who were supposed to have belonged to an order of
the ministry.
In the post-Apostolic Churcli the existence of an oi'der
of deaconesses is unquestioned. The names of many of
them are mentioned by the early fathers, and their duties
are defined in the primitive legislation. They assisted
the deacons in ministrations to the poor, and acted as
ushers for their own sex in public assemblies. Women
and gills who were candidates for baptism were instructed
by them in the baptismal answers, and robed by them in
white for the solemn sacrament. The ayajjae^ or love-
feasts, were also provided by the deaconesses. In the
times of persecution it was part of their duty to visit the
women prisoners, and to show hospitality to fugitives of
their own sex. At first the}^ were ordained to office pre-
ciscl}' as men were ordained, b}^ prayer and the laying on
of hands ; Ijut later, the tactual imposition was reserved
for the male clergy, and the deaconesses were conse-
crated by prayer alone. Up to the fourth century, only
those could tluis be set apart who were either maidens, or
widows who had been married but once, and they must be
at least sixty years of age ; after the council of Chalcedon
tlie age was fixed at forty. This order of Churcli servants
lingered in the Latin Church through the sixth century,
and in tlic Greek until the twelfth. The name is still
given in the Roman Church to the women in monasteries
wlio have the care of the altar.
Although the order of deaconesses has disaiijuMrcd
from llic Clnirch of Rome, the Avork to wliidi llic naiiic
Avas once given has had a beautiful dcvclopuuMit. The
order known in France as the "Daughters of ("haiity,"'
and in most English-speaking countries as the "(hay
Sisters"' or the "Sisters of Charity," but wlitise ollieial
designation is "The Daughters of Christian !jove." is one
of the most notable and illustrious fruits of llie (liiisti.m
spii-it in modern times. 'Hie oi'der was fouiidiil in Tarls
ill It'll" by St. X'ineent de I'aiil and Madame Louise
Moiillae le (iras. It liegaii with a lilllegruuji of lifteeii
294 CHIMSTIAN PASTOR AND WOllKlNG CHlTIlCH
women wlio were associated for the purpose of visiting
and caring for the sick. Originally they seem to have
been connected with a parish, and many of them were
married women; but the work rapidly spread to other
parishes and cities, and the need of some organization
of the work became apparent. The good woman who was
St. Vincent's coadjutor in the beginning was left a widow
in 1625, and she at once signified her purpose of devoting
her life to this work. Her duty to her family held her
back, however, from undertaking the care of contagious
cases, and the founder discovered that none but unmarried
women or childless widows could render the service re-
quired. In 1633 the order was established by the Arch-
bishop of Paris ; and in 1668 it was officiall}' acknowledged
and endorsed by Pope Clement IX. The rule of the order
has not been changed from the ])eginning; there seems to
be no provision for amending it, nor has there appeared
any serious need of amendment. The vows are not per-
petual; a five-years' probation is required l)ef()re the vow
can be taken, but it is annually renewed. The constitu-
tion a})points a superior for every congregation, to be
elected triennially by the members: she may l)e re-elected
once, but no oftener. She is aided in the administration
by an assistant, a treasurer, and a dispensiere or steward.
The superior of the congregation is under the authority of
the superior general of the order; the sisters of the con-
gregation are pledged to obey their superior. Their rule
requires them to rise daily at four o'clock; to pray twice a
day; to live al)stemiously ; never to take wine exccjjt
when tliey are ill; never to refuse to nui^se the sick, even
in tli(^ most loathsome and dangerous cases; never to
stand in awe of death; always to remember that in nurs-
ing the sick they are nursing Clirist, whose servants
they are. They arc to liave no intimacies or special friend-
ships; one sister is not allowed to kiss another, except
as a sign of rcr-onciliation, and the manner of tliis rite is
prescriljed. 'I'hev are warned against feeling greater in-
terest in one j)atient than in anotlier: their service nnist
1)(', like the sunshine and the I'ain of licaven, an (Mpial
m'oman's wrmic Tx the church 295
bounty to the agreea])k' and llic disagreeable, the just and
the unjust.
Before the death of St. Vincent the order whicli he
founded had spread through many hinds; it now numbers
many thousands; the messengers whom it has sent forth
are found in every city in Christendom, and on every
battlefiekl ; and wherever the dark wings of the })estilence
are spread, there are they, ministering in Christ's name.
Before the spectacle which they present, ancient bigotry
and religious rancor often stand duml:) or open their
mouths with praise and blessing; it is a hopeless blind-
ness of soul which refuses to recognize the mind of Christ
in the work of the Sisters of Charity.
In some of the Protestant churches serious attempts
have been made to revive the ancient order of deaconesses,
which, in the growth of monasticism, disappeared from the
life of the Church. Speaking of the Episcopal churches.
Bishop Spaulding says:
" The attempted restoration of this Order in the reformed
Catholic Church is more than justified. Indeed, this is
the imperative duty of every branch of the Church which
claims the Bible as intei'preted b}- the Church in the past
ages as its rule of faith and practice. And the success
of every effort in this direction is only what might be
expected. The inference cannot be set aside, that it is
tlie will of Christ that His Church sliould be served by
the ministry of Deaconesses or Sisters, as well as of
Deacons and other Orders. And now that the Avork
whicli the Church is called to do is pressed upon us, and
we are wnrldng up to a sense of its magnitude and of the
need of iinnf labDvei's, and the faithful are everywhere
searching for the best instrumentalities and methods, by
the study of Holy Scripture and the exam])le of tlie primi-
tive ages of Faith and of most successful labor, there can
hardly l)e a doubt that we sliall soon have tlic i)riinitive
Diaconate revived and restored among us ; wc shall have
Deaconesses under this or some othci- name, as that of
Sisters, suecossfully laboring in every Parish, in the schools
of the Church, and in hospitals, homes and asylums, for
29G CHIMSTIAX PASTOH AND WORKING CHURCH
all classes of the afflicted. We shall have teaching Dea-
conesses or Sisters for our Parish schools, which will by
and by be seen to be necessary, not for a salary, but with
the assurance of the Church's support and care through
life. We shall have Deaconesses or Sisters regularly
employed in winning to Christ both men and women,
and imparting primary instruction and ministering to the
sick and needy under the care and maintenance of the
Church. The sanction given to this office and work of
women in the Church of England, and by the General
Convention of the American Church, is one of the most
hopeful of the signs of the times. It gives us hope that
tlie thorough working out of a principle of the Gospel so
generally recognized, cannot be long delayed." ^
The canons of the Protestant Episcopal church in the
United States now make full provision for the employment
of deaconesses. Any bishop of the church is authorized
to appoint to the office unmarried women of devout char-
acter and proved fitness. The candidate must be at least
twenty-five years of age and must present to the bishop
testimonials showing that she has spent at least two years
in preparation for the work, and that she possesses such
cliaracteristics as would fit lier for the service contem-
plated. The duty of a deaconess, in the words of tlie
canon, is " to assist the minister in the care of the poor
and the sick, the religious training of the young and
others, and the work of moral reformation." It is also
provided that no woman shall accept work in a diocese
witliout the ^vritten permission of tlie bishop, nor in a
parish without like authority from the rector. The vows
of these deaconesses are not perjx'tual ; they may at any
time resign the office to the bishop of the dioci'se ; but
tliey may not resume th(! office thus laid down, unless, in
the judgment of the bishop receiving the resignation,
" there be weighty cause for such reappointment." 'J1u!
canon also provides that no Avoman shall exercise this
office until she has lieen set apart by an approj)riatc reli-
L/ious servi(M' — the fnim of wliicli is left In the (lisci'ction
O
1 The JJtsl Mod, uf W'orkinij a Parish, yy. I'Jl, \'^^l.
woman's wokk in TiiK (iirucH 297
of tlio l)isli()p. Ill some dioceses the solemnity is similar
to tliat of the early Cliureh, involving not onh' prayer ])nt
the laying on of hantls. These deaconesses serve as assist-
ants in parishes, as teachers of kindergartens, as Bible
readers, as workers in missions and hospitals, and as visit-
ors and nurses among the poor and the sick. In some of
tlie larger parishes several are emploj-ed, and the revival
of this ancient order of servants of the Church is meeting
with much favor.
The Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States
has also entered this field and is cultivating it with much
enthusiasm. The AVoman's Home ^Missionary Society of
this church has under its care eighteen " homes," in differ-
ent parts of the country, to which more than one hundred
trained deaconesses are attached ; and there are three or
four such homes, under independent boards of manage-
ment, emplo}dng a considerable number of women. The
principal training school is at Washington. It Avould
appear that the chief work of the deaconesses in this cluirch
is that generally known as city mission work. The head
of the training school thus describes it :
" Take the work of the deaconess ; wliat is her employ-
ment ? Slie visits from house to house where the masses
are, by whom the churcli so sadly and so wrongly is I'c-
garded as a social club, wliicli has no interest in them nor
to tliom. Slic opens industrial schools for the ignorant
and ]i('l])less ones for whom the word home has no associa-
tions and who liave never experien(;ed tlie joy and blessed-
ness of the family. She gathers the children of the
foreigners into kindergartens, where, along the avenues of
tlu^ eye, the ear, the touch, mercy and grace shall find
tlieir way to the heart and mind. She enters the dwellings
of the poor and sick where suffering is unmitigatecl l)y
the soft hand of love. She comforts and befriends the
victims of the vices and sins of men. Slie consoles and
counsels the deserted and bereaved. She searches out tlie
"widow and orphan and aids tliem with her sjnipathy and
charity. Slie brightens with her presence the cots of the
hosjiital wards and directs the a^vluiiis for tln' oijilian and
298 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
the aged. She sootlies the last lioiirs of the dying with
helpful messages from the Holy Word."
It would appear from the reports that most of the
deaconess homes connected Avith this church are of the
nature of settlements or city mission stations, and that the
deaconesses having their headquarters in these homes are
engaged, somewhat independently, in the prosecution of
such evangelistic and philanthropic work as is described
above. There are occasional references to co-operation
with pastors, but for the most part it is the "Deaconess
Home " and not the church which is regarded as the centre
of the woik.
In some of the other American Protestant churches the
name of deaconess is given to women whose service among
their own sex corresponds to that of the Congregational
deacons ; they are members of the church, chosen to have
a certain oversight of its charitable work ; the care of the
poor and the sick is committed to them, but they have
received no special training for the work, nor do they de-
vote their lives to it. The meaning of the term as thus
employed is set forth by a Congregational pastor in the
following paragraphs :
" No Avorkers in a church can do more to increase its
usefulness than a band of properly qualified deaconesses.
Shall they be elected as other officers? or shall they be
selected by the pastor as his esj^ecial helpers in pastoral
work ? The writer of this paper prefers tlie latter method.
The pastor selects such a number and such persons as tlie
circumstances of the church make expedient. The whole
parish is divided into districts. Each district has a dea-
coness wliose duty it is to keep watch over all the persons
in that district. If any need the pastor she infoims liim ;
if any are lial)le to be neglected, she asks others to call
and extend friendly courtesies ; if any are poor, and need
assistance, they are reported to the pro])er officers ; if any
strangers come into her district, she takes care that they
are invited to attend clnncli. Tliese are what may be
called the social and temporal duties of the deaconesses.
Tlieii follnw tlie sjiiritiial duties. Tliev hee]) watch ovci' all
woman's wokk in the church 209
tlieir district, and if any need especial care tliey g"0 to tlieni,
and either liclp tlieni or direct them to the proper ones to
give help. They visit young converts ; they fcdk with the
unconverted, they look after the sick, and if need be pray
with them ; they act for the pastor in all possiljle ways.
They have a monthly or weekly meeting with the pastor,
at which the results of their calling and various observa-
tions are reported, and they give to him usually the most
reliable information he obfciins concerning the condition
of the parish. Where the proper women are secured for
this work, no people in the parish are likely to be neg-
lected. All are called upon, and the pastor is kept in-
formed as he could not be if dependent on his own
resources alone.
"The women chosen for this service should never he of
the 'goody goody' kind, and seldom past middle age.
They should be selected for their social position and social
gifts, as well as for their spirituality. Sociability, social
position, intelligence, and spirituality are essential to the
successful deaconess. These qualifications are far more
likely to be secured when the pastor carefully chooses his
lielpers tlian when tliey are selected by vote of the
churcli."" '
Tlie Church of Scotland lias undertaken to restore the
order of deaconesses. In the re[)ort for 1895 of the Com-
mittee on Christian Life and Work is the following
statement :
"Our Church, following the Scri[)tures and the example
of the early Christians, has found a name and i)lace in her
laidcs for women of culture and reiinement who wish to
devote their Avholc time and skill to the service of the Lord
Jesus Christ in His Church. Having this ideal, the order
of the Diaconate is one that is ctertain to attrat;t to itself
many ardent and sympathetic natures ^\■]\^^ are longing to
give them.selves entirely to work among the needy and
troubled and suffering, and uho are not ])revcntc'd from
doing so by family tics and duties or by ((Ihcr circum-
stances. W'c know how the jiooi- ;iutl Iricudlcss in llicir
1 'I'lic luv. A. 11. l!i;i(lfni-,l ill /',nlsli I'lohl. ms, i.p. 2S.'i, liXC.
300 CIIKISTIAX PASTOR AND \V()UIvING CIirKCn
distress turn luitiirally to the parish clmrcli aiicl iiiinister as
their home and connsellor; and in the more crowded
centres of popidation, and even in rural districts, where
the conditions under wliich the out-workers and farm-
workers toil are unfavorable to virtue, it is of immense
consequence to have the help of a thoroughly trained and
well-educated and devoted Christian lady." ^
Some of the women thus set apart for service are at
work in foreign mission fields, some in connection with
city missions, but the most of them are in the employ of
large city churches, working under the direction of the
church session. A Deaconess House has been established,
in which a thorough training is given to those who wish
to devote their lives to this work. A recent report of the
Deaconess Superintendent thus sets forth the purpose of
the institution :
"The object of the Home is twofold: 1st, that of receiv-
ing women, who, coming to it with pure and holy motives,
are able to make Cliristian work the chief object of their
life. These, after fullilling the condition laid down by
the Assembly, — namely, that of having been trained for
two years in the Home (or of having been known as active
workers elsewhere for seven years), may, if they desire it,
be set apart as Deaconesses. If they remain in the i Ionic,
they will then be expected to go to any part of ScotUvnd
where they may be required, and to work there undo" tlie
niiiiislt-r and kirk-session of the parish. Some may ^isli
to ])e Deaconesses living not in the Institution, l)ut in
their own homes, and tliesr a\ ill he set apart })y tlie kirk-
session of their own parislies with consent of their ])res-
bytery. 2d, that of receiving as residents for instruction
and training in ^al•i(lns methods of Christian work ladies
avIk), Avliile tlicy do not wish to l)e Deaconesses, desire
to be competent Christian workers. Experience indeccl
teaches at home, l)nt it is often with many blunders and
much loss of tinu! and usefubicss, whereas if methods
w])ich liave been tried and ])i(tved are learncih tliey can be
carried away and ;ida[)ted in the smaller ]);n1ienlars to
hieal requirements. " ^
1 I'agc 577. - Year- Book for la'JU, p. 34.
woman's WOIIK IX THE CHrJtCH 301
The instruction in this institution inehides classes in
Scriptural knowledge and tlie art of teaching, courses of
I>ible readings by neighboring ministers, lectures on mis-
sions to the heathen, on the qualifications of church work-
ers, on sick-room cookery and the care of the sick, on
literature for chiu'cli workers, on the district visitor as an
evangelist, and various similar lines of training.
The deaconesses thus prepared are set a^art by a solemn
service, prescribed by the General Assembly. A sermon
is preached on the occasion and the following questions are
proposed to the candidate :
"1. — Do you desire to be set apart as a Deaconess, and as
such to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in the Church, wliich
is His body ?
" Ans. — I do.
" 2. — Do you promise, as a Deaconess of the Church of
Scotland, to work in connection with that Church, subject
to its courts, and in particular to the Kirk-Session of the
parisli in whicli 3'ou are to work ?
'^ Ans. — I do.
" 3. — Do you humbly engage, in the strength and grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord and Master, faithfidl}--
and piayerfuUy to thscharge tlie duties of this oflice ?
"Ans. — I do."i
After silent prayer by the congregation, and a consecrat-
ing prayer by the minister, the candidate is dechired to be
a deaconess of the Church of Scotland. It will Ijc seen
that the Church esteems the restoration of this ancient
order of the ministry as no light thing, and invests it with
dignity and honor.
The close connection of these Scotch deaconesses with
the work of the local churcli is emi)hasize(l in all tlu-ir
training. They are not independent laborers, nor is there
any organization to which they belong which prosecutes
its work upon lines of its own choosing ; they are strictly
subordinate to the ecclesiastical authorities. They are to
be helpers of the church, sharers in its niiiiistiy. messengers
of its goodwill. They aw, to fmiiisli a clianuel of com-
' Jilt Place (illd J'cirrr «;/" WhiikIii, p. 1 I.
302 CHRISTIAN TASTOr. AND WORKING CHUIICFI
mimicatiou between the church and the needy poor to
whom it is sent with help and consohition. In this respect
their work is probably wiser and more effective than that
of certain orders in tliis country whose relation to the
clun^ch is Imt slight, whose ministry is not known in the
community as representing the church, and whose service
has little if any tendency to draw the poor into the fellow-
ship of the church.
The effective beginning of this modern movement toward
the enlistment of women as official servants of the church
may be traced to a little town on the banks of the Rhine,
where, in 183G, Pastor Fliedner, of the Lutheran Church,
oj)ened his little parish hospital and called for help in min-
istering- to the sick. This was the first trainino- school for
nurses in modern times. A picture in the little gate-house
of the parsonage-garden where Fliedner began liis ^^■ork
bears the inscription : " The kingdom of heaven is like to
a grain of mustard-seed." The Scripture has been aljun-
dantly fulfilled. The grain of mustard seed has not merely
become a tree, it has multiplied to many trees ; the birds of
the air on many shores are lodging in the branches thereof.
When Pastor Fliedner assumed charge of the little
parish of Kaiserswerth in 1822, destitution had overtaken
the community through the failure of a velvet manufactory
in which nearly all his small flock had earned their liveli-
hood. His people were starving, and he was compelled to
go forth into Holland and England to collect funds for
their relief. His observations in those countries quickened
his philanthropic impulses, and he came home with a i)ur-
pose to do something for the relief of his fellow-meii. Tlie
first call came from the Prison Society of Diissehlorf, six
miles distant, in a proposition to provide an asylum foi-
discharged female prisoners, where they could be sheltered
and trained for usefulness. It was a great undertaking
for a parish with such narrow means, but tlie brave pastor,
whose wife most heartily supported liim, opened a summer-
liouse in his garden, and bade the prisoners welcome.
Sliortly niter, a house was liired for the asylum, and tlie
summei-liousc was used for a knitting-school for poor
woman's \voi:k in the chuecii 303
children, wliieli soon took on some of the characteristics of
a kindergarten. It was a curious combination of phihm-
thropies, but resolute hearts were in tlie work and it greatly
prospered. Many prisoners were reformed and little
children were made happy and wise under the tuition of
the faithful pastor and his Avife.
And now another human need appealed to them. There
were many sick, and a hospital was demanded. One house
only in Kaiserswerth was available for such a purpose ; its
price, in American money, was sixteen hundred dollars ;
the penniless pastor bought it, and before tlie year was
gone paid for it also. Two friends, single women, volun-
teered to be the nurses in this hospital : Oct. 13, 1836, the
maidens took possession of the house ; they had for furni-
ture a table, a few chairs with half-broken baclcs, a small
set of crippled knives and forks, and a heterogeneous collec-
tion of rickety bedsteads. Thus, " with great gladness and
thanksgiving," began the Deaconess House at Kaiserswerth.
To-day the little hamlet is one of the centres of the philan-
thropic work of the world. Besides the principal hospital,
now containing two hundred and twenty beds, there is a
hospital for disabled deaconesses, a Magdalen home, a large
kindergarten, a training-school for teachers, an orphanage,
a holida}'- house for retired deaconesses, an old ladies' home,
and a great many shops and buildings in which the indus-
trial work of the mission is carried on. Tliis is the seed-
plot. But how wide has been the planting. To all jjarts
of the world the work has sj)r('ad. Fliedner was called to
other countries to establish l)ranches of liis hospital train-
ing-schools, and the women wb(t liave been fitted for ser-
vice in Kaiserswerth have found their way into many
lands.
With two of liis deaconesses, Fliedner came early to a
Gernum church in Pliiladelphia. Others liave followed,
and Kaiserswerth now has six branch training-schools in
tlic Lutheran churclies of tlic l'ui(ed St;ilcs. in .lerusa-
Icni, in C'onstanlinople, in Alexandria, Beiiul, Smyrna
and many othei- ]ilaces the indefatigable founder built
hospitals, boai-ding scliooN and or[)lianagcs. Since Kaisers-
304 CHKISTIAN PA8T0II AND WORKING CHURCH
Avertli was instituted, ten thousand four hundred deacon-
esses have been ordained in the German Protestant Churcli,
and they are found to-day at work in three thoiisand
six hundred and forty different places.
The course in the training school at Kaiserswerth covers
three years. There are two classes — one for nurses, the
other for teachers. In certain rudiments of service all are
trained. Every one must know how to do general house-
work — to cook, to wash and iron, to sew, — for these
homely services may be required of any deaconess. After
these primary lessons the course divides, and those Avho
are to become nurses are specially trained in the hospital
while the teaching sisters receive the instruction that tits
them for their work. All these sisters also are set apart
to their work by a solemn service of consecration. ^
1 Tlio form of consecraliou as used at Dresden is as follows :
"LiTURGIE BEI EiNSEGNUNG VON DiAKONISSEX. LlED. AnSI'KACIIE.
" Nacli der Ansprache legeu die Eiuzusegneiideu ihr Gelubuiss iu die
Hand des Geistlichen ab.
" P. Kniet nieder uud bittet uin den Segen. — Die iMuzuseguenden beteu :
' Gott sei uus guiidig und barniherzig, und gebe uns seiuen guttlichen Segon !
Er lasse iiber uns sein Antlitz leuchten, dass wir auf Erdcn crkeunen seine
Wege. Es segnc uns Gott, unser Gott, uud geb uns seinen Frieden. Amen.'
"P. Es segue ench der dreieinige Gott, Gott der Vater, Sohu, und hciliger
Geist.
" Schw. Amen.
" P. Friede sei mit Schw. N. N.
" Schw. Friede sei mit ihr.
" P. Er sonde ihr Hilfe vom neiligtlmm.
"Schw. Und sttirkc sie aus Zion.
"P. Der Hcrr unser Gott sei ihr freumllich und fiirdre das Werk ihre
IliLnde bei uns.
" Schw. Ja, das Werk ilire Iliiude wollc er furdern.
" P. Amen ! In Jesu Namen.
"Schw. Amen.
" Ilierauf giebt der Geistlielie jedcr der Sciiwestern cinen Gedenks]iriu]i und
betet iiber ilinon : Ewiger Gott, Vater unsers Hcrr Jesu Christi, (hi Scln"p|ifer
des Mamies und des AVeibcs, der du Jlirjam und Debora und Hanna und
Hulda mit dem heiligcu Geiste crfiillt uud es nidit versciimaht liast, dcinen
oingobornen Soliu von oiucm W'eibc geboreu werdeu zu lassen ; der du audi
ill der Iliitte des Zeugnisscs und im Tempcl Wilchteriiincu deincr heiligcu
I'fcirtin erwiihlen hast; siehe doch nun auf diesc Milgde, <lic (dir) zuin
Dieiist vcrordnct werdou, uiul gicb iliueu deinen werthcn heiligen (Jeist,
uud roinigc sio vcm aller Hedcckung des Flcisches und Geistes, auf da.ss sic
wiirdiirlich vollstreckeii das ibiicii aiifgetragiic Werk zu ileiner Elirc und zmii
AVO-MAN's WOIIK IN THE CHURCH 305
The Kaiserswerth deaconesses are assiofncd to their
work by the parent institution ; they are always under
marching orders, and they receive no remuneration from
those who employ them. Hospitals which accept their
services as nurses pay the " mother-house " at Kaisers-
werth, or the branch house from which they go forth, a
small annual sum ; the dressmaking department furnishes
each deaconess with the simple garments needful, and a
small yearly allowance for pocket money. Food and
shelter are furnished them in the hospital or the parish
where the work is done. When they are disabled a home
awaits them in the parent institution.
The vow of the Kaiserswerth deaconess is not perpetual ;
a probation of from six months to three years is required
of each one, and during this period she is constantly
admonished that unless she is assured of her calling it is
Ijetter for her to withdraw. When, at length, the pledge
of service is m.ade, it amounts to no more than this, that
she will be obedient to the rules of the association while
she remains in it, and will suffer no entangling alliances
to hinder her in her work. The deaconesses are not shut
off from intercourse with their kindred ; considerable
liberty of action is left them. Of course no vow of celi-
bacy is required or permitted. A sister cannot maiTy and
remain in the sisteihood. But she is at liberty to leave
the community at any time, and a subsequent marriage is
no reproach. The vow signifies only this, that while the
sister is a member of the community she must live aceoixl-
ing to its rules.
This recent development of tlic trained activities of
women in the ('hristian Chiu'cli possesses great signili-
cance. As will lie seen, it has largely taken })lace outside
the local congregation. So far as the work of nursing tlie
sick is concerned, preparation for it must, of eouise, bo
made in connection witli liospitals ; and it is in tlie hos-
Lolic (Icinos riiristus, mil wcIcIkmii dir VAwc, mid Aiil)Clmi/^ mil licili/^om
Gcist von I-\vi;;k(Mt zu Ewigkeit. Ainoii. Vatcr I'liscr, etc.
" I'. Scliliissvutiim.
" Schw. Anion I " — Quoted in fJililiotlirca Sdcia, ^\>l. xxviii., p. .'I.
20
300 CHRISTIAN I'ASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
pitals that most of the charitaljlo nursing must be done.
The work of teaching, and visiting the poor and church-
less might, liowever, be hirgely done in connection with
the local congregation. It is only as the work of the
deaconess is turned in this direction that it comes strictly
within the view of this treatise. What the deaconess is
trained to do in pastoi'al work — as a helper and leader in
the Christian service of the congregation — chiefly con-
cerns us. It is evident that the " Lehrschwestern " of the
Kaiserswerth Institution are prepared for such service.
The evident purpose is that they shall bring to the pastors
to whom they report, a reinforcement of strength and skill
by which the church will be enabled to do its work more
efficiently. It is not only by what they themselves will
do, but by what they will stir up other members of the
church to do that the church will be profited. They will
assist in opening communication between the church and
the needy and the neglected round about it, and will
strengthen its hold upon their confidence and affection.
Such, as we have seen, is the design of those who arc
foremost in promoting the training of deaconesses in the
Church of Scotland, and in the Protestant Episcopal
Church of the United States. The assistance thus fur-
nished to the local church in the prosecution of its proper
mission may be of great value.
In cases where the aim seems to Ijc to cstal)lish religious
or philanthropic centres separate from the churches, to do
the work which it is assumed the churches cannot do,
there is some reason for liesitation in our commendation
of it. If deaconess homes are calculated to supersede tlic
(;hurches, or to afford the churches an excuse for neglect-
ing the work wliich properly belongs to them, tlieir utility
Avill be doul)trii]. The church ought to be the centre of
all evangelical and charitable operations : and tlie multi-
plication of agencies Avhicli intercept its lines of influence
is to be regretted. The deaconess home ought to be in
every case closely connected with some church: it ought
to be evident to the Avlioh' conununity tliat its gracious
iiiihiciiccs pi-()cc('(l (lirccllv from Ihc chui-cli : and its
•svoman's m^oek in the church 307
gospel invitations .should draw men into the fellowship o!
the church. It is to be hoped that as the movements for
the establishment of this agency, now largely tentative,
are better matured, the connection between the work of
the deaconesses and tlie Avork of the parishes ^^■ill be closer
and more vital.
In most American Protestant churches the work of the
women is well organized. In many churches will be
found an association, variously named, whose function is
partly social and partly financial. Its work consists in
promoting tlie fellowship of tlie clmrcli and in increasing
its necessary funds.
Much can be done l)y the Asomcn of tlic church to
strengthen the bonds of fellowship. Indeed it may be
said tliat most of what is done for the promotion of better
acquaintance and tlie development of fraternal feeling
must be done by them. They have not only the leisure
for this work but the tact and the experience which fit
them for it. If the women of any congregation are so
minded they may establish a condition of things which
will make the pastor's work easy and dcliglitful. If every
new family finds a cordial welcome and a prompt intro-
duction to congenial friends ; if social opportunities are
so arranged and improved that those wlio ought to know
one another are ])rought together pleasantly and fre-
quently, a social atmosphere will be created which will be
favorable to the growth and fruitfulness of the churcli.
On the "Women's Society of the clnircli tlic responsil)ility
for this work mainly rests.
The financial operations of these societies have alhactcd
criticism. The various metliorls eni])h)ye(l by them in
raising funds are often censured as niKbgnilied and dis-
graceful. 'V\\r sii]i])ers, the festivals, the bazaars and sak's
t(i wliicli tliey resort are often stigmatized as nnwdilliy
drvices for tlie ])rocurement of the necessary revennes of
the ( liiucli. It is not iniprobalth^ that indecorous cdnchK't
iiia\- SdUictiincs ni;ii' lliese festivities: tlie s;nn(> niii_;iit lie
said (if pia ver-niecl iiiL;s. Il tlie stale joke d tlie iii'ws-
pa[H'rs were well tninidcd. -that llie cliaii^cs made on
308 crimsTiAx pastor and working church
these occasions are exorbitant, — tliat would be good
ground for censure. But the truth is that the good
women usually err in the other direction, giving their
customers more in return for their money than they could
oljtain elsewhere. The charge that they interfere with
trade hj selling goods below the market price might more
easily be proven against them.
It may l)e said that any such commercial expedient to
raise the funds for tho support of the church is to be con-
demned, since the amount necessary ought to be freely
contril)uted. That this is the ideal method will not be
disputed; but our ideals are not easily realized, and the
friendly enterprises of the women's societies often afford
a substantial assistance to those who have the charge of
l)uiIdinQf or furnishiii"' churches and of maintaining wor-
ship in them. It is, indeed, often possible for good women
to give of their handiwork more value than they could
give in current funds ; and the provision for turning these
offerings into money seems to involve no essential impro-
priety. In the olden time, we are told, "all the women
that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands, and
])rought that which they had spun, })oth of blue, and of
purple, and of scarlet, and of line linen. And all the
women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goat's
hair. And the rulers 1)rought onyx stones, and stones to
be set, for the epliod, and for the breastplate; and spices
and oil Cor the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the
sweet incense. The children of Israel ))rought a willing
offering luito the Lord, ever}' man and woman, whose
lieart made them willing to bring of all manner of work,
which the Lord had commanded to be made l)y the hand
of ]\b)ses."" ^ It is not clear that the contributions of liandi-
work to a modern chui'cli Ijazaar differ essentially from tliis
ancient donation.
It may sometimes be true that enterprises of this nature
give rise to jealousies and ill-tempers among the ])arti('i-
pants; any close association of human beings is liable to
result in this way. lint, on the other hand, it is quite
1 Kx. XXXV. 2:1-20.
wo^fan's work in Till-: church 309
possible that the association for such purposes shouki he a
means of grace to those who engage in it. There is no
better pkice to learn to behave unscllishl}' and generously,
to consider one another, to prefer one another in honor.
Churches do sometimes make great gains of Christian char-
acter in the loving co-operation of these enterprises.
The social advantages of these events are also consider-
able. They bring together those who would not otherwise
meet; they enlist all tlie women of the church in a com-
mon enterprise; and if care be taken to make each one
feel that her assistance is valued, the tie that binds the
members to the church and to one another may be greatly
strengthened.
In most churches a Women's Missionary Society will
be found, sometimes both a foreign and a home missionary
society; and many churches, in addition to these, have
room for a Young ^Vomen's Missionary Society, and a
Children's Band. Of these missionary organizations we
shall speak in a subsequent chapter: they are mentioned
here in order that attention may be called to the multiplic-
ity of women's societies within the church, and to tlie
need of co-ordinating them. This is the task which has
been undertaken l)y the Women's Guild of the Church of
Scotland. This (xuild is a national organization, but its
purpose is to develop and also to unify the work of the
women in the local parishes. It aims to establish a Brancli
Guild in every congregation, and this is not an additional
society, but a consolidation of all the societies. Each of
tlie different organizations for woman's work is regarded'
as a section of this Guild; and (nio of tlie aims of its
promoters is to enlist every woman of the churcli in the
work of one or more of these sections. In the rejmrts
which tlie liranch Guilds make to the National (Juild,
fourteen different sections arc specilicd, as follows: Visiting
the sick and poor; hospitality to the lowly; cnlcrtaiiniu'iit
for the people; mothers' meeting workers; workers at
home for missions; members of Dorcas society; fellow-
workers' union; mothers' union; Sabbath-school teach-
ing; magazine and tract ilistiiltuting; chnnh imisic;
310 CHRISTIAN PASTOK AND WORKING CHURCH
temperance society; Bible class; collectors. Each of
these sections, it would seem, should be under the care of
some capable leader or committee; the work of the Guild
should be to get every woman or girl in the church to
choose some one or more of these kinds of work and report
to the leader of the section. All these sections constitute
the Branch Guild, and the workers meet together from time
to time, to exchange experiences and to report progress.
The rules for the members of the Guild are as folhn\s :
" The members of this Guild are united together with
the view of deepening and strengthening their own religious
life and of promoting good works ; and they resolve —
" 1. To give service to the Lord Jesus Christ as workers
in his Church, or as receiving guidance and instruction
Avith a view to work in future.
" 2. To meet together at such times as may be agreed
upon.
"3. To read a portion of Scripture and pray in pri\;ilc
every day, and to go to church as regularly as possible.
" 4. In private prayer to pray often for the furtherance
and success of the work undertaken by the Church of
Christ, especially by the Church of Scotland.
"5. To pray for other members of the Guild on Sunday
morning, and on that day also to pray for a blessing on
all the good works done in this parish, on tlio parish min-
ister, and on all the workers."'^
The little Handbook from wliich these rules are copied
gives also under the title " What is the Woman's Guild ? "
a clear statement of the purposes of the organization :
"1. It is not a Young Woman's Guild. It is thcrcfoiv,
even in this respect, not parallel with the Girls' Friendly
Society and the Young Women's Christian Association.
It is an attcm[)t to band together all the Avomcn in a con-
gregation, so that they may be helpful to (^nch olhcr. It
j)roposcs to make all workers acquainted \\itli cacli other,
and with each other's woi'k, and thi'ough this accpiaintanco,
and the sym])athy resulting from it, to strengthen their
lunids ;iiiil increase their ])o\\'er lo woik'.
1 Ilanilbdok, ]>. 4.
woman's WOKK IX THE CHURCH 311
"2. It is a union within the Churcli. The Christian
Church has lost much by so many of its members going
outside of it for companionship in work, and for Christian
fellowship. This scheme by no means proposes that mem-
bers of the Church of Scotland shall not be members of
their non-ecclesiastical societies, but it reminds them that
they have a primary duty witliin their own church. The
Guild can reach, and ought to reach, every adherent of
every congregation, so that, for example, domestic ser-
vants and young women in shops, if they be sitters in a
church, shall have associates, advisers, and guides of their
own sex in the congregation to which they belong. Tliis
is a part of the ' communion ' to wliich all are solenmly
pledged at the Lord's table. As it is through working
together that people come to know each other Ijest, the
Guild is —
"3. A Union of Workers. It has been found that poor
and rich rejoice when it is put in their power to do some-
thing; and rich and poor can be allied in working for mis-
sions in connection with the congregation, or in some of
the many branches of congregational activity. A union
for work in Christ's cause ought surely to be a part of
congregational life.
" 4. It is a union whose members may do good to others.
The ultimate question is not ' What will the Guild do for
me?' but 'What will the Guild enable me to do for
otlicrs? '
'•Therefore we may sum up by saying, —
"1. A branch of the Woman's Guihl in any parish or
congregation ought to be a union of all women, old and
young, who are engaged in the service of Christ in con-
nection with the Church, or who desire to give lielp to any
practical Christian woik in the j)aiish, as well as all who
are receiving Christian teaching, and looking forward to
Christian service.
"2. ICach member shoidd take part in at least one of
tlie sections of the paiish woi'k, — as for example, the
Dorcas Society, the Tract I)istribiit((is. the Mission ^\'orl<-
Party, the Sabbath-school Teaelurs, IJie ('lioir; and those
312 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
sections should be entered on one roll of the Guild. One
great object of the Guild is to make every worker acquainted
with all that the others are doing, so that joint meetings,
at which the work is reported on and encouraged, may be
attended by all. At those meetings all who are interested
in the work are welcome ; and they soon choose the work
with which they specially desire to be connected. Those
who are but beginning, or who wish to begin, and those
lately come as strangers, are also welcomed ; for thus they
put themselves under good influences. "^
Of these Branch Guilds there were reported, in the year
1895, no less than 337, with a membership of 24,924, and
a sum of o£4,372 had been raised by these branches for
church purposes during that year. It is clear that tlie
ancient Church of Scotland has here discovered a most
valuable agency. For the development and co-ordination
of the activities of its women, the Guild furnishes an
admirable plan. Its suggestion may well be adopted by
many other Protestant churches. The scheme would need
to be modified to suit the conditions of some of our
American churches, but the method is clearly applicable
everywhere. It is not essential that a national or denomi-
national organization for this purpose should be formed:
eacli congregation could unite its own agencies after this
manner without connecting itself with other congregations
similar]}' organized. The union of the Branch Guilds in a
national or denominational association would, no doubt,
add something of enthusiasm to the movement; but on tlie
other hand it would call for another annual convention;
and in Amciica the plague of the conventions is becoming
nearly as formidaljle as the plague of the frogs was in
ancient Egypt. If, indeed, the numerous denominational
societies of women could be consolidated in one AVoman's
(Juild for eacli denomination, so that one animal meeting
miglit serve tlie purposes of all, that would be a con-
summation on wliich many devout wislies couhl well 1)e
expended. '11 ic Fiee Church of Scotland and the United
Presbyterian Cliurcli have also large guilds.
i JlmuUiook, p. 1-3.
CHAPTER XIV
THE YOUNG MEN AND WOLIEN
It is barely half a century since the young people of our
American Protestant churches first began to be organized
for Christian work. Nineteen centuries ago the promise
was recalled of a day when the Spirit should be poured
from on high upon the whole Church, and when the young
men should see visions ^ — presumably visions of work to
be done, for these are the visions Avhicli the Spirit most
often vouchsafes. The apostle John, in his old age, ^-rote
to young men because they were strong ; ^ his purpose must
have been to enlist their strength in the service of the
Cliurch. By those who reflected tliat the apostolic band
were probably all young men, it might have been conjec-
tured that what has been termed "the young-man-power "
could be used with great effect in the work of the Church.
But this hint was tardily taken by most of the organized
ecclesiasticisms, and but little provision was made for the
co-operation of the young men and women in Christian
Avork.
In Germany, after the Napoleonic A\ars, when the people
in the bitterness of their poverty began to turn to God,
and wlien that great deepening of spiritual experience took
place out of which have grown so many of the best fruits
of modern German civilization, there S2)rang up in mau}^
parishes Christlichc J i'l nfjliiigsvcrcinc — Christian Young
Men's Associations. These were generally groups of
young men, belonging to some jjarisli, wlio came together
for prayi-r, for Bible study, and for niulnal lu'l[) in the
C'hristian life. Doubtless we may liml in tlicsc associa-
tions some reverberations of J^'ichte's ('jMicli-iiiaking Ixiok,
1 Acts ii. 17. - 1 .Tolm ii. 14.
314 CHIMSTLVX PASTOE AND WORKING CHURCH
Tlie Way to the Blessed Life. These German Vereine were
not, however, widely influential ; the enlistment of the
young in Christian activity was barely begun in them.
In 1844 the first Young Men's Christian Association
was organized in London by George Williams, lately
knighted by the Queen in recognition of this great service
to religion. The association from the beginning was
undenominational; the young men met first for prayer
and Bible study; soon the reading room, the iibrarj', and
courses of popular lectures became a necessity, and the
Young Glen's Christian Association developed into a sanc-
tified club, offering an inexpensive and safe resort to the
homeless, and providing social opportunities for the young
men who were united in Christian work. The gj-nmasium,
the amusement room, the bowling alley, the swinnning
bath, and many appliances for physical culture are now
generally furnished to members. Educational classes in
great variety are also offered at merely nominal cost;
courses of lectures are provided for the winter evenings
and employment bureaux assist the workless to find occu-
pation. The strictly religious work of the association has
been less emphasized of late than the social and educational
features ; but special religious services for young men are
held every week ; Bible classes are taught, and groups of
young men go forth from the association rooms to perform
evangelistic and charitable work in the community.
The development of this arm of the churcli has been
phenomenal; between five and six thousand associations
now exist, distrilnited over the known world.
The Young Women's Christian Associations liave liad
a later and much less extensive development; tliey under-
take to perfoini for young women a service similar to that
which the other associations perform for young men.
lioth these institutions, however, do tlieir work outside
the lines of the local congregation. 'I'liey depend ujimi
the churches for their snpjxjrt, and they are, to some
extent, feeders of tlie churches; but they are not under
])arisli control, and no organization connected witli thciii
takes any part in jiai-isli work. Tlicy funiisli ;i splendid
THE YOUNG MEN AND "SVOMEX 315
illustration of what can be accomplished by the conse-
crated energies of young men and women ; but they do not
help to solve the problem of the local church, save as they
perform some portion of the work which the church would
otherwise be required to undertake. If, for example, a
well-equipped building of the Young ]\Ien\s Christian
Association stands in close proximity to some down-town
church, it is manifest that this church may be released
from undertaking the kind of work for the young men of
the neighborhood which might, in the absence of the asso-
ciation, be expected of it. The reading room, the educa-
tional classes, the pleasant Sunday afternoon service, are
all furnished by the association, and it would be poor
economy and worse comity for the church to duplicate
them. To some extent, therefore, these associations do
relieve those churches which are their neighbors from their
responsibilities. In another way, also, the life of the
parish is affected by the existence of these institutions.
The work of the Young iNIen's Christian Association must
be done by the young men M^ho are members of the
churches; and the pastor will regard this as one of the
fields in which his force is emploj'cd, and will gladly sur-
render such of his young men as may be needed to this
important work. It is one of the cases in which the
Church, for Christ's sake, loses its life that it may keep it
unto life eternal.
But there are other organizations of young people which
are vitally connected with the local congregation and do
tlie chief part of their work within it, and for its l)ruelit.
For the past thirty years in America organizations of the
young people have existed in uiany churches, the pui-jxise
of which was the cultivation of the religious lite of llicir
members and the improvement of their minds, as well as
the provision of wholesome social recreation lor tlimi.
But II great impetus was given to the movement \\li('n, in
1S81, a young Congregational jiastor of Poitland, Maine,
called liis young men and women together and submitted
to them the crtnstitution of ;i Yonng I'eo]ile\s Society of
Christian l'jidr;i\ or. This cdiistit nt ion. sulislaniialh' as
31G CHRISTIAN PASTOR ANT) WORKING CHURCH
then submitted, has been adopted by more than twenty-
five thousand societies in all parts of tlie world, represent-
ing at least thirty different denominations, and including
more than two and a half million members. To this must
be added the Epworth League of the Methodist Episcopal
Churches, with eighteen thousand chapters and nearly a
million members, and the Baptist Young People's Union,
with a large membership. These last-named organizations
are offshoots of the Society of Christian Endeavor. Such
a growth, in sixteen years, is perhaps unparalleled in the
annals of evangelical Christianit3\
The young people, after long obscurity, have thus sud-
denly blazed forth like the lightning from one end of the
heaven to the other ; they are very much in evidence ; the
air resounds with their marching cries, and the streets are
gay with their badges and banners. Yet this is not a
centralized organization. There is a " United Society of
Christian Endeavor," consisting of one trustee from each of
several religious denominations, but it is only a bureau
of information. There is no central authority or board
of control. The great Christian Endeavor conventions
attempt no legislation; they are simply religious meetings.
Every local society is independent; its membership is
drawn from its own congregation, and it is subject to the
control of the authorities of that congregation. In the
words of its founder: "The Socict}^ of Christian Endeavor
is a purely religious organization, tliough there may be
social features, literary features, and musical features con-
nected with it. In fact, the society is meant to do any-
thing that the Church wishes to have it do. The scope of
its energies is almost limitless. It may relieve the desti-
tute, visit the sick, furnish flowers for the pulpit, replenish
the missionary treasuries, build up the Sunday-school,
awaken an interest in tlie temperance cause, preacli a
White Cross crusade. The inspiration for all these mani-
fold forms of service comes from the weekly jirayer-ineet-
ing, whicli is always a vital matter in a Cliiistian I'hideavor
Society. TIic prayer-meeting pledge, wliilc no luiiformity
of language is insisted u[)oii, binds tlic }(»uiig disciple to
THE YOUNG JIEN AND WOMEN 317
ilaily private devotions, to loyal support of his own tlnircli,
and to attendance and participation in the weekly prayer-
meeting, unless i:)revented by a reason which he can con-
scientiously give to his Master. This^ perhaps, is the most
vital and important thing in the society. It has rejuve-
nated and revived the young people's prayer-meeting in
all parts of the world and has poured new life into the
other services of the Church. The monthly consecration
meeting, at which the roll is called and the meniLers
answer to their names, is also a very serious and important
meeting, and shows who are faithful to their covenant
vows."'
As an illustration of the breadth of tlie field occupied Ijy
this society, the following paragraph may be cited: "One
society kept the church alive for months while its pastor
was sick ; another has given two hundred dollars a year to
foreign missions, and supports a girl in Syria; another has
sent two foreign missionaries ; another has two young men
studying for the ministry; another lias sent two mission-
aries to Africa; another is educating a Japanese girl;
another has organized thirteen other Christian Endeavor
Societies in eighteen months ; another, in Bombay, supports
twelve missionary enterprises in that cit}^; another, in
Mexico, has fourteen members studying for the ministr}' ;
another sent one hundred and fourteen sacks of flour to
the Russians ; another lias built a new church and helped
erect a school for colored girls; another has bouglit a
liorse for a home missionary; anotliersent meml)ers to sing
and pray at the poorhouse every week ; another supports
three native preacliers in (Hiina, J:ij);in, and India; iinollier
is running five .Sal)bath-sch()()ls, and lias starved a .sahjoii-
keeper to death; another reports tliirty conversions in oni'
year; anotlier is fighting race-track gaml)ling; aiudhcr
sends fifty periodicals a week to missionaries in tlic West;
another lias five young wonicii employed as city mission-
aries; another has established two bi-anch Sunday-schools:
another runs a ' fresh-air' home." '
'lliis may seem tn indicate llial the soi'ii't}' tiavi-ls far
' Tiinvijihs (if the Cross, p. .'ii;'.!.
318 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
beyond the boundaries of the parish, l)ut if it docs so, it is
only because the field of the Cliurch is the world, and the
society is helping the Cliurch to occupy its field. And it
ought to be strongly affirmed that in the conception of
those who have had most to do with the leadership of the
movement, the entire subordination of the local society to
the church with which it is connected has always been
kept in view. The pastor and the church ollicers are
ex officio members of the society, and their counsel and
approval must be sought in any work undertaken by the
society. It is not improbable that these groups of young
people sometimes become rash and headstrong, and that
they occasionally manifest some lack of respect for the
authorities of the chui'ch, and some disposition to carry on
their work without much regard for the wishes of the
older members; but when this spirit takes possession of
them they are departing from the counsels of their leaders
and from the spirit and the letter of their own constitution.
The impulse which has been given to the religious
activity of the young people of the churches by this organi-
zation is one of the notable events of recent history. It
is not too much to say that the rise of the Society of
Christian Endeavor has made even skeptics see that it is
hazardous to count Christianity among the spent forces of
modern civilization. Certainly there is no lack of youth-
ful vigor and consecrated purpose in the Church of Cln-ist
to-day. There is power liere witli which a prodigious
amount of work can be done if it is only wisely directed.
It is a great thing to have made this truth clear to the
apprehension of believers and unbelievers. In the da^s
wlien men are talking about the decadence of faith, liere
is a demonstration of religious enthusiasm scarcely ])aral-
leled since the Crusad(>s.
All tliat is needed is that this enthusiasm l)e husliandcd
and ]-ightly guided. Tliese young peoj^jlc know ilicir
jiowcr; they must be shown how to use it. T\\q jiroblcni
now is to find for them tlie riglit things to do, — things
Avhich they can do: and to let tliem see that they are pro-
ducing results, iiitlieilo they ha\(^ lacked dennite ])ni'-
THE YOUNG ^NIEN AND M'OMEX 319
poses. Some of the societies, as wc have seen, have foiuul
work to do, and have rejoiced in the tilings accomplished :
but with many of them success has consisted in holding
meetings, in getting a large number to take part in the
meetings, in increasing the number of members and in
holding enthusiastic conventions. And it must be admitted
that a strong tendency to the spectacular has been devel-
oped. There are many members of these societies to
whom the holding of a great convention seems the greatest
thing in the world. The fact that meetings and conven-
tions are only devices for the generation of power, and
that they are worse than useless unless the power there
generated is employed in producing some useful changes
in the lives of men and in the social order, is a fact not
so fully impressed as it ought to be upon the minds of
many of these zealous young disciples. It is evident that
those who have the movement in charge have felt the
force of these considerations, and that they have been
casting al)out thom for methods of utilizing the force they
have evoked. This will be theii" most dillicult problem.
The suggestion has been heard that the moral power of
the Endeavor movement be turned toward the work of
nnniieipal rofV»rm. Here is a great field, and the young
peopU- iiiiglit cultivate it with excellent results, if their
efforts could l)e Avell directed. Hut it is plain that they
onght not to undertake any political campaigning; and
that any efforts of theirs in the direction of law enforce-
ment would be injudicious. AVhat they can do is to pre-
[)are themselves by thorough study of miuiicipal problems
to act intelligently when the leadership siiall fall into their
hands. The older young men might join the (iood (iov-
ernment Clu])s and the ^Municipal Leagues, and tlie socie-
ties might form themselves into associations t'<ii' thi;
investigation of civic problems and civic conditions. To
study, patiently and thoroughly, the methods of doing the
[)ublie Inisiness; to make themselves thoi-onghlv familial'
witli tlie detiiils of the administi'iitioii of the inuniciiialitv
in wliieli lliey live; to cultivate the habit of eaiftHl judi-
cial e.xaniinatiun into such affairs, so that tlu'\' iniL;iil be
320 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND AYOliKING CIIURCH
conscious of having a well-formed opinion upon public
questions — this would be a most useful exercise for these
young men and Avomen. The one thing needful in all our
communities is sound and strong public opinion ; and the
presence in the connnunity of a large body of intelligent
young men and women who had taken pains to obtain
accurate information upon municipal questions would
powerfully tend to create such a public opinion. j\Iany
persons might object to their meddling with municipal
government; but nobody can object to their learning all
they can about the existing methods of government, and
telling what they know, provided they always talk
temperately.
There is also a vast work of political education to be
done for the foreign-born populations of the American cities.
It is a mistake to regard all these people as vicious and
depraved; many of them are capable of unselfish action,
but most of them are wofully ignorant of the first prin-
ciples of civil government, and all of them are in danger
of being led astray by demagogues. To the tender
mercies of the most unscrupulous politicians Americans
are in the habit of consigning them ; if they vote unwisely
who can blame them? The presence in all our popula-
tions of a vast mass of such ignorant voters imposes a
heavy responsi1)ility on all good citizens. In some way
these people must l)e reached and instructed. The politi-
cal education of these multitudes is a duty only less
pressing than their spiritual evangelization. And it can
be done only by going among them, and establishing friendly
relations with them and winning their confidence. It will
require a vast amount of hand-to-hand work in the slums
of the cities. The Good Government (^lubs are organized
to do this very work, and the Good Government ('lubs
ought to get from the young men of the Christian Endeavor
societies large reinforcements of trustworthy and steadfast
workci's.
The ciilistmeiil of tli(> I-'^iideavor soricties in mission
work, at home and alu'oad, is a proposition wliicli involves
fewer dinicultics. There is no reason why these young
THE YOUNC; MEN AND WOMEN 321
people, under the direction of their pastors and the officers
of their churches, shoukl not do efficient work in estab-
hshing- and maintaining Sunday-schools, and sewing-
schools, and kindergartens, and coffee-houses, and all
manner of instrumentalities for the enliglitenment and
evangelization of the needy of their own community. If
their hearts are on lire with the purpose to serve, they will
find leaders and counsellors. And there is ample room
for all their energy in the great mission enterprises by
which the Clnu'ch seeks to carry tlie gospel to the far-off
lands. .Vll that is needed to kindle the missionary enthu-
siasm of these young people to a white heat is to acquaint
them with the facts. Let them see what the work is and
what the encouragements are and they will give to the
cause a full measure of devotion.
To these wide fields outside the paiishes to which they
belong their thoughts may well be directed; but after all
there is much work waiting for them within the precincts
of these parishes of which they should not be suffered to
lose sight. In the Sunday-schools, the i\lid-week Services,
the Boys' Brigades, the Girls' Guilds, the Flower Com-
mittees, the singing services, the missionary and charitable
work of the church, there is a great deal of work to be
done, and the young people of the Endeavor societies
ought to be made to feel that it is for them a point of
honor to see to it that no vacancy be permitted to exist in
any of these forms of service. The commission of tlie
risen Lord required the disciples to preach liis gospel
among all nations, hcginninrj from Jemsalcm.^ This is
where we must always begin — at liome. The clnnch
Avliose home work is thoroughly done can send out a more
efficient band of laborers to the fields outside.
The day will come — perhaps it lias already risen — when
the interest of these young peo])le will be more surely
maintained by getting them employed in some di'linite
work, and making them sec that they are sueceeding in
it, than by some of the methods now ehieny ri'lied on.
The ])ledg(> is not amiss; the Ihiiig which it jiroiiiises is
^ Luke wiv. 17.
L'l
322 CHKISTIAN PASTOR AXD WORKING CHURCH
not unreasonable, and no faitliful young disciple needs to
shrink from making the promise ; but the official surveil-
lance of the members, to see whether or not they are keep-
ing the pledge, and to call them to account if they do not
keep it, is of doubtful wisdom. The kind of fidelity
which is produced by this device will not prove to be tlie
highest. The motive to which these methods appeal is far
from being the noblest. The society would better depend
for its success upon the enthusiasm for some good work
which it can inspire in its members, than upon the disci-
pline which it can exercise over them. It is failing, to-
day, to secure the co-operation of a large number of the
best and strongest young people in our churches, — of
those whose intelligence and conscientiousness it greatly
needs, — because it insists on these mild forms of cen-
sorship.
Doubtless, if these methods prove to l)e unwise, they
Avill, in time, be modified. And there is every reason to
hope that this great movement of the young people will
go forward with increasing power, and that all the
churches of all the lands will be vitalized by its influence.
The subject is one which the wise pastor needs to study
carefull}', that he may know how to keep alive this gener-
ous enthusiasm, and how to direct it so that it shall
accomplish for the church and through the church the
greatest amount of good.
In the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United
States the impulse to consecrated activity has taken form
in the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. The society is now
about tliirteen years of age, and it rci)orts about fourteen
hundred chapters, representing as many local ])arislips.
The purpose of the Brotherhood is set fortli in its consti-
tution :
"The sole object of the Urothei'hood of St. Andicw is
the spread of Christ's Kingdom among young men, and to
this end every man desiring to become a meinl)er thereof
nnist })U'dge liiniself to ol)ey the rules of the IJjotlierliood
so long as he shall be a member, 'i'hese rules are two:
Tlic rule of Prayer and the rule of Service. Tlie rule of
THE YOUNCi MEN AND WOMEN 323
Prayer is to pray daily for the spread of Christ's Kingdom
among- young men and for God's blessing upon the labors
of the Brotherhood. The rule of Service is to make an
earnest effort each week to bring at least one young man
within hearing of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as set forth
in the services of the church and in young men's Bible
classes. Any organization of young men, in any parish,
mission, or educational institution of the Protestant Epis-
copal Church, effected under this name, and with the
approval of the rector or minister in charge, for this object,
and whose members so pledge themselves, is entitled to
become a Chapter of the Brotherhood, and, as such, to
representation in its conventions unless such approval be
withdrawn. No man shall be an active member of a
Chapter who is not baptized, and no member shall be
elected presiding officer or delegate to the convention who
is not also a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal
Church."
Tliis Brotherhood has already taken a large place in
the life of the Episcopal Church in America. Its conven-
tions bring together a large number 'of vigorous young
men, and these meetings have been full of fervor and
resolute purpose. We hnd here the same spirit that ani-
mates the legions of Christian Endeavor, and although
the numl)ers are comparatively small, the intelligence and
force of the assemblies are of a high order. It is remark-
able, indeed, to witness the large variety of characters in
these conventions. A recent newspaper report gives a
grapliic picture of the constituency of one of them:
" The convention included men engaged in almost every
honest occupation. Some of tliem (;ould have designed a
house and drawn plans for it; others could have l)uilL it,
painted it, or I'liinished it. There wcic nuii in every
line of skilh'd labor needed to l)uil(l a railroatl — track,
bridges, rolling-stock, and all ; and others who eould have
manned and managed the i-oad, from Itrakeman to jwesideiit.
There were men who as lawyers could try casi'S, and otliei-s
who as judges eould decide tlu'm. There were men w ho
eould edit a jiaper or write a book; several I'eporters;
324 CHRISTIAN TASTOIl AND WORKING CHURCH
others who could set the type, feed the press, make the
paper stock, or turn patterns for the machinery. There
were enough farmers to make quite a village ; teachers and
students enough to start several schools and colleges;
doctors enough for a hospital ; and as many clergymen as
there are in the diocese of Virginia. Some of the men
could design a piece of clotli, others could weave it, and
others could make the gai-ment. There were men who
could survey a field and others who could plough it.
There were men who could build ships and men who could
sail them; men who could build engines and men who
could run them; men who could manage a business, keep
the books, buy goods or sell them; men who spend most
of their time on the road as salesmen, and men who sit in
offices and keep the travellers busy. There were coach-
men, telegraphers, artists, postmen, plumbei"s, mill-workers,
barbers, blacksmiths, miners, scientists and merchants in
almost every line of business. They all stood together as
citizens of one Kingdom."
One striking feature of these conventions is the " Quiet
Day " with which they begin. The delegates assemble at
their place of meeting the day before the business of the
convention is opened, and spend the whole day together,
for the greater part in silence, — receiving together the
Communion in the morning; reading tlio Bibk^ and devo-
tional books; joining in the Litany; but devoting most of
the time to meditation and silent prayer. "Just before
the close," says one, "we were asked to repeat or read
aloud any texts peculiarly dear to each one or especially
aj)j)licable to the day. IIow quickly they came, those
])lessed words, so full of joy, encouragement and hope!
The men's voices, as they read, now from one ])art of the
churcli, now from anotlicr, indicated liow dccj) wore the
impressions tlu^ c|uiet comnuuiion of the day liad made.
Tt chisod, outwardly, \vi{]\ evening prayer at lialf-past
foiii'. Imt wlio can tell when it really closed?"
li, as seems evident, the spirit of the St. Andrew's
Brotherhood finds expression in services of this natui'o, we
niav rradilv credit the statement of a leadin'jf journal of
THIC YOUXG MEN AND WOMEN 325
tiie Church, that it is "by fur the most important of all
the voluntary agencies organized to serve the Church and
to extend the Kingdom." It will be seen that this
Brotherhood, like the Society of Christian Endeavor,
proposes to devote all its energies to the work of strenr^th-
ening the local church. It puts its forces under the
leadership of the rector of the church, and seeks to co-
operate with him. Its first and most constant aim is to
bring young men under the influence of the Cliurch. It
is a recruiting agency, sending out its trained helpers to do
the work of gospel ministration for the church to which
they belong. It seeks to express the hospitality of the
church to all who approach its threshold; it undertakes
mission services, under the rector's guidance, but its main
business is bringing people to church. To make the
acquaintance of young men who are not church-goers, to
gain their confidence, and then to give them a cordial invi-
tation to attend public worship — this is the simple service
in which these Brothers of St. Andrew are most frequently
engaged. The first work of St. Andrew the Apostle (John
i. 40-42) is tliat to which they give their best energies.
How effective such service may be, when a large body of
manly young men heartily engage in it, many pastors of
this church have had occasion to learn.
The St. Andrew's Brotherhood is conflned in its mem-
bership to the Protestant Episcopal Church; but its s})irit
is not sectarian, and one of the three prayers printed on
the membcrshi}) card is a ]iraycr for tlie unity of the
Churcli.
There is a similar society — the Brotherhood of Andrew
and Pliilip, — whicli is interdenominational, and chapters
of which are foiiml in various Protestant churches in
America.
In some of tlicsc churches Young Men's L(>agues have
been formed witli the special design of improving the
Sunday evening services. Co-operating with the pastor,
they arrange for the enlargement of llif clioii", tlic ))n|)a-
ration of good nnisic, and the printing ;in(I distiibnt ion
of the order of service, with liynuis and irsitonsive lead-
326 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WOIMCING CHURCH
ings; and they constitute themselves a committee of invi-
tation to bring into tlie house of worship those who Avould
not otlierwise attend. In these and many other ways tlie
newly awakened zeal of the Christian young men of
America finds expression in the life of the churches.
On the other side of the ocean one of the significant
movements for the development of the religious life of the
young appears in the Guilds Avhich have been formed in
several of the Protestant churches. Of these the Chuich
of Scotland presents one of the most perfect examples, and
a somewhat careful account of this organization will be
instructive. It is a national organization, conterminous
with the Church of Scotland, and under the charge of the
General Assembly's Committee on Christian Life and
Work. In the language of its official manifesto, "the
Guild aims at having in every parish a luiion of young
men, either in the form of a society or a Bible class, which
will be a centre toward which young men may be attracted,
and which will exert a healthy Christian influence upon
all who connect themselves with it. It desires to have all
these different societies united into one large Union or
Guild, through the existence of which individual societies
may be strengthened, new societies formed, combined
efforts made for the welfare of young men, and a system
of communication provided whereby mend)ers leaving one
district for another may be introduced into another asso-
ciation simihir to tliat whicli they liave left.''
Great lil)erty is therefore left to the local organization.
Any congregation may associate its young men l»y any
method which it prefers ; any local organization which has
for its object " to serve the T.onl Jc^siis Christ by promot-
ing the s[)iritual and intcllcctinil life of Noiiiig men, and
by encouraging tlicni to iiiidci'takc works of Christian
usefulness,'' may be rcprcse'ntcd in the National (Juild.
The Parent Society furnishes to each Branch wliich w islics
to be afniiate<b a schedule for the return of particuku'S
respecting its name and form and tlio kind of woi-k it is
doing. The local Branches aic stip])osed. also, to ])e
divided into sevci'al sections, caidi of which is cni'-afTed in
THE YOUNG IStEN AND AYOMEN 327
some kind of work, and tlie return provides for the speci-
fication of the number enlisted in the work of each section,
naming, in the example now in view, the Fellowship
Section, the Literary Section, the Bible Class Section, the
Sabbath School Association Section, the Psalmody Section,
the White Cross Section, the Athletic Section, the Tem-
perance Section. This return is to be signed by the
Secretary of the Branch and countersigned by the parish
minister, who thus becomes responsible for the accuracy of
the return. Tlie tabulated returns show a wide variety of
Christian work among the young men of the Scottish
congregations.
There is an annual meeting of the National Guild, in
which each Branch Guild may be represented ; and local
Couutils liave also been organized, in which neighboring
Guilds come together for mutual assistance and encourage-
ment. The Central Connnittee of Management and llefer-
ence is constituted in part by the Assembly's Committee
on Christian Life and Work, in part by the representatives
of the local Councils, and in part by election at the annual
meeting. The Guild has now been in existence for sixteen
years, and it reports 670 Branches, representing every
Presbytery, with a total membership of about 25,000. So
far as it is possible to judge from the representations on
paper, this is an admirable scheme for developing the
interest of the young men of the congregations and unit-
ing them in active Christian work. It will be seen that
this Society, like the Christian Endeavor Society and the
St. Andrew's Brotherhood, concentrates its interest upon
the local congregation. The Young Men's Guild of the
Church of Scotland is su[)porling one Foreign Mission in
Iii<li;i: with this exception its energies are devoted to
strengthening tlie work of tlu; liouic <']unrli('s. The mcin-
bei-s meet and consult in llic iialioiial union and in the
provincial councils chiefly as to the nicthods wliicli they
may employ in making l)i-oa(l('r and nunc finitlnl (he work
of the in(li\i(liial ilniiclics to wliiili they hclimg. Tiu>
Branch Guild thus becomes in every parisli an organized
pastor's assistant; it ought to be possible for him to use it
B28 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WOHKING CHURCH
with great effect in prosecuting the entire work of which
he has the oversight.
A system of Daily Bible Readings is also prepared and
furnished to all members, by which they are encouraged
and aided in the regular private reading of the Bible and
in intercessory prayer for one another, and an almanac,
combining with these Bible Readings a goodly number of
well-chosen devotional excerpts for each month, in prose
and verse, is furnished for threepence.
One of the most interesting features connected with this
work is a series of prize examinations and essay competi-
tions, in which the Young Men's Guild and the Women's
Guild unite. These examinations are conducted in two
departments, one of Biblical Study and one of Literature;
and text books are provided for the preliminary studies.
In each of the departments the examinations are arranged
under three grades ; the highest candidate in the highest
grade receives a gold medal with a money prize of ^5; in
the second grade a silver medal with a money prize of the
same value ; in the first grade a bronze medal with a money
prize of £3. Those who stand second and third in the
three grades receive prizes of a little less value.
In each of these grades the subject for Biblical study
prescribed for 1895 included nine chapters in the Acts of
the Apostles, beginning with the eighth; and portions of
one of three books, The Old Testament and its Contents^
Landmarks of Church History, and a handbook on Our
Lord's Tcacliiiu). The questions set for the examination
of that year in all the grades of each department are printed
in the Report of the Committee on Christian Life and
Work, witli the comments of the examiners. In tlic
examinations last reported, which were held at 87 different
centres, 508 candidates competed, of whom 238 were
young men and 325 young women ; of lliose 512 took the
"liiblical examination and 51 the Literary examination.
I'rizcs wore awarded to 08 contestants and certificates to
314. The names of all who obtained testimonials of any
sort are printed in the report. Tlic cnirieney ('f Ibis
method of stimulating the study of the Bible and of good
literature must l)e evident.
Till-: YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN 329
In tlie Free Cliurch of Scotland, the Committee on the
Welfare of the "i'outh has been carrying- on for a still
longer period this system of instruction, and examinations
are held in several hundreds of centres, while the number
of registered candidates for examination runs up into the
thousands. The subjects of examination, as named in a
late report, have been the Lives of St. Paul, David,
Moses, and Solomon ; the Books of Zechariah, Kings, St.
^Nlark, St. Luke, and the Acts of the Apostles; the Taber-
nacle; the Story of the New Testament; the Confession
of Faith; the Larger, Shorter, Constitutional and Free
Church Catechisms; Scottish Church History; the Sacra-
ments; Horce Paulince ; Whately's Evidences^ and the
Pilgrim^ s Fror/rcss. "Nothing," said the Committee, "had
been more encouraging than the assurances received from
many parents that they never saw so much enthusiasm in
their homes as this scheme had awakened over Bible and
ecclesiastical studies." It is doubtful whether any meas-
ures for the Christian education of the youth have ever
been undertaken by any American church, which are
worthy to be compared with those which have been suc-
cessfully [)rosecuted l)y the two great Presbyterian tliurches
of Scotland.
Not only in the Fiee Church of Scotland, but also in
others of the Kelormed churches of Great Britain, the
Guilds have come to be an imjjortant factcn- of the life of
the Church. Tims the movement among the yoniig people
of America, Avhich has so largely taken an undenomina-
tional form, has gone forward on tlie other side of the sea
mainly under denominational guidance. The Society of
Christian Endeavor lias, however, a considerable member-
ship in England.
The Methodist Ei)wr)rth l^eagueand the ^'oung I'eople's
Baptist Union of America more closely rcsciid)le the Scot-
tish Guilds. Till' oi'gani/ation of the latter is more com-
pact and the guidance is more jiosilive and authoritative;
but the strong inlluence in hi'lialf of Christian unity wliich
the Endeavor Society exerts, is necessarily wanting. The
Scottish Guilds aie not. however, hostile to interdeiiomi-
330 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
national fellowship, and the ninth article of the Constitu-
tion of the Church of .Scotland Guild provides that "while
the Union proposes primarily to foster the life of the
young men of the Church of Scotland, it shall, in all cases,
be open to those belonging to other churches ; and when-
ever, from special circumstances, an undenominational
association is found to be more desirable, it may be put in
correspondence with the Church of Scotland Union."
Reference was made in the early part of the chapter to
certain beginnings of organized Christian work among
young men in Germany. Of recent years, this work has
been greatly developed. At the present time about a
thousand " Unions " of Christian young men exist in
Germany. They are not called "Christian Associations,"
nor do they follow altogether the lines of work taken up
by the organizations which bear tliis name, but they are
probably well adapted to the conditions of the young men
of Germany. The organization of such a Union is gen-
erally undertaken by the pastor of the church, and he is
apt to be its leader and presiding officer. Sometimes two
or three evenings of each week are given to the work, and
a meml)ership fee of from six to twelve cents a month is
required. The under limit of age is generally eighteen.
Intellectual, social, and religious culture are the ol)jects
wliich these young men set before themselves. Bible
stud}- with tlie pastor as teacher is common ; meetings for
the discussion of religious questions are often held. Tlie
provision of suitable rooms in which homeless young men
may si)end their Sundays and their leisure is one of their
enterprises. Organized work among soldiers, and [nis-
oners, and certain classes of working men is undcrlakcii by
most of tliese Unions.
An organization of young men as (h'acons (»i' l)i-othors,
corresponding, to some extent, with i\)o Kaiscrswertli
work among women, has also been formed in Germany.
" ['rollicr Honscs " have Ix'cn establislicd in many towns
and cities, tlie inmates of wliich are enlisted in cliarilable
and Christian woik. 'I'lie candidate for admission to one
of these homes must be between twenty and t lii it v years
THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN 331
of age, in sound health, unmarried, and not intending
marriage. A thorough course of training is prescribed,
which usually occupies three years. Agriculture, horti-
culture, the management of cattle and various kinds of
handicraft are taught. Vocal music is made a leading
feature of the instruction. No vow is assumed ; continu-
ance in the work is entirely voluntar}-. Tlii^ work of these
" Brothers " is done among the poor children who are
gathered into schools and houses of refuge; in Orphan
Houses, and hospitals for the sick and the unfortunate ; in
houses of correction, in prisons, and especially in those
Arbeitercolonien, or temporary homes which the German
govcrinuent })rovides for the unemployed. Nearly thirty
institutions of this character are now enumerated, the
heads of which, in nearly all cases, are pastors. A Con-
ference of these Brother Houses and Seminaries meets
statedly for discussion and comparison of experiences.^
1 Christian Life in Germaiii/, by E. E. Williams, pj). 252-259.
CHAPTER XV
THE PASTOR AND THE CHILDEEN
The Sunday-school is the instrumentality employed by
the modern Protestant church for the training of its chil-
dren. 'J.lioug'h originally intended for the ragged urchins
of the streets, it has been gradually transformed into an
agency which the church employs for the instruction of
the young who belong to its own comnninion. jMission
schools still perpetuate the type of Robert Raikes, but
when we speak of Sunday-schools in jVmerica we usually
think of tlie children of our own families, gathered on
Sunday morning or Sunday afternoon in the sanctuaries
wlicre their fathers and mothers worship, to be taught the
rudiments of religious truth and to be guided into the way
of life. When the Sunday-school is what it ought to be,
it may seem that no other agency for this purpose should
be needed by the church. The multiplication of organiza-
tions which practically cover the same ground ought to be
avoided. Tn view of the multiform activities of the modern
cliurch, the need of organization is evident enough, but
tliere may easily be too much of a good thing; and of
notliing is this more probably true than of the tendency to
organization. Many societies are organized to deutli,
Tliere are so many wheels within Avlieels, and there is such
a complicated machinery that power enough to keep it all
iiin\ lug is not easily generated.
JL is at least an open question whether some of the
organizations which have taken up the Avork belonging
t(t the Sunday-scliool arc not supertbious. 'Hic Young
People's S()cietit;s, now so powerful a factor in the life of
the Churcli, liave sought to extend their methods to the
cliililrcn ; and w(> have .hniior ICndcavor Societies and
THE TASTOU AND THE CHILDKEN 333
Junior Epworth Leagues, and Boys' Branches in the Young
Men's Christian Associations, and Boys' Departments in
the Great Brotherlioods, and various sucli associations of
children ^\•ithin the Chui'cii. Doubtless much faithful work
is done in these departments and no little good accom-
plished ; but might it not be better, on the whole, if this
ANork were concentrated upon the Sunday-school, in
increasing its efficiency, and in developing the different
lines of its work ? Can we conceive of a better or more
lasting influence upon boys and girls than that which is
exerted by the faithful Sunday-school teacher? Is there
any better kind of association than that which naturally
grows out of a well-shepherded Sunday-school class ? The
boys and girls under lifteen years of age are not old
enough to be employed in any evangelistic work ; and the
wisdom of calling on them for public utterance is greatly
to be questioned. Instruction they need, and free conver-
sation with judicious friends on the themes of religion
should not be denied them; Init services of public speech
hi which they are expected to have the chief part are of
doul)tful usefulness. Besides, these boys and girls ought
to spend most of their time at home ; and the number of
outside; engagements for them should be sparingly in-
creased. They are busy with their school duties, and
their out-door sports ought not to ])e curtailed ; too many
social obligations are not good for them. With the deep-
est gratitude to those who seek the welfare of our boys
and girls through these junior societies, we may fairly
question whether there is not danger in carrying work of
this kind too far.
Another consideration lends weight to lliose already
suggested. There ought to be a closer bond in most of
our churclies between the pastor and the eliildreii, and
therefore the pastor ought to have fre(]uent and regular
opportunities of meeting them for pur|)(»se.s of instruelion.
The Jmiior Societies cannot do the j)astor's work. 'I'hev
ought not, therefore, to bdce the time which the jiastor
could more profitably use. If the childrm's time is apt to
be crowdeil, it is bettei" that the honis uhiili tlie\- niav
334 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
profitably give to eliuich instruction, outside the Sunday-
school, should be occupied by the pastor. That many
pastors do not seek this op[)ortunity, and have never valued
it, is true ; nevertheless, the obligation rests on all pastors,
and careful reflection upon what is involved in it would
be salutary- for most of them.
In some of the Protestant churches the " Children's
Hour " has become an institution. In this exercise the
pastor meets the chikben regularly — sometimes once a
week, immediately after the dismissal of the Friday after-
noon session of the public school, — and leads them in acts
of i:)ublic worship, giving them some incidental instruction.
The nature of this service has, however, generally been
emotional and hortatory rather than didactic ; the children
have been entertained by lively songs and interesting
stories more than they have been instructed. Such a
meeting, w^hicli keeps the pastor in touch with the children,
may be very useful ; but it does not quite answer the
demand that the pastor shall be, in a special sense, the
teacher of the children committed to his care. The Great
Teacher, in his last commission to the chief of the apostles,
laid it upon liim, as the test of his affection and loyalty,
that he should feed the lambs of the flock. ^ 'J'lie himbs
were mentioned before the sheep. Tlic true sliepherd's
first care must be for the lambs. He must not only help
to fold them, he must feed them. Is not this duty sadly
neglected by most Protestant pastors in tliis day of grace?
Some of us, whose best days are past, must look back with
keen regret upon the years beliind us, because we have so
imperfectly kept this part of our charge. It is true that
the single pastor of a large Protestant church finds him-
self lieavily bui-dened. To prepare two weekly seiiiioiis,
and arrange for the mid-week service ; to supervise all the
organ i/,ations wliich liis ])ai-isli coiiipi'isos ; to visit the sick
and the strangers; to rcsjioiid to the imiiicrons calls for
cliaiitable and pMlilic service, is inore than any man can
do; but woidd it not ]iav(> been better for some of us if
we had sacrificed some of these otiiei' interests — oi' de-
J Juliii xxi. 15.
THE PASTOIt AND THE CHILDREN 33o
voted to tlicni a smaller })(»rii()U of oiu' liine and care — in
order that we mio-bt have found more hours for the
children of our churches ?
The canons of the Protestant Episcopal Chunh in the
United States require that the rector shall meet the children
of his parish at least once a month for catechetical instruc-
tion ; Ijut the pastois of most of our Protestant churches
are under no such rule, and it is probable that the large pro-
portion of them have no regular methods of meeting and
teachino- the children. But it must be acknowledgfed that
the difficulties in the way of performing this duty are many
and serious. Not to speak of the preoccupation of the
pastor with other interests and labors, the disinclination
of the children to attend such services, and the unwilling-
ness of the parents to co-operate with the pastor in securing
their attendance must also be taken into the account.
Many a faithful pastor wlio has desired to gather the cliil-
dren of his church about him for instruction, and who lias
besought the parents to aid him in tliis endeavor, has been
disheartened to (iiid that Init a handful out of tlie wliolc
num])er responded to his call. It must be admitted tliat
comparatively few parents have any adequate sense of the
importance to their children of such instruction, and so
long as this is the case, the opportunity of the pastor will be
greatly limited. In this fact there is, liowever, all the more
reason why he should throw himself into tlie enterprise wiili
all the strengtli he possesses, that the indifference of the
parents may be overcome, and the sentiment of the home
made more favoraljle to the undertaking.
The work of catechizing the chihlren is no novell\ in
tlie Christian Churcli. From the earliest ^'cars the candi-
dates for baptism were prepared l)y careful instruction, and
the ollice of tin- eatechist was i'eeogni/,t'(l as one of gicat
im[)()rtance.
"We accordingly see j)artic,nlar ('atecliisis make llieir
a]»pearan('e so early as the second half of the second eeii-
tnry, while the Jfisac catcc/tioiiriion/m becomes conslantly
more and nioie sliai ply separated from the M ixsa fidclium.
Proiii the (Unisiitutionrs ApostoliC(H\ comiiosed in great
336 CHRISTIAN PASTOli AND WOIIKING CHUECir
part (luring the second half of the thuxl century, we become
acquainted with the main substance of that instruction, as
well as the earliest precepts concerning its duration and
conduct. While the duration of the catechumenate varied
in different lands, we see, from the time of the third cen-
tury, the catechumens themselves divided into three dif-
ferent classes. The first, that of the hearers (Audientes),
who in the public service might onl}^ attend the reading of
the Scripture and the preaching of the word. The second,
that of the kneeling ones (Genu flectentes), who might in
this posture attend at the prayers wliich were offered on
their behalf. Finally, that of the candidates for baptism
(Competentes), who were already waiting to receive that
baptism for which they were now adjudged fit. In the
instruction of these classes a regular ascent was observed,
by virtue of which much remained concealed from the
beginners, which was communicated to those farther ad-
vanced. Only when the disciplina arcani was unveiled
for them, was also that which is necessary communicated
to them with regard to the Creeds, the Lord's Prayer, the
Church Prayers of believers, and the Sacraments : not in
writing, but in order that they might preserve them u})on
the tables of their hearts." ^
It is true that many of these catechumens were adulf
persons, converts to Christianity, who needed to be in-
structed before they Avere received into the cluirch ; but
the same instruction was required by baptized children and
young persons \\hen they were prepared for church mem-
be rslii p.
"A glance into an ancient catechumenium, or sacred
schoolroom, will sliow the nature and aptness and power of
the system proposed. Baptized children, and candidates
for baptism, young or old, if oM enough to be instructed,
compose tlie audience. The instructor corresponds to our
Sabbath-school superintendent, or Bible-class teacher.
Sometimes, however, he is wliat tlie ancient Church styled
a deacon, presbyter, or even Ijishop. Possibly the class is
special, being made up of rustic women and girls of low
1 Vail Oostcr/.ce, Prartiral T/iei>lor/i/, ]>. 4.")4.
THE PASTOR AND THE CHU.DinON 337
intelligence, wlien the teacher is a deaconess. The topics
are the simplest in a course of sacred instruction, var\ing'
and progressive with the attainments of the class. Cle-
mens llomanus, possibly contemporary with the apostles,
in an apocryphal, though very early epistle, is represented
as comparing the Church to a ship. In it he says, the
bishop is the pilot, the presbyters are the mariners, the
deacons are the chief oarsmen, and the catechists are those
who give information about the voyage, take fare, and
admit passengers. So they prepare the catechumens to
make the voyage of life successfully. Such a catechist was
the great Origen at Alexandria, when only eighteen years
of age." ^
The practice of catechetical instruction, not only for
adult converts but also for children, declined after the
early centuries. The sacramental theories overbore the
catechesis. The minister was a priest and the communica-
tion of the sacramental grace largely displaced the necessity
for the more laborious w^ork of teaching and training.
Through all the pre-Reformation period, although there
were many strenuous calls for the restoration of this ser-
vice, but little ^Yas done. But the dawn of the Reforma-
ti(jn witnessed a great revival of tlie w'ork of the catechist.
All the great Reformers recognized its importance ; the
two catechisms of Luther, the Genevan catechism, the
Heidelljerg catechism, the catechism of Zuiich, and tlie
Anglican catechism, are landmarks of the Ivcformation.
The Longer and Shorter catechisms of tlie Westminster
Assembly, came later. In this activity of teacliing i)ro-
duced by the Reformation the Roman Catholic churcii also
shared; Erasmus made a great preparation for it in Ids
Exposition of the Decalogue and tlie Lord's I'layer; and
the catechisms of Canisius and Hellarmine, and later, those
of Malines and of Trent, fuinishcd material which that
(Imicli has used with all diligence in the subsequent i-en-
tuiies. At the present time the Udelity ;ind llioronghiiess
with which Roman Catholic chihhcii an; taught by tlii'ir
pastors the doctrines of their Chnnli utterly put to shame
^ The (JliHirh (titd Her Chililn u, h\ Williaiii Unrrous, p. .^LM.
21
S38 CHRISTIAN J'ASTOU AND WORKING CHURCH
the negligence of the descendants of the Reformers. It
can no longer be said that sacramentalisni paralyzes the
teaching power of that Church, lioman Catholic children,
as a rule, are far better instructed with respect to the doc-
trines of their chiu'ch than most Protestant children are ;
tliey know what they believe, and they know why they
believe it ; they can give a reason for the faith that is in them.
It is time that the Reformed Churches, whose system rests
on instruction, had taken up the weapons which have been
thrown away, and had returned to that work of training
the young, witliout which all their splendid machinery of
parochial and missionary organization will produce little
else but noise.
There are special reasons also, growing out of the intel-
lectual conditions of this time, why pastors should take
this charge upon them. It is a time of transition in theo-
logical opinion ; the great philosophical conceptions which
underlie the theory of evolution enter into all our theologi-
cal thinking and modify many of the statements of doctrine
with which we have become familiar. Perhaps one reason
why the careful instruction of the young has been omitted
is tliat the ancient catechisms no longer represent the best
thought of the church, and the pastor is not able to see how
he can adjust his teaching to these formularies. Doubtless
his task will be made mucli heavier by this circumstance.
But there never was a time when tlie children of our
churches so much needed the instruction of tlicir pastors.
Comparatively few of the laity are competent to guide the
children througli the rapids and the shallows of modern
thouglit. It may even be necessary for the pastor to con-
fess, on many points, his own ignorance. r>nt tliere is
certiiinly still remaining a body of elementaiy tnillis which
can be clearly and cogently taught : and it is tlio pastor's
task to select those whicli are vital and fnndiimcntal, and
to fasten tliem in the minds of the childii ii ol his charge.
The fundamental presupposition of the catechetical
teaching is well stnted in the woi'ds i)\' V:\u Onsterzce:
"In every Ininiun Ix-ing there is present in piinciplc a
Jiatui'al '"il't f(ir the formation ol' ;i ( 'In istian-reHLrious
THE PASTOR AND THE CHILDREN 339
character. This <jift, however, needs callmg' forth, devel-
oping, and guidance, if he is to be trained to become, in
harmony with that for which he was designed, a subject of
the kinofdom of God." ^ How far the work of instriicting-
tlie young may have been obstructed by the prevalence of
a theoh)gy which denied this presupposition it woukl be
interesting to inquire. " Till about a hundred years ago,''
says Bishop Huntington, " theology and the pulpit in the
Eastern States insisted aloud that mankind are accursed
absolutely, universally, totally, by reason of the first trans-
gression. That was believed. I heard it pi'caclied through
all my chiklliood with learning, logic, and as much picto-
rial luridness as the preacher's imagination could supply."
To one with such a belief about human nature, what mo-
tive could there be to undertake tlie work of Christian
instruction ? A theory of this kind is as fatal to all effort
toward the training of the character of children as is the
baldest sacramentalism. It is not to be disputed that
those holding such theories have done good work in train-
ing children, luit this was because their piety set at nought
their lofric.
" A natural gift for the formation of a Christian charac-
ter," but a gift to be called forth, developed, guided ; this
is what Ave see in every child that comes to us for instruc-
tion. Tliere is already something of Christ in the nature
of tlie cliild. If all things w'cre created through Him, and
in Him find tlieir rationale, then He must surely be re-
vealed in the heart of a little cliild. The Christ who is
immanent in the Avhole of creation is not absent from the
lives of little ( liildivn. The Christ there enshrined may
be obscured b}' many inherited tendencies to evil ; it is
for us to discover the divine lineaments and by CJod's
grace cause that to become clear which now is dim.
"What, however, nuist be least of all overlooked is this,
that, contem[)liiled in the light of the (Josj)i'l, this icligions
constitution is, after all, a Cliristi;in constitution : one, in
other woi'ds, endowed with a natural allinity for the things
of the kingdom of ]iea\in. And so it must be ; for the
' Piaclicdl Theoloiji/, |>. 4r)7.
S40 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
image of God, after wliicli man was created, is primarily
no other than he, who is himself the radiance of God's
glory, the final aim in the whole natural and moral crea-
tion, the great centre, in a word, of the whole divine plan
of the world. This is the profound significance of the
doctrine of the Logos Spcrmaticos, either hinted at or more
distinctly uttered by Justin Martyr and the Alexandrine
School ; this the truth of the anima naturalitcr Christiana,
pleaded by TertuUian with so much warmth. The being
man is in its profoundest depths only the basis for becom-
ing Christian : he who becomes not this, becomes not man
in the noblest sense of the word, and can much less remain
so ; for the higher capacity dies out, and he sinks back to the
level of stone, or plant, or animal, which has been trained,
but in no degree humanized, because only the liomo Chris-
tianus may be called the true homo. It is folly to seek
the man beyond the Christian, or in principle to place the
man above the Christian ; because this very Christianity,
of definitely divine origin, is at the same time the acme
of manhood.
" Nothing can thus be of greater importance or of more
glorious nature than to lead a soul to Christ, that is, to
the final aim of its life. Such special guidance is, how-
ever, actually necessary for every one ; for it is otherwise
in the kingdom of nature from what it is in the kingdom
of grace. Tlie sunflower of itself finds the smi, but tlie
conducting of the soul to Christ is something more than an
unconscious and unchosen process of nature. The im-
planted power is nowhere brought to maturity witliout
exercise and training; least of all in tlie liighest domain
of life. No isolated human being can, witliout tlie in-
fluence of others, attain the main end of life even in things
temporal; iiiid if man is — it may here safely be further
Ijresupposed — cojistituted not merely for occupying a
place in the liouseliold, in the state, in society, but also in
tlie kingdom of heaven, never \\\\\ he be numbered among
the citizens of the kingdom of God, so long as lie has not
found a pedagogue to Christ." ^
^ ^'an Oostcrzcp, Practical T/iro!ofii/, p, 4G8.
TITIO I'ASTOll AND THE CHILDP^EX 341
Such is the rationale of the great work to which the pastor
is called when he gathers the children of his church ahout
him and seeks to lead them into the true and living way.
The place to which he invites them should be a cheerful
place, and all the surroundings should l)e as attractive as
they can be made. The pastor should have two or tlu'ee
judicious helpers, to take the names of those present, to
distribute singing books and leaflets, to see that the class
is compactl}' seated, and that none straggle away into the
corners of tlu' room, and to assist in the singing.
Let him endeavor, in his manner, to preserve the happy
medium between a cold formalit}^ and an effusive famil-
iarity. The children should not be frozen, but on the other
hand they ought never to lose sight of the truth that they
are in a sacred place on serious business.
As to the basis of the instruction it is not easy to give
advice. The question is settled for Anglicans whose cate-
chism is prescribed by canonical law, and for Presbyteri-
ans, to -wliom tlie "Westminster Shorter Catechism is the
standard, and for Lutherans, and for the Reformed Church,
and perhaps for the Methodist Episcopal church as well.
Whether these church catechisms are adequate for the
present purpose of the pastor who wishes to impart to his
children the elementary truths of the Gospel of Christ each
must determine for himself. It is at least doubtful
whether some of them can ever be used with success in
the instruction of young children. Other sim])k' manuals
of catechetical instruction may be found; but it may be
well for the pastor, if tlie discipline of liis cluirch will pt-r-
mit him to do so, to select his own line of teacliing and
prepare with care liis own outlines. Statements of trutli
wliii^h lie has made his own by study and ])i-ay<'r, he will
l)e al)le to conmuinicate m<ire readily tliaii llmse wliidi lie
has learned l)y rote.
A sinq)le beginning can be made w illi llie iiord's I'raxei-,
lli(> Apostles' Creed, the IJoatitndes, and the First Cha]>(er
of tlie (iospel of John. l>ut some defmile and conipic-
hensive condensation of l')i]»li<';d liistoi'v will need (o fol-
low; and the preparation of this will call forth the best
342 CHEISTIAX PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
judgment of the pastor. An example of such a course may
be found in Bishop Dupanloup's lectures on The Ministry
of Catechising. ^ Some moditication would need to be
made in two or three of his topics, to adapt the course to
the uses of a Protestant teacher; but for the most part it
will be found to answer his purpose remarkably well.
If the pastor is to continue this work, year after year,
it is evident that his teaching must provide for the
advancement of his pupils; and it will be necessarj" to
separate them into classes. Perhaps the course should not
continue more than two or three years ; when pupils have
passed through it they should be released from attendance,
and some appropriate public service in the church itself
should signalize their accomplishment of this part of their
Christian education.
How often these classes should meet is a question that
each pastor should settle for himself. It would be better
that the lessons should be given only during a portion of
the year, — perhaps through the autunni and the winter.
If the lessons could be as frequent as once a week, the
interest would be more easily maintained ; l)ut three classes
a week would tax the pastor's strength, and it might be
difficult to secure the attendance of the pupils. Witli
respect to all these details the pastor must judge for him-
self; only let him not be afraid to make large demands
both upon himself and upon his pupils. If he shall con-
stantly assume that it is a great and important business,
for which lesser interests must give way, many diniculties
will disappear.
Any pastor who contemplates this task would do well to
make himself familiar with the volume of Bishop Dupanlouj)
on TJie Ministry of Catechising, to wliicli reference has
already been made. Allowance will need to be made for
theological divergencies. Many of the things emphasized
in this instruction will seem trivial to a Protestant pastor,
Imt the spirit of the book is of the highest. The impor-
tance of the work will l>e boiiie in u])on the mind of the
candid reader and most of the |iiaetieal suggestions as to
1 Page 284, scr/.
THE I'ASTOi; AND TIIK CIIILUKKX 343
the conduct of it will commend themselves to his judg-
ment. 'Jliis good and great prelate, who in his earlier life
was the Catechist of the Church of the ^Madeleine in Paris,
declared that no work of his life had been so delightful or
so fruitful as this work with the children. His office as
the chikben's pastor was more significant and more influ-
ential than his office as the Bishop of Orleans. " Si vous
me permettrez ici, messieurs, un souvenir personnel, je vous
dirai, en toute simplicity), c'est aux catdchismes que je dois
tout. Pour moi, ah! que les enfants qui out 6t6 mon
premier amour et le premier devouemeut de ma vie en
soient aussi le dernier. "^ Bishop Dupanloup delights to
recall his great predecessors in the work of teaching the
young; he reminds us that some of the most famous men
of the C'liunli have devoted themselves to this service; he
tells us how Gerson, the great Chancellor of the Univer-
sity of Paris, gave the ripest years of his life to the cate-
chisms for children in the Church of St. Paul at Lyons,
"and such was his respect for them, and his confidence in
the innocence of their age and the power of their prayers,
that, feeling his last hour to be near, he desired to have
them all around him, on his death-bed, and asked them to
commend to God ' His poor servant, Jean Gerson; ' " how
the great Archbishop Bellarmine of Capua " went into the
diiferent parishes and himself held the catechism for the
children in the presence of the Curds;" how Ignatius
Loyola began the labor of his life as the General of his
order by conducting the catechism in Rome; how Francis
Xavier, and Francois de Sales, and Vincent de Paul and
many othere of the most renowned and beloved of lionian
Catholic teachers and prelates had l)een distinguished for
their success as teachei's of chihlivii.
Jiishoj) I)upaidou[) lays great stress at tiie beginning on
the truth that the work of the catechist is not instruction
merely, that it is education; not simply the impartation of
well-ordered knowledge, but above all tlu^ tiaining of
character, rnstruction must indeed be ciicl'ul aii<l precise
and tlioi'ough. And this, lie insists, will ic(|iiire iiiiieh
' S(.'0 J /ic Miiiistii/ <•/' C(itccliisiii;i, I'mok I., 1 )isriiiirsc X.
344 CHKISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHUllCH
labor on the part of the catechist. His chapter on this
subject is exceedingly suggestive : —
" It is impossible to give a good Catechetical Instruction
without having prepared it with the greatest care. For
my own part, gentlemen, it would be infinitely easier for
me to preach a sermon or a 'prune without preparation. A
good Catechetical Instruction demands of the most skil-
ful, four, five, or six hours of preparation. I have some-
times had two or three days of continuous work, sometimes
a whole week, in preparation for certain very difficult or
very special Instructions.
"I shall perhaps astonish you, gentlemen, when I tell
you that I wrote out all the Catechetical Instructions, not
only those which I gave myself, but also those of my col-
leagues ; I have them still, written by my own hand, each
of fifteen or twenty pages, — and that for four 3'ears : all the
Instructions on dogma, on morals, then those on the
Sacraments, and on Sacrifice.
"I wrote out also all my Homilies, all the little sermons
which I used at the Catechism. I ought to add that I did
not say them, nor know them, by heart, except sometimes
the Homilies and sermons on the festivals. I do not pre-
tend, gentlemen, to set mj-self as a model. I only tell yow
simply what I did. But what I do maintain is, that if an
Instruction is not properly prepared, it runs a great risk
of being vague, wordy, and wearisome."^
The Bishop means that he did not use his manuscri})t in
the class, nor did he commit it to memory, but tluit he
wrote out the lesson, so that every point might be perfectly
clear in his own mind, and then made himself so familiar
Avitli it tliat he could speak promptly and clearly on every
point. Other admonitions of his are pertinent:
"I may add that brevity is a])ove all necessary in tlic
Instructions given to cliildrcn, for, as Fendlon says, ' tlioir
mind is like a vase with a veiy small opening, Mliicli can
only be filled di'op by drop. If the Instruction is to be of
use to them, they nnist be told a very few things at a time.
'Believe nic,' said S. Francois de Sales to the Bishop of
' The Mimstrij nf Cfttri'li'iaiitfj, \\\). 144, 145.
THE I'ASTOU AND THE CHILDREN 345
Belley, ' I tell you tliis from experience, from long expe-
rience: the more you say, the less they will retain; the
less you say, the more they will profit ; by dint of burden-
ing your hearers' memor}^ you break it down, just as
lamps are extinguished if we put too nuich oil in them,
or as plants are suffocated if we water them too much.
Indifferent preachers are acceptable, j)rovided they are
short, and excellent ones are a burden if they are too
long. ' We may say the same of Catechists ; and for this
reason the Council of Trent, in the decree which binds all
pastors to instruct the people, recommends brevity and
also simplicity of language: Cum hrevitate ct facilitate
scrmonis.
"In the first place the Instruction ought to be well
divided. This is the important point, gentlemen, if you
would be short, be clear, be interesting, and be sound.
You should begin by recapitulating clearly and briefly the
subject and the divisions of the last Instruction. Then
give out, with the same clearness, and very slowly, the
subject of the new Instruction ; then point out very dis-
tinctly the divisions into two, three, or four heads, gen-
erally in the form of questions; for instance, you are
giving an Instruction on grace, you can give the children
these five questions :
"(1) Can any one be converted and obtain his salvation
without grace ?
"(2) Has every one sufficient grace to convert him and
to enable him to ol>tain salvation?
"(;}) With grace, is it easy to be converted and to
obtain salvation?
" (4) Can any one resist grace ?
"(5) Is it a very grievous thing to resist grace?
"(^)uestions presented in this way are very much easier
caught l)y the cliildren, going straight to llicir understand-
ing, than if put in an abstract form; such as, ' In ilie lii-st
place, we will sj)eah of the necessity of grace, iVc ; in tlic
second, of the sullicicncy of grace,' c^-c. iJut in wlialrver
form you put i(, tlic division must Ix' sinijilc and dear,
and given out so slowlv that the cliihbcn niav lu- al)]e to
340 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
write it out correctly, as from dictation. Otlierwi>se you
put these young intellects to the torture; the}^ wish to
follow you and they cannot; soon they no longer know
where they are, they understand nothing that is said to
them, and in despair they will sometimes even shed tears,
I remember once that one of my colleagues had forgotten
to give out the division of his Instruction; the children,
who were taking notes, were so disheartened that I saw one
of them dissolved in tears. I immediately let the Catechist
know ; he gave out his division, and as they came to under-
stand, their faces lighted up again with joy.
"The Instruction must be perfectly clear both as to
groundwork and in every detail. You will allow me to
remind you, gentlemen, of the precept of Quintilian,
' Non lit intelligere possit, sed ne omnino non intelligere non
jjossit, curandum. ' ^ It is not only necessary that the
child understands, but that it shall not be possible for him
not to understand. There are three very efficacious ways
of doing this :
"1. Things nuist be told simply; as they are, not
labored nor exaggerated; one does sometimes exaggerate
with cliildren, but it is wrong, it oidy troubles them and
puts a strain on their minds.
"II. Things must be said in their most natural, most
suitable order, nothing brusque or forced, nothing contra-
dictory; above all, avoid the confusion of digressive
phrases or parentheses. Nearly all young Catechists are
apt to fall into this fault.
"III. The greater numl)er ;iic unloituiiatcly l;i\isli in
useless words; they do not know how to cut sliort a sen-
tence, or how to abridge it, and hence we have lengtlii-
ness, redundance, and confused expressions. "-
From all this it Avill be evident that tliis master cate-
chist does not undei'value the imijortance of clear and
(Icliiiitc instruction. IJut, aftci- all, tlu^ emphasis of his
leetnres rests on (he s[)iritual more than on the intellectual
ivsults. 'J'he ehihlreii are to be skilt'iilly taught, but only
tliat they niay be I'oi'nied ai'lei' the mind of Chiist and tilled
' (^uiiit. lit), vii. c. ii. '^ Pages 1 lO, 1 t7.
THE PASTOR AXD THE CHILDREN 347
with his spirit. And the one supreme qualification of the
catechist is a genuine affection for tlio children, lie nni.st
love them, and they must know il.
" But, }0u will perhaps ask me how to make them feel
this ? Ah, gentlemen, this is something which cannot he
defined. I can only tell you simply this, that \\lien 1 was
a Catechist I made it to be felt. How? 1 know not.
But we felt it oui-selves, we loved these young souls for
God's sake, we tried to love God in them; and God
deigned to bless this devotion of our hearts.
" But it is not a question of myself here. One word of
S. Augustine says it all, and with sovereign authority:
*" Ama, et fac qnod vis.' Love, love! and all which you
believe impossible will be easy to you. S. Augustine
says again: ' Da amantem et sentit quod dico.' In the
work of souls the heart and love are the spirit and tlie
life: '' Spiritus et vita. Da amantem, da sitientem, da esu-
rientcm.'' Love the precious souls of these children! Be
hungry and thirsty for their happiness, for their eternal
beauty, for their salvation. Then you will understand all
things, and you will make all things to l)e understood;
for it is the Divine Unction which is love, which teaches
everything: ' Unctio docet omnia." "' ^
Here, beyond all conlioversy, is the sovereign qualifica-
tion of the good shcplierd of the children. And this
whole treatise is surcharged with this })ure passion. Let
the Protestant pastor sit at the feet of this Catholic bislnip
and learn from him to estimate the debt of love that he
owes to the children of his congregation, liishop Dnpaiildiip
makes much of the idea that the Catechism, l)y wliicli lie
means not the book but the act of catechizing or the chiss
at work, must have the essential cliaracteristics of a
family. " In a family," lie says, ''no doul)t ehildicn are
taught, Init still more they ai'C advised, they are exhorted,
they are encoui-aged, they -mv l)lanied, (hey are rewarded,
they are loved, ami they are mad(> to lf)ve gooduess. Aiul
all this comes froiu the spirit of tlir faniiln: that is to sav,
oil the one liaiid iiulliority and dc\(it ion, \\ilh e\-ei\- shade
1 I'af^o.s ni, II.
348 CHRISTIAX PASTOIl AND WORKING CHUllCH
and every form of tenderness and zeal; and on the other
respect, docility and confidence with every shade also of
filial love and gratitude." ^ Something like this is what
Catechisms and Catechists ought to be; and when this
spirit pervades all the communications between the pastor
and the children, great results are sure to follow. The
good Bishop records the fact that at his meetings with the
children in the Madeleine, large numbers of their jjarcnts
came with them, so that galleries had to be added to the
chapel for their accommodation. Thus the hearts of the
parents were turned to the children and the hearts of
the children to the parents by the faithful ministry of the
pastor of the church. To strengthen the family bond,
now, in so many households, sorely strained by the world-
liness of parents and recklessness of children, no better
measure could be devised than the faithful instruction of
the children of the church by their pastor in the truths of
the Christian religion.
One feature of this exercise of Catechist Dupanloup in
the Madeleine we should find it extremely dillicult to
reproduce in many of the American Protestant churches.
He tells us that during the time of his service in that
church, Paris was filled with refugees, patricians and
plebeians, from all countries, all of whom were wont to
gather in his chapel, — " poor children, rich and even roj-al
children; children who, coming to the Catechism, came
out of the most miserable quarters of Paris or from the
most Inilliant dwellings of the rich; children, moreover,
whose parents belonged to all the most contrary shades of
political parties which then divided France ; well — all
had but one lieart and one soul ; all these differences, all
these divisions, disappeared; all these children, gathered
together in the Chapel of St. ITyacinthe, filled witli tlie
same thoughts and the same desires, sharing in the same
instructions, the same fetes^ preparing together for the
same great action." Of royalties lu; mentions the young
(jjiiecn of Poi-tugal, wlio came with her mf)tlier-in-law, the
I'jinpress (»l" l>ra/.il ; lur niyal Highness tin' I'liiiccss
J l'a''c 58.
THE PASTOR AND THE CHH,DREN 349
Clementine; the pious Queen ^hivie Amelic and lier
worthy daughter, tlie Queen of the Belgians; and with
these, boys of high degree wlio have since become sucli
distinguished men as General Foy, M. de Villele, M.
Casimir-Perier, and M. de Polignac. The kind of equality
which such a case connotes is not easily secured in all the
Protestant churches of democratic commonwealths,
jNIuch is made in these Roman Catholic " Catechisms "
of the devotional exercises, especially of the singing. The
choir is present, to lead the children in hymns adapted to
the service. The length of the sitting will astonish most
Protestant pastors. Not less than two hours, this Cate-
cliist testifies, should be given to the lesson. It is not
probable that such a burden as this would be borne by the
children of American Protestants. Nor is it clear that so
much time could be usefully given to the exercise. One
hour would be ample for ordinary lessons. Would that
the kindling enthusiasm of this great prelate for the Avork
of training the young might be caught by many pastors in
all Ijranclies of the Christian church I We may differ Avith
him widely with respect to many of the doctrines taught,
but in his tender love for children and liis burning desire
t(^ lead them early into tlie ways of life, he is a bright
example to us all.
One, at least, of the Protestant churches, that Avhit-h
bears tlie name of the Great Reformer, maintains, with
increasing vigor, the catechetical practice. The Smaller
Catechism written by Luther himself is still universally
employed in the instruction of cliildren; the Lutliei'ans are
divided into many schools, and the conflicts of oi)inion
among them are intense; but in this they all agree;
Luther's Catechism forms tlie grouudwork of instruction
in all tlieir synods. And tlie thorougli teaching of all the
baptized cliildren is rigidly insist('<l «»n. As a rule, it may
be said that no one is confirmed in tlic l.utliciau (iiurch
until he has given evidence of careful instnutioii in the
doctrines of the ('atechism. It is supposed tliat eliildieu
ought to j)ass tliiougli a course of weekl\- lessons, covering
at least two years.
350 CHRISTIAN PASTOK AND WORKING CHURCH
It is true tluit not all this work is done by the pastors
of the churches. Many of the Lutheran churches, in
America as well as in Europe, support parochial day-
schools, and in these the catechism or the Bible history is
a daily exercise. Many Lutheran children are thus under
daily religious instru(;tion for several years. The teacher
in such a school must be a qualified catechist. The
opportunities enjoj'cd by Lutheran children for full relig-
ious instruction are thus unexampled among American
Protestants ; the Church of England day-schools undertake
a similar work. But this drill in the day-school, under
the hired schoolmaster is, after all, a very different thing
from that pastoral care of the children of which Ave have
been speaking. An excellent thing it is, no doubt; but
it does not answer the highest purpose. The children
instructed in these congregational schools are not brought
into intimate relations with the pastor until just before
the time of confirmation, when he always meets them for
a brief course of instruction, which amounts to a review of
the work they have done in the day-school. Even this is
more than most of our Protestant pastors can boast of;
Init it is not the kind of relation described by Bishop
Dupanloup.
Many of the Lutheran churches in America, however,
maintain no parochial schools, and in these the full labor
of catechetical instruction falls on the pastor. And no
small labor it is. For a period of at least two years he
meets the children of his charge as often as once a week,
and often twice a week, requiring them to memorize the
words of the catechism, and taking infinite pains to explain
to them its meaning. A very large percentage of the
children of the congregation attend punctually upon this
instruction; it is a cardinal point of the LutluM'an disci-
pline. Some small children, who live at too gieat a dis-
tance from llic cliurcli, receive? insliiiction at home, and
others, whose occupations are such that they cannot
attend the pastor's (lass, are sometimes excused: but it is
a point tliat tlic pastor does not readilv yield: ;iiid the
sentiment in Lutliciaii raniilies is vcr}' strong in favor of
THE PASTOU AND THE CHILDREN 351
the maintenance of the catechetical instruction. A vast
amount of hibor is thus entailed upon the pastor, but it is
labor which, if rightly performed, bears abundant fruit.
That it may be done in a manner so dry and perfunctory
that it shall be a burden to both teacher and taught is
evident enough ; but if the love to which the good liishop
Dupanloup ascribes such power be the heart of it all, the
pastor's opportunity of forming the minds and shaping
the characters of the children is one that an angel might
covet.
We are told that a conviction of the value of catechetics
has recently been strengthening in the minds of Lutheran
Christians, and that the practice was never so univei"sal or
so enthusiasticall}' pursued as it is to-day. A few years
ago there was a disposition in some synods to relax this
demand, and to rely more upon the revivalistic methods ;
but that tendency seems to have spent its force, and the
Church, in all its branches, has returned with new ardor to
the work of teaching and training the children, putting its
chief reliance upon this method of propagating the gospel.
So strong is the faith of the Lutherans in the efficacy of
this method, that even their city mission work takes this
form. If a new church enterprise is to be started in a
city, the missionary generally begins l)y opening a scliool
and teaching the children.
It is a notable fact that the growth of tlic Lutheran
church in America, during the last decade, was more rapid
than that of any other Christian body — the percentage of
growth was larger. That this is due in part to the lai'ge
German and Scandinavian immigration is undoubtedly
true; but it is also due, in large measure, as iiitelligciil
Lutherans believe, to the revived interest in the woik ol'
catechetical instruction of the young.
It must not l)e inferred that there :\Vi' no Piolcslaiit
pastors in other denominations wlioaiv aware of llic iiiij)or-
tance of this duty. Here and there, in all the ehurehes,
are those who give much thought and labor to the children
of their charge. In his little book on 77ir Wnrlin<j
Church, the Kev. Charles V. Thwing, sj)eaking of the
352 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
tendency of boys and girls between the ages of ten and
sixteen to drop away from the churches, thus testifies : —
" I write out of my own experience when I say that a
special class should be formed of those young Christians,
and that special instruction and guidance should be given
them. This instruction and guidance should be connnitted
to one most able to give it. This one may be the pastor
or it may not be. If it is not he, he should discover some
other person qualified to perform this duty. I think I may
say he will usually find that it is wise to intrust this labor
to other hands ; and yet these other hands he may think it
well specially to train for this important service. This
instruction should consist of a systematic presentation of
the great truths of Christ. It should be systematic, tak-
ing up in order the central doctrines and themes of the
Bible. It should be, it must be, to secure favorable
results, attractive, — attractive in the person of the teacher
and attractive in its methods. It should be thorough ; for
children will receive and appreciate, be it properly illus-
trated. Christian teaching far more profound than is com-
monly credited to them. Such a class should meet on
some weck-da3% after the exercises of the public school,
and should be held each week for certain periods of each
year.
" With the methods and the results of such teaching, I
am already somewhat acquainted. Year by year I have
seen a class of boys and girls grow from a membership of
forty to a membership of three hundred. 1 have seen
these boys and girls listening intently to the j^resentation
of the historic facts and truths of the Bible. I have seen
this class made so attractive that scores of children would
rw?i from the public school-room in order to lose no moment
of the short hour. I have seen this interest aroused and
maintained l)y the power of a strong and living personaHty
rather tlian l)y extraneous aids. J know this teaching to
be systematic and tlioi'ongh. I have seen examination
pap(>rs in writing of tliesc boys and girls that were a
wonder in tlieir revelation of the appreciation of the nature
and duties of tlie Christian life. I have been made glad in
Tin: I'AsTou AND Tin-: ciiildukn 353
rceoiving many of those tliiis trained into the membership
t)f the Church, und have daily i-ejoiced in beholding the
good confessions they witnessed at home and school/'^
The opinion here incidentally expressed that the pastor
might better entrust this work to some one else may well
be reconsidered. It is doubtful whether the pastor can
afford to surrender this opportunity. If he is not fitted
for this work, he ought to lose no time in seeking the
necessary qualifications. The knowledge which this work
will give him of the thoughts of the children, the friend-
ships which it will enable him to form with the boys and
girls of his flock, are worth more to him as a pastor than
almost any other experience of his life. Not the least
valuable result of such a service is its effect upon the char-
acter of the pastor himself. The call to sincerity, sim-
plicity and fidelity which these young lives continually
address to him is one that he must hear. lie cannot feed
these lambs unless he abides in the love of the Good
Shepherd.
One American pastor has provided for the children of
his charge an association which he describes as the Church
Porch. Its design as he describes it, "is not sim^jly to
convey instruction, but to bring the children into an
organization which has no more completeness in itself than
has the porch of an ecclesiastical building. It is a passage-
way into a larger and completer relationship." And he
thus outlines its method : — •
"In the one direction it will be connected with the
family; in the other, with the church — a link between the
two. It will have as its honorary oOicers the pastor and
deacons of the church; as its executive, young men and
women of such an agi; as to have suflicient ripeness of
judgment to know how to act with wisdom and discretion.
The adult Christian fellowship of the church w\\\ Ix' at the
back of it, encouraging the attendance of their cliildren
upon its meetings, regularly and conscientiously, foi- to
develop character is ontMjf the great aiuis. Tlie Cliui-ch
Porch will [)r(i\ idc soiue siinple M'oi'ds, which are u\ the
' T/w Woikiii'j C/iiircli, ].]). 11-17.
2;5
J
354 (JHUISTIAN TASTOR AND WOEKING CHURCH
nature of a confession of discipleship to the great Head of
the Churcli. It will so conduct its meetings as that the
youngest may take some part. It will so organize itself
as that the members shall have nnitual care one of another.
It will provide meetings for social interconise as well as
for devotional, thus recognizing the good of all innocent
recreation. It will i)rovide for the daily home reading by
its members of wisely selected Scriptures. It will have
some such graduation in membership as shall allow the
more developed to assume responsibilit}-, and put them-
selves one step nearer to full membership of the Christian
church. Of course, organization is not everything, nor
the principal thing. We cannot do much without it, but
the most ideally perfect organization in the world must
depend for its reputation upon those who use it. It will
be urged as an objection by some who have had little or
no experience in these matters, that it is requiring too
much to ask a child to sign such a simple pledge as this :
' Trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for strength, I purpose
to tr}' to do whatever He would like to have me do. I will
pray to Mim, and read the Bible everyday, and henceforth
I will try to be His disci})le.' Analyze it, and what do
we find? Nothing at all inconsistent with that which is
possible to tlie youngest discii)le. A child can ' ti'ust ; ' a
child can ' try; ' a child can ' pray; ' a child can ' read the
Bi])lo ; ' a child can be a ' disciple ' — a learner. It is that
from its constitution. Children like to l)e members of
societies, and they are generally more faithful to their
duties than are adults. Tliey grow into right thoughts
ami light feelings, just as their seniDis i]o, bv right
deeds/' 1
'llu' ])astor's work of instruction and ]ieisonal inllucnce
miglit !)(' carried on in connection with such an oiganiza-
tion of tlie cliildrcn. I)Ut the organization must not take
the ])lace of lli;i( woik. Tlic pastor should be jealous of
anything which stands in I lie -way of that intimate asso-
ciation witli Ills childicii wliicli the work of systematic
inst met idii iiiiplies and re([nires.
1 Ui'V. Koiu'ii 'riumias, in /'mis/i Prohlmis, ]>]). 21. T, 214.
THE rASTOIl AND THE CHILDREN 355
Most Amcriciiii chiuclies now observe the second Sun-
day in June as Children's Day. On that day the Sunday-
schools are gathered in the place of public worship made
beautiful with flowers, and the exercises are ordered for
the benefit of the children. Songs and recitations in Avhich
they participate, and an appropriate sermon or address by
the pastor make the service of special interest to the
youngest of the flock. In churches which practise infant
baptism, the little ones are often presented on Children's
Sunday; and it is the custom of some pastors to give to
each l)ai)lized child, on the festival -wliich follows his
twelfth birthday, a liible, in the name of the church, thus
remindino- him that the church has not forgfotten the con-
secrating rite and still holds him in its fellowship.
In the churches in which this rite is observed, the
status of the baptized children is often a subject of iuquirv.
The theological and ecclesiastical questions here involved
do not come within the purview of this essay; but it is,
nevertheless, important that the pastor and the church
should have some theory about the relation of these children
to the church; the kind of pastoral care exercised over
them will be determined, to a considerable extent, by this
tlieory. There seems to be no other reasonaljle view of
tlie case than to regard these children ns membere of the
churcli, — not yet enjoying all its riglits and privileges,
l)ut members still, and entitled to the care and love of the
whole liousehold of faith. The children of a family are
not less trul}' meml)ers of the family tlian are the adults;
and tlicir souse of proprietorship in all the iK'loiigiiigs of
till' home is ;ilways keen. It should not be ollicrwisc in
the church; and tlie administralioii of its services should
be such as to cultivate in the children this sense of idcn-
tilication with its life. The time will conic when they
will come foi-ward and assume for themselves the respon-
sibilities of membership: but before that ^]i\^\ iind whiU;
they lire receiving prepariilion for the active labors of the
chnrcli, the recognition of the fact that the\' are not aliens
and strangers, but fellow-citi/ens with the saints and of
the household of love, ought to lie kejit cleaily before their
minds.
356 CHRISTIAN PASTOll AND WOIIKIXG CHriiCH
Whether any portion of the Sunday morning service
should he specially devoted to the children is a question of
some importance. Some American pastors address a short
sermon — five or six minutes in length — to the children
in the congregation. Others decline to interject this
exercise into the services, on the ground that their unity
is impaired, and their best effect lost, when a portion of
the congregation is singled out for separate instruction.
It is a matter concerning which every man has a right to
he fully persuaded in his own mind. Some pastors may
succeed with the method and others may fail. It should
he remembered, however, that when no special words are
addressed to the children, there will often be, in an ordi-
nary discourse, portions, longer or shorter, which even
young children will perfectly understand. Every pastor
who watches the effect of his teachings upon the children
will often find them grasping with perfect intelligence
many statements that were not intended for them. If
the truth is made simple and clear, as it always ought to
be, some good part of every sermon will find its way into
the minds of the children of six or seven years of age.
The al)ility of children to understand such matters is gen-
erally under-estimated.
Even, therefore, though there may be no special address
to the children, there are many reasons why they should
be present, from their earliest years, in the morning ser-
vice. The absence from the great majority of the Ameri-
can churches of the children of the congregation is becoming
an alarming fact. It is often assumed that the Sunday-
school is the children's service, and that attendance upon
that should release them from the public Avorship of the
sanctuary. Children would in this way rarely form the
luihit of church-going in their later yeais. Tlic time
never comes when they are willing to begin. They have
no taste for such employments. They prefer to spend the
Sunday as tlicy have always done, reading or riding or
visiting. Habit, in matters of tliis nature, is nearly every-
thing; and it" the luibit of clmrcli-going is ever formed it
must lie foi-incd in cliildlidod. iVnd tlie plea, generally
THE PASTOn AND THE CHILDtlEN 357
heard, that the children cannot understand the service
and are not profited by it, nmst not Ije allowed. The
Scripture readings are, for the most part, perfectly intelli-
gible to them ; the hymns and the prayer's are not beyond
their comprehension; and much of the service will often
be level to their understanding. This is a matter concern-
ing which the wise pastor must bear faithful testimony.
He must not quietly suffer the children of his church to
fall away from its fellowship. He must convince their
parents that the public worship of the Lord's house is for
the young as well as for the old, and that if the one or the
other must be foregone, the children had far better be
taken from the Sunday-school and Ijrought into the
church.
The close of this chapter appears to l)e the appropriate
place to refer to an organization which is attracting nnich
attention on both sides of the sea at the present time, and
which is known as the Boys' Brigade. It had its origin
in (xlasgow, Scotland, where the first company was oi'gan-
ized in 1883, by a gentleman active in Christian Avork,
who was a member of the Lanark Rifles. Like Robert
Raikes, Mr. Smith began with ragged boys in the street,
but his scheme proved popular among the boys of the
church, and the movement soon spread to other churches.
Companies were fomied in great numbers and men of
standing and influence soon were found among the enthu-
siastic promoters of the enterprise. The late Professor
Heniy Drummond was one of its leaders. It is said that
more than fifty thousand boys are now organized in iitti ni
Inindred com])anies, in the United Kingdom, the IJniti'd
States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other ])arts
of the world. From the Manual of the American branch
of the organization the following exi)lanation is taken:
" iJriefl}' slated, it is a w(til(l-wi(U' movciiK'nt among
young men and l)oys lor {]ic adxancciuciit of ihe kingdom of
Christ. The Biigadc consists of local (•omj)ani('s of twi'lve
to forty youth, iMitwccn the ages of ^'2 and 21 yeai-s, the
only condition of nicmbci-slii]) being attmdanci' at some
local Sunday-sehool jiid subscription to the following
858 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
pledge : ' I promise and pledge, that I will not use tobacco
nor intoxicating liquors in an}^ form ; that I will not use
profane, vulgar nor indecent language; that I will obey
faithfully all the company rules, and that I will, at all
times, set an example of good conduct to my comrades and
other boys.'
"The company must be attached to some Christian
organization which will supervise its civil and religious
affairs. The distinctive feature of the movement is that
all meetings of the company are conducted under military
regulations and discipline. The required meetings are:
1. Some weekly religious exercise; either a I>ible drill,
prayer-meeting or Sunday school. 2. A weekly military
drill, conducted strictly according to infantry tactics of
the United States Army.
"The military features have been found to possess
surprising attractions for boys who would otherwise drift
away from church fellowship. They also furnish excellent
physical training and have many advantages which need
only to be tested to be proved. Bear in mind, however,
that they are but a means to an end: that is to promote
habits of obedience, reverence, discipline, self-respect, and
all that tends toward a true Christian manliness."
In the third article of the constitution, relating to
agencies, it is provided that religious exercises shall be
employed "as a means of rendering the boys familiar mIHi
the Bible, and acquainted with its truths;" that i)atriotic
studies shall l)e introduced, by which loyalty and good
citizenship shall be inculcated; tliat provision shall lie
made for such pliysical-culture exercises as may be ada])tcd
to the age of the memlu'rs, and calculated to develop a
perfect body and a pcii'cct manhood; and tliat military
organization and drill shall lie used as a means of securing
the interest of the members, l)audiug them togx'ther in the
woik of tlie llrigiide and iironioling such lial)its as it is
designed to torni. Strict obedience aiul discipline are
always to l)e enforced. ( )ne of tlie lules i-equires that
eveiy member shall attend Sunday-scliool at least once
every Sabbath. Tlie (/om])any Council consists of the
THE PASTOR AND THE CHILDREN 350
pastor and tlie three rankini;- coininissioned officers and
tliree members appointed ainmally by the Christian organi-
zation with Avliich the company is connected. The entire
power of governing the company is entrusted to this
Council, which admits and discharges members, appoints
officers, enacts by-hiws and controls the company's funds.
It is thus evident that the purpose is to put every com-
pany of the Boys' Brigade under the care of the church to
which it belongs and under the immediate supervision of
the pastor. The commanding officers of these companies
are always men — usually young men. It is clear, at a
glance, that everything will depend on the tact and char-
acter of these commanding officers. If the right man can
be found for captain, such a company may become a stiT)ng
influence for good over the lives of the boys belonging
to it.
The military drill and discipline is, in itself, an excel-
lent regimen for Ijoys. The physical benefits are consider-
able: the carriage of the Ijoys who have been for some
time under the drill is almost always perceptibly improved ;
they stand erect and step more firmly and manifest an
increase of physical vigor. The moral gains of the drill
and the discipline are also important. The habits of obe-
dience and subordination which are thus formed become,
to some good degree, automatic. Boys obey their parents
and their teachers more promptly: it becomes evident to
them that obedience is manly. The organization alsi)
inculcates and even enforces respect for religion; the
]irimary and indispensable condition of membership in tlie
Brigade is mendjcrship in that Sunday-school troni wiiiiii
the boy is often so strongly inclined to slip away. 'I'o bi;
associated with a military organization of l)oys who are all
members of the Sunday-school pnts lli;it institution at once
\\\n)n a different footing in all his thoughts about it. The
Biblieal study and the religious exercises with which the
meetings of the company nuist always begin, are a constant
witness to him of the importance of an interest which the
hoy between twelve and twenty is tdo much inclined to
undervalue. And tin; pledge to avoid (he use of tobacco
360 CHIIISTIAX PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
and intoxicating liquor, and to keep bis lips clean from
profanity and indecency, is one in the keeping of which
there is safety and honor.
All these gains are manifest. Over against them we
must set a possible injury to which some good men and
women are inclined to attribute great importance. It is
said that the organization fosters the military spirit; that
it will fill the hearts of the boys with the passions of war ;
that it is not the right kind of a regimen for disciples of
the Prince of Peace. In the days when all good men are
seeking to exterminate from human hearts tlie love of
carnage and to lead the nations onward in the paths of
peace, it is not good, say these critics, to set our Christian
children to learn the arts of war.
To all this the reply of those who are most active in
promoting the organization is that the Boys' Brigades are
practically having no such eifect; that the drill is really
no more than a good gymnastic exercise ; that so much is
made of the Christian features of the organization that the
sentiments and passions of warfare find no place in the
boys' hearts. Tlie ideas which prevail are thus set forth
in the Manual : —
"It is consistently military and for two reasons. First,
for the purpose of system and thorough organization.
Second, if boys are taught military tactics at all it is worth
while to teach them correctly and completely. But mark
this and forever remember, that the Boys' Brigade is
above all for spiritual conquest; its object is to advance
Christ's kingdom among boys. It will not inid iimst not
])e done witli the sword. But just as the boy Josus
learned to ply the luimmer and saw and chisel of his
father's craft, and thus was tiaincd in reverence, obe-
dience and s('lf-res])ect, so may our l)oys thrcMigh mibtary
drill and Ilibli' drill and ])atrioti(' study learn liabits of
self-restraint; learn that victories over self are those that
shine in everlasting records; learn that to fight for Jesus
means to fight for the poor and the weak and disabled:
l(;ini lliat the reveille for which they must prepare is that
which will sound on the resurrection morn, when slionlder
THE I'ASTUJt AND Till: ClULDKEN oGl
to slioiikler youth and old age shall inarch to their eternal
reward."
On the whole there is good reason to ho[)e that the
dangers against which the protest is lifted up are not
serious, and that the organization will prove to be a strong
agency for training in Christian manliness the boys of
Christendom.
CHAPTER XVI
JIISSIONARY SOCIETIES AND CHURCH CONTRIBUTIOXS
The relation of the church to the work of missions —
to the christianization not merely of its own parish and
of its own community, but of the whole world — is a
subject concerning which most churches need admonition.
The development in this generation of the working church
has somewhat withdrawn the attention of many zealous
Christians from the field of the world. The work at
home is so manifold and so urgent that tliey find neither
time nor resources for enterprises at a distance. Never-
theless, the very note of Christianity is unive]"salit3\ Tlie
Christian law was not, in terms, a new commandment
when Christ gave it utterance ; the identical phrases are
in the Mosaic legislation ; what lie did was to give a new
definition to the word "neighbor." The Jew believed that
he ought to love his neighbor as himself : the obscuration
of his ethics was revealed in the law^^er's question, "Who,
then, is my neighbor?" Christ's answer was tlie parable
of the Good Samaritan, which teaches us that our neighljor
may be one of another nationality, another color, one
joined to us by no ties of race or kinsliip, one dwelling on
a distant shore and speaking ;iii iinkiiown tongue. My
neighbor is any human being whom 1 may reach and help.
The ethnic morality is superseded by the law of universal
love. And it is essential to the devi'lojiment of the Chris-
tian life in the individual that this love shall have its
constant op[)ortunity. Works of love that call foilh good-
will and helj)fulness toward all sorts and conditions ot
men in every ]»ai't of the Avorld furni.sh th(! (dement in
whieli ('hristianil\- lives and has ils being. The attempt
to .shut it in, to elect or maintain limitations beyond which
SOCIETIES AND CHUIfCH CONTKIBUTIONS 303
its impulse shall not travel is fatal to its existence. It is
no more true that there are geographical boundaries which
love does not cross, than it is true that there are physical
limitations to space which thought cannot pass beyond.
The country of goodwill has no frontiers.
Since this is the nature of Christian love, it is plain
that the missionary impulse must alwa3'S exist where the
spirit of Christ abides ; and that a church of Jesus Clu'ist
which has no interests beyond its own immediate precinct
is a moral anomaly. True is it that the needs ^\■hit•h are
nearest most strongly appeal to us, and that the benevo-
lence which spends all its energies upon those on the
other side of the sea, and has no sympathy for those on
the other side of the street is a spurious variety. Begin-
ning at Jerusalem, the apostles preached the good tidings
in man}- lands. But the charity which begins at home
and sta3'S there is no less defective than that which travels
abroad and neglects its nearest neighbors.
The Christian churches, in all the vital parts of Chris-
tendom, are profoundly interested, in these days, not only
in their neighbors who live in the next ward, but in their
neicrlibors who live on the other side of the woild. We
know a great deal and care a great deal about people who
have very little knowledge of us. The people of Afrit-a,
of Armenia, of China, of India, are the objects of our dis-
interested regard. We are not always thinking of how we
may estaljlish relations of trallic willi them and makt; their
industries serve our interests; wc; are often Ihinlciiig of
what we can do to enlarge and l)righlcn their lixcs. Jt is
not that we believe that they are all doomed to endless woe
unless they hear our gospel; our fail li in (iod is stronger
than this. Nor is it that we regard tlicir beliefs as wholly
false and pernicious ; we recognize in many of them gri'at
elements of universal trntli. I^il wc can see thai while
some of them maybe able In inipiirt In us much that may
profit us, the substance of the tiiiili as it is in .Fcsus is
something far better than any <•! them Ii;is yet attained
unto ; and because this truth is ours, and liiey need il, wc
cannot rest until wi- have shared it with them. We know
3G4 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKINC CHUliCH
that the Gospel of Christ, with all that it implies, would
wonderfully brighten the lives of any people that would
receive it. We know that it would greatly alleviate luiman
suffering. How vast and overshadowing are the woes of
the lands unvisited by the messengers of the blessed Christ
it is diiiicult to realize. China is b}' some persons supposed
to be a highly civilized nation, and it is urged that China
needs none of our religion ; but any one who will acquaint
himself with the condition of medical science in that coun-
try, and learn how many suffer and die from remediable
maladies, may be willing to admit that the disciples of him
who healed the sick and cleansed the lepers and opened
the eyes of the blind could do much to lighten the woes
and to lengthen the lives of these helpless people. This,
indeed, is what Christian missionaries are actually doing
in every part of the world to-day, not by miracle, but bj'
the intervention of an intelligence consecrated to the ser-
vice of mankind. One missionary in China treated more
than fifty-three thousand patients, and organized agencies
by which at least one million received scientific medical
care. When we think of the sightless eyes tliat have been
opened, of the millions that have been delivered from pain
and misery, of the blessed relief given by anaesthetics to
those in agony, of the lives that have been lengthened and
the hearts that have been comforted by tliese services of
love, we shall feel that the work of Christian missions
must have a deep significance to every one who wislies well
to his fellow men. Add to this what has been done to
lift women in all the pagan lands from their degradation,
and to point out the way of their deliverance from the
thraldom of the dark generations, and we shall see that
the enterprise of C'hristian missions, considered meiely
from a ])hilanlhr()pi{' ])()int of view, is ciitillcd to serious
consideration.
It would be strange, therefore, if i1h' Cliiistinu love
^\lliehis pouring itself out in such a wealth ol' j»liihintliro})ie
sc^rvice, should overlook these great opportunities of minis-
tering to the wauls and sorrows of men in other lands.
For it is not diflicult In sec lliat the source of many of these
SOCIETIES A^'l) C11U1:C11 CONTKIUUTIO^S oG5
physical ills must be sought in the darkened minds of the
people, and that the Light of the World is the only sovereign
remedy. The enterprise of Christian missions has often
been rested on a base too narrow to support it and has been
commended by arguments which contradicted its message,
but it is a sure and divine impulse that finds expression
tlu'ough it, and one can hardly conceive that with the en-
larging conceptions of the Gospel of the Son of God, there
should be in the hearts of his disciples any diminution of
love for their brethren in other lands who need the light
and hope wliich are their precious heritage. " Freely ye
received, freely give," ^ is a maxim not likely to lose its
force as the centuries pass.
It is a great part of the pastor's work to organize the
missionary zeal and activity- of his congregation. He needs
to be intelligent respecting this work, to have a rational
theory about it ; to comprehend the fact that it is an essen-
tial element in the life of his church ; to be able to deal
effectually with the stock objections of the caviller ; to
have the power of enlisting all classes in his congregation
in this great enterprise. For one thing, he must be able to
recognize what a modern writer has called the recent vast
political expansion of Christendom.^ Within the lifetime
of many now living, by far the greater ])art of the known
world has passed under the power of nations nominally
Christian. Africa, not long ago, was no man's land ; the
present generation has seen its territory parcelled out
among the great Christian powers. Out of 11,514,500
square miles, only onc-tentli remains unappropriated ; out
of a ])()puhition of 130,000,000, all but 20,000,000, art' liv-
ing iiinlcr tlic sway of some European government, 'i'uikcy
claims the overlordsliii) f)f about 8,000,000 of Ihest', Ijut
Kiiglaiid is the real rult'r of most of tin- African tcri'itory
tlial Turkey claims. ICven in Asia lialf llu- land and one-
third of the people are under tlit; ruh^ of Christian powcis.
" P^verywherc, in every continent, you sliall (ind ('hrislcn-
dimi in sn<li niarvellons asecndcncy tliat it is not onl\ donii-
' Miitt. X. 8.
- Muilern ^fissiotl.t in the East, liy K. A. Liiwrcmo, ji. 3()7.
360 CHUISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHUnCIT
nating, but swiftly and siu'ely assimilating every country
and every people under the sun, with the solitary exception
of Cliina. At a rough estimate, we may say that Chrislen-
dom includes within its dominion about two-thirds of the
land of the earth and 800,000,000 of the 1,500,000,000 of its
population." ^
The industrial expansion of Cln-istcndom, as the same
writer shows us, is not less marvellous. More and more
the markets of the world are filled with the machinery and
the wares produced by Christian nations : the industries
of Europe and America are pushing their conquests in every
quarter of the globe. The science of the Western world
is also steadily prevailing against the superstition of the
East ; where light is, darkness cannot be.
It is this tremendous advance of the j)hysieal and intel-
lectual forces of Christendom which makes the problem of
Christian missions so urgent. It is a time for Christian
statesmanship. A certain supremacy has already been
won for nominal Christianit}-. Tlie immense vigor of the
Christian civilization compared with the civilizations that
have been produced by other faiths, is thus demonstrated.
But the triumph is full of peril. The vast multitudes
which have been brought under Christian rule need to know
something more of the power of Christ than the soldier or
the civil servant or the trader is likely to teacli them. A
Christianity which is merely official or nominal may easily
become a snare to them. The form of Cln-istianity witli-
out the power thereof bewilders and burdens tliem. The
very fact of the political supremacy of Christendom creates,
therefore, an oliligation weightier and more imperiitivc^ tli;ni
the Church has ever before been called to Ix'ar. AVitli
these tremendous considerations every pastor ougl it to Ix'
familiar. The work of Chiistiati missions is not done:
it is liardly begun. 'I'lic |)liascs wliicli tlie work will
assume, the enthusiasms which it will ai'ouso, we may
l>artly conjecture. Doubtless we are likely to need a laige
revision of ideas and methods : but the f)ne fact to be kept
in vi(^w is that the jxtlitieal ami industrial and intellectual
1 Moi/nn ^fis.'!i,■,ls ill lite Juisl, ]>. .'iOO.
SOCIETIES AMD CIIUUCII CONTIMUrTlUNS 3G7
expansion of Christendom must be the forerunners of a
spiritual expansion not less significant. First that whii'h
is natural ; afterward that which is spiritual. The foun-
dations of the New Jerusalem are laid; the Church is
called to complete the superstructure. The Christian
[)astor of to-day must learn how to bring home to the
hearts of his people the signihcance of the movements now
going forward in all the earth. It is his task to make
them see tliat the time in Avhich they are living is one of
mighty signiiicance ; that the business of Christian missions
is connected in the most vital manner mth the political and
social changes which are taking place ; and that the sub-
ject is one concerning which they cannot afford to be
ignorant. The enlargement of the knowledge of the
Church is the one thing needful. j\Ien are not likel}^ to
take a deep interest in subjects of which they kno\\' little
or nothing. And this subject of missions in other lands is
one of which the majority of church members will have no
knowledge unless considerable pains be taken to give
them information. The needs of their own neighborhood
are before their eyes every day ; the conditions of their
own country they have some knowledge of ; but the suffer-
ings and miseries of their neighbors on the other side of
the world they do not see, nor are they aware of the work
that has been done in these fields and of the promising
nature of the beginnings that liave been made. 'J'o sj)read
this information, to arrest and hold the attention of the
church to the subject of missions is the first thing to do.
Some stated meeting, held as often as once a moiilli, sliould
furnish this information in such a form that the pcojih'
w^ill eagerly receive it. It is not l)est to call it a "• niunihly
concert ;" that name is seriously discrcilitcd. Nor sliouhl
it ever be eon(ined to work in foreign lands. \\\i\ W e\ery
(Iiill'ch could ha\c a iiKiiithK' liieelilig al wliirli (he |>l'og-
iTss (if the king(h)m in the whoh' worhl shouhl he reported,
lakiii;^- ii]» tlie salient events of eiiii'eiit I'eligious history
at home and ahioaiK jioinliiig out tlie hopeful and (hs-
i-ouraging featuii's; the gains and hisst'S ; the liehls where
tht' struLTule is fiercest and the reinforcements most needed.
308 ciruisTiAx tastor and working chui^ch
and making it plain that the battle is one all along the
line, it would appear that this meeting might Le made one
of great interest and power. '* If I heard," said President
Edwards, " the least liint of anything that happened, in
any part of the world, having a favorable aspect on the
interests of Christ's kingdom, my sonl eagerly catched at
it." That is but the normal feeling of every genuine
Christian disciple. How can any man kee]3 praying daily
for scores of years, " Thy kingdom come," and not be alive
to signs of its coming ? The preparation for such a meet-
ing as is here suggested would require, on the part of
somebody, much work, at least at the outset. The field of
the world should be divided, and the different portions
assigned to competent persons, each of whom should be on
the outlook for the epochal movements going on within
his territory. After this educational process has been
vigorously carried forward for a year or two, there ma}^ be
need of forming organizations for the more effective pro-
motion of missionary interests. But the organization may
well be deferred until the interest has been created.
Is it well to divide the missionary interests of the con-
gregation along the line of sex ? Such seems at present
to be the tendency. At any rate, we have women's
missionary organizations everywhere ; whether there are
societies of this nature exclusively for men may be ques-
tioned. It seems to be suj)posed that men can obtain all
the information and impulse that they m ill need in the
general meeting of the church.
The women's missionary societies in the churches, are,
of course, intended to be auxiliary to the AVoman's iMission
JJoard of the denomination to Avhich the church belongs.
These Women's Boards have been organized, within the
last generation, in nearly all the national chnrclies of
iVmerica; and the oiliccrs of the missionary societies have
given the movement imicli cnconragement. The Mission
Boards and Societies, liaving been originally composed of
men, and women having no repi'esentation in them, it Wiis
natural that the women, as they came to l;ike a larger part
in the life of tlie clmrcli, should wish to have ortjanizatious
SOCIETIES AND CHUKCH CONTKIBUTIONS 8G9
of their own whose operations they might eontroL Tlie
Women's Boards came into existence as the expression of
the grooving consciousness of influence and power on the
part of the women of the churches. Tlie fact that a dual
organization of the missionary forces provided two collect-
ing agencies for the same cause, and made sure of two
collections in a year instead of one was calculated to
commend the scheme to the officers of the Missionary
Societies. If Women's Boards exist, tlie Avomen of the
congregations must be separately organized for tlie purpose
of sustaining them. The scheme has its advantages, and
doubtless much missionary zeal has been evoked, and much
administrative efficiency developed in its operation. But
tliere are mifavorable indications. The fact that in every
church there is a Woman's Missionary Society, and no
Man's ^Missionary Society makes upon the wayfaring man
and the average boy the impression that missions are the
special interest of women ; that men are connected with
them mainl}^ through their wives. That this impression
has gro\\n very rapidl}^ during the past twenty-five years
can scarcely be doubted. And while the amount of money
raised by the Women's Boards has been considerable, it
may be questioned whether the aggregate amount has not
been diminislied b}' this process. It would be interesting
to know how many men decline or neglect to make con-
tributions to the work of missions, on llie plea tliat tlicir
wives have already contributed, through the Woniairs
Society- W'licii it comes to lliis, the collections are apt to
fall off, for tlie wife, with cash resources that are generall}'
limited, will not be al)le to rej)rpsent the family so liberally
in the collection as the husl)aii(l could do. And it may
also be questioned whether oiu; effect of the separate
organization for women has not been greatly to reduce the
interest of the Cliuivli al large in the general chnich jneet-
ings for missions. On the whole, tlierefoi'e, it is nut clear
that the separation of the sexes in the Avoik of niissinns is
workingwell. And there are those who strongly believe that
it would be far better to consolidate the Mission r.oaids
giving the women a representation in the dllicial iiuiiibcr-
24
370 CHKISTIAN I'A.STOK AXD WORKING CHURCH
ship of the Church Board, — pemiitthig tliem to hold a
certain number of secretaryships and other offices, — and
uniting instead of dividing the sexes in the work of
evangelizing the world. There are those who think that
a serious loss of moral power results from this separation ;
that neither the Men's Boards nor the Women's Boards
are so well managed as a consolidated Board would be ;
and that the missionary interest in the local church woukl
be far stronger and more productive if the men and women
were working together, and there were one treasury instead
of two.
When the organization of mission work in the local
church is contemplated tliis question must be met. It is
not often wise violently to oppose existing methods of
administration ; and it may seem best to maintain for the
time a separate missionary society for women ; but it is
certainly important that the co-operation of the sexes in
the work carried on by the congregation should in some
way be secured.
With respect to the methods of disseminating informa-
tion and awaking interest, there is need of the constant
exercise of invention on the part of the pastor and those
associated with him in the work. No method should l)e
worked after it has lost its efficiency ; new forms of pres-
entation, new ways of combining the forces of the church
must be devised every year. Life is always taking (ni
new forms. " The usual prayer-meeting," " the usual
missionary meeting," are phrases which nnist not Itc
heard too often from tlie pulpit. Let the people learn to
expect something unusual — something fi-esli and vital.
Should the annual presentation of llu' \arious iiiissioii-
ury societies to the congregation be made by the re})resen-
tatives of those societies wh(m that is possi])le, oi- b}' the
pastor of the cluirch ? No universal rule can l)e given.
Probal^ly it is better, in most cases, to combine the two
methods. The representative of the society ])ossesscs a
certain skill in marshalling the facts which is not Avholly
offset l)y the prejudice against him in the minds of liis
hearers, growing out of their knowledge lliat he is a
SOCIETIES AND CllUUCII CONTHIUL'TIONS 371
special pleader. He lua}- very often speak move convinc-
ingly than the pastor conld do, and his service is not to
])e niiiforinl}- refused. The occasional visit to the congre-
gation of those who are in constant communication with
tlie liehl, and wlio are faniiUar Avith all its needs, is im-
doubtedly desirable. On the other hand, the pastor can
often present these causes far more effectively tlian any
ofhcial representative could do. He knows his own con-
gregation, and can judge what kind of information they
need, and what manner of appeal will be most effective.
He has no professional or personal interest in any of these
causes : his representations will not be discredited by any
such suspicion. If the people have the confidence in him
that tliey ought to have, his word will go farther with
them than the Avord of any stranger could go. And, more
than all, if he studies the subject carefully, his treatment
M'ill be sure to have a freshness and vitality that the
appeal of the professional advocate is apt to lack. It is
dillicult for any man to speak daily on a single theme and
preserve the appearance of s[)ontaneity and the accent of
conviction. It will l)e found that those churclies, as a
rule, are the largest contriljutors to missionary causes, in
which the pastois frequently, if not uniformly, present
the causes to their congregations.
"With respect to the development of the spirit and ha])it
of benevolence in the congi'egation, nnich might be said.
Tlie pastor will need to give to the subject no little careful
study. It is a hard lesson for the average Anglo-Saxon
of this generation to learn that it is more blessed to give
than to receive, but this of all trutlis is the one he needs
to lay to heart. Tlie pastor must endeavor to make it
plain to his people that it is of the nature of all genuine
Christian experience that giving and receiving are correla-
tives; that each is the condition of the otlici-; that uo
Christian can live without giving, any moic than he can
live without receiving. AN'licn this is said, the word give
nuist b(! used in a large and comprehensive meaning. The
Clnistian is a giver in many ways, on many sides, thidngh
Hiaiij- channids of gracious ministi-y. It is nut al\\a\s that
372 CIirjSTlAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
his giving takes the foi-m of material aid, though this is
an expression that it must often take in a woiid where
there are so many hungry mouths, and so many fireless
hearths, and so many naked and shivering limbs. The
first if not the deepest needs of our fellow-men are bodily
needs ; and these must often be supplied before we can
bestow any higher gift upon them. A great part of the
ministry of Christ was directed to the physical wants of
men, and none of us is likely to give more wisely than he
gave. Besides, and this is the truth which the faithful
pastor must not fail to enforce, it is an essential condition
of profitable giving, so far as the giver is concerned, that
he should bestow that which he highly values. The use-
fulness of the ffift ousrht to be as sxreat to the one who
imparls it as to the one who receives it, though in a differ-
ent way ; and tins cannot be unless the giver parts with
something that he prizes. A man Avhose main interest is
iji material things can hardly be said to be a giver at all
unless he gives money, or that which costs money. For
him, at any rate, this exercise is indispensable. His spirit-
ual life will shrivel if he deny to love this outlet. Ko
matter how constant or how fervent may be his prayers,
no matter how diligent may be his endeavors to do good
in (Hher ways, if the man whose energies are devoted to
the accumulation of wealth does not give money or money's
worth freely his spiritual life will soon be a withered and
blasted thing. The pastor must not tell his people that it
is a sin for a Cliristian to have money or to desire money,
or to bend his powers to the acquisition of money; but he
must Avarn them that the Christian wliose heart is set on
getting must train himself to be a liberal donor also or lie
will lose his soul. What he freely receives lie must freely
give or liis gain will l)e his ruin.
And yet the pastor must not fail to rcuiiud his jx'oph^
that money wrongfully ol)taiued can never be sauctitied by
giving jiarl of it away. The consecrated jiurjiosc nuist
govern the winning as well as the bestowing of Aveallh.
Money that has been gained in extortion, in grinding the
face of the poor, by the unmerciful treatment of rivals in
SOCIETreS AND CHUKCH CONTRIBUTIONS 373
trade, by corrupting ol'licers of the government, is not the
Lord's money and the Lord wants none of it : the Chris-
tian pastor must beware how he soils his liands with tlie
rewards of iniquity. The church might better ch)se its
doors and the missionary societies call home their evange-
lists, tlian that the testimony of the church against iniquity
should be withheld. There are those in many of our
modern churches who ought to hear the prophet's bitter
words : " Your new moons and your appointed feasts my
soul hateth : they are a trouble to me ; I am weary to bear
them. And when ye spread forth your hands I will hide
mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers I
will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you,
make you clean ; put away the evil of 3-our doings from
before mine eyes; cease to do evil: learn to do well; seek
judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless,
plead for the widow." ^ It is not these who should be
admonished that they can only save their souls by being
generous with their money; something more radical than
liljerality is required of them. But those who have striven
to avoid dishonesty and extortion in the acquisition of
their fortunes, are often absorbed in the mere eagerness of
the })ursuit, and their hearts are hardened and their
standards lowered by the greed of acquisition. It is to
these that such admonitions as were referred to should be
addressed. It is they who need to cultivate the grace of
giving that the injurious effects of their daily habits may
1)0 counteracted.
And it is not the rich and pros})crous alone, not alone
those whose hearts are set on great accumulalions wlio
need tliis kind of disci])]ine; those whose gains are small,
and who are not ambitious of great ilnancial success will
find it useful for them to impart that which it is liaid for
(hem to get and not easy for them to spare. The benelit
that comes from making pecuniary saerilices \\>y worthy
o])jectS is a benelit that the poorest liieilll)eis ol the rhureh
cannot afford to forgo. Tliose who can gi\(' but little
often resolve to give nothing, and thus they themselves
1 Isa. i. 1 »-17.
37-4 CHRISTIAN TASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
are heavy losers. They are willing to do good, so far as
they can, in other ways; bnt they excuse themselves
from charitable offerings. Everything else hut tiieir pos-
sessions and gains they consecrate to the Lord: these are
so small, they say, that they are hardly worth consecrat-
ing. So there is one corner of their lives in which selfish-
ness is intrenched and the result is a defective character.
The pastor must seek to make all his people feel that
none of them can be so poor as not to need, for his own
soul's sake, to be on all sides of his nature and out of
every one of his resources, a charitable giver.
In developing the charitable gifts of the church, two
facts are to Ije borne in mind. The first is that, in most
congregations, much the largest part of the offering ought
to come from a comparatively small number. Tlie ine-
qualities of condition arc such in most of our churches
that the few are abundantly able to give much more than
tlie many can give. If the benevolent gifts of the church
are what they ought to be, there must be a few large
contributions. A man whose income is twenty thousand
dollars a year ought to give more than ten times as much
as the man who has but two thousand; his surplus, above
all that could be regarded as the necessaries of life, is
vastly greater. Accordingly all plans for the raising f»f
money which propose to find a certain number of persons
in the church, each of whom shall give the same amount,
are likely to be impracticable l)ecause of their injustice.
Sometimes it is said: "Are there not one hundred mem-
bers who will give five dollars apiece?" To ^\'llicll, in
many cases, the reply should be made: "If lliis money is
to he raised, according to the gospel rule, which rcMpiires
every one to give as lie lias prospered, it would probaldy
rc(|uire sonn; such division as this: tliat one shall give one
liuiidicd dollars, and two fifty each, and three twenty-rue
each, and ten ten each, and seventy-five one dollar each.''
The application of this princi])le, tliat those whose suiplus
is large should expect to contribute imirh viorr, in 2>^y> por-
tion to their incomes^ than those whose surplus is small,
should be faithfully made by the Chiistinu ]);istor.
SOCIETIES AND CIIUltCH CONTKIHLTIONS 37o
Tlie other fact is that everybody ought to give some-
thing. The diligent, persistent effort to secure from every
member of the church, rich or poor, okl or 3'oung, male or
female, some offering for every cause is the pastor's clear
obligation, jNIost of our Protestant churches fail in this
respect. A very large proportion of the members of the
church hold themselves excused from contributing either
t(j the current expenses of the church, or to its missionary
funds. Even when a church is to be built, the proportion
of the names of the membership found on the subscription
list is apt to be very small. Against this tendency an
organized and patient effort should be directed. Those
who can give but little ought not to be permitted to lose
the reward of the giver. It is essential to their growth in
grace that they exercise themselves in this grace also.
And the aggregate of these small oft'erings Avould be con-
siderable. We want, for all our charities, larger gifts
from those Avho are able to give liberall}^, but we want
also the small gifts which might be bestowed by those who
are now giving nothing. Many an enterprise now languish-
ing would find its resources abundant if these gifts could
l)e secured. The mites of the million would furnish to
our benevolent operations a motive power which we can-
not afford to lose. Consider how great are the resources
of the lioman Catholic Church, drawn very largely from
tlie wages of day laborers and servant-maids. These rills,
if we can combine them, will cause the stream of our
charities to flow with an ample flood.
These considerations will enable us to deal with tlie
question of systematic and proportionate giving. That
the pastor should seek to guide his peo[)le towards some
intelligent and systematic use of their income, in the way
of l)enevolcnt contributions, is reasonable. (Jiving is an
important part of Christian service, and it ought to be
done thoughtfully, — not from erratic impulse, l)ut from
sol)cr reason. Tliat the giver should carefully consider
Iiow Iiu'^c ;i |iorlion of his incoinc lie can sd apart for gifts
to missionary and charitable purjioscs, and that he should
endeavor sacredly to devote to these ]»urposes tlie money
876 CHRISTIAN PASTOK AND WORKING CHURCH
thus set apart, is good doctrine Avliicli the pastor may
wisely enforce. But the giving should he proportionate
to ability and not according to any fixed percentage. The
doctrine of the tithe is not applicable to Christian giving.
There are those who ought not to give so much as a tenth
of their income to such purposes ; and there are those who
ought, perhaps, to give nine-tenths of it. Insistence upon
the tithe is apt to obscure the Christian principle : " Everj-
man according to his several ability." The Jewisli rule is
not the Christian rule, and should not be appealed to in
Christian instruction.
The methods of gathering these offerings of the church
greatly vary. In some congregations the plate or basket
collections for each cause are relied on, notice of the col-
lection being given on the previous Sunday. In such
cases only a portion of the congregation is offered tlie
opportunity of contributing, for a large percentage of the
members will be absent on any given Sunday. In some
churches collections for benevolent purposes are taken
every Sunday, and either a certain number of Sundays are
set apart to each object, or else the entire amount collected
is divided periodically, according to some ratio agreed
upon, among the several objects to which tlie church con-
tributes. This plan is practicable in the churches which
do not need to take collections for their own current
expenses. It would, doubtless, be far better if the entire
revenues of the church could be ])rovi(lcd by other means,
so that the cliurch collections might be wliolly given to
the purposes of benevolence.
]>y some churclies the attempt is made to secure, at the
l)eginning of the year, pledges to each of the causes to be
presented to the church. The pledge card is returned to
tlie clerk of tlu; church, who keeps an account with each
member pledging, and a du])li('ate is retained by the iiiciii-
ber to keep him in mind ot' his pKiniisc. In some churclies,
the parish is geographically divided into districts, and
collectors are sent to eveiy parishioner's house to receive
the ofrci'ings of llic inmates. In some churclies the mails
arc used to remind the members of the coming offering.
SOCIETIES AXD CHURCH COXTEIBUTIONS 377
In an i-nvelope, uddressed to each person or each family,
are enclosed a smaller envelope and any leaflet or other
literature illustrating the object for which the offering is
taken. A printed note from the pastor should also be
enclosed, making further explanation and requesting that
the gift be enclosed in the small envelope, sealed, and
brought or sent to the church on the next Sunday. This
metliod renders it tolerably sure that every one will have
an opportunity of making an offering.
Ever}^ church must determine for itself what method
it will employ in gathering its benevolent offerings, but
the subject is one that should not be too lightly disposed
of. ]\Iuch depends on the adoption of the best method,
and the best is not likely to be the easiest. The chiu'ch
ought to be willing to take pains and trouble in putting
the opportunity of giving before every one of its members.
And the pastor should feel that it rests with him to secure
the adoption of plans l)y which this work will bo done,
and to fill the whole enterprise with his own courage and
enthusiasm.
CHAPTER XVII
rvE\^VALS AND ItKNIVALISM
A QUESTION which must deeply iiffect the welfare and
even the character of the local church respects the method
on which it will chiefly rely for the increase of its mem-
bership. Two principal methods may be said to be in use
among Protestant churches — that of catechetical instruc-
tion, of which the Lutheran Church gives us perhaps the
strongest example, and that of revivalism, on which several
other churches mainly depend. Both methods have been
traced back to the beginnings of Christianity and even to
the ancient Judaism. No less an authority than Matthew
Arnold tells us that we may read in the Old Testament of
a great "religious revival in Hebrew religion, under
Samson and Samuel, and how by degrees Judaism grew in
spirituality, and the age of ecstasy and the Witch of
Endor gave place to the prophets of the eighth century,
conscious of a real inner call."
So, too, under Hezekiah, and under Josiah, and in the
time of Ezra, religious movements occurred which are
described by the same writer as religious revivals. ^ It \y\\\
be observed, however, that these were events which occiincd
at long intervals. There appears to be no provision in the
Jleljrew sclieine of religion for a revival every winter.
When by the invasion of luxuiy, or formality, or lieathen-
ism, the lioart of the Churcli had grown cold, and its altars
^vcre neglected and its rites corrujjted, tliere sometimes
cduw. to the people an iiilliiciicc lliat aroused tliein from
their degenei'acy and led tliem liack to Ihcii- alh^Li^iaiicc to
th(! Cod of their fathers. It miglit Ik; some national dis-
aster, it might be the voice of a prophet or tlie decree of
a godly king that awakened them; but llic i'c\i\;il, in all
' hJec God and The Bilk, k\v.\\<. iv., sec. iii.
REVIVALS AND UEVIVALISM 379
these cases, consisted in the recognition by the whole
|)0(»[)le that they had departed from the service of the
living God, and that the}^ ought to forsake their idolatries
and return to Him. It was iiot an effort, on the part of
the Church, to increase its membership, by calling in those
who were without its pale; it was a reformation of the
Church itself.
The remarkable event which took place at Jerusalem on
the day of Pentecost is often called a revival, l^ut tliis
was the result of the enforcement by the word of the
apostles and the spirit of God, upon the minds of a great
multitude of people, of the truth that Jesus of Nazareth,
whom they had crucitied, was the ]\Iessiah for whom they
hatl so long been waiting. Most of these men and women
had known Jesus and had l)een inclined to believe on him
and follow him. His blameless life and his marvellous
teachings had appealed to tlieir reason and their affection:
probably they liad been in the multitude that led him in
triumph into Jerusalem from the Blount of Olives, shouting,
" Hosanna, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the
Lord!" This enthusiasm of theirs was sincere enough;
like the two disciples that were walking to Emmaus, they
were trusting that it was he who should redeem Israel.
But when Jesus suffered himself to be apprehended by
the Sanhedrin, and, when, unresistingl}-, he was led away
from Pilate to be crucified, their faith in liim was g(me;
he could be nothing but an impostor. The testimony of
the apostles at Pentecost, uncontradicted by the authorities,
that lie hud risen from the dead and ascended into lieaven,
— with the full revelation of the fact that his was a spiritual
and not a temporal kingdom, — threw a new light upon
his character; and with l)itter contrition tlie luullitude
accepted as their Lord aud King liiui wlioui upon the
cross, in their unspiritual lilimlucss, lliry li;iil (Icnicd nnd
forsaken.
liul the j)sychoh)gical cxpcliriicc of these lliousaiids on
llie day of I'entccost nnist have lieeu allo-illier dilTereiil
from that of those wlu) are aj>pealed (o in a inoderu i(\i\al
meetiu!/. These were not irreligious men; (lie iccord
380 CHKISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
tlistinctly says that they were "devout men." They were
not men who had rejected a King whom they knew to be
divine, because of a moral unwillingness on their part to
submit their lives to his gentle reign. They liad turned
away from him sadly, and no doubt resentfully, because
he did not fill their conception of Messiahship. He had
not proved to be the kind of Deliverer for whom they had
been taught to look. It was necessary that their intel-
lectual conception of the Christ should be transformed.
This was what happened at Pentecost. The fact of the
resurrection convinced them that Jesus of Nazareth was
the Messiah. Probably no fact less significant would have
changed their minds. When they were once assured that
this Jesus was their long-expected Deliverer, they were
Avilling at once to be baptized into his name.
This is not the condition of the multitude that listens
to the revivalist's appeals in a Christian church of the
nineteenth century. There is no uncertainty in their
minds respecting the character of Christ; most of them
believe all that the preacher believes concerning him ; they
refuse to accept Christ as Lord because they do not wish
to follow him in the ways of consecrated service. The
revival which brought the three thousand at Jerusalem to
acknowledge Jesus Christ as the true jNIessiah involved a
very different intellectual and spiritual process from tliat
which is described as conversion in modern evangelical
cliurches. It is not, therefore, legitimate to argue fiom
Pentecost to a modern revival of religion. The two
events are not of tlie same nature. And it is doubtful
whether any close analogies can l)e found in IJiblical liis-
tory for that which is l)est known, in modern Christen-
dom, as a revival.
Tliis is not, liowcvcr, decisive as against tlie modern
revival. The Chui-ch lias developed many new methods ;
life will create its own forms; the anxiety of the apologists
to trace all good institutions back to apostolic or patri-
archal models is quite su})erflu()us. The modern revival
may not have been known to Ilezekiah or Ezra, to Peter
or Paul, and may still be a very good thing. The ques-
KEVIVALS AND KKVIVALISM 381
tioii is not whether it is okl, but whether it is good. And,
to x^it the case more precisely, the real question is whether
the Church should mainly depend for its growth upon
revival methods, or upon the method of instruction and
nurture. In his treatise on Christian Nurture Dr. Bushnell
thus states the case : —
'' There are two principal modes by which the kingdom
of God among men may be, and is to be extended. One
is by the process of conversion, and the other by that of
family propagation; one by gaining over to tlie side of
faith and piety, the other by the populating force of faith
and piety tliemselves. The former is the grand idea that
has taken possession of the churches of our times, — they
are going to convert the world. They have taken hold of
the promise, wdiich so many of the prophets have given
out, of a time when the reign of Christ shall be universal,
extending to all nations and peoples ; and the expectation
is that, by preaching Christ to all the nations, they will
finally convert them and bring them over into the gospel
fold. Meantime very much less, or almost nothing, is
made of the other method, viz., that of Cliristian popu-
lation. Indeed, as we are now looking at religion, or
religious character and experience, we can hardly find a
place for any such thought as a possible reproduction thus
of parental character and grace in children. They must
come in by choice, on their own account; tlicy must be
converted over from an outside life that lias grown to
maturity in sin. Arc thoy not individuals? and how are
they to be initiated into any good l)y inlieritance and before
choice? It is as if they were all so nuiiiy Melchisedocs in
their religious nature, only not righteous at all, — without
father, without mother, without descent. Descent brings
them nothing. liorn ol" faith, and l)()Somed in it, and
nurtured by it, still there is yet to Im- no I'aitli begotten in
thein. nor so much as a cnntngion even of faith to be
cau^lil ill llicir ,L;;ir!ncnts. \\'li;il 1 pi'opose, at thr present
time, is to restore, if i)ossible, a juster impression of this
great suljject; to show that conversion over to the Chuich
is not the only way of increase; that (iod ordains a law of
382 CHKISTIAX PASTOK AND WOlMvING CHUltCH
l^opulution in it as truly as lie does in an earthly kingdom,
or colony, and by this increase from within, quite as much
as by conversion from Avithout, designs to give it, finally,
the complete dominion promised. "^
In the book from which these words are taken, this
great teacher sought to turn the thought of the Church
away from her almost exclusive trust in revivalistic
methods, which, as it seemed to him, were greatly weaken-
ing her life, toward the less demonstrative ways of Chris-
tian education, not only in the Church, but also and more
especially in the home. The fact was pointed out that the
Church, in many of its branches, had come to rely, almost
wholly, on the revival system, for the replenishment of its
membership and the invigoration of its life. Additions
to its numbers, except as the fruit of revivals, there were,
in these denominations, almost none: between these peri-
odic awakenings the stream of its activities flowed slug-
gishly: the converting grace was onl}' looked for in the
revival season. Uliis complete reliance u})()n revivalism
had led to the practical abandonment of the quieter
methods. Children were trained for Christian discipleship
neitlier in the Church nor in the home, nor was it expected
that they would be quietly led into the ways of Christian
service : they were to be swept into the Church on some
flood of excitement in the time of a revival. The manner
in Avhich the conduct of Christian parents is affected by
this expectation is described by Dr. Bushnell: —
" They Ijelieve in what are called revivals of religion,
and have a great opinion of them as l)eing, in a very
special sense, tlie converting times of the gospel. They
l)ring uj) tlieir (■hil(b'('ii, therefore, not for cnDvcrsion
exactly, l)ut, what is less dogmatic and formal, for the
converting times. An<l this they think is even more
evangelical and s|iiiitnal Ix'cansr it is more practical;
though, in (act, nuuh looser, and connected conunonly
with even greater defections In mi pai'ental duty and lidel-
ity. To bring u]> a family for revivals of religion reqnires,
alas! about the smallest possible amount of consistency
1 Christian Nurture, pp. 195-197.
IlEVn'ALS AND REVIVALISM 383
and Cliiistiaii assiduit}'. Xo matter what opiiiiuii ma}- be
] leld of such times, or of their inherent value and propriety
as pertaining to the genuine economy of the gospel, any
one can see that Christian parents may very easily roll oft"
a great part of their responsibilities, and comfort them-
selves in utter vanity and worldliness of life, by just hold-
ing it ..s a principal hope for their children, that they are
to be finally taken up and rescued from sin by revivals of
religion. As it costs much to be steadily and uniformly
spiritual, how agreeable the hope that gales of the Spirit
will come to make amends for their conscious defections!
If they do not maintain the unworldly and heavenly spirit,
so as to make it the element of life in their house, God
A\ill some time have his day of power in the connnunity,
and they piously hope that their children will then be con-
verted to Christ. So they fall into a key of expectation
that permits, for the present, modes of life and conduct
which they cannot quite approve. Tliey go after the
world with an eagerness which they expect by and by to
clieck, or possiljly, for the time, to repent of. The family
prayers grow cold and formal, and are often intermitted.
The tempers are earthly, coarse, violent. Discipline is
ministered in anger, not in love. The children are lec-
tured, scolded, scorched by fiery words. The plans are all
for money, show, position, not for the more sacred and
higher interests ot character. The conversation is unchaii-
tal)le, harsh, malignant, an effusion of spleen, a tirade, a
taking down of supposed worth and character by low
imputations and carping criticisms. In this kind of ele-
ment the children are to have their growth and nurture,
1)ut the parents j)iously hope that tliere will sonic time be
a revival of religion, and tliat so God will mercifully make
u]) what they conceive to be only the natural innrniity <•!'
their lives. Finally the hoped-for day arrives, and theiv
begins to be a remarkable and strange piety in the honsc.
The father chokes almost in his ])rayer, showin'_r llial lie
really prays with a meaning: T]|{> mollicr, conscions that
tilings have not been going righlly willi the .•liildicn, and
seeing many rrigiitrnl signs of their crrtain ruin at liand.
384 CHEISTIAX TASTor. AND WOKKIXG CHUKCII
warns tliciii, even weeping, of the impending dangers by
which she is so greatly distressed on their account; add-
ing also bitter confessions of fault in herself. The chil-
dren stare, of course, not knowing what strange thing has
come ! They cannot be unaffected ; perhaps they seem to
be converted, perhaps not. In many cases it makes little
difference which ; for if all this new piety in the house is
to burn out in a few days, and the old regimen of worldli-
ness and sin to return, it will be wonderful if they are not
converted back again to be only just as neglectful, in the
matter of Christian living, as they were brought up to be.
Any scheme of nurture that brings up children thus for
revivals of religion is a virtual abuse and cruelty. And it
is none the less cruel that some pious-looking pretexts are
cunningly blended with it. Instead of that steady, forma-
tive, new- creating power that ought to be exerted by holi-
ness in the house, it looks to campaigns of force that really
dispense with holiness, and it results that all the best ends
of Christian nurture are practically lost."^
It must be admitted that this picture is quite too real-
istic; and that, under the prevalence of the revival system,
the normal methods of Christian nurture have been sadly
neglected, both in the Church and in the home. The
eft'ect, both upon the Church and upon the home, of this
too exclusive reliance upon the revival system, has un-
doul)tedly been disastrous. The life of many of tlie
churches has thus come to be a constant succession of
floods and droughts, of chills and fever. Between stagna-
tion and excitement they are all the while vibrating.
Sometimes tliey are on the heights of religious faith and
fervor; oftener they are in the depths of discouragement
and fruitlcssness. The influence affecting them appears
to 1k' malarial. The periodicity of lieats and rigors is not
a sign of licaltli.
Yet this is the state of things for wliicli, in many
churches, systematic provision is made. It seems to be
expected that the churcli will either be on the heights or
in the depths. There is a certain time of year when it is
1 Pages 77-79.
KKVIVALS AM) liF.Nl VALISM 385
on tlie pinnacle of emotional excitement, — when its assem-
l)lie.s are scenes of the most boisterous enthusiasm; Avhen
the cries and shouts and passionate appeals of its wor-
shippers evince a perfervid zeal; and there are other times
— much more extended and continuous, it must be admitted
— w hen tlie flame of holy love burns low in the candle-
stick ; when there is only a small attendance upon public
A\orship ; when the earnestness of prayer and exhortation
a[)pears to be simulated or forced rather than spontaneous,
— -pumped up, as it were, out of a dry well; and when the
most frequent word of the prayer-room is a word of cen-
sure or complaint because of the coldness of the times.
These reactions are part of the history of a good many
Christian churches, — indeed they may be said to consti-
tute their history. It is easy to see that the one of these
conditions is the natural consequence of the other. It is
no more strange nor unaccountable than sleep folloA\'ing
nmscular exhaustion, or low tide following high tide.
Just as long as men live in bodies and in their present
environment so long will abnormal excitement on any sub-
ject be followed by unwonted indifference to that subject ;
and excessive exertion on behalf of it give place to undue
nejilect. The law of stimulants is well known. When
any organism is whipped up to unnatural activit}-, it Mill
inevital)ly flag wlien the goad ceases to be applied. This
law liolds good of a religious society as well as of a
human body.
When the drunkard is in llic depression following liis
d('l)auch, he is not apt to seek the right remedy. If lie
wouhl cf)ntent liimself with nonrisliing and stimuhiting
food and soothing potions ly ^\hi(•h he might gradually
regain steadiness of nerve and strength of body, it would
be well with him. But this he does not choose to do.
To regain the safi' levels of sobriety and he;dlli is not
what occurs to liim ; he wants to go l)iud< tn those giddy
heights of inehiiated hilai'ity from which he plunged into
this ah\ss. lie will rctiiiii to his cups. 'I'hal is his
notion of the proper reuied\' lor his disiuid condilioii.
And there is something very like unto this in the expi li-
38G CHKISTLiN PASTOR AND WORKING CHUKCH
ence of some of our churches. During the long period
when the church is in the depths, and the air of the
prayer-meeting is full of jeremiades, and the mourners are
going about the streets, there is not much thought of try-
ino' to rise to a condition of moderate activity, a condition
that can be sustained; of taking a pace that can be held,
and holding it; the only thought is of climbing to the
heights again, — of getting another start in that break-neck
gait which nuist end in collapse and prostration.
So long as the churches of this country are subject to
malarial influences of this kind, their usefulness will be
limited. It is highly desirable that a conception of the
religious life which is much less hysterical and emotional
should prevail in many sections of the Church.
Doubtless, these churches may often feel that their life
is far less vigorous and fruitful than it ought to be. If
they are not in the depths, they know that the}' are far
below the level of earnest fidelity and consecrated zeal on
which they ought to be living. How to get out of their
present low condition into a safer and healthier and hap-
pier one is a prol)leni that often confronts them. They
ought not be content to stay where they are; if their faith
is feeble and their life is low and their gains are few, they
ought to bestir themselves: but how shall they esca])('.
and whither? A man who awakes in the morning and
finds the mercury in his house down to freezing point,
does not wish to live in this temperature; he cannot. But
what shall he do to raise it? lie might set the house on
fire: that would accomplish the result, but it might not be
the best way. Another way would l)e to build good fii-cs
in the fire-places and keep them burning steadily. Prob-
ably that would make the house comfortable after a little.
This metliod might not l)e so expeditions or so exciting
as tlie other, but on the whole it would l»e more judicious.
iVnd it would seeiu tliat there must be a lu'tter melliod of
delivering a chureli from a C(^ndition of low temjx'ra-
ture than l)y ajjplying to it the torcli of liigli-pressurc;
revivalism.
But iKjt oidy is the life of (lie Cliureli unliealtliil}- affected
REVIVALS AND ItEVIVALTSM 387
by a too exclusive reliance upon tlie revivalistic methods,
there is also, as has been suggested, a serious loss in the
neglect of those quieter methods of nurture and training,
out of Avhifh such important gains might come. That
cha})ter of Dr. IjushnelFs from M^liich quotations have
already been made is entitled " The (Jut-Populating
Power of the Christian Stock." His argument is that if
the Church simply Jiolds its own^ its growth will be rapid,
even phenomenal. If the children of Christian families
are kept in the Church and trained for efficient service, if
the organic life of the Church is as vigorous as it ought to
be, its own law of natural increase will speedily put it in
possession of the world.
" In this view it is to be expected, as the life of Chris-
tian piety becomes more extended in the earth, and the
spirit of God obtains a living power, in the successive
generations, more and more complete, that finally the race
itself will be so thoroughly regenerated as to have a genu-
inely populating power in faith and godliness. By a kind
of ante-natal and post-natal nurture combined, the new-
Ijorn generations will be started into Christian piety, and
the world itself over-populated and taken possession of
by a truly sanctified stock. This I conceive to be the
expectation of Christianity. Not that the bad heritage of
depravity will cease, but that the second Adam will get
into power with the first, and be entered seminally into
tlie same great process of propagated life. And this ful-
fils that primal desire of the world's Creator and Fatlier,
of Avliicli the prophet speaks — ' That he might liave a
godly seed.' "^ .
It may be objected that ]»i('ty is ;i niattei- of iii(H\i(bial
ciioice. Tlie answer is that the same is true of sin.
"Many of us have no diflicnlty in saying that mankind arc
hi 'III sinners. They may just as truly and prupcily be
l>()i-n saints — it requires the self-active power to be just as
far developed to commit sin as it does to choose oltedi-
ence."- The organic tendency (o lioliness may be as j)osi-
tive as the organic tcndenry to evil. An<l the Scri])tures
^ C/irixtiim Nurlnie, ]i. tiO.'i. - ////</, p. 197.
388 CHRISTIAN PASTOK AND AVOIIKING CHFRCH
everywhere assume that this mighty force of heredity will
be employed by the Church iu trausmitting the forces of
righteousness. It is needful, indeed, that the Church and
the Christian home shall be ready to take the children,
thus predisposed to the acceptance of Christ, and give
them a godly nurture, surrounding them Avith the influ-
ences which shall cherish and not extinguish the o-ood
tendencies which they have inherited, and lead them
toward the voluntary choice- of Christ and his service.
This expectation rests upon the doctrine of the Immanent
Christ. " What higher ground of supernaturalism can be
taken," demands this prophet, "than that which supposes
a capacity in the Incarnate Word and sanctified Spirit to
penetrate our fallen nature, at a point so deep as to cover
the whole spread of tlie fall, and be a grace of life, travel-
ling outward from the earliest, most latent germs of our
human development."^ If the saving grace of God does
enter thus into the very sources of our life, and is to be
found working there to regenerate and sanctify, there is
surely great hope for us, when we seek to work out our
own salvation, and to guide the children conuiiittcd to
our charge into tlie ways of life. The Church thus sanc-
tified in its life and entering with intelligent purpose into
the great plans of God for its redemption would becoinc
"the great populating motherhood of the world. ""-
The manner in which this may come to pass is outlined
in a luminous passage of the volume under our considera-
tion. In a regenerated society the tides of health and
physical vigor will be stronger than elsewhere. The
debilitating effects of vice and extravagance will be
minimized, and the energies of life will be reinforced.
Plivsical vigor will give the mastery of the i)hysical con-
ditions of life, and "the wealth accruing is power in every
direction, power in prodnetion, enteri)i'ist', edncation,
colonization, iiillnence, and consequent popular increase/'-'
Tntelleetnal development is the natui-al frnit of such con-
ditions; for (lie great tlioiiglils of (iod wliicli llic ( 'liristiun
1 Cliri.tlian Nnrttirr, p. 20.'j.
2 /6;V/., p. 206. " Ihnl.,l>. 211.
REVIVALS AND KKVIVALISM 389
fiiith makes familiar not only purify the heart but stimu-
late the reasoning- powers and give wings to the imagina-
tion. Thns the great fact of the expansion of Christendom,
to which reference was made in a former chapter, is seen
to ])c the natural outcome of the principle of life which
Christianity communicates. It is in the nature of the
leaven to leaven the whole lump. " These great popula-
tions of Christendom, wiiat are they doing but throwing
out their colonies on every side, and populating themselves,
if I may so speak, into the possession of all countries and
climes? By this doom of increase, the stone that was cut
out without liautls shows itself to be a very peculiar stone,
namely, a growing stone, that is fast becoming a great
mountain, and preparing, as the vision shows, to fill the
wliolt' earth." ^
This does not mean that we have no evangelistic work
to do ; it only means that we are not to luider-estimate the
natural fruits of Christian nurture, and the gains that
must come to us from simply recognizing the normal law
of increase. In a high and true sense we may expect to
see the principle of natural selection working to secure
tlie triumpli of Christianity. That, in fact, is what we do
see, in the marvellous progress of Christian civilization.
If the significance of these great truths could only be
ajjprehended Ijy the churches, it is probable that we should
see some wonderful gains in the next century. If the
churches were all to put their chief reliance on methods
less dramatic and spectacular, Imt more in harmony with
;ill tlio great economies of nature, there is reason to
believe that such an accession of strength would come to
tlu'ui as would make the promise of the speedy triumph of
tlie kingdom far easier to believe.
It will l)e said, however, that the revival system is so
ihoroughly intrenched in the churches which have employed
it that it will be next to impossible to sup[)lant it. More-
over, it will l)e urged, it is even securing a sliong footing
in some of the sacerdotal churches: the llii^h Anglicans
an' resorting to "missions," and the Taulist l''athers among
1 Clirlstiaii \iiitiiK , {). Iil3.
390 (JHEISTIAN PASTOR AND WOEKING CHUECII
the Roman Catholics undertake a service not dissimilar
to that of the travelling evangelists of the Protestant
churches. All these things show, it will he argued, that
revival measures meet a recognized need of the Church,
and that some provision must be made for work of this
kind in connection with the churches. If the Church
must cherish and nurture its own children, it has also a
message for those who are without its pale. Its connnis-
sion is " 6'o and preach!" Not only to those of its own
household, but to those who are in the highways and hedges
it is sent, with the good tidings. It nuist be not only a
teaching but a converting Church. And in order that it
may do this work efficiently, it must learn how to concen-
trate its energies upon it, and to marshal in forces for its
accomplishment.
In all this is truth which must not be forgotten. The
work that is done through what are known as revival
measures is work that cannot be left undone. The two
kinds of activity which we are considering must go on
together. The question before us is really one of propor-
tion. The converting agencies cannot be neglected; the
question is whether they shall have the relative importance
now often given to them, and whether the work of church
and household nurture sliould not have the highest place.
Is the church which makes the latter a secondary interest
likely to preserve its spiritual health? The Anglican
churches, which have long relied almost exclusively upon
the intensive method, have lately been constrained to take
up the work of the "missioner," and to organize a vigorous
campaign of evangelization. They have felt the deficiency
of tlieir inethod, and are seeking to su])ply it. Would
not the same wisdom compel the churclies whicli liiive
been resting Avholly on tlie revival system to revise their
programme and devote themselves with equal zeal to the
work of teacliing and training?
The idea wliicli underlies revivalism is that of a certain
fluctuation in the movements of spiritual iniluence. It is
supposed tliat the converting grace of God is sometimes
present in the conununity in far greater fulness than at
ItEVrVALS AND IlEVIVALISM 391
other times; that he is sometimes ready and sometimes
reluctant to aid us in our efforts to bring men to a knowl-
edge of the truth. Concerning all this we hear many
statements which evince crude notions of the divine s'ood-
ness. It is necessary for the faithful pastor to disabuse
the minds of his people of such quaint superstitions. Let
him not hesitate to preach, with all positiveness, the doc-
trine of the divine omnipresence. And let him make it
clear that omnipresence is a spiritual fact not less than a
physical fact. That God's power is everywhere in Nature
men easily believe; but it is more difficult for some to
comprehend that as a Spirit he is no less pervasive and
constant in his operations. They would never think of
praying that God would come to the scene of their daily
labor and give cohesion to the particles of matter or
chemical affinity to its atoms, or actinic force to the Tajs
of the sun ; they would never be heard lamenting that the
law of gravitation had ceased to operate in the city of
their residence, or praying that the power of God, as
manifested in gravitation, might be displayed in their
neighborhood as Avonderfully as it had been displayed in
other neighborhoods: yet they do often lament that the
spiritual influences of God have departed, and pray that
they may l)e restored. It might be supposed that no such
conception could occupy the minds of Christian disciples,
but it will be found that notions of this kind do prevail to
a consideialjle extent. To remove this misconception is
part of the duty of the Christian teacher. He must make
it clear that no such literal separation of God's spirit from
man can be conceived of. It can be no more true that his
spirit is withdrawn from human lives, than that his ])()\vt'r
is withdrawn from the natural systems by which our
])odies are sustained. God is not less constant in his
ministrations to the souls of men than to llicir Ixxlies.
The doctrine i>f his oiiiiiijiresence is sadly mutihitcd wlicn
we make it ap|il\' <uil\ to physical natui'o and cxcIikIc it
from the s]»ii-itual wiuM.
When, Ihcrcfori', we hc;ir the |)i(>]ili('( saying, "Si'i'lv yv
the Loi'd whik; he may bi" fouixl, call ye upon him while
392 CHllISTIAN PASTOll AND WUliKiNG CHUltCH
he is near," ^ we must be ready at once to admit that tliese
words are not to he taken as literal statements of his
relation to us. Yet there is a truth of experience to which
these words conform. Like many other words of Scripture
and of common speech, they put the subjective for the
objective. We speak of a room as cheerful, meaning that
we are cheerful while we occuj^y it. We talk of a dizzy
height, attributing to the place our sensations. And thus
it often happens that, so far as our consciousness is con-
cerned, God is nearer to us at some times than at other
times.
There may be various reasons for this. The environ-
ment, the spiritual atmosphere, may be clearer at some
times than at others. The hills of tlie distant horizon
seem much nearer on one day than on another. Some-
times clouds hide them from our sight: sometimes in the
autumn liaze they are very dim; we can hardly tell
whether they are mountains or clouds : sometimes in the
clear air of a winter morning they appear to draw near:
we can almost individualize the trees in the horizon line.
It is undeniable that our personal experience of the divine
presence is subject to variations not unlike these. There
are hours and days when our sense of his existence and
of our relation to him is comparatively dim and unreal :
and there are hours and days when the thought of him
impresses us, and Avhen all tilings remind us ol" liim.
This is not because he is really nearer at one time lluiii
at another, but because something in ourselves or in our
surroundings renders communication with liim more
direct at some times than at others. The oarlli is nearer
to the; sun \\lien it is winter in the northern li('niis[)liere
than when it is sununer, Init it seems farther oil', because
tlie rays of the sun strike it obliquely in tlie winter and
directly in the sunnner. And in like ni;iinier (here ;ire
times when the plane ot our lives is turned away from tlie
Sun of Jxighteousness, so that wc do not receive the direct
rays (jf Ids liglil and love; and other times when our li\'es
are turned toward him and onr atmospiiere is as Inll of his
1 l.-.i. ]\ . c.
KKVIVALS AND ilKVlVALIS.M 393
inflneneo as is the air in June of the sun's life-giving
1 tower. It is very important that we shoukl know that
these vicissitudes in our experience are not due to any
Utfuhiess of the Giver of all good: with him "there can
he no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning." ^
JJut it is also reasonable that we should make the most of
the flood-tides of our experience. If, in some hours or
seasons, we are more conscious than at others of the
presence of the divine influence in our lives, it is then
that we should press into the audience chamber and make
known to him our requests.
Sometimes the social conditions are such that there is
unusual readiness on the part of those not known as dis-
ciples to consider the claims of (Jod upon their lives. It
is not necessary to enter into any discussion of the causes
which produce these social conditions. Doubtless they
are nuich less recondite than they are sometimes supposed
to Ijc. But no matter what may be the causes, the effects
are notable, and they ought to be wisely used. The sun
is no ]iearer in June than in December, but June and not
January is harvest time.
"Seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord "^
will come, therefore, to every faithful church. It will not
be true of any church which sets before itself the true
ideal of life and work that its activities will always move
upon one dead level. While it goes about its work cheer-
fully and patiently, seasons of unwonted interest and
enjoyment will supervene; truth will l>e borne in upon
the minds of disciples with unwonted ])ower; they Avill
feel new delight in their devotions and new zeal in their
labors: their hearts will burn within them as they joiiiiit y
in the common paths of daily exj)erience and the (piiekeii-
iiig influence of the divine Spirit will l)e felt in all their
asseml)lies. Such times of icl'nshing do come to ;il!
faithful companies of Cliristian laborers; tiiere are hours
when the Kingdom of (iod seems to l)e very near to them.
Such visitations ;is these, which occur to those who ;ire
patiently doing their Masl(;r"s wdri<, (hiTer wi(h'ly i'roni llie
' Jatncs i. 17. - Acis iii. ID.
394 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND "WORKING CHURCH
custoni-inado excitements into wliicli some disciples are
wont periodically to lash themselves. "WHien they come
we may well regard them as seasons for renewing onr
vigilance and increasing onr diligence. TIow to use such
seasons wisely, when they come, is one of the practical
questions that test the judgment of the Christian minister.
"The church," says a wise pastor, "should welcome these
j)eriodic revival occasions when they come naturally, as
affording it a special opportunity for its proper work.
Sometimes, indeed, these occasions have been abused by
ignorant and unwise leaders. Sometimes they have used
exaggerated statements of doctrines or gross sensationalism
to stampede men into the kingdom of heaven under a
panic of fear or through the common impulse of the crowd.
The result is an explosion of passional excitement rather
than a genuine arousing of the religious nature. And the
reaction that follows such a spurious work brings a deep
distaste for religion and a greater unwillingness to listen
to its appeals and engage in its duties. We need to be on
our guard against any such misuse of the opportunity. " ^
As a rule it will be well, when such tides of religious
feeling sweep through the congregation, to keep tlie ordi-
nary activities of the church moving steadily forward,
without any great change in methods. Some greater
frequency of public services may be advisable, but even
here moderation is wise. It is not good to permit the
impression to obtain that this new earnestness is the effect
of some special measures employed, or inseparable from
them. It ought to be evident that the heightened relig-
ious feeling can find ample expression in the ordinary
services of the church, and in the common round of daily
duties. In liis work on tlie ThvDrij of Piraehinf/, Professor
Austin Plielps gives useful counsel on this subject:
"The tendency of [)opular religious excitement to iikm Ind
giowtlis is ])ro])(ii"ti(>ncd to tlie iiisignilicance (tf the execu-
tive aclioii to wliicli it is dii'ectcd. Neither nalui'c nor
grace in uoiinal action fosters ])rofound agitations of con-
science about petty things. Make such things the centre
1 Kev. C. II. Kichards, iu Parish Problems, pp. 312, 313.
REVIVALS AND REVIVALISM 395
of intense convictions of conscience, and you inevitably
create religious distortions. The prick of a needle in the
spinal marrow may make a child a hunchback for life. So
let an awakened conscience be penetrated deeply concern-
ing action which is not significant of character, and its
working becomes diseased. The penetration results in
ulceration. Therefore it is always the aim of a wise
preacher in a revival to guide the current, and, still more
carefully, a torrent of quickened emotion, as soon as pos-
sible into the even tenor of life's ordinary duties. The
specialty of a revival of religion in itself is not a desirable
thing. The sooner it ceases to be exceptional, and flows
into life's common channel of interests, the better. Relig-
ious excitement has no value any further than it can be
utilized in the sanctifying of common life. All conver-
sions, until they receive the test of real life, are of the
nature of death-bed repentance in this respect, that they
have not been subjected to the divinely appointed disci-
pline of religious character. Hence it is seldom, if ever,
wise to suspend for any long time the common routine of
life, because of the presence of the Holy Ghost in regener-
ating power. We can devise no better means of moral
discipline. We dislocate the divine plan, if we displace
that in the attempt to improve upon it."^
Professor Phelps calls attention also to the fact that the
machinery of the revival, — the anxious seat, the iiupiir}'
meeting, the rising for prayer, the public confession, the
street singing, are apt to absorb the popular thought. Fen-
til is reason it is highly important that special instrumen-
talities of all sorts be sparingly employed. The tendency
is strong to identify the s])iritual influences with the
methods used in giving them effect. Tin; sat'ramentalism
which attributes spiritual effects to physical i-auses is not
(•(lutined to tlie sacerdotal systems. Precisely the sanie
iliiiig \\i(Irl\- ]»reviiils in the churches which depend on the
icviviil sNstciii. The us(^ of certiiin expe<lieiils cdines (o be
regarded as iiidispeiisahU' lo the action nf ilie ei)ii\ citing
grace of (iotl. Intelligent pastors have testilied llial the
^ Tagu 553.
306 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHrRCH
piety of a candidate for membersliip in their cliurches was
greatly discredited in the opinion of the church if he did
not come in l)y way of tlie " anxious seat " or the " mourner's
bencli." To go through these particular motions seems to
many disciples almost the sine qua non of conversion.
The outward act is in their minds as much an opus oijeratum
as is the administration of the sacrament in the mind of a
Roman Catholic. When things have come to this pass
the abolition of the usage is the only way of safety. A
distinguished American revivalist of a former generation,
the Rev. Dr. Kirk, speaks thus of the evils which may
spring from emphasizing mere methods : —
"Inquirers easily substitute the mechanical act for the
spiritual step that leads to the Saviour. I have known
leaders to become so earnest in urging to this bodily
exercise, that it seemed to me certain that some of those
thus urged would lose sight of the spiritual objects which
are the only real magnet to draw the life into new chan-
nels, while their attention was engrossed with the outAA'ard.
And when they 3-ield to this urgency there is some danger
they may sul)stitute the outward act for the faith whicli
saves, depending on the measure instead of Christ. The
leader is often placed in a verj^ undesirable position. He
has undertaken a public contest with tlie inquirers; and I
have seen one become angry because he was foiled in it.
This can be avoided, however, l)y simply making the
offer, and not undertaking to urge the step. Tlie inquirer
sometimes is hardened by his resistance to tlic minister;
so that he more easily resists the Spirit of (iod. His
success in the contest with (iod's servant einljohU'ns liim.
The attention of the Churcli ])ecomes diverted from the
mercy -seat, to watdi the success of this measuie, witli
mixed emotions of true zeal, curiosity, and a j»arly
spirit. " '
The first condition of healthy growth in a season of this
kind is entire freedom fi-om all tliese nieelianieal devices.
"Where tlie Spirit of the Lord i>. iliere is liberty." Ste-
reotyped methods arc not the sign of liis pi'csence. His
^ The Siijii rniiliiidl Ftictor in Jltrinils, ]> 109.
KKVIVALS AND KKVIVALISM o'J?
manifestation will be as free and various as is the reve-
lation of the spirit of beauty in the natural world.
Whether the assistance of a professional evangelist
should be called in is a question on which wise pastors
differ. The fresh voice and the new way of presenting
the truth are sometimes effectual: undoubtedly the evan-
gelist may reach some whom the pastor has failed to
influence. There are evangelists so sane and prudent
tliat they might be safely trusted in any congregation.
lUit, as a rule, it is better for the pastor to keep the work
in his own hands. Tlie different methods of presentation
nniy be helpful to some, but they will be distracting to
others, and doctrinal dilliculties are often suggested b}' the
homiletical divergence of the evangelist from the pastor.
There are few evangelists who do not introduce more or
less of revivalistic machinery; and the increase of this is
always to be deprecated. The presence of the evangelist
is itself something exceptional : the tendency will be strong
to identify the unusual interest with him, and to imagine
that when he departs the work is at an end. On the
whole, therefore, the results are apt to be better if the
pastor goes quietly forward with his work, making no
more changes than he must in the ordinar}* appointments
of the church, and turning the rising current of faith and
love into the regular channels of church service. The
only purpose of such a revival, so far as the church is
concerned, is to replenish all its normal activities.
In services which ai'c chiclly intended for the conver-
sion of men, it is usually assumed tliat some method
sliould b(; employed to secure the decision of those to
wlioiii tlie invitation of the gospel is addressed, and to
obtain the confessicm of their purj)Ose to begin the life of a
disei[»le. Tlu; duty of some [jublic i'X])ression of this
pur[)ose is often enforced by our Lord ami liis ajiosths:
and it seems rational tliat sonu^ way should be devised of
ascei'taiuing whether tliose who hear the api)cal of the
])rea(li(i' are inclined to icspond to it. 'Iliere is sometimes
a sinL;nlar lack of detiniteness and |Macticality in our
evanu'elistic elToits: we lire into the Hock and make no
398 CIIUISTIAN TAHTOE, AKD WORKING CHURCIT
effort to ascertain whether any shot has taken effect. In
special evangelistic services an attempt is made to supply
this deficiency. Sometimes those who are inclined to
accept the gospel offer are asked to stand up in the con-
gregation, or to raise their hands: sometimes they are
invited to remain, after the public service, for conversa-
tion with the minister: sometimes, as we have seen, they
are called forward to kneel at the altar of the church.
No. method can be prescribed for the accomplishment of
this purpose, and it is not necessary that any of those
ordinarily employed should be unqualifiedly condemned.
The character of the congregation appealed to, and the
usage of the church will largely determine the method.
One or tAvo cautions are needful. The appeal should
never be made in such a way as to embarrass those who
for any reason may not wish to respond to it, or to put
them in a false position. When a minister asks all who
are already Christians to rise and remain standing, and
then asks those who wisli to become Christians to rise with
them, attention is sharply called to the few who remain
sitting. They are put in the attitude of saying that they
do not wish to become the disciples of Christ. This may
not at all represent their real feeling. They simply do
not wish to express their desire publicly; and they may
have good reasons for this hesitation. Any method of
calling for public expression which embarrasses those who
do not answer to the call is always to be avoided. It is
better to say, " If there are any who would like to make
known their desire to be Christians, let them rise."
Tlierc are always some who are touched l)y the ai)poal
and inclined to commit themselves, but who shrink at the
outset from any such public proclamation of their ])nrp()se
as is involved in standing u}) in the congregation. Some
zealous evangelists insist that such scruples should not he
respected, and that those who cannot acce])t this imitation
are not to be regarded as sincere in tlunr purpose. But
he who does not quench tlic smoking flax is ready to
recognize the most timid and halting resolution. And it
is well, if such confessions are called for, to i)rovide some
REVIVALS AM) llEVIVALTS^I 399
means l)y ^^'llicll every one who desires to do so may
signify his wish to begin a better life. A simple device is
the distriljution of plain cards to all memljcrs of the con-
gregation. The cards may be handed to them as they
come in. At the close of the service, the minister may
ask all those who are present to write their names upon
the cards : those who are alread}' members of tlie church
to signify that fact by a cross under the name ; those w'ho
are not, but wdio are willing to enter the w^ay of the dis-
ciple, to write under the name the w^ord "Yes," — adding
their address if they would like to receive a call from him.
Upon the cards thus collected he may find the names of
some who have accepted the gospel invitation and with
whom he may put himself in communication. All this
is done with the utmost decorum ; there is no invasion of
any personality; there is no excitement; the choice is
([uietly made and registered and the first step is taken in
the Christian way.
The pastor should also invite any who may wish to
s})eak with him to tarry after the service: and he will do
well to appoint an hour during the day when those who
desire conversation with him may call upon him.
Iles[)ecting all these matters of detail it must be said,
however, that they must never be stereotyped, and that
the pastor must exercise his own judgment freely in adapt-
ing liis methods to the needs of his congregation.
It has l)een assumed, in tliis discussion, that ''times of
refresliing " Avonld come to the faithful church; and tliat
it is the duty of the church to expect them, and be ready
to make the most of them wlien they come, but not to
attempt, l)y any artificial means, to work them u\). I)Ul
may it not be well to devote certain ])ortions of every year
to special services? Tlie Koman Catholic and vVngHcan
cliiirclics ()l)serve the Lenten season in this maniier; there
ail! then daily services in tlio clnwches, social engage-
ments arc fewer than is usiiiil, and the interests of the
ivligious life are made tlu; uppermost subject of thouglit.
Is not this observance, on the wlioh'. a sahitary one? Is
it not well to concentrate our tlioimlit and dcsiic. in this
400 CHRISTIAN TASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
manner, upon the things that so deeply concern onr peace?
Might not all the churches appropriately choose this
season, or some portion of it, for daily service? There
seems to be some tendency in this direction, and it may
well be encouraged. A period favorable to special relig-
ious services, says an experienced pastor, "is the Lenten
season, when abstention from gayety and pleasure on the
part of a large portion of the Christians would induce
social quiet and thoughtfulness, which is peculiarly suited
to the introduction of religious themes. The attention of
men is more readily arrested then : there are fewer diver-
sions to distract their thoughts when once turned to these
momentous questions, and the sacred and touching events
in the life of our Saviour which are associated with the
observance of this season make it a particularly fitting and
impressive time for evangelistic meetings. The veiy days
speak of penitence, of consecration, and of grateful devo-
tion to Christ."^ If such meetings should result in the
deepening of the life of the church, conversions would
surely be the fruit of them.
^ IJev. Cliailcs H. Rii-lumls, in Parish Problems, ]>. 314.
CHAPTER XVIII
THE INSTITUTIONAL CHUIICH
The adjective wliicli stands at the head of this chapter
is neither apt nor convenient ; its significance does not
appear ; bnt it lias been applied to a type of religious organ-
ization which is becoming frequent, and there seems to be
no other term to take its place. The church which is
described as " institutional " is one which adds to the ordi-
nary features of church life a number of appliances not
commonly regarded as ecclesiastical, — such as gymnasia,
reading rooms, amusement rooms, and class rooms for in-
struction in science or literature or music or art or useful
industries. The distinction is not easily applied, for many
churches that do not claim the name have some such fea-
tures in their woi'k : indeed there are few vigorous
churches in the larger towns and cities which do not
employ some of the methods indicated above. It is true,
however, that quite a nund)er of churches in America have
recently made extensive provision for the introduction of
these methods ; and it is to those churches wliich put a
strong emphasis upon instrumentalities of this nature that
the term " institutif)nal '" is fainiliai-ly applied. " It relates,"
says one authority, " to that form of city mission work
which adds certain ap])liances to the ordinary functions of
the local church, that adapt the church work brtter to the
youth ol" the neighborhood and the families of working men.
The building is an evcrv-dny honsc. The work is social
and educational, and helpful to the pool': it is cHvcrting,
amusing, as well as keenly evangelistic. Its evening ser-
vices are so manipulated as to reach tlie classes to which
the church ministers. It is a church in which the versa-
20
•102 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
tility of the pastor and his associates, and their knack at
catching the crowd connt for more than in staid family
chnrches, where good preaching, systematic edification, and
certain routine pastoral activities are most in demand." ^
It must be said, however, that sensational preaching is
not a peculiarity of this type of church : churches which
admit no novelties of method are quite as apt to resort to
this. The pastors of the churches best known as " insti-
tutional " in the United States are not, as a rule, sensa-
tional preachers : most of them are as dignified and
decorous in their pulpit work as any one could desire.
A brief description of the kinds of work attempted by
these churches will bring the matter clearly into view.
The Berkeley Temple, of l^oston, under Congregational
auspices, was one of the first churches to undertake Avhat
is known as institutional work, and its methods are thus
described :
" It started out with the idea of evangelizing the non-
church-going community, rather than merely edifying the
habitual church-goer, and in place of the ordinary rou-
tine of parochial visitation, and occasional special services
to reach the impenitent, the pastoral force was to be first
of all evangelistic in its methods of work.
" The buikhng itself was made an open-door church,
witli daily ministrations ; a business house, in spiritual
business. The attention of non-churcli-going people was
attracted at once by popular lectures and concerts. By a
Dorcastry Superintendent, three liundred young women
were gathered, for whom reading rooms Avere opened, and
twenty evening classes. Young men's reading rooms,
gymnasium, lyceum work, and evening classes were opened,
a Boys' Brigade organized ; a sewing school and a kindci--
garten provided ; and thirty-seven gatherings, comprising
fi(tm eight to twelve thousand people every week, have
utilized the Berkeley Temple Iniilding. There is a relief
de])artment for the poor, rescue work I'oi- fallen A\-oinen,
and a tein))oranee guild of two huiulred reformed men.
'•Jt is in its new en-\ironment one of the most highly
^ 'J'riiniiji/is oft/ic Cross, \t. .Mo.
THE INSTITUTIONAL CHUKCH 403
organized and cflicieiit institutions ; fully armed at every
point, and intensely alive spiritually. In seven years the
church mem])t'rsliip has increased from three hundred to
more than a thousand.*' ^
Students from neighboring theological seminaries have
taken large part in the work of this church. With such
assistance it has been found possible to establish an " In-
stitute of Applied Christianity," with a well organized
teaching force and a regular course of study.
Grace Church, or The Temple, in Philadelphia, is a
Baptist institution of far larger ambitions. This church,
beginning in a small mission, in the outskirts of the city,
has taken on one kind of work after another until its scope
is now wider than that of any other similar organization.
The membership of the church is now about twenty-five
hundred, with regular congregations of from four to five
thousand, of whom many hundreds are devoting much of
their leisure time to charitable and evangelistic work.
( )ne striking outcome of this work is a college thus de-
scriljcd l)y the })astor :
" Beginning with seven young men who wished to study
for the ministry, these attracted others, and the new class
still others. Teachers were added as the need developed.
New studies were introduced, as demanded, until now a
full College Corporation, chartered by the State and inde-
pendent of the church, gives instruction directly and in-
directly to about thirty-iive hundred students. The courses
include a full college course, a college preparatory and
business courses, a professional course, a School of Christian
Jfcligion, a musical department, a sjjccial department in
practical instruction connected \vitli mechanics, houseliohl
science, and the useful arts. 'J'he new building just dedi-
cated, together with the halls in different parts of the city of
lMiilad('I])hia, have been so arranged as to take six thousand
students at the opening of the fall term. Tlicsc students
are from all classes of society, l)ut most largely t'loni llie
working classes, who would have no ojiportuuily to secure
such instruction unless permitted to study in their h\)HYc
' Triumjihs of the Cross, pp. 530, 537.
40-1 CHRISTIAN TASTOR AND AVORIONG CHURCH
hours and to go for recitation at the hours most convenient
for them, day or evening." ^
Another remarkable outgrowth of this work is the Hos-
pital, located in a neighborhood where no provision had
been made for the care of the sick. It began with four
beds, and the number has increased to twenty-one, now
housed with a dispensary in a building owned by the church.
These beds are usually full the year round with accident
cases ; sometimes the dispensary and the yard adjoining-
are crowded with afflicted persons waiting for medical or
surgical assistance. The church regards this part of its
work as only just begun, and looks for a larger building
and a work of medical visitation which shall cover the
entire city.
Of organizations connected with this church there are
mentioned seven Christian Endeavor Societies, the Bo^^s'
Brigade, the Young Women's Christian Association, the
Yomig Men's Association, the Business INIen's Union,
the Ladies' Aid Society, the College Athletic Associa-
tion, the Great Chorus, the King's Daughters and King's
Sons, the Gymnasium, the Sunday Schools, the Sanitarium,
the Society for furnishing work for the homeless poor, the
Home for Young Women, the Girls' Lamp and Lilies Bene-
volent Society, the Young Men's Congress, and the Literary
Societies. The seven reading rooms are said to be ovei-fnll
in the evenings. There are four assistant pastors besides
the dean of the college and the hospital cha})lain. Eighteen
deacons divide among them the parochial charities. Tlic
field covered by this single church of Jesus Christ is ex-
ceeding broad.
The Jersey City Tabernacle is located in a very unpiom-
ising section of that city. Tlie licensed saloons in tlic
vicinity inim1)cr about tliree hundred to the s(iuare mih',
and there arc unnumbered groceries wlicrc liquor is sohl,
and a full supply of houses of prostitution, pooling shojis
and gambling j)Iac('s. On one side of the T;d)c'rna( Ic, in
its immediate neighboihood, is the Canal I'.oal Uasin, with
a shifting population of extremely low character; docks,
^ Trittvijilis oflhe Cross, pp. 534, 333.
TfTK INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH 405
freight yards and factories form the environment in other
directions.
The first addition to the appliances of this church was a
])owling alley : this proved so useful that the wisdom of
pnniding wholesome amusements for the people of the
vicinity was justihed. A People's Palace has been built
adjoining the church, in which are billiard tables, a room
for dramatic entertainments, a swimming tank, and a gym-
nasium. More than a score of indoor games of various
lands atti-act the boys, and there is a four-acre lot adjoining
for out-door sports. There are lecture courses, popular
entertainments, an employment bureau, a Chautauqua
circle, a Christian Endeavor Society, and a cooking class
and a dressmaking class for the girls. Six hundred boys
are attached to the Tabernacle : there is a Boys' Brigade
and a carpenters' shop.^
The churches tlms described are known as " institu-
tional ; " otliers, bearing the same designation, and doing
the same kind of work, are found in Cleveland, Detroit^
Milwaukee, and several other American cities. Other
churches, not thus designated, are performing the same
kind of work. The largest and richest Episcopal church in
America, Trinity Parish, in New York, with eight chapels,
a total membership of 6488 communicants, and 4377 pupils
in its Sunday-schools, includes in its machinery of service
relief societies, employment bureaux, industrial training
schools, a number of societies for men, and clubs for all
ages. Its educational equipment comprises ten day and
night schools with 1043 scholars and 1357 pupils in tiic
industrial schools.
Grace Church in the same city, to which an ciKlowiiK'nt
of S3o0,000 has been given by a benevolent parishioner,
divides its work into twelve departments ; "• The; KcJigious
Instruction of the Youncr, havinc: eleven hundred in llic
Sunday-schools; Missions at Home and vXbioad ; Iinhis-
trial Education, Avith six hundred pupils; Juduslrial
ICm])l()yment ; The Care of the Sick and Needy ; Tiie Care
ol' Little Children; The Visitation of Neighborhoods;
^ The Triumphs of the Cross, p. 525.
406 CHRISTIAN TASTOR AXD AVORKIXC, CHURCH
The Visitation of Prisoners ; The l*romotion of Temper-
ance ; Fresh Air Work, benefiting eiglit thousand recipi-
ents ; Libraries and Reading Rooms, and Friendly Societies
and Bi'otherhoods. The work of tliese departments is
divided between thirty-five organizations."
St. Bartholomew's Church in New York has a Men's
Club, with a membership of three hundred ; a Girls' Club,
which assists young women to find employment, and whose
membership, limited to five hundred, is always full, A\"itli
candidates in Avaiting; and a Boys' Club, with a cadet
corps, a drum and fife corps, a gynmastic class, and classes
for tjqoewriting, mechanical drawing and bookkeeping. A
tailor-shop in which women make over or repair old gar-
ments, a cooking class for married women, a sewing school
with five hinidred pupils, and several kindergartens are also
included among the departments of church work. The St.
Bartholomew clinic has treated more than six thousand sur-
gical cases in a year and made more than three thousand
medical visits, and a night dispensar}^ for eye, ear, nose and
throat disorders has given free treatment to eighteen hun-
dred patients. A novel institution connected Avith this
church is the loan bureau, Avith a capital of 825,000, Avhich
has aided during one year 768 families by small loans upon
chattel mortgages. The loan is for one 3'ear, and is paid
in monthly instalments. The purpose is to deliA^er those
in distress from the poAver of the extortioner. The annual
disbursements of this church are about .^200,000.
St. George's Church, now far doAvn toAvn, Avith olSo
connnunicants on its registr}' and 1124 fannlies of 5372
individuals in its parish, has a parish house Avith a free
library, a fine gymnasium, industrial schools for boys and
'_;irls, a free trade-school, Avith five de])artments, a Men's
Club, a Bo3-s' liattalion, an Emplo3-ment Socict}', an Ath-
letic Club, Avith sections devoted to base ball, bicycling,
croquet and tennis ; legal, medical relief, and sanitary
l)ur(!aux, and an extensive kindergarten Avork. The sea-
side cottage charity, and llu' poor relief are also ini[i(iii;int
d(!))artmenls.
Tliese sketches of some of the more important Ameri-
THE INSTITUTIONAL CHUllCII 407
can cliurelies now devoting tlieir energies to tlii.s kind of
work will serve to indicate the nature of the development
M'hicli is now taking place in this field. The list might be
greatly extended. In England, both in the national church
and in the dissenting churches, methods of this nature are
extensively employed. It is needless to say that the classi-
cal treatises on pastoral theology do not contemplate the
existence of such functions as these modern churches are
exercising. Many things which churches in the cities are
now attempting would have been thought, a few 3'eai"s ago,
to be utterly beyond the ecclesiastical pale. Even now
there are many M'ho sharply question the legitimacy of
these methods, — maintaining that the line between the
secular and the sacred should be clearly drawn, and that
the church should confine itself to purely spiritual func-
tions. The question which is raised b}^ this new departure
ill cliurcli activities is one that demands careful con-
sideration.
It should be at once admitted, that if these new measures
have the effect to diminish the spiritual power of the church,
they are by that fact condemned. If libraries and gym-
nasiums and liowling alleys and educational classes and
men's and bo3-s' clubs are inconsistent with or hostile to
spiritual life and activity they must not be encouraged. It
is not, however, usually believed that these things are es-
sentially opposed to spiritual culture: it is only contended
that they are distinct from it, and cannot be usefully com-
bined with it. The assumption is that they belong to a
different de])artm(mt of life and should l)e ke])t se])arate
from our religious activities. 'J'hat ("In-istian men should
belong to an organization outside llu; <-hurch for tlic jiro-
motion of studies or recreations, would be deemed entirely
pi'oper : what is (piestioned is the incorporation of such
interests in the life of the church. 'IMie effect of this, it is
argued, can only be the "secularization" of tlic churcli,
and the weakening of its religions inlliu iicc.
The first answer to this ciiticism must be found in an
a[)peal to the facts. Is it true that the religious life of tlu^
churcln's adopting these measures has bceu preeeiilibly
408 CHELSTIAX PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
weakened ? TJie testimony seems to be clear that such is
not the case. The preaching of most of these pulpits is
said to be exceptionally faithful in its presentation of
spiritual truths ; the percentage of additions to these
churches by conversion is far larger than is the average in
the other churches of the country. It appears, therefore,
that the proximity of the gymnasium and the amusement
rooin to the prayer-meeting room has not reduced the
attendance in the latter place, nor the interest of its
services, but has rather augmented them.
If these diversions were suffered to become substitutes
for Christian activity their influence would be evil ; but
if they are made tributary to the life of the spirit they may
be beneficial. If it is possible for us, whether we eat or
drink or whatever we do, to do all to the glory of God, it
must be possible to use all Avholesoihe means of education
and recreation in building up his kingdom.
So far as the strictly philanthropic work of the institu-
tional church is concerned, there would probably be little
dispute about its legitimacy. The question arises respect-
ing the educational and recreative features of the work.
It is to these that the taint of secularity is supposed to
attach. But it is evident that a church situated as is the
Jersey City Tabernacle or St. George's Church in New
York could hardly devise a wiser philanthropy than that
which offers to young men and boys wholesome diver-
sions in safe places. If recreation is a normal need of
human beings, and if the church finds thousands of its
neighbors going down to ruin before its eyes because there
is no recreation within their reach tliat is not full of deadh'
poison, the instincts of Christian love would jn-ompt the
church to su])ply this normal need. To save a soul from
deatli, even by means of a gymnasium or a bowling alley,
is not a secular proceeding. Tlie cliurcli tliat is too dainty-
fingered to use such means for the rescue of tlie youtli
from tlie ways of destruction, has not learned how to
be all tilings to ;dl men tliiit it iiiiiy by all means save
some.
But the ])hil(tso])hy of this movement goes deejier. It
THE INRTTTrTlOXAL CllUItCir 409
rests ii})on the truth that Christ lias redeemed tlie whole
world, lluit it all belongs to him — its industries, its pleas-
ures, its arts, its social institutions — and that it is the duty
of the Church to claim it all for him and use it in his
lionor. The conventional distinction between the sacred
and the secular it abolishes. It places the emphasis not
upon the form of the service, but upon the spirit in wliich it
is administered. It sees many a religious rite performed
in a temper which is too manifestly irreligious ; and it
beholds the divineness of love displayed in homely tasks
and simple pleasures. All work, all study, all social ser-
x'lCQ, rightly performed, are sacred. If the ploughing of the
wicked is sin, the ploughing of the righteous is holiness, and
for the same reason. The sanctification of all life is the
o-reat business of the Church ; and the demonstration that
useful studies and wholesome pleasures are essentially relig-
ious is one of the highest services that she can render to
the present generation.
In the presence of this conviction the common objections
to the programme of the institutional churches are at once
ruled out. It has been said concerning one of these
churches : " The gynniasium has its place in this plan
1 lecause physical health and strength are sacred possessions,
gifts which God wishes and works to bestow on all his
children. It is because this church aims to be a co-worker
witli God that it furnishes the gymnasium. The recreation
rooms and the clubs for outdoor sj^orts are furnished for
the same reason, because in God's plan rest must alternate
with work and recreation follow mental strain, 'i'liis is
not a secular provision ; it is part of the divine order, and
the cliurch recognizes and treats it as such."
The pastor of one of these churches bears this testi-
mony: ''Great fear has been expressed by timid souls,
lest the adoi)tion of the bowling alley, the billiaid (able,
the draiiiatic cnlertaiiinicnt, the gyinniisiniii, aiul the swini-
niing t;inlc, should detract i'roiii the spiiihial, but experiences
])rovcs that, on the contiiuy, all these legitimate sjiorls
])re(lis])(»si! young jjcojile in favor of religiou aii<l hel|)
mightily to build up the church.
410 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH:
" The improvement in the manners and morals of the
attendants is pleasing to contemplate. Boisterous beha\'-
ior, profanity, betting, and all manner of ungentlemanly
conduct are strictly prohibited, and this gentle constraint
is not without its relining effect. Men who are compelled
to be polite two or three hours every evening acquire a
certain polish in the course of time, which is gratifying to
themselves and their friends. This polishing process is
one of the conspicuous peculiarities of our institution.
"Blessed familiarities are formed between Christians
and those not Christians, which under other circumstances
would be impossible. You must know men before you can
expect to lead them, and wlien you once gain their good-
will it is astonishing how easily many of them can be led.
" The congregation of the Tabernacle is peculiar for its
proportion of young men. It is not an uncommon sight to
see as many as three hundred young men present on
Sabbath evenings in an audience of fourteen hundred. The
young men's Bible class always impresses the stranger,
and in the Sunday-school — contrary to the general rule —
the male element predominates. Conversions are frequent,
and almost all who come into the church come on con-
fession of faith.
" The present clerk of the church is a young man who
seldom frequented God's liouse, but liis love for billiards
and Ixjwliiig In-ought him into the outer coui't of our
peculiar temple, and thence he naturally drifted into the
holiest of all. Tln-oughout our entire institutiou tlie
current makes strongly towards tlie C'ross, and ;d)o\e
all else we place the regeneration of the individual l)y
the power of God. This genial, bioad-gauge, conuuon-
sensc religion is very attractive to young people, and
if the Master were liere to-day we believe He would be
in the van of the present 'forward movement' f)f His
Church." 1
Another [)aslor, after a comprehensive sketch of the
work of his church, draws the ff)llowing conclusions : "It
appears that the ehui-eh which honestly tries to adapt these
1 Rev. J. L. Scii.Mrr. in 77/' '/'niiw/>/is of the Cross, pj). 522. :>2;i.
THE IXSTITl^TK)XAL CHritCH 411
seenlar means to a spiritual end accomplishes three tilings
whieli add much to the solution of the vexed problem of
c\ang-elizing the masses. First : It attracts to itself a large
numl)er of people who, under ordinary conditions of our
L-luucli life, would not be brought within the intluence of
the gospel. This has invariably been the case whenever
the experiment has been tried in this country. Secondly :
It confers an actual blessing on the objects of its minis-
tration, and so fulfils the law of Christ. Such a church
puts its warm hand, atlirill with the heart^beats of the
Saviour, into the hand of the distressed, the tempted, the
fallen ; and leads them out into a large place. It may be
said that this is the duty of the individual Christian, and
so it is ; but it is also the duty of the church as a church.
For, thirdly, in attending to this duty as an organization
it will make that impression upon the comnumity without
wliich it must inevitably become effete. It might often
seem, to a superficial critic, that there was a larger outlay
of time and energy in this kind of work than the results
would justify. The mathematical Christian who is forever
trying to solve the arithmetic of the Trinity, or i)resuming
to demonstrate the results of church work in terms of the
addition table or by the I'ule of three, might l)e disappointed
with his figuring. The true value of such a work lies not
in the material, or even in the spiritual help which may
have been given to a few individuals : it lies rather in that
indefinite yet potent influence, which like a subtle fragrance
pervades the surrounding community, and counteracts the
malaria of scorn and doiil)! wliich threatens the religious
life of our times." ^
The only comment wliich tliese words call for is llm
f|uery whether it is not an error to use the word scculai' in
this connection. The maintenance of the distim-tioii im-
plied is rather apt to vitiate, to some extent, the whole
work. Just so far as thes(! new features of the elmrch life
are treated as mere; ex|)e(lients or l)aits will their ellicieney
be iiii|iaii-c(l. If they are not saci'ed in themselves let tlu^
church iiave nothing to do with them. If they aic le( her
1 licv. C. A. l)i(kiiis(>i). ill Aiulovi r f,'iri<ir ViA. \ii. ]>]>. "Mt. :\~o
412 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
not apologize for thein, but honor them. They are not
merely means of getting people under religions influences,
they are means of grace, every one of them — helps to a
godly life — just as truly as is the prayer meeting itself.
The essential thing is that those who are brought into these
churches should understand that these things in which they
take pleasure are the good things of God, and are j)rovided as
such by his people ; that they ought to be received with
thanksgiving ; that the sense of his presence should be with
true disciples, not only when they are in the devotional meet-
ing, but also in the recreation room. This clear recogni-
tion of the essential sacredness of all honest work, of all
wliolesome diversion, of all pure social enjoyment should
vitalize and consecrate all the work of these churches.
There is reason to liope that Avork of this nature will
greatly increase in the near future. The fields are white
for such harvesting. It would be well if in every large
city we could have many churches employed in woi'k like
this. As has been remarked in a former chapter, the
Christian church which will devote itself unitedly and
courageously to work like this, can accomplish far more
than the average College Settlement. The Christian men
and women of mature wisdom and ripened character \\lio
form the membershi[) of the churches ouglit to be able to
give to the ignorant and the needy more effective help than
could be given by young volunteers, just out of college.
If the church c(mld so organize its work as to bring its own
membership into lielpful relations with the needy muliilude
I'ouud alK)ut, it might look for large results. The great
advantage of these methods is that they put the church into
direct communication with tliose to whom it is sent Aviili
its message.
It is true, however, tliat work of the kind under con-
sideration cannot be done l)y all churches. There arc
many, in country districts, and in small villages, in which
such methods would be impracticable. Not a few city
churclies are in neigliborlioods wliere agencies of this nature
are not called for. A cluircli, as has l)cen before lomarkcd,
whicli has for its near neighbor a well-equipped Young
THE LN'STITUTIOXAL CHUllCII 413
Men's Christian Association, scarcely needs to open a gjni-
nasiuni or a reading- room, or educational classes for young
men. It might, perhaps, find a field of labor among young
women.
One of the difficulties in the way of the prosecution of
sucli work is its expensiveness. Buildings, well adapted
for all these various uses, are costly : if they are opened
every day the expense of warming, lighting, and caring for
them is considerable : and the staff of pastors and helpers
must be much larger than in an ordinary church. And
usually it will be true that the churches which are properly
located for service of this kind have not many of the rich
in their membership. One solution of this difficulty is
found in the generous support b}^ churches in the more
[prosperous districts of those which are properly located to
undertake this work. In the Avords of a city pastor :
" Some churches, because of their location and environ-
ment, cannot directly reach many of this class, but this
makes them no less responsible for the solution of our prob-
lem. The very fact that they are thus situated implies
that God has so prospered them as to make it incumbent
upon them to maintain a double work, — that in their own
lield, and some aggressive work among the masses else-
wliere.
" It is in this cooperation of the up-town and down-town
churches that the ideal church of the future is to be real-
ized ; and when it appears it will be an Institutional
Church, that is, a clmrch with several pastore and other
salaried workers, and man)^ well-organized departments of
work. It is impossible for one man to discharge in a satis-
factory manner the multiform duties of a city pastorate.
There are differences of administration, and diversities of
operation, and there shouhl l)e workers of differing gifts to
carry them on. The aggregate salaiies need not nnieh
exc;ei'd the, salary of tlie star preacher; and a church
worked in tliis way, by men and women of even ordinary
ability, AN'ill sliow results that will far exceed any which
can eonie from u\vi\) brilliant preaching."'^
1 The Amlov<r licvicw, Vol. xii. p. .'tO^.
414 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKINC CHURCH
The social influence of churclies of this nature can
scarcely be computed. More than any other agency at
work in the comnuniity they tend to break down the bar-
riers which keep social classes apart, and to cultivate that
goodwill which is the only adequate social bond.
CHAPTER XIX
ENLISTING THE ME.MDERSIITP
The rapid survey which we have taken of the varied
activities of the working Church at the end of the nine-
teenth centur}' makes it clear that in a church fully organ-
ized enough work will be found to employ all the members.
The too frequent conception of the church as a safe refuge
into Avhich weary wayfarers turn for rest and refreshment,
docs not harmonize with the view of its functions wliich
we have entertained. That the Church may be a haven
of rest for troubled souls is not to be disputed, but the
rest will be gained in other ways than those in which men
are wont to seek it. " Not as the world giveth " does our
Master give his peace. His own rest and refreshment
were found in his ministry of love. While his disciples
were gone away into the city to buy food, and he sat,
weary, by the Avell at Sj-char, his fatigue was forgotten in
his faithful service of the needs of a sinful soul. " I have
meat to eat that ye know not of," ^ he said to liis wonder-
ing disciples, as they returned and pressed him to partake
of the needed food. And the fundamental truth respect-
ing liis service is that it reverses, in many respects, the
connuon conception of welfare. The laws of the sjjiritual
realm are, in their primary statement, antithetical to those
(if the ])hysical realm, though there is a higlier unit}- in
whicli Ixith cohere. Of the things of the spirit it is
alwavs true tli;it the mon^ one gives away tin' iiihit (tiic
has left. 'J'jie economic pi-inciples which govern iiiatci'ial
exchanges are utterly inappbcalde t(» the s|)iri(nal rchitions
of inrii. And the same thing is true of tlie conceptions ol
lal)or and rest as applied to the Cliristian service. 'I'lie
1 John iv. .1::^.
416 CHllISTIAX PASTOP. AND WORlvING CHURCH
time may come when the disciples of Christ will rest from
their laljors, but in this world the law is that they shall
rest in their labors. What is the word of the Master
himself to the weary and heavy laden ? " Take my yolcc
upon you^ and learn of me, and ye shall find rest unto your
souls." 1
It is this conception of the essential nature of the Chris-
tian life which is beginning to find expression in the
organized activities of the Christian Church. The idea is
still very imperfectly comprehended by the great multi-
tude of communicants: the notion still prevails, both
within and without the Church, that it is mainly an
Ark of Safety rather than an army of occupation. Four
persons out of every five of those who are invited into the
Church fellowship will be heard answering, for substance,
"What will it proiit me? " The idea that men come into
the Churcli simply and solely to secure some benefit for
themselves is almost universal. It is a great reproach
against the Church of Jesus Christ that such an impression
should still prevail. "Come thou with us and Ave will
do thee good"^ is not the invitation upon which the
Church should put the chief emphasis. The followers of
Him who came not to be ministered unto but to minister,
must not reverse the order of his kingdom in their mes-
sage to the world. It is enough for the disciple that he
be as his Master. Not to be saved, but to serve, is tlie
high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The sneer of the
on-lookers when Jesus hung upon the cross embodied
the profoundest truth of his gospel: ""He saved others,
liimself he cannot save." '^ It was because he did not save
himself that he was able to save others.
After this great truth the Churcli, in those latter days,
seems to l)e dul)iously reaching loi'th. The meaning of its
mission in tlio world is dimly borne into its tlionght. It
begins to get some glim[)ses of the kind of work that it is
called to do, as the body of Christ, — as his rei)resentative
ill tlic world.
It is not, indeed, a new concciition that the Church is
1 Miitt. xi. 2'.t. - Num. x. 29. ^ jfatt. xxvii. 42.
ENLISTING Till-: ml:.mi5i:usiiii' 417
called to minister in Christ's name, and to give its life for
men; but this conception has generally been coupled,
avowedl}' or tacitly, with the theory that the Church,
thus cfiinmissioned, is the clergy. That such is the func-
tion of all those who are entrusted with the official ministry
of the gospel has always been understood. Their first
business, as all men know, is not to save themselves, but
to save others. But those theories of the Church which
separate the clergy from the laity have resulted in prac-
tically surrendering to the clergy this highest form of
service. The high calling of the clergy is to save others ;
that of the laity is to be saved. Such is the steady impli-
cation of sacerdotalism. And although the Reformed
Churches have repudiated the sacerdotal theories, they
have by no means rid themselves of all their implications.
Tlio notion that the people are in the Church to be taught
and fed and strengthened and comforted and inspired and
led to heaN'en, and that the minister is among them to do
this work for them, has been the prevailing notion, to
which all the treatises on pastoral theology are clear wit-
nesses. It is probable that the very name of pastor,
^\-hich those at the furthest remove from sacerdotalism have
usually bestowed upon their ministers, has suggested limi-
tations which do not belong to the ministerial relation.
.Vll analogies fail at some points; and the minister must
1h! something other than a shepherd, and the members of
the Church something more than sheep. This is the mis-
conception which we constantly encounter, in all our
dealings with the people of our churches. What is more
connnon than to see the people in the pews on a Sunday
morning, apparently settling themselves in an attitude
wholly passive and negative to await the oi)eiation of the
minister u[)on their minds. It is much as if they were
folding their arms and saying: "lie is going to try to do
us a little good; let us see how liis enterprise Mill prosju'r.
If he succeeds, he will be only an unprotitable servant: if
lie fails, we shall have good reason to lin<l fault." This
is har<lly a caricature of the mood in which many congic-
gations weekly present themselves before the puljtit. Vo
418 CHRISTIAN PASTOU AND WORKING CHURCH
drive all these misconceptions from the minds of his people
is one of the first duties of the Christian minister. Line
upon line, precept upon precept, let him instruct them
that the call to service is addressed not only to the man in
the pulpit, but to all the men and women in the pews;
that it is the whole Church and not merely its office-bearers
who are to be witnesses for Christ and laborers too'ether
with him ; that the duty of ministering to those who are
without rests upon the 'laity as well as upon the clergy ;
that the injunction to do good to all men as we have
opportunity, and especially to those of the household of
faith, ^ is addressed by the apostle to the people, and not
to their pastors. And it will be the minister's constant
endeavor to secure from each member of his flock, even
the feeblest, some co-operation in the work to which the
Church is called.
The extent and the urgency of this work he ought to
keep before their minds. The relation of the church to
the community in which it stands; i^s function as teacher,
inspirer, healer, light-bearer, leader of the people ; its duty
to do for the people round about, rich and poor, liigli and
low, believing and unbelieving, the work that Christ would
be doing if he were there, is the truth which he must con-
stantly urge upon the consciences of his people. The pos-
sibility and the duty of some active participation in this
work by every one that has named the )i;iiiu' of ('lii'ist —
by the children of the fold, even, and by the in\alids at
home — must he faithfully enforced.
We are sometimes inclined to say that it would be
better for all our churches if the}' could be sifted, as
Gideon's army was sifted; if the faint-hearted and tlic
ease-loving and tlie Avorldly-minded could all be sent to
the rear, and only tlie l)rave and tlie faitliful were left in
the ranks. IjhI this is tlie eouiisel of iniw isdoiii. 'I'liese
timid and indifferent people in tlic church are wortli sav-
ing; and the only way to save them is to set them to
woik. Even if tlie service wliich they inidcrtake is but
slight, it will Ite good for them to feel that they are ideii-
' (ial. \i. 10.
ENLISTING THE MEMBERSHIP 419
tifii'd with the life of the church, and have a right to
count themselves not merely as passengers but as helpers.
In order to secure this co-operation of all, the first thing
to be done is to keep the members of the church Avell
informed respecting the work in hand. The pulpit
announcements from Sunday to Sunday will conve}' much
of this information; but it is not judicious to devote much
of the time of the morning service to the discussion of the
details of these various enterprises: and it is therefore
desirable that some means of communication be establislied
Ijetween the members of the congregation by which all the
news of the church Avork can be conveyed to all. A
printed calendar of services and engagements for the week,
with the standing list of the officers and the working
organizations of the church, distributed at the doors of
the church at every service, answers this purpose. Such
a calendar may be sufficiently large to admit, every week,
brief notes about the various enterprises, and reminders of
the obligation of the members to support them. In a city
church where the membersliip is scattered, and the dilFi-
culty of maintaining social intercourse among the members
is serious, such a method of communication is valuable.
Some churclies maintain a monthly jjcriodical, somewhat
more pretentious, in which the work of the churcli is
rei)orted and discussed. If judiciously edited, such a
newspaper may ])e a great aid to the pastor. If, however,
the labor of editing it is wholly thrown upon him, tlie
burden, in many cases, will be too heavy.
The mid-week service, as has already l)een suggested,
may l)e utilized in reporting the progress of the work of
the cliiircli. A definite schedule might be arranged, I)\-
w liich hricf reports from one or two dcpai-tments should ]>('■
secured at each weekly meeting. Or it might be preferred
that an occasional mid-week service should be wholly
set ajiart for the healing of such re])or(s from ;ill dcpart-
iiifuls. The idea that the cliiiicli is a woikiug liod\-, en-
gaged in dclinite enter])riscs, and interested in the progress
of these entiT])rises, would thus he steadily kept in view.
The annual nieetinir of the eliurcli should he lai^>clv
420 CIIEISTIAN I'ASTOR AND WORKING CHUllCH
devoted to reports from all departments of the clnirch.
It should be made the duty of the head of each of these
departments to prepare and present a clear and condensed
account of the work done during the year in his depart-
ment, with intelligent criticisms and suggestions. Fol-
lowing these reports of the heads of departments should he
the pastor's report, covering the whole field, pointing out
the encouraging and the discouraging features of the
work, emphasizing the points that need to be especially
considered, and making any suggestions that may seem
wise to him respecting enlargements or modifications of
method. These reports should in all cases be written;
after the meeting they should be recorded in a book kept
for the purpose, so that a complete history of the work of
the cliurch should be written from year to year.
The meeting at which the work of the year is thus com-
prehensively reviewed should be treated by the pastor and
the officers of the church as the most important meeting
of the year. Notice of it should be given two or three
weeks beforehand, and the members should bo admonished
to arrange their l)usiness so that they may be in attendance.
It should be made very clear by the pastor that their
presence at this meeting is expected of all who are not
sick or necessarily absent from the city; that no social
engagement and no business engagement should be per-
mitted to take precedence of this, and that the ordlnaiy
excuses for absence will not be accepted.
In churches congregationally governed, the duty of all
tlie meml)ers to attend the annual meeting, and take part
in the choice of the leaders of the work for the coming year
is obvious enough. Even in these churches, liowever,
this business is ajjt to be left to a few. l>ut avIumi tlic
annual meeting is made the great event ol th(^ church
year, and tlie Mork of tlie year is clearly presented in brief
and well-digested re[)orls, it takes on a new signilicaiice,
and the ajjpeal to tlie members to attend and pailici[)ate
is more likely to be heeded.
Tlien; is no reason liowever, why eliurehes under an
e[»iscopal or a presbylerian government should not lia\c
ENLISTING THE MEMBEr.SIIIP 421
such annual assemblies of tlie whole membership to hear
the recital of Avhat has been done during the year, and to
listen to the proposals A\liieh may be made by the proper
of'licers of new work for the coming year. If the church
is a working body, it would seem to be highly important
that an annual review of what has been accomplished
should in some way be brought to the attention of every
hk'hiIkt of the church. With nothing short of this
should the pastor be for one moment content. The
presence of a small minority of the members at this impor-
tant meeting should be to him an intolerable neglect, and
he should set himself, with all good-natured determination,
to overcome it. Once a year, if no oftener, the fact that
the church is a working body ought to be brought home
to the com})rehension of ever}" member thereof.
It is sometimes assumed that the printing, in a church
year-book, of the reports of all the departments of the
churcli, for distribution among the members, will answer
the same purpose. But this is hardly sufficient. The
printed report can be easily laid aside ; there is reason to
fear that not half the members receiving it would read it;
and the reading, in any case, would not have the same
effect upon the mind that would be produced by the oral
presentation, in the assem1)k'd congregation, of these
recitals of faithful service.
Nor is the plan adopted by some churches of providing
an annual supper for the members, in connection with
which these matters shall be considered, in all respects
advisable. The festivities Avould interfere, to a consider-
able extent, with the business; and it is not well to give
the impression that this meeting is in any sense a festivity.
It is a business meeting; and those Avho attend it should
be expected to give (heir minds striclly to business. To
;dlure them with the |ii-oiiiist' of a good (inn- :iiid soiiir-
thiiig to eat is to touch the wrong clioid. This iiu'ctiiig
means service and sacrilice. if it means anything; and we
do not well when we assume that there are many mendu'i-s
of our churches who can never be enlisted in anything
that hivolves service and sacrilice.
422 CHRISTIAN PASTOll AND AVOEKING CHURCH
By such measures as have been suggested, tlie work of
the church may be ke]:)t before the minds of its members.
This is the first consideration. Those who come into its
communion must be constantly advised and reminded of
the fact that it is a working body; that it is seeking to
follow him who said, " My Father worketh hitherto, and I
work."^ In this very matter many churches fail. A
considerable numljer of their members are at work, but
there are also large numbers who are doing nothing, and
no means are taken to Ijring the work of the church directly
before the minds of those who are living in idleness.
But it is not enough that information should be freely
afforded to all the members. Vigorous measures should
be taken to enlist every one of them in some department of
the work. The problem of the unemployed is quite as
serious in the church as it is in society. The number of
those church members who, from one year's end to another,
never lift a finger in any effort to promote the enterprises
in which the church is engaged, is, in most cliurches, far
too large. We must not, indeed, assume that those
church members who are never known to take part in the
organized activities of the churches to which they belong,
are all fruitless Christians. Some of them may be bringing
forth good fruit in tlieir homes, and in their business
relations, and in their daily association with their fellow-
men. The inspiration which they receive in the pul)lic
services of the church may greatly influence their con-
duct. But it would seem to be true that even tliese, if
they were a little more conscientious, would feel iliat tlu',
owed some service to the church whose covenant ihey have
taken upon themselves, — that they nnist not be wholly
negligent of the ()]i|i(iituiiilics of associated woi'k wliich
the churcli oHits thciu. ^Viid every pastor should set it
before liim as tlie end of liis leadership, to get every mem-
ber of his cliurch definitely and consciously plcdL;'c<l to
some kind of service in connection \\ith the woik of (he
organization. Tliere is work enough to do; the lidds are
wliite for the harvest ; and the ]ii-ohlein is to assign eveiy
one his woik.
1 Joliu V. 17.
ENLISTING THE .MEMliEIlSHIP 423
111 every cliuicli a goodly number of the members are
now emplo3'ed. They are teaching in the Sunday-schools,
or working in the Women's Aid Societies, or the Mis-
sionary Societies, or the Young People's Associations, or
the Guilds, or the Brotherhoods ; many individuals are
engaged in several different departments of work. To
reach those not thus employed is the business in hand. It
can only be done by systematic and patient effort.
It is quite probable that there are many persons in the
communion who would not feel competent to undertake
any kind of work now organized. If so, some new depart-
ments must at once be formed. It is possible, surely, to
I)rovide some kind of work in which every one may be a
helper.
There ought, for example, to be a very large force of
visitors of the poor in every considerable city cliurch ; and
an}' one should be invited to take part in this visitation
A\'lio would be willing to take the oversight of a single
})oor family.
There should be a large committee on fellowship also;
and those who would consent to make a few calls upon
new members of the church livinsj in their neii^hborliood
should 1)0 assigned to this committee.
The committee on church and Sunday-school attendance
should be larger still; scores or even hundreds of the
meml)ers of a large church could belong to it; all those
who would engage to invite to church or Sunday-school
those having no church home might be members of this
committee. There might be committees on flowers and
decorations, and committees on visiting and reading to
the sick and tlic aged; and collecting conniiilU'i-s for tlie
church offerings; and many others which the circum-
stances of each congregation would readily suggest. Now
lit the pastor set to work to assign every one of his mcm-
bcis, by their own consent, to some one of these \;irinus
(lei)artnients of work, ('ards maybe prepared, on which
tliese de|)artments aiv named, and these may be |ilaeed in
the liands of all the meml>ei-s, with the re(|nest that each
one mark those kinds of serviei' in which he is w illiiiLT to
424 CHIUSTIAX PASTOIl AND WOK KING CHURCH
engage, and return the card, with his signature, to the
pastor. The names thus gathered in may be given to the
leader in charge of each department, who shoukl be
responsible for putting himself in communication with his
volunteers and assigning to them their special tasks.
This will do for a beginning; but it will need to be
followed up. Many will fail to respond ; they should be
visited and kindly pressed into undertaking something in
the way of definite Christian service. "No unemployed
members "' should be the motto of every church. By
diligence, by patience, by persistence, the expectation
should be established that every person coming into the
church should find, at once, some post of service. Every
candidate presenting ' himself for admission to the churcli
sliould be requested to assign himself, at once, to some
department of the work of the church.
To bring about such a state of things in some churcli cs
would seem to be a herculean undertaking. So large is
the number of those to whom church-members! lip lias
never brought a suggestion of responsibility or actual
service, and to whom it has always seemed that they were
fulfilling all righteousness, if they folded their hands, and
absorbed what they could, and found fault with those who
bore the burden and heat of the day, that the attempt
to enlist the whole membership of every church in some
kind of Christian service may even appear to many a
quixotic proposition. But it will be far better to aim at
this than at any lower mark. The admission ought never
to be made that any person can belong to a church Avitli-
out liaving some active part in its labor. Hiat a })U])il
should be admitted to a school without any delinite undei-
standing that he should become actively interested in its
studies, or that a soldier should Ik; enlisted in an army
witlioul being retpiired to ])t'rrorm any service, woukl
seem an iri-ational proceeding; is it any less anomalous
that men and women should be received into the membei-
ship of a Chiistian church and permitted to live and die in
its communion without becoming res])onsible for any por-
tion of the work which that church is organized to per-
ENLISTIXC THE MEMBEItSHir 425
form? The clear and emphatic statement of this principle,
from time to time, will carry conviction to the minds of
those M'ho hear it. It is so manifestly true that they can-
not deny it. And when, without passion or accusation, it
is lirmly insisted on as the only rational theory of church
membership, most of the members of the church will
accept the situation and seek to be counted as having some
, part in the work. A thorough-going policy of this nature
will commend itself to the reason of every intelligent
person ; it is more reasonable and more feasible than the
policy which expects all the work of the church to be
done by one-third or one-half of the membership, while
the rest are permitted to be merel}^ nominal or honorary
members. Doubtless we often fail in our church work
because we do not ask enough of our church-members.
But it must not be forgotten that when we ask service of
all, we must provide forms of service in A\-hich all can
engage. ^Vll cannot talk in the prayer-meeting or teach
in the Sunday-school; but some simple kinds of work can
1)0 devised in which the humblest and the youngest and
the busiest can take part.
The leaders who have the charge of the several depart-
ments thus organized, should be expected to have frequent
meetings of those enlisted under them, that progress may
be reported and counsel and encouragement given to the
workers. A roll of all engaged in each department
should be kept and called at every meeting. The visitors
of the poor, for example, should meet frequently, to
exchange experiences and make return to the committee
in cliarge of the work done. The large committee on
church attendance should be l)rouglit together occasionally,
and each member of th(^ committee should be exp(>('(ed to
repoi-t in person or by lettei' how many invitations he liad
gixcn iiiid \\ilh what success. The committe(> on iVllnw -
sjiip should meet to exchange information about removals,
and to h'arn what their leader or the ])astor may have to
tell them resjx'eting new eomei's. It will lie useless to
provide these dilTen'Ut de])artnieuts of Moik, luiless those
wlu) are assigned to them arc made to feel that something
426 CHRISTIAN TASTOll AND WOUKIXG CHURCH
definite is being done in every one of tlieni, and thtit the
work which they do will be recognized. The responsibility
of the head of every department for keeping his forces
together and securing some contribution of help from every
one of them should be insisted on. No such })lan can be
made to work unless the pastor can succeed in iinding
men and women for these positions who will take time
and trouble in securing the co-operation of those who have
enlisted under them. It is at this point, no doubt, that
the chief difficulty will be encountered. Not a few of
those to whom this leadership is entrusted will be found
careless and neglectful. Much of the work will be indif-
ferently done. Perfection is never quite attainable in this
world. But it is worth while to aim at securing the
co-operation of the whole membersliip in the work of the
church, even though the aim may not be completely
realized. It is the onl}- ideal upon v/hich any pastor can
wisely fix his thought. To keep the proposition clearly
before the minds of his people, that, as every one has
received the gifts of grace, even so they must minister the
same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold
gifts of God, would be, to some thoughtless and irrespon-
sible souls, a most wholesome dispensation of saving
truth.
The amount of unused })ower in most of oui' cliuivlies is
not often estimated by those who are responsible for the
care of them. The neglect exists, and avc fall into the
way of condoning it, and do not take pains to find out
how serious it is. One investigation, made a few years
ago by a pastor in Ohio, sliowed that of thirty churches
investigated, only alxmi half tlie meml)ei"s were present in
the church on a pleasant Sunday morning, and only about
twenty-two per cent, at the mid-week service. Here are
his reflections : —
" It is a sad conunent on the s])ii'itual life (if oui' churclics
that out of thirty thousand members only six thousand
sliould be present at the prayer-mceliiig mi a given week,
and twenty-four tliousand absent. Is there no waste of
that power which resides in numbers'.'' If there weie foui'
ENLISTING THE MEMBERSHIP 427
times as many present, the service would do good to four
times as many, and vastly more than four times as much
good could be done, because the meeting would be vastly
better. If a given number of Christians do a certain
amount of good, manifestly twice as many of the same
sort Avould accomplish twice as much. But this is not all.
The Word says that ' one shall chase a thousand and two
put ' — not two thousand, but — ' ten thousand to flight. ' ^
There is a cumulative power in numbers greater than the
numerical increase. Two hundred Christians ought to be
aljle to accomplish far more than tAvice as much as one
liuiidred, and will if they properly co-operate. If half of
our church-membership does nothing, far more than half
of the possible power is lost. If four out of live do
nothing, possibly ninety-nine one-hundredths of the power
is wasted. The secret of the fact that possible power
increases more rapidly than numbers lies in organization,
the value of which in Christian work the churches and
denominations are barely beginning to learn. "^
1 Dcut. xxxii. 30.
^ Kev. Josiah Strong, D. D., in Purish Problems, p. ."348.
CHAPTER XX
CO-OPERATION AVITII OTIIEll CHURCHES
The unity of Christendom is a problem to whicli the
great ecclesiasticisms have lately been addressing" them-
selves "with unnsual seriousness and insistence. It seems
to be felt, on all sides, that something must be done about
it. Discussion of the various propositions for organic
unity, from that of the Vatican to that of the Congrega-
tional Council, is quite aside from the purpose of the
present treatise. Yet no working church can study its
responsibilities and prepare to take its place in the lield of
the world and its part in the service of the kingdom, with-
out being confronted, at once, with serious difficulties that
grow out of this lack of unity. Indeed, it is the devcdop-
ment of the working church which has forced this problem
upon the attention of ChristeiKltun. So long as each local
church was content with sheltering and shepherding such
as were born within its fold, or came of their own accord
into it, this question was largely in abeyance. But as
soon as it was discovered that there were lai-ge regions
lying unevangclized, and that the churches nuist go out
with llicir g()Sj)el into these waste places, the evils of
schism l)fgan to manifest themselves. In almost eveiy
city in the laud tlu; collisions and confusions arising from
this soui'ce are shamt'l'iil, and tlic \\as((' t<[' resources thus
entailed is little less tliaii (riiniiia]. Any cliiircli sending
out its \isil()rs iiilo a neglected distriel. lo in\ile the
eliildren into its Suiiday-sehool, is a])l lo lind tliiit a neigh-
bor elnn'ch has been over the groinid just before it; and
the children, thus solicited, manifest a lively interest in
finding out which of the Sunday-schools is offering the
largest inducements. Multitudes of these children arc
C()-(>ri:RATK>N WITH OTHKK CiirRCIIKS 429
thus continually drawn away from one school to another
by Avhat they regard as superior attractions; there is no
stability in their church relations, and small possil)ility of
making any permanent impression on tlieir characters.
When any church, after carefully studying the neglected
districts of its own city, plants a chapel in some promising
Held, it may conlidently expect that before the paint is
dr\- upon the walls of the new building, another, like unto
it, will be rising on the next square, to contest with it the
occupancy of its field, and to divide with it a constituency
which is not large enough to support one enterprise. If
this competitor is backed by large revenues, and aggres-
sive workers, it is possible that it may absorb the attend-
ance, and leave the original occupant of the field to
struggle and starve and finally perish. Such things are
constantly occurring. The principle of the survival of
the strongest is allowed free play among church organiza-
tions in the cities. Mr. Fiske says that civilization largely
consists in setting metes and bounds to this force of
natural selection; in replacing the animal competitions by
sympathy and consideration and good-will. He calls this
"castino- off the brute inheritance." This stage of civili-
zation has not yet overtaken our contending ecclesiasticisms.
" Dragons of lliu priino
Tliat tare each other in llicir slinie "
were not more ready to devour each otlicr than are the
Christian cliurches, so called, planted for sectarian jnn-
poscs, in the growing districts of American cities. It is a
striking illustiation of the adage that corjiorations have no
souls. Tlic ini]>ci-sonal society which we call a churdi
does not considci- itscll' l)ound by the law of Ionc in its
relations to similar bodies round about it. There aic
casuists who maintain that it cannot l)e; that any social
organization, as sueli, must look out foi- its own interests,
with no regard lor liif interests of its neigldxtrs. The
ethical soundness of this ])roj)osition may Mcll be ques-
tioned. 'Hn'ough the acceptance of some such doctrine,
the strife of ehisses iilnl nil the woes tlint tlii'.Mteii the
430 niKlSTIAX rARTOE AND WORKINd ciirKrii
social order have crept into our inodcni world. It is,
however, the principle which is tacitly assumed by most
of the sectarian propagandists. Led by such a maxim,
those w'lio are zealous for denominational aggrandizement
fling themselves into competitions w'hicli must result in
great w^aste of energy and in the destruction of vast amounts
of capital. It would be uncharitable to say that the delib-
erate intent of those who engage in these competitions
is to destroy one another's propert}^; probably they often
silence the voice of conscience with the plea that the
growth of the neighborhood will soon develop support for
all the competing churches ; but in four cases out of five
this expectation would be proved, by any serious investi-
gation, to have slight foundations; and the fact Avould
i:)lainly appear that the multiplication of churches in the
neighborhood must mean the death of some of them, and
the annihilation of the capital invested in them. Such a
contingency cannot be remote from the thought of any
intelligent person carefully considering the situation. If
it is recognized by any of these zealous sectarians, they
are at least fain to hope that tlieii' enterj)rise will survive
in the struggle. None of them would think of ai)plying
tlie torch of the incendiary to the edifices erected by their
"sister" churches; but they adopt a policy w^hich will
quite as effectually, if a little less suddenly, wipe out the
value of their neighbor's property.
The mere question of material economy is, tlicrcfore,
a serious one. No man knoAvs how many hundred tliou-
sand dollars wortli of buildings have l)een rendered worth-
less by these sectarian cnmjjt'titions ; and even wlien tlie
edifu'cs hav(! not been ;iI);iiiil<>mMl, the ciioniious over-
sup])ly of cliurch acconnnodalion, in the coiiijx'titive
nciglihorlioods, signilics llie un])rofitable iiivcstiiu'iit ol
large iiiiinuiils of ciniilal, t'loiii wliidi no adcijUiitc I'ctuni
will (Ml- ((iiiit', mul wiiicli should lia\e been productivi-ly
(■iii|il(i\((l clscwhcrr ill aiding the progress of the kingdom
dl' lic;i\cii.
Siicli arc tlic conditions wliicli every working elniich
must t'acc wlicii it sets forth, at the coiiiniaiid of its Lord,
CO-OPERATIoX WITH OTHER CHURCHES 431
to occupy tliu licltl into which, in the exercise of its best
wisdom, it believes itself to be sent. It is a situation
^\•llich no bod}- of sincere believers, to whom the welfare
of Christ's kingdom is dearer than the prosperity of any
sect, can contemplate without a sinking of the heart.
Was this any part of the calamity which our Lord foresaw
when he said, ''A jnan's foes shall be they of his own
household?"'^ Can anything l)e more melancholy than
this fratricidal strife of men who sing so l)lithely, in tlu'ir
union meetings, —
'• We are not divided,
All one body we :
One in hope and doctrine.
One in charity ! "
For the waste of the Lord's money to which we have
alluded is not the only loss involved. The whole message
of the Church is enfeebled and perverted. The pushing
rivalry, so patent to all observers, impresses those to whom
the invitations are spoken with the egoism of the whole
proceeding. It becomes too evident that these eager can-
vassers are working to save the Church, more than to
make the Church the saviour of men. "The competition
of churches," says one, "which is so mournfully connnon,
almost universal, is sufficient evidence to the world that
the churches are selfish; that they seek attendants in
exactly the same spiiit that a business house seeks cus-
tomers. And, of course, men wlio care nothing for the
Cliurch cannot be induced to attend for the sake of the
Church. AVI ion we really convince men that we seek not
theirs but iln-m, and that avc seek them for their own
sakes, not oni's, we sliali li;i\c far ninir inllufncc wiili
them."
What sliall the chnrcii i\i) when it linds itself lace to
face with these conditions? It ought to seek, by t\eiy
means in its power, to secure some kind of unch'istaiiding
or agreement A\ilh tlie ehurclies i-ound about, by wliicli
comi)etition shall be as far as j)ossil)le suj)i)resse(]. and llic
principle of co-operation substituted therefoi-. In the day
' .M.itt. X. .•>G.
432 CHRISTIAN I'ASTOK A^l) Vv'()KKIN(i CUUllCJI
wlieii the wastefulness of a wholly selfish competition is
fully recognized by political economists, and when it has
become evident, even in the material world, that it is
better to unite than to contend, it would seem that the pos-
sibility of securing some kind of co-operative arrangement
among Cliristian churches ought not to be despaired of.
As a beginning, it might be well to propose a convention
of all the churches of the town or nuniicipality, for the
sole purpose of studying together their common field of
labor. ^V friendly conference of this nature, even if it
were pledged beforehand to pass no votes and take no
action, might prove to be useful. It would necessarily
emphasize the fact that the field was common to the
churches thus conferring ; the obligations of comity would
be suggested and emphasized by the existence of the con-
ference. Some churches, doubtless, would be reluctant
to enter into it for this very reason; for there are still
some who are shy of any proposition that looks toward
unity — some, because they are so fully convinced that
theirs is the only possible form of church order, and others,
because they think that the existing " cut-throat competi-
tion " of the sects is the best regimen for the kingdom of
heaven. But it sliould not be difficult to answer those
objections and bring the various churches together, by
their representatives, to consider the condition of the field
which they are occupying together — to learn what their
neighl)ors are doing, and what is left undone ; to investi-
gate the hindrances to the progress of tlie kingdom; to
secure careful reports upon the state of the most neglected
neighborhoods; to study the relation of the churches to
the working people and the unchurched classes generally ;
to look into the condition of the foreign-born populations:
to find out Avhether or not tlie laws and ordinances of Uic
town or city are enforced by the i)roi)er autliorities, and
if not, why not; to learn what is being done for the poor
1)}' ])ul)lic and voluntary agencies, and whetlier and to
what extent this woi'k of outdoor relief is tending to the
pauperization of the recipients; and to consider any othci-
matter of this nature which may be of interest to the
COOrEllATIOX WITH UTlIKll CIlUliClIES 433
Cliristian people of the community. The purpose of this
conference would thus he purely educational. Work of
this kind is hy no means superfluous. Clear information
respecting the social and religious conditions of the com-
nuuiities in which they are at work is one of the things
most needed hy all working churches. Far too often they
keep working away, year after year, with little knowledge
of what needs to he done, or of what others are doing.
An intelligent survey of the entire field for which they
are jointly and severally responsible, would he full of
instruction for them.
Such a conference, in which each church should be
represented hy its pastor and two or three delegates, calls
for no elaborate organization. A well-chosen Business
Connnittee of three or five members furnishes all the
machinery needed. The duty of this committee should be
to decide upon the topic for each meeting, to secure the
opening paper or address, which should be limited to half
an hour, and to engage one of the churches for the meet-
ing. The pastor of the church in which the meeting is
held should be the chairman of the meeting. The paper
of the evening should be open for discussion, in speeches
of limited length, and should be prepared with a view to
its publication in the local newspapers. Careful studies,
not too long, of the religious or social conditions of the
community, are availaljle "news," which any enterprising
journal would gladly print. The conference would thus
assist in enlightening the whole community respecting its
own social needs, and could be an effective means of
creating an intelligent and wholesome public opinion.
There is good reason to believe that a few meetings of
tliis nature would convince the churclies taking part in
them that they ought to devise some method of practical
co-oper;ition. Such an association as this would be likely
to deepen, in the hearts of all sincere disciples, the feeliug
of their conuiion interests and aims, aud would strengthen
the craving for fellowshij) in work which must spring in
tlie heart of all who have learned of Christ. Evidence of
wasted resources and conflicting labors nuist needs appear
28
434 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
ill aljundance to those engaged in such studies; and
douljtless large tracts of heathenism, practically initouched
by all these striving bands of sectaries, would be brought
to light. The need of a more comprehensive and a
more rational policy of evangelization would be strongly
emphasized.
The first question respecting the active co-operation of
the Christian churches of the local community in their
common work would have respect to the basis of such
organization. What churches shall be invited or admitted ?
What shall . be the doctrinal foundation of such an effort ?
To some persons this is a paramount consideration. Tliey
are not willing to unite in Christian work of an}- kind
\vith those whose beliefs are unsound. The Roman Catholic
church, in its strenuous testimony to the unity of the
church, and its unflinching assertion that there can be no
unity which is not based upon acceptance of the supreme
authority of the Bishop of Rome, refuses, as a matter of
course, to take part in any association by which the recog-
nition of other Christian bodies as churches is even im-
plied. Many high Anglicans, with a different standard
of regularity, adopt a similar practical rule. Some of
the Reformed bodies have hitherto held so strongly to
the vital importance of certain tenets of orthodoxy that
they could not co-operate with any who did not hold these
doctrines. Various attempts have been made to find a
doctrinal basis on which Christians of different names,
residing in the same neighborhood, might unite in Chris-
tian work. The creed of the Evangelical Alliance was
long supposed to be a statement broad enough for all prac-
tical purposes. This creed contained the doctrine of the
Trinity and wliat aie known among the Reformed cliurches
as tlie doctrines of grace, including the expiatory atone-
ment, and the need of regeneration; it assorted also the
everlasting i)unisliment of those dying in impenitence. liy
this creed, many of those who "profess and call themselves
Christians '' were excluded from fellowshi]) in Christian
work ; and Mhile a goodly number of the <lenominations
were able to ranu'c themselves under the bainier of the
COOrERATION WITH OTHER CHURCHES 435
Evangelical Alliance, its definitions of doctrine served to
di\ide rather than to unite the followers of Christ. The
Apostles' Creed has often been jiroposed as a basis of
fellowship for local organizations, but even this proves to
be a stumljling-block to some whose co-operation is greatly
to be desired.
These unsuccessful endeavors after unity have raised
the question whether, in the local community, any dog-
matic basis is essential to the co-operation of Christians.
Doubtless when the great denominations negotiate respect-
ing organic union, it is necessary that they should come
to some definite understanding about doctrines. But when
neighboring churches come together to consider the work
lying at their doors, and to agree upon some plan by
which this work may be carried forward without waste or
friction, is it really important that a doctrinal platform
should be agreed upon before they set to work ? May they
not "receive one another," as servants of the same Master,
and agree to waive doctrinal differences ?
There is, however, one important afifirmation, A\liif'h
Christian churches, engaged in avowedly religious work,
should always utter and maintain. They are Christian
churches ; and the very principle of their organization is
loyalty to Jesus Christ. No co-operation of Christian
churches is to be desired, in which this principle is disal-
lowed. Christian churches may unite, for various social
and ethical purposes, with organizations that are not Cliris-
tian; but when, as churches, they meet to form a union
of churches, the organic idea of the Christian church
cannot be ignored. All organizations taking part in such
a unicm must be those that "hold to the Head." Accept-
ance of tlie lordship and loadcrshi}) of Jesus Christ is the
only Itoiid of union between Christian liclievers; but this
and tliis alone is essential to useful Christian fellowsliip.
'Hiose who can answer tlie Master's question, "Whom
say ye that I am?" as Peter answered it, "Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the ]i\ing (iod,"" may surc]\- Ix' recog-
nized as ('hristians. Further in(|uiry into the ])hiloso]ihi-
cal distinctions which they are in the liabit of making
436 CHRISTI.IN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
respecting the essentials of divinity and hnmanity may be
forgone. His own apostles were by no means clear
respecting the essential nature of our Lord, while they
companied with him in the flesh; such as those whom he
chose to be always with him here, and for whom he praj^ed
that they might be with him forever, are not to be set
aside by us as unworthy of our fellowship. Loyalty to
him, the acceptance of him as Master, a true discipleship
— this is the only condition on Avhich we need to insist
when we come together as Christian neighbors to form
plans for the better prosecution of our connnon work.
Doubtless the first thing to be done by such an organi-
zation of the churches would be to divide the held among
themselves, so that each church should have some definite
territory for whose evangelization it should be held respon-
sible. These districts should be assigned with consider-
able care, so that each church would find opportunity of
work among the poor and the neglected. To assign to
each church a district contiguous to its own edifice would
not be wise, for some of the churches are located in neigh-
borhoods where there are few of the necessitous and
unchurched, and other churches have almost no other kind
of neighbors. The aim should be to distribute the work
as fairly as possible, considering the ability of the several
churches.
Nor should any church be given exclusive charge, for
evangelistic purposes, of the territory thus cnti'usicd to it.
For within this territory, wherever it might 1)0, \\oiild bo
found many families connected witli other churclics, and
tlie I'iglit of these cliurches to care for their own mciiibei'S
cduld not 1)0 dis})Uted. The duty of the occn[)yiiig clinrcli
would be to find, by a careful canvass, those families in
tlie distiict wliich had no connection with any church,
and to be responsible foi' the care of tliem. jNIaiiy families
W(mld 1)0 foimd, in such a canvass, which had formerly
boon communicants in some chnrcli, Imt, for some reason,
had lost connection willi i(. 'I'lic visitors should bo
instructed to send the names of such f;imi1ios to tlie pastor
of the nearest church of the dcnomiiuiLtou to wliich the
CO-f)PEnATir)X WITH OTHKR CHURCHES 437
wanderers -were formerly attached. Others, though never
conmuiiiicants, -woukl liavo decided preferences among- the
churches, and the aim should ])e to pnt these also into
eonnnunicaiion Mitii the churches which the}^ prefer.
Those having neither relationships nor preferences else-
whvre shonld be cordially welcomed to the services of the
church giving the invitation.
When the canvass of the district is made in this spirit
and with these purposes, the people receiving the invita-
tion will get a new impression of the meaning of Christian
evangelization. It will be evident that the visiting church
is not working exclusively for its own aggrandizement;
that it considers the interests of the kingdom of heaven
as paramount, and the interests of its own organization as
secondary. " When the invitation is given in the name of
all the churches," says Dr. Strong, "it is manifest that
they are co-operating instead of competing, and tlie invi-
tation which is seen to be unselfish is much more effec-
tive. Such oneness of spirit and effort has an influence
which tlirice the effort without co-operation cannot have;
not sim})ly because organization always economizes force,
but l)ecausc such oneness is the convincing evidence of
the divine origin and character of the Christian religion
wliich tlie world lacks. Christ prayed that his followers
might l)e one, that the vjorlcl miyht know that the Father
sent him.''''
The churches thus co-operating should have regular
meetings at which each church should report the results
of its canvass, and for this purpose uniform blaid>:s should
lie provided for the visitors, showing the number of
families called u|)i)ii by each one, llie huuiImt ;iltiMi(Hiig
otlier churches, the number attending no cliuich, the
numlu-r galiiered into llic iii\ iting chun-li and its Sunday-
school, and the names ;ni(l iidihcsscs of the faiiiibcs rc|iorted
to tlie pastors of other cluwehes. These re|)orls should
be summarized and I'epoi'ted to the union, and the retui-ns,
when couipihMh wduM furnish a coniph'te reUgious census
of the town or city.
The attempt is sometimes made to form an alHance ot
438 CHRISTIAN PASTOE, AND WORKING CHURCH
all the churches, and perform this work of visitation by
means of a general committee or superintendent represent-
ing all, who shall subdivide the whole field and assign the
visitoi-s, selecting them from all the churches. But it is
doubtful whether this plan would be generally found prac-
ticable. It is better to assign to each church a delinite
territory for its care, providing it with the blanks for its
report to the union, indicating, in a general way, the
method by which its work should be done, and leaving it
free to work out its problem with its own resources. It
should also be understood that the responsibility of initiat-
ing any new religious enterprise — Sunday -school or chapel
service — in the district thus assigned should belong to the
church having the care of it; and that no other church
should enter the district for such a purpose without con-
sultation A\'ith the church in charge. Upon this principle
of comity much stress should be laid. In the meetings of
the union the scandalous and disastrous results of multi-
plying organizations for purely sectarian purposes should
often be held up to reprobation, and the need of adhering
to some such rule of good-neighborhood should be empha-
sized. If some consultation with other churches and
some consideration of the interests of the kingdom must
precede the attempt of any sect to establish a ncAV enter-
prise, many grievous offences against prudence and charity
would be avoided. Most of the organizations that have
been thrust into fields where they were not needed were
the fruit of a heedless sectarian impulse; if their projec-
tors had been called to justify tliem before the bar of
reason, they would have ])een put to shame.
The church receiving the cliarge of such a district
should be expected to canvass it frequently, certainly as
often as once a year. Necessitous families will be fonnd
which ought to be visited very frequently; these, how-
ever, should be ])laced under the care of the visitors of (he
poor. Families which aw known to be in attendance wynm
other chnrchcs need not be called upon a second time;
those wanderers rejjorted to other jjustors should be seen
again, to make sure that they have liecn pi-operly folded;
CO-OPERATION ^\ rni other churches 439
and tliost' w hu still reniaiu uii.slK'plici'dL'il should he kindly
entreated, until they make it evident that the friendly
overtures of the visitors arc no longer Avelcome.^
By measures of co-operation of some such character the
churches of most towns and cities could make sure that
no classes and no districts were neglected, hut that the
invitations of the gospel had heen carried to the whole
community. There would he difficult}-, no douht, in
adapting a plan like this to such a metropolis as London,
or even to a city like Glasgow or New York or Chicago.
In cities of one or two hundred thousand people the plan
might he adopted, and more easily in lesser communities.
It would, however, he practicahle in the great cities to
select certain large disti-icts or sections, and group the
churches -within them for this co-operative work. This
geographical division of a great city should include locali-
ties inhahited hy the less fortunate as well as the more
fortunate classes, and should not be so large that the
workers could not conveniently meet and co-operate. A
plan like this was recently adopted at the East End of
Pittsburgh, Pa., with the best results. The churches of
that vicinity were brought into the most cordial fraternal
relations, the life of all of them was greatly enriched and
stimulated, and the effect of this co-operation ui)on the
community at large was manifest.
It is clear that churches thus associated may find other
AV'ork in which they can unite besides the visitation of
the unchurched. Their joint study of their common held
will reveal to them a great number of interests which need
their care, and in which they may usefully co-operate.
Here, however, there will be need of great wisdom and
moderation. Christian people arc by no means of one
mind respecting the things that ought to be done. W'licu
])rictical measures are pr()[)()sed, great dillerenccs of oi)inion
immediately appear. IJespccting the evils arising fi-oiu the
use of intoxicating li(|Uors, for example, there is not nnicli
dirfciciicc (if opinion; and the wisli to do sonu'thiiig for
the removal of thesL; evils would be practically unanimous.
' S.'c ("liap. ix.
440 CHKISTIAX PASTOK AND WORKING ClIURCIT
13ut when the wnjs and means were considered, the unanim-
ity would vanish, Tlie sectarianism of the advocates of
temperance is not less virulent than the ecclesiastical
variety. Some would be inclined to insist upon measures
which others would deem quixotic; it is not unusual for
zealous partisans of one method to denounce those who
favor other methods as foes of the cause and " friends of
the rum interest," The existence of great differences of
opinion must be clearly and frankl}^ recognized at the out-
set, and the question must be raised whether any line
of policy can be found in which all caii heartily co-operate.
Here is a great opportunity for these Christians to take a
few lessons in tolerance and sweet reasonableness. It is
quite worth while to learn that although it is impossible
for two to walk together all the Avay except they be agreed,
it is still often possible for those who have different ends
in view to go together a good part of the way. "If in
anything," says Paul, "ye are otherwise minded, even this
shall God reveal unto you: only, whereunto we have
already attained, by that same rule let us walk."^ "Let
us go together as far as we can," must be the motto of
these co-ojierating churches. It must be understood at
the outset that there will be many practical matters in
which they cannot co-operate ; the problem is to find the
things in which they can heartily work together. And,
in this bitterly controverted field of temperance, there "\\ill
be some useful things which these churches can unite
to do.
It is probable, for example, that they could unite to
provide safe places of resort and refreshment, to counter-
act the attractions of the drinking-places. Recent caicl'ul
investigations sliow the great need of some such provision.
A. good part of the patronage of the saloons and puldic-
houscs is due to the desire for society and for a comfort-
able place to sit and cliat niul road the evening newspaper,
Sucli i)laces of resort, witli ikhic Imt "temperance drinks,"
are provided in great nuinbcis in r.ritisli cities, but in
America there are few of tlicni. It is jjrobable that the
1 riiil. iii. 15. If..
CO-OPEUATIOX WITH oTIIF.R CHrKCHI']S 441
opening of such places in our American cities would prove
an effective temperance measure. The}- should never be
offered as charities, and it Avould be a mistake to connect
with them any kind of religious exercises; they ought to
he simply and frankly places of decent resort for every-
1 )ody ; and they ought to be managed in such a way as to
1)0 self-supporting. The relation of the associated churches
to such an enterprise would be simply that of promoter
and patron; through a competent committee, they might
secure the formation of a company which would undertake
the business, and they could lend to it their moral support.
'J'hat the united churches of any town or city could, by
their hearty advocac}-, set such an enterprise on foot is
scarcely to be doubted; and it would appear that until
something of the kind is done, they ought not to be too
severe in their censure of those who resort to the only
warm and bright places they can find to spend their winter
evenings in, nor to those who furnish such places for the
comfort and entertainment of their fellow-men. Much of
^hat passes for zealous temperance sentiment, Avhen
viewed from the standpoint of the man in the street, savors
quite too much of the spirit of the dog in the manger.
Our appeal to the hal)itu(3 of the saloon A\ill be much
more cogent wlien we have furnished him with something
better to take its place; and our ])olitical agitation for the
closing of the saloon will be greatly strengthened by th;^
same provision.
'^riie associated churches could also, in all ])rol)abilitv,
unite in the demand for tlie closing of the drinking-places
on Sunday. That the open saloon is far more injui-ious to
the community on Sunday tlian on any otlier day of the
week is matter of demonstration. W'licn the saloons are
o[)en, tlu^ arrests on Sunday and Sunday night arc uioi-c
numerous than on otlicr days; tlic cost to the comniniiit\-
of the maintenance of the jk'ucc on tliis (l,i\- nf rest is
heavier than on other days, and llic Iuss to ihr luinilics of
Itread-winners of tlu^ means of liNclili I, w iili (Iirir cou-
se<|nent ])auj)cri/ation, is far nioic serious on Sunda\ than
on any other day. It is, tlieivfore, thc^ simple right of
442 C}nMi?*.IAN PASTOK AND WORKING CHURCH
the coniiiiuuity, for its own protection, to insist npon the
closing of the drinking-places on the day of rest; and the
churches, resting their demand on no theological assump-
tions, but simpl}^ on the general welfare, which they are
interested in promoting, may join in enforcing this demand.
A steady and resolute insistence upon a principle so clear,
in which all the Christian churches of the community
united, could not fail to have groat influence in forming
the public opinion by which this policy would be made
effectual.
In another testimony, of the greatest value, these asso-
ciated churches may be able to unite. That is the testi-
mony to the sacredness of law. The stability of all free
governments rests upon the obedience of the people, and
especially of the magistrates, to the laws enacted for their
government. Liberty is the child of law ; where there is
no restraint of human passion, and no rational establisli-
ment of social order, there is no freedom for any ; the only
rule is the power of the strongest. That the laws which
undertake to secure the liberties of men are entitled to the
respect of all is, therefore, the fundamental principle of
civilized society. Even though they may be imperfect, it
is better to bear with their imperfection until they can be
lawfully amended, than to ignore and disobey them.
The notion that every citizen may judge for himself
wluit laws are beneficent, and may set aside those whicli
are displeasing to himself, braving the censure and retii-
bution of the constituted authorities, is a most pernicious
and abominable conceit; albeit we find it, now and then,
advocated in newspapers, and avowed in public speeches.
Still less is it to be conceded that a ]iublic officer, sworn,
in the very terms of his oalli of olhce, to support and
administer the hnvs, should pick and choose among these
laws, selecting those which he will enforce, and tacitly
permitting those which are displeasing to himself to be
dishonored. That some such policy as this has become
traditional in some American municipalities there is reason
to fear.
VVhat can be done to check the spread of this political
CO-OPERATIOX W ITII OTHER CHURCHES 443
leprosy? It would seem that the Christian churches of
every conimunit}-, whose dut}- it is to enforce the funda-
mental principles of morality, might unite in a resolute
demand for ol)edience to the Liws of the land, especially
on the part of those who have sworn to honor and admin-
ister them. When they see the laws openly disobeyed,
and those who are charged with the duty of enforcing
them plainly conniving at the disobedience, and even
enriching themselves by corruptly granting immunity to
the law-breakers, it is their duty to raise their united
voices in condemnation of the shameful infidelity. It is
not their duty to organize volunteer detective or prosecut-
ing agencies for the performance of the work thus neglected
ly the officials, but it is their dut}^, as the witnesses for
righteousness, to condemn, in no ambiguous terms, the
most grievous unrighteousness existing among them.
The function of the old prophets must belong to somebody
in this generation, and to whom has it descended, if not
to the teachers of religion? Doubtless the obligation to
declare the truth respecting all these matters which con-
cern the existence of society rests on the occupant of every
l)ulpit; but the united voice of all the churches, clearly
and strongly testifying upon such an issue, would exert
an inlluence stronger than that of the single and separate
pulpits. Such a testimony, faithfully spoken, again and
again, must produce a wholesome change in public opininn
with respect to this crying evil. It is a testimony which
no man can gainsay. 'J'he reason of it is self-evident to
all will) liave reflected upon the nature of civil society.
And the associated churches, by sim})ly declaring the
whole counsel of God with respect to this great interest of
law. would perform for the eommunity a service of Ihc
highest value.
To the churches of []\v coiniuuiiity thus associated, and
seeking for ol)jccts to which they might devote their
united energies, other opportunities of co-o])er:ilion Ihiin
those mentioned would undoubicdly a|i|ic;ir. 'I'o one of
th(! most iin[)ortant of these we shall <levote the conclud-
ing cha[)ter. The determination to attempt nothing in
444 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORIvING CHURCH
which they could not heartily unite — to be content with
undertaking only such labors as they could hope to cany
through with entire success — would result in a conscious-
ness of power which would greatly add to the hopefulness
and courage of every member of the organization. And
doubtless the word of the Master would be fulfilled to his
Church thus united: "Because thou hast been faithful in
a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things;
enter tliou into the joy of thy Lord."
It is even possible that churches thus seriously endeav-
oring to find common ground on which they could stand,
and objects in which they could combine their efforts,
would come to realize their essential unity. It might, by
and by, be evident that here was truly but one Church ;
that the associated congregations of any town or city really
constituted the Church of that town or city; that there
could be but one Church of Jesus Christ in any commun-
ity, and that, in their common loyaity to him, and their
consistent endeavors to work together with him and for
him, the unity of the Church had been realized. It is
here, if anywhere, that Christian unity will be achieved.
Neighboring congregations of believers, whose principle of
organization is simple loyalty to Jesus Christ, may grow
togetlier. It is possil)le that such associations should come
into such ch)se and hel])ful relations that their union
Mould mean iii()r(! to tlicni tlian any denominational l)ond
could mean; and that they would linall}' stand together as
one Church, together contending foi- tlie faitli once deliv-
ered to the saints, and lifting U]» a nnitcd front against.
the i)Owers t)f evil. Notliing seems to lie wanting to this
l)ut tlu! recognition of the importance o|' cd-opevation, and
the willingness to co-operate. There do not ap])t'ar to l)e
any theoretical obstacles to some moasnre of eo-operalioii.
Roman (allmlies may be willing to slaiid with ns on
some ])latl'oi'nis, and to recogni/.i' the fact that they are
our brethi'en. I'^lvei'v overture IVonithal diivctidii shonld
be cordially welcome( I : it imisl lie thai in certain matters
they will be willing to unite with ns. In the j)rei"aee to
his Ucfurmed l\(stu/\ so devout an lOvangelical and so
CO-OrERATION WITH OTHER CHURCHES 445
sturdy a Protostaiit as Richard Baxter thus sets forth his
own feeling respecting the co-operation of Christians of
different beliefs : —
" The thing 1 desire is this : (1) That we might all
consider how far we may hold communion together even
in the same congregations, notwithstanding our different
opinions; and to agree not to withdraw when it may
})ossibly be avoided. (2) But when it cannot, that yet
we may consult how far we may hold communion in dis-
tinct congregations ; and to avoid that no further than is
of mere necessity. And (3), and principally, to consult and
agree upon certain rules for the management of our differ-
ences in such manner as may be least to the disadvantage
of the common Christian truths which are acknowledged by
us all. Thus far would I seek peace with Arminians,
iVntinomians, Anabaptists, or any that hold the founda-
tion. Yea, and in the two last I would not refuse to con-
sult an accommodation with moderate Papists themselves,
if their principles were not against such consultations and
accommodations; and I should judge it a course whuli
God will better approve of, than to proceed by carnal con-
trivances to undermine their adversaries, or by cruel nuir-
ders to root them out, which are their ordinary courses.
I remember that godly, orthodox, peaceable man. Bishop
Usshcr (lately deceased), tells us in his sermon at Wansted,
for the unity of the Church, that he made a motion to the
Papist priests in Ireland ; that because it was ignorance of
the common [)rincii)les that was likely to l)e the undoing
of the connnou people more than the holding of the i)oiuts
which M'c differ in, therefore both parties should agree to
teach tlicHi some catechism containing those common
pi'iuciplcs (if religion wliicli ar(^ acknowledged l)y us all.
liut jealousies and carnal counsels would not allow them
to hearken to tlic uiotion.""
Such jealousies and canial counsels have, indet-d, for
long centuries, l)een building l)ai'i'iers l)etweeii the disciples
of a eomiiioii i^onl; but the day niiisl come wjicii these
obsti'ucttions will be swept away, and wlieii the (leterniina-
tioii to study the things that make for unity will be
446 CIIRISTLYN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
stronger tlian the selfish passions that foster schism. And
this, let us repeat, is likely to come to pass as the result
of the efforts of local churches to come to an understand-
ing respecting the work lying before them in their several
communities. Therefore it is a matter which directly and
vitally concerns the pastor of the local church, and those
who are laboring with liim. It is in the administration of
these local churches that the practical solution of this
problem will be found.
The principle which underlies the whole matter is the
principle which is revolutionizing modern sociology and
economics, — the conception of society as an organism. If
this is true of all society it is even more vitally true of
Christian society. If it illustrates the relations of the
members of cliurches to the churches, it illustrates also the
relation of groups of Christians to the Cliristian conunun-
ity. " Many members but one body " is as true of the
Church of Jesus Christ in any town or city as it is of the
individual members of any given church. These separated
congregations are not normally separate, and cannot be if
the life of Christ is in them. They are members one of
another. There can be no fulness or perfection of life
in any of them unless each is ministering to all and all are
ministering to each. The churches of any one denomina-
tion may be like the fingers of one hand ; but that hand
draws its life-blood from the body of Christ and must be
the servant of the body. The independency of the local
church is a doctrine Avhich must not be too strongly
asserted. Indeed, even those to whom it is a cardinal
principle make liaste to declare that it nnist never be dis-
sociated from the other principle, equally fundamental, of
tlic fellowship of the churches. If a certain measui'o of
autonomy be granted to eacli congregation, it is only that
the freedom tluis conceded may be used in a loving co-
operation with all Avho follow the same Master. And tins
principle of the fellowship of the churclies is one to which
no denominational limits can l)e set. It is not merely the
churches of the same denomination which arc mcml)ors
one of another. It is not their acceptance of the creed of
CO-OrERATION WITH OTHHi: CHURCHES 447
a denomination, or their utterance of some "consensus of
doctrine,'-' or their observance of certain common usages
that makes them one, it is the life of Christ that is in
them, Ik-anclies of the same tree liave no need of a con-
fession of faith to consummate and manifest their unity.
^\nd all true churches of Jesus Christ, living so near to
one another that the}" can be affected by one another's
life, must feel themselves to be one, and must realize
more and more fully, as his life is perfected in them, how
unnatural and even suicidal is the attempt to maintain
separate interests, and the refusal to be helpers of one
another's faith and love.
There is reason to hope that this conception of Christian
society as an organism will give us, during the century
which is now approaching, some precious fruitage. The
old individualism has done its disintegrating work in
ecclesiastical as well as in civil society. It was a neces-
sary reaction against the hierarchical despotisms by which
not only the local congregation was robbed of the precious
right of "home rule," but the individual layman was
reduced to a cipher, — the clergy being the only significant
figures. But the force of this protest has gone quite far
enough. Those local churches Avhich have most completely
won their autonomy may Avell be the first to show how
free they are to seek the unity of the spirit in the bonds of
l)eac(', aiul liow many and precious are the interests which
churches of differing creeds and rites may combine to
serve. That tlie spiritual unity of Christian believers is a
sul)lime reality, the churches of the next century ouglit to
make manifest.
CHAPTER XXI
THE CARE OF THE POOR
It might almost be said that the Christian church Avas
organized for the care of the poor. The version of the
first Beatitude found in Luke's Gospel, "Blessed are ye
poor, for yours is the kingdom of God,"^ was rightly
supposed, in the earliest times, to refer primarily to those
who were not rich in this world's goods. The first assem-
blies of the saints were largely composed of the needy and
the destitute. "Hearken, my beloved brethren," cries the
Apostle James : " did not God choose them that are poor
as to the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
which he promised to them that love him?"^ The lirst
ecclesiastical act of the first church in Jerusalem was the
appointment of seven deacons to receive and disburse the
contributions for the relief of the poor. From time imme-
morial the administration of the Lord's Supper has liccn
regarded as incomplete unless accompanied by a contribu-
tion for the relief of the poor. The most striking feature
of the development of the early Church was its thorough
and systematic ministration to the needy and the suffering.
The learned treatise of Dr. Uhlhorn on Christian Chariti/
ill the Barb/ Church is a most inspiring relation. It is,
therefore, somewhat singular that we find in some recent
treatises on pastoral theology scared}' a word resijcctiiig
this most important duty. The elaborate woik (if Dr. .1.
S. ('aniioii, an honored American professor of jmsloral
theology does not allude to this as one of the functions of
the church. The only reference to the poor which a some-
what cursory examination of tlie stately volume has dis-
closed is the following, in a chai)ter on "Pastoral Duties'':
" In his visitations let him not])ass by the ha1)itations of the
1 Luke vi. 20. - ,I;iiiic> ii. .">.
THE CAKE UF THE l'U( »U 449
poor nor consider any family too mean and insignificant
to be attended to. Tlie ' gospel must be preached to the
poor.' ' Condescend,' says Paul, ' to men of low estate.'
The Master regarded the poor in his ministry; their souls
are precious. It is certain that if any gospel minister can
iill the place of worship with the poorer class of people, he
will soon find those of a higher class falling into his society,
for it is only among the poor that the pride of wealth can
be variously displayed. The Methodists now, in most
places, begin to afford illustrations of this fact. The rich
in society are joining them, and producing a change
among them."^ The naivete of this reasoning is notable;
but we find no hint of any obligation on the part of the
Church toward the needy of its neighborhood; the poor
here referred to are evidently not those who need assist-
ance. Yet this cannot have been due to any lack of sym-
pathy with the poor on the part of this godly teacher. In
the biographical sketch of him which introduces these
lectures, mention is specially made of his benevolence to
the poor, who never went empty from his door. Two
facts are indicated by the silence of this book: first, that
the congregations to which the young men instructed by
these lectures were intending to minister contained few
necessitous persons ; and secondly, that it was not regarded
as a special duty of these congregations to seek out and
relieve the wants of the poor living in their neighborhood.
Both these inferences, which seem to reflect somewhat
seriously upon the benevolence of the churches, may be in
part explained by the fact that wlien these lectures were
delivered, nearly half a century ago, the number of the
l)()or needing assistance was comparatively small in most
American communities. The eleemosynary sci'vice of the
clnirch to its own members must needs have l)een a sub-
ordinate portion of its work. Probably tliis work was
done with kindness and fidelity; but it did not occur to
the good professor to refer to it as a department of clmrcli
activity.
l<iVen in the pi-ospcrous American comiuuiiilies of tifty
' /.ictttrcs on Pastoral Tlicolor/)/, j). 550.
450 cin:isTiAN pastor axd working church
years ago the Master's word must, however, have been
verified : " For ye have the poor always with you, and when-
soever ye will ye can do them good." ^ In the vicinity of
every church, if not in its membership, there must have
been those who needed the love and care of the Church.
The fact that they were not in its membership is a fact for
which, perhaps, explanation will be required when the
Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the angels
with liim. But, if they were not in its membcrsliip, wliy
did it not charge itself with the duty of seeking them out
and relieving their necessities? Probably because this
work had been taken out of its hands, and entrusted to
other agencies. A remark of the judicious Fairbairn, who
himself finds need in his excellent volume for no more
than a page of discussion upon this subject, will throw
light upon the question : —
" Passing now to the other branch of subsidiary means,
that relating to social economics, a pretty large field till
lately lay open here for parish ministers in connection with
the management of the poor, calling for the exercise of
discretion, sagacitj^ and good feeling. It was in this field
that Dr. Chalmers won for himself his first claim to dis-
tinction as a philanthropist; and to the discussion of topics
connected with it one of his most elaborate works is
devoted — his Parish Economics. The work may still be
read with interest and profit, as it is pregnant Avitli views
and principles which admit of a certain application in
every age; but as a guide-book for pastors in a specific
doi)artment of official duty, it may justly be said to be
antiquated. This ivholc branch, of social economics is now
directed hij an afjcncy of its own, in which ministers of the
Gospel, v.iJiethcr of the EstaMished Church or not, have hut a
subordinate part to perform. But, of course, it will never
cease to Ix' tlicii' dutv to interest tlicmselvcs in tlic state of
the ])oor, and to l)e forward in devising liberal things in
those more peculiar cases of want and distress which fi-oin
time to time occur, and for which a legal maehiiu ly all'ords
no adequate souroo of relief," 2
' Mark xiv. 7. - Pasloral T/iroloij;j, p. .'i4'.t.
THI-: CAKK OF TDE POOE 451
The care of the poor, which was once the exclusive
function of the Church, has been relinquished, in most
Christian countries, to the state or the municipality. We
have here a notable fact of modern civilization, and one
upon which not a little serious thought ought to be ex-
])ended l)y the Churcli of this generation. AVhether this
result is one upon which we may congratulate ourselves is
not altogether clear. It is, indeed, a great triumph of
Christianity that that "fund of altruistic feeling" which it
has cdutributed to modern civilization has so influenced
the whole community as to impel the state to take up this
work of charitable relief. That " All-of-us," in our corpo-
rate capacity, should be compassionate enough to wish to
provide for the wants of the needy is matter for profound
thankfulness. But it is not yet clear that civil society is
luUy e(piip[)ed for the performance of the whole of this
work, nor that the Church has done well in relinquishing
it. For the most part, it must be admitted that much of
the work is badly done by the civil authorities ; that those
most needy are apt to be least cared for, and that those to
whom the aid of the state is injurious rather than helpful
get the lion's share of its dispensation. That the Church
has been stripped of a large i)art of its power by its sur-
render of the charge connnitted to it by its Master is also
manifest. If its influence in civil society has been weak-
ened; if sus])icions have arisen that it has become too
closely identilied with the more fortunate classes; if the
])roblem of "reaching the masses " has come to be discussed
in its councils in a somewhat despairing tone, these facts
are to be largely explained l)y its practical abandonment
of the held into which it was sent by its Master. It is
time, let us urge, for a great revision of the relation of the
Chiistian Church to the poor living in its neighborhood, —
and for deep scarchings of heart nii tlic piUt ot Christian
diseiples, witli respect to the meaning ot the ((unniission
un(U'r which they are serving. Has the i)arable of the
Judgment no relation to the pivsent eonditions of the
Christian Church?
In the study of this question, we are lirst reininded of
452 CHRISTIAX rASTOli AND AVOlUvlXG CIIUECII
the truth that every church ought to have, in its own
membership, those for whom its compassionate offices will
be needed.^ The constitution of the church implies such
a condition of things. Not only will it include those of
the lower classes, it will also rejoice to find among its
members those to whose needs it may minister in Christ's
name. Some of these have been overtaken by sickness or
misfortune or old age, and in their destitution they need
the sympathy and succor of their brethren. There are
few churches in these days in which such members are not
found, and the care of them is one of the most sacred
duties of the brotherhood. Nor is this duty often wliollj'
neglected. An offering is usually taken at each com-
munion service for the relief of the wants of needy
mend)ers, and the sums thus collected are quietly and
judiciously distributed, under the direction of the pastor
or the officers of the church. What the churches do in
this way is not noised abroad; most of the money thus
dispensed is given by stealth ; many self-respecting people,
who would shrink from revealing the penury into which
they have fallen, are visited and fed, as it were by ravens,
and thank God for relief that comes through unseen mes-
sengers. The amount of this secret charity, annually dis-
tributed to church-members, is not inconsiderable; many
of those who charge the churches with neglecting their
own should be advised of the fact that they do not always
blow trumpets before them in the streets when they bestow
their alms.
It must be confessed, however, that the churches are
sometimes remiss in this very service, and that their mem-
bers are sometimes permittted to appeal to the public
authorities, or the voluntary charities for relief. Such is
the case in the United States; to what extent it occurs in
other Christian countries we are not able to say. The
consciences of many Christians need enlightenment on
this subject. Is it not a grievous reproach against any
clnuch of Jesus Christ that it permits any of its members
to become recipients of alms from tliose outside its fellow-
1 Sec Chap. II.
THE CARE OF THE TOOR 453
ship? Is not the apostolic judgment, that he who pro-
videth not for his own liath denied the faith and is worse
than an unbeliever, applicable to the household oi faith as
well as to other households?
In the care of the poor of the Church great delicacy
and consideration are needful. It may sometimes be the
pastor's duty publicly to enforce upon his people the truth
that there is a Christian grace of receiving, as well as of
giving ; and that while, as Jesus said, ' it may be more
blessed to give than to receive, it is often the part of a
Christian cheerfully and thankfully to accept the ministra-
tions of those who love him and who sincerely wish to
help him in bearing his burdens. There are those who
need our help to whom we often find it difficult to convey
it. Their honorable pride we respect, but it is possible to
carry this principle beyond the limits laid down by the law
of Christian brotherhood. If it is a Christian duty to give
help to those in need, it must be the Christian duty of
those in need to accept it. Let them put themselves in
the place of the givers, and consider how they would be
pained if their kindness were repelled. There may be
great profit to them in this fellowship of giving and receiv-
iug. It will do them good thankfully to take what is
lovingly bestowed; to appreciate the generosity of their
Invthren; to be comforted by a recognition of the kind-
ness that exists in other hearts; to give large place in
their own hearts to the love that rejoices not in iniquity,
but rejoices in goodness.
Still it is more than probable tliat the Church will Hnd,
from tiiue to time, witliin its communion, some witli whom
its difficulty will be quite unlike that of which we have
just spoken — some who are Avilling enough to receive;
whose j)ur})ose and lial)it it is to get as much as tiiey can
out of everybody willi whom they have any kind of social
commerce, and to give as little as they can. If they enter
into any kind of association willi tlicir fellowmcn, llicir
only question is lif)\v much tiny may lioi)e to receive; the
tliought of giving oi- serving scaiicly t'uters into their
minds. With some whose coucej)tion of Chi'istian fellow-
454 CIiniSTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
sliip is exceedingly crude, tlie Cliurcli may be called to
deal ; and its ministry to their needs must Ije no less kind
than tluit of which we have spoken, but of a different
order. The deepest need of these poor is the need of
manliness and self-respect. This need will not l)e sup-
plied by a lavish or careless bestowment of alms; a judi-
cious withholding of material aid will often be more
cliaritable to them than any amount of giving. The thing
to be first considered in their cases is the interest of char-
acter. Whatever will encourage them to help themselves
is true charity; whatever tends to lighten their feeling of
responsibility and to weaken their self-reliance is mistaken
kindness. The problem of relieving cases of this nature
is often extremely difificult. These are sick and helpless
souls; and the cure of them requires the greatest skill.
It is easy to send a ton of coal or a barrel of flour; it is
not easy to arouse the dormant will or to quicken the sense
of honor. Yet hei'e is the case where the Christian law
must be rigidly applied. To love these brethren as we
love ourselves is our first duty. Because we love our-
selves too well to accept a kind of gratuity wliicli would
weaken our characters, we must love them too avcII to offer
them such a dul)i()us l)()unty. 'J'o recognize the fact that
Christ came to save these people, not primarily from suffer-
ing, but from sin and weakness and moral degradation, —
to make them whole men and women, and not mendicants
or parasites, — is the primary condition of successful min-
istry to their deepest necd.^ A genuine friendsliip is tlie
best medicine for them, — a friendship Avhich conveys to
them, by sympathy and inspiration, the saving vigor of
the very life of Christ. Their primary need is a spiritual
need. "Tlie cliaracter of the pastoral care of the poor,"
says Van Oosterzee, "must not depend on tlie wliim of
the individual, but must be governed by a lixcd ])riii(i])k'.
It is, as a rule, not of a matei'ial but of a moral and relig-
^ " (^Mo lo jiastour inrtto an ])ron)ior raiiij do sos soins cclni ilc rolcvcr I'csjjrit
ot Ic couraf^o du jiauvrf, dc I'ciifjasjor ii clu'iTliordos rcssourcos pii liii-ii)('nie, de
maiiitciiir ct de revcillcr Ic sciitiniciit dc sa digiiiti-', dc liii temoigiier, dans sa
])auvr('t(', tout le respect aiumol il ])cut avoir droit ou qu'il est en c'tat d'apprc-
cier." — Viiiet, Thcoloijic Pasturalc, \^. '501 .
THE CARE OF THE J'OOR 455
iovis nature, and seeks to raise the poor and reconcile them
to their lot, even when it is not in our power to ameliorate
that lot. Generally speaking, it is not to be expected of
the preacher, himself as a rule but scantily remunerated,
that he should belong to the number of those who give
largely; but he may sometimes effect very much by means
of his inlluence, intercession and recommendation. . . .
Not a little may be accomplished moreover with the poor
themselves, by means of a good and friendly word, which
is sometimes to be weighed against all silver and gold.
The true pastor's heart indeed feels impelled to seek the
poor, particularly not less than the prosperous and respected,
and even more to set them in a way of helping themselves
than actually to support them. In all pastoral care for
the poor, the material must be the means, the spiritual the
final aim in the labour. ' The soul of caring for the poor is
caring for the soul,' according to Elizabeth Fry's maxim." ^
What is here said respecting the Church's minister
must be equall}^ true of the ministering Church. These
are the lessons that the Church must learn and practise.
To confine this lore to the leaders of the churches is not
tlie Christian way. To such Christly ministry all disciples
are called. Nor must we too strongl}^ emphasize the sug-
gestion about reconciling tlie poor to their lot. jNIost of
them arc too well satislicd ; if we could kindle in tlu'ir
souls a divine discontent, we should serve tliem most
wisely.
By such faithful and loving ministry to the poor within
its own doors — the shy and the pnmd, who hide their neces-
sities, and tlie inalingerers, who are too ready to settle into
mendicancy — the Chureh should qualify itself to go out
into the garrets and the alleys with help for the poor that
are without. I'xiili these classes will l)e found in (lie
encircling populations; and the work of earing for them is
becoming, in these latter days of the nineteenth century,
one of herculean proportions.
This Work, as wo have already seen, has been under-
taken in all Christian lands by the pul)lie authorities.
' Pntctlad Theolufjji, p. 533.
456 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
Almshouses are now, as a rule, built and maintained by
the state ; hospitals, orphanages, asylums for the defective
classes — the blind, the deaf, the feeble-minded — are also
furnished in America, and to some extent in other coun-
tries, at the public charge. The amount of this work
which the state has undertaken is prodigious ; the figures
furnish an impressive revelation of the extent to which
Christendom has been leavened with the enthusiasm of
humanity. The state of New York has nearly eight mil-
lions of dollars invested in country poorhouses and city
almshouses; in twenty-three years the money paid out for
the maintenance of these institutions amounted to nearly
sixty millions of dollars. In 1890, the out-door and in-
door relief administered by public authorities in this state
footed up $3,319,864. In 1892, Pennsylvania paid, for
the support of homes for needy children and for indoor
and outdoor relief of the poor, $4,272,868, besides
$2,036,822 for the insane and feeble-minded, the deaf,
dumb and blind. These are only samples of what all
American states are doing, and the public philanthropies
of Great Britain are not less remarkable, though here it is
somewhat difficult to distinguish between the institutions
which depend on the public purse and those which are
supported by voluntary charity.
In Germany, the care of tlie poor is almost wholly
entrusted to the municipalities, and the work is performed
witli admirable system and thoroughness. The system
of Elberfeld is thus sketched:
"Every four paupers are classed in a precinct with an
overseer whose arcoptance of the office may be legally
enforced; it is his l)usincss to see the four once in two
weeks. He records their circumstiinces, he is their friend
and adviser, he requires their good behavior, and he brings
them before the police eonrl if they are vicious (tr idle.
Tlie precinf'ts are united in districts. The ]ireeinet over-
seers and their district chairmen decide wliat aid shall be
given to e;ieh mnn's i'nwv ])aupers for two weeks to come,
and finly for tluit lime, every case coming up new every
two weeks. There is then a Central Administrative
THE CARE OF THE POOR 457
Board, in which the municipal government is represented ;
they oversee the districts. There, is, besides, a Business
Department, AN-hich maintains a bookkeeping system,
recording all the facts about each pauper, and the relief
given. This department pays out all the money and gives
all orders for supplies. The officers are unpaid, except
so far as a few are required to give all their time to these
duties, and that for a considerable length of time."^
The city of Berlin is divided into several hundred dis-
tricts, over each of which is placed, by the City Council,
a visiting committee of several members, — the numl)er of
persons olficiallv employed by the city in the care of the
poor running up into the thousands. Service upon these
committees of visitation and relief is not remunerated, but
it is not optional; the city enforces it by fines and the
deprivation of some of the privileges of citizenship.
Hamburg, with a population of 600,000, has fifteen hun-
dred precinct overseers, ninet}^ district chairmen, nine
circuit chairmen, a central board of twent}^ members,
and a business department of sixty officials and twenty
clerks; sixteen hundred and ninety-nine persons.
In most European countries the public relief of the
poor is well organized, Ijut Germany is undoubtedly the
country in wliich the work of municipal relief is most
thoi-oughly systematized and most el'licientl}- performed.
What is done by the state for the poor and the unfortu-
nate in England has been thus summarized:
"The endowed charities, or rather such of them as liave
l)een placed under the control of tlie Charity Connnis-
sioners, liave a total annual income of nearly eleven mil-
lions of dollars. This does not include the luiiveisities
and colleges and the cathedral foundations. The most of
these endowments are in lands; more than halfamillion
acres, renting at more than seven and a half millions of
dollars. Picsides those lands there are fiimls amouuliiig
to some ninety-eight millions of dollars. 'I'he entire
revenue in 1s77, at 4 ])er ciMit., rejiresented a gross
charitable ea])ital, in land and in moneyed investments, of
' Tr'mmphs of the Cross, p. 422.
458 CHIIISTIAX PASTOR AND WORKLN'G CHURCH
$266,750,000. Of the animal income of these endowed
charities somewhat more than four and a half millions of
dollars is distributed to the poor, and from it also there are
maintained about a thousand hospitals and almshouses.
" The municipal care of the poor, early established, Avas
largely developed under Elizabeth. The municipal aid to
the poor in England and Wales, in 1873, was i$37,298,077;
this, with that given by the endowed charities, makes a
total of 841,838,545 poor relief in one year. The poor
relief in the United Kingdom, through money raised hy laiv,
amounted in five years — 1887-1891 — to -$260,000,000." i
The Charities Register and Digest of London, which
includes only such charities as are available for the me-
tropolis, enumerates no less tlian twenty-eight hundred
and fifty-three charitaljle organizations. Of the particular
classes of institutions a few may be named: of charities
for the blind alone there are no less than one hundred and
fifteen; for the deaf and dumb, thirty-two; for lunatics,
eighteen; for inebriates, twenty; for incurables, thirty-
two; of hospitals there are one hundred and forty-eight;
of free dispensaries, forty-one, of convalescent homes, two
hundred and sixty-one; of institutions for training nurses,
twenty-eight; of charities that afford money relief to the
poor, relief in kind, temporary shelter, soup kitchens,
ragged schools and day nurseries, there are two hundred
and fifty-five; of homes for children, five hundred and
seventy-nine. This stupendous provision costs London
not less than thirty-five millions of dollars a year.
It is evident that such a vast array of philanthropic
agencies, working indejjcndently, would often cross one
another's tracks and interfere with one; another's work ;
that the duplication of relief and the waste of resources
would be constantly occurring, and that the need of co-oper-
ation wiiuld jtresently appear. In Englnnd and in America,
duiing the past twenty years, much thouglit lias l)een given
to the woik of organizing the volinilary charities ; and to
tiie j)rol)lcni of securing a rational and business-like ad-
ministration of their work. It was evident that the careless
1 Trill III i>hs of the Cross, p. 427.
THE CARE OF THE TOOK 459
and sentimental distribution of vast sums of money was
resulting in gross abuses, in the pauperization of multitudes,
and in weakening the motives to honest thrift and inde-
pendence. To bring these groups of philanthropic workers
together, and to form some rules for the conduct of their
work, so that those in actual need might receive prompt
relief, and imposture and mendicancy be prevented, is the
enterprise known as charity organization. There are now
something less than one hundred of these associations in
the United States and Canada. Doubtless, in some cases,
the preventive and repressive features of this work have
been unduly emphasized. This is not a matter of wonder,
for the abiLses of sentimental philanthropy had become
flagrant ; bejond a doubt the community was suffering
vast injury through careless almsgiving. The reaction
against this extravagance nui}' sometimes have gone too
far ; yet it is evident that in spite of all that has been done,
the abuses are still flourishing in most of our communities.
And it must he admitted that the methods enforced by the
charity organization societies do, for the most part, commend
themselves to the judgment of the wise. " The attempt to
administer the social benevolence of Christendom according
to business methods marks a distinct advance in the ap})li-
cation of the Golden llule to mankind. So simple a matter
as the registration of the poor througliout a given district,
and the establishment of a bureau Avhich secures the co-
operation of the charities of a comnuinity, in advice and
action as to all cases, effects no small saving as to twice go-
ing over the same ground; tliis stands in lieu of partial and
unrecorded information oljtaiued b}' many agents, and in the
place of ineffective spasmodic relief." ^
To describe the methods of tlie newcliarity as ^ ))UsiMess
metliods " is, however, to undervalue th(>m. The organi-
zation wliicji economizes effort, and jhiIs ilic infui inaiion
gained Ijy each society at the service ol' all the n-st. does,
indeed, proceed by business methods; but the underlying
prineiph^ of this movement is a conviction of the value of
character, — a wish to save men. The waste of funds is a
^ Triumphs of the Cross, p. 440.
460 CHRISTIAN PASTOK AND WORKING CHURCH
small matter compared with the degradation of manhood
to Avhieli the inidiscriminating methods of relief were con-
stantly contributing. The mendicant who consents to be
coddled and carried and relieved of the responsibility of self-
support is in danger of the most fatal of losses — the loss of
himself. The charity which fosters this fatal weakness is his
worst foe. The revolt against undiscriminating charity is in
the interest of souls ; its motive is a true evangelism.
This hasty and imperfect survey of the great develop-
ment of modern philanthropy brings before us three great
classes of agencies, outside the Church, which are engaged
in the work of caring for the poor.
First are the institutions supported by taxation, in which
the state or the municipality undertakes the support of the
helpless poor : the almshouses, asylums, orphanages, child-
ren's homes, in which those are gathered who arc unable
to do anything for their own support.
Second are institutions of a similar purpose, established
and supported by voluntary charit}-, of which the State has
no control.
Third are the agencies intended to assist the poor in their
own homes — to give temporary relief to those persons or
families who are now in distress, through sickness or mis-
fortune, and who may be expected after a little to take up
the burden of self-support. This relief of the poor in their
homes is again subdivided into public and private relief.
The state and the municipalities occupy tins field, and
side by side with them, in many places, private organiza-
tions are at work. In some European coimtries, as in
(iermany, the municipal outdoor relief is so perfectly
organized and so efficiently administered that it has prac-
tically supplanted private charity ; in England, the attempt
lias l)een made to reduce this form of pul)lic relief to a mini-
mum ; in \]\v. United States the (;ities and towns are gen-
erally dispensing out-door relief, and in -.i manner so
unsystematic and inellectual as to })i()ducc more evil
than good.
Such are tlic condifinns coii fronted to-day l»y the Clnis-
tian Church. The wnik of caring for the poor, originally
THE CAKE OF THK TOOK 461
committed to her, has passed very largely from her hands,
and we have seen into whose hands it has fallen. What is
the present duty of the Church with regard to this great
interest of humanity ?
It does not seem possible or desirable at present that the
Church should undertake to relieve the State of the care of
those institutions into which the helpless poor are gathered.
In many cases these institutions are well conducted ; the
State has the care of them, but the spirit of a true Christian
charity is revealed in all their administration. The work
which the Church has inspired the State to do is done as the
Church would have it done.
In some cases, however, there is reason to fear that the
State permits these institutions to fall into the hands of
corrupt and incapable men, and that grave abuses are con-
nected with their management. Not only is the adminis-
tration extravagant ; it is also wanting in kindness, and
purity, and fidelity to the inmates. This is a state of things
to which tlie Christian Church must never consent. The
obligation rests on her to see to it that the helpless poor
are tenderly cared for : that they are neither neglected nor
despised nor debauched. They are her wards. It is con-
cerning them that lier Lord is always saying unto her :
"■ Inasmuch as ye did it to one of the least of these my
Ijrethren, ye did it unto me." The Church has done well
to inspire the State to take upon itself tlic care of tlicse lielj)-
less ones ; but the cliurch is not doing Avell if she permit
this charge to be neglected. With all the influence that
slic possesses slie must interfere to protect and shelter these
unfortunates.
There arc those who are always insisting that the Church
must not interfere in civil affairs. How can the Cliurch
avoid this duty, so long as slie has permitted tlie civil au-
thorities to assume a very imjjortant portion of her own
work? Can the Church transfer to the State the care of
the helpless poor, and tlien wash her own hands of all
res[)onsibility for the manner in wliidi this care is exer-
cised? The Church is bound to see tliat the governors,
superintendents, trustees and directors of these State institu-
462 CHRISTIAN TASTOII AND WORKING CHURCH
tions are men in whose hands these Ijrethren of Christ will be
tenderly and wisely cared for. When these institutions
are employed, as is not uncommon in American communi-
ties, as instruments of the ambition of unscrupulous politi-
cians ; when capable and experienced men are removed that
their places may be filled by the retainers of political leaders,
and the interests of good administration are sacriliced to
personal ambition or party spirit, the churches of the land
ought to cry out with one voice against the inicjuity. A
Chm'ch that has no testimony to utter against such a crime
as this, is faithless to Christ's poor.
The duty of the church with respect to the pul)lic institu-
tions for the care of the poor and the unfortunate is, there-
fore, to see that they are purely and humanely governed
— that the law of Christ is the life of their administration.
The churches of any Christian land can secure this result
if they unite to demand it ; and until they have done it an
essential part of their work is left undone.
With respect to the private institutions for the care of
the same classes, the duty of the Church is equally clear.
Nor is this duty often neglected. These are, as a rule,
institutions which have been established and endowed by
Christian men and women, and their management has
remained in the hands of those who represent the churches.
In most cases they are not under sectarian control ; the
])]iilanthropy of which they are the fruit is that pure
Cliristian love which ignores the distinctions of sect and
race, and seeks to do good to all iiicn as it has opportunity.
The hospitals, the orphanages, the homes for tlic aged, the
houses of refuge, the day nurseries, which Cln-istian
charity has established, are largely supported l)y contri-
Imtions of members of the churches, and tlieir luhuiiiist ra-
tion is almost uniforml}' faithfnl and Iminanc.
If is wlicn we consider the third ;in<l last of these classes
of the needy, those who receive relief in tlieir own liomcs,
that \vc encounter the most serious (|iiesiinii i-es|ieeting
the present (bity of ilie ( 'hi'istiaii ('Imreh. In ihis Held.
as we have seen, pnlilie and private agencies arc working
together, often with little concert of action. The muniei-
THE CARE OF THE POOR 463
jjulity, by its ollicers, is receiving applications for aid and
granting them, often with slight knowledge of the merits
of the case ; the various private societies for the relief of
the poor are doing the same kind of work ; and many of
the churches also are dispensing more or less charity out-
side of their own membership.
The lirst question to be raised respecting this eomj^lica-
tion is whether the state ought to enter this held at all.
In the face of such facts as have been recited concerning
the German cities, this question may seem unwarranted.
And it must be admitted that under a civic administration
as pure and efiicient and beneficent as that of a modern
(Jerman mmiicipality the outside poor are cared for in a
manner that leaves little to be desired. If anything half
as good could be hoped for in all modern cities, the question
we are now considering would be much less urgent. But
I'ven here, it is conceivable that the work might be better
done, if, to this expression of civic compassion were added
the element of a genuine Cliristian fraternity. The " biirg-
erliche Gemeinde " does its work well; but if these "pre-
cinct overseers " were Christian brethren who came in the
name of their Master, with his love in their hearts, the
ministry would have a deeper meaning. At all events, the
churches themselves would derive from such a service a
benefit that they now fail to gain. The influence which
such a ministry would give them among those classes in
the community upon which their hold is now the weakest
would add greatly to tlieir power; and the performance
of the work itself would wonderfully deepen their synq)athy
and eidarge their life. Jf (ierman ("Iii-istianity has iiis])ired
the German municipalities to perfoini lliis work tor ilic
needy, German Christianity has done well; but what lias
been the effect uj)on tlie ivlation of the (rcrman Church to
the poor peoi)lc? 'I'hat the hold of the Churcli upon the
lower classes must have been greatly weakened in this
])rocess seems prol)al»le. Is not the rapid growth of a
Socialism which is l)itterly anti-Christian to he partly
accounted foi- in tliis way ? It would appear th;ii some sueh
conviction must iiavi; overtaken the (Jerman chuivhes;
4G4 CHKISTIAX J'ASTOM AND WORKINd CIlUllCH
the rise of the "Innere Mission" in our times is a testi-
mony to an awakening purpose of putting the Church into
more sympathetic relations with the brethren of Christ.
But whatever may he true of tliose countries in which
outdoor relief is administered by the public authorities
with fidelity and intelligence, it cannot be true of countries
like the United States, where this work is shockingly
mismanaged by the State, that the churches are relieved
of their responsibility. In view of the fact that, in most
American communities, this business of public outdoor
relief is rapidly growing, that the worthy poor are apt to
be neglected in the administration of it, and that the class
of mendicants is being nourished by it into a huge and
dangerous proletariat, it is evident that the churches ought
to be rousing themselves to make inquiry into these alarm-
ing conditions.
Two possible solutions of this problem suggest them-
selves. The churches may so renovate and inspire the
existing municipal authorities that they shall do their part
of this work thoroughly and humanely, as it is done in
German cities, or they may ask that it be put back into
their hands and gird themselves for the task of perform-
ing it. In countries where State churches co-exist witli
strong nonconformist bodies, the latter solution is prob-
ably impracticable ; much of what follows is applicable to
conditions existing in the western liemisphere.
It Avould be a great and worthy achievement if the
churches of Christ, in the American cities, would concen-
trate their efforts upon the task of securing, through the
public authorities, an intelligent and benign administration
of outdoor relief. In their present state of schism these
churches can of course do nothing of importance. No
American city presents an organized unity of the Chiistlaii
elements which could speak with autliority on a subject
like this. Tlie first essential condition of any valuable
interference with these great abuses is that the churclics
sliall come together, in some such association as was sug-
gested in the last chapter. If an alliance of this sort could
bo formed in any community, and if the classes represented
THK CARE OF THK VOOR 4G5
in tliis alliance, which would comprise a strong majority
of the intelligence and the wealth of any city, shoidd set
themselves resolutely to the reform of these abuses, there
could be no doubt that something would be speedily done.
The associated churches could compel the election of men
and the adoption of methods by which outdoor relief
would be more safely and usefully administered. And it
is a fair question whether this is not the best solution of
the problem ; whether the city or the town ought not to
be the agency through which this work should be done ;
and whether the churches had not better address themselves
to the task of purif3-ing the municipal administration.
Before settling upon this conclusion, however, one or
two matters should be well considered. The fact should
be 1)orne in mind that this work cannot be well done by the
municipality without an enormous extension of the political
machinery. Berlin takes excellent care of her poor : no
worthy sufferer is neglected and the chances of imposture
are reduced to a minimum ; but the explanation of this suc-
cess is found in the fact that Berlin employs, in the business
of administering its outdoor relief, an army of about three
tliousand persons. Nearly all of these, it is true, Avork
without compensation ; nevertheless there is a considerable
staff of well-paid ofTicials to direct the work. C'omi)are
with this the method of an American city of one hundred
thousand people, in which a single ofhcial, who is expected
to give but a portion of his time to this service, has the
entire care of this distribution. In Berlin, about one
person in every five hundred of the population is enlisted
in the work of outdoor relief : in America, one in one
hundred tliousand of the population is thouglit to 1k3
suirudent.
There is, at least, some doubt whi'thcr AiiiiTJcim muiiiri-
[)alities coidd be easily brought to make tln' on i lay neces-
sary loi- ;in cllicient organization of this work ; whether
they A\(inld lie willing to rcnunu'i-atc tlie skiUcd olVicials
who could wisely direct it: and also whether il wonld l)e
])Ossil)le to imjjress into the service of the numicipality
enough unrcmunerated workers to do tlu^ work ellieiently.
466 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
Ainciican citizens are not, it must be confessed, so ready-
as they ought to be to render gratuitous public service.
The unsalaried positions, of which there are not many, are
generally sought and obtained by men who have some
political ambition, and who use these places as stepping-
stones. Whether New York or Chicago would readily
secure three thousand capable and faithful citizens to serve
constantly as the almoners of its charity^ is an open ques-
tion. The chronic unwillingness of American citizens of
the better classes to take any part in the administration of
municipal government, is a fact that must be reckoned with.
The difference, in tliis respect, between European and
American cities, is very great. To be connected, in any
honorable way, with the service of the city in which he
lives seems to the average European a distinction ; to the
average American it is an intolerable imposition.
It may be justly said that the American churches could
find no more useful enterprise than that of the conversion
of American citizens from this egregious sin of omission.
But this is a tremendous task ; it requires a radical change
in the habitual thinking of the whole community : and,
while we are not to despair of seeing it accomplished, it is
a question whether the work of debauching the poor should
be suffered to go on while we are seeking to effect the po-
litical regeneration of our cities. And besides, as we have
already seen in the case of the German cities, there is a ques-
tion whether the churches can afford to relinquish the care
of the outside poor, even when the work is honestly and
thoroughly done by the city authorities. It is conceivable
that the churches might get their prayer meetings or their
Sunday-schools well managed by the public authorities ;
but there miglit be doubt as to the wisdom of abandoning
sucli portions of their work. In short, it must be said,
that if the Christian Church is to exist as a spiritual body,
apart from the Stixtc, it is important that it do not sur-
render too many of its vital functions. And if lliis work
of caring for tlie poor of its neighborhood is not one of the
vital functions of tlu; Cluircli, it is not easy to think of any-
thintf which should l)e so considered.
THE CAKE OF THE POOR 407
Is it not, then, the dictate of sound policy, as well as of
true philantlirop}', that the Christian churches of America
should seek to reclaim this business, which they have
suffered to fall out of their hands ? This whole depart-
ment of charity is now in a confessedly chaotic condition ;
some reorganization of it is imperative ; all students of
philanthropic problems are agreed as to the grievous and
costly failure of the American municipality in its attempts
to care for the outside poor : is not this the juncture in
which the churches should come to the front and take tliis
task upon themselves ?
When this question is raised, we are at once confronted
with the voluntary agencies for poor relief now occupying
the field. In most cities some such unsectarian charities
are at work ; some of them possess endowments of consider-
able value ; and many of them have done faithful and
beautiful service among the poor. Plow can the churches
undertake the task while these societies are in existence?
To this it may be answered, first, that these societies,
where they are most efficient, by no means occupy the field.
It is but a fraction of the real want of any community tliat
they can relieve. Where they are associated, as they have
been in many cities, their united action is more efficient,
but e^'en here they are not adequate : the public authorities
are still called upon for a large portion of the relief. And
it ought to be possible for the Associated Churches and the
Associated Charities to come to a good understanding i)iid
organize the work, so that it shall be thoroughly and eifcc-
tually done. It might be expedient that each of these
societies should be given a district to care for, or thattlu^y
should co-opeiate with tlic weaker churches in the districts
assigned to them for evangelistic purposes.
A most interesting experiment in this dii'oction is now
in progress in the American city of Hnfl'iilo, with a poj)n-
lation of nearly three Innidri'd thousand. Tlic Cliiirity
Organization Society of linlValo claims (o \h> llic ohU'sl in
America, and the work of sysl(Mnatic relief in tliat city has
been exceptionally efficient. ]>ut Ihi' fact of vast neglect
and grievous abuse was still :ipp:irenl iind the need of some
468 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
better plan for the care of the poor pressed upon tlie con-
sciences of those who were engaged in tlie work. Into
minds thus quickened, the following words, spoken by Mr.
W. T. Stead to a fellow-passenger on an ocean steamer,
cast a fruitful suggestion : " If you could district the large
cities, and inchice the churches to look after those districts
as the })oliticians look after the voters in those districts,
there would follow such an uplifting of the masses as has
not been known since the coming of the Master." The
woman to whom these words were spoken is a citizen of
Buffalo, and it is chiefly due to her that the thouglit bids
fair to become a fact. By the aid of the assistant secretary
of the Charity Organization Society in that city, and with
the most cordial co-oporation of its secretary, this lady
prepared a map of Buffalo, dividing the whole city into one
hundred and ninety-five districts, — which seemed to be
the number that the churches of the city might hope to
care for. Tlien the clergy of different denominations were
called together and the plan was explained to them, and
received by most of them with hearty approval. At the
date of tliis -wTiting something more than a hundred of
these districts have been accepted by the different local
churches, and the hope is that many more will yet be taken.
No better account of Avhat is here attempted can be given
than is furnished by the following circular, addressed to
the clergy of the city of Buffalo, A\hich is reproduced entire,
in the Ixdief that it may prove to be an important historical
document :
'' Requests still come for a precise statenieut of what a
church pledges itself to by accepting a district from the com-
mittee of the Charity Organization Society. To take a district
means :
" 1st. Tliat you will feci a special i-espousibility for tlie
moral elevation of that district by means of uplifting agencies,
and for the removal of plague spots.
"2d. That either with or without the assistance of flio
Poormaster and the charitable institutions of the city you will
become responsible for the material relief of those in ,ynur
district who are destitute aiul neglected. If such people in
I
THE CARE OF THE POOR 4G9
your district have spiritual relations with another church, the
responsibility ±'or their relief still rests upon you, if that church,
after due notice from you, continues to neglect tlieni.
"What the plan proposed does not involve is almost equally
important:
•'1st. No church is asked to interrupt any spiritual rela-
tions which it now holds with families in any part of the city.
If it chooses, it can give relief to its own poor wherever they
live, but it is nevertheless desired that each church should
confine its relief Avork as far as possible to its own district.
'•2d. ]>y accepting a district a church does not come in any
way under the direction of the Charity Organization Society,
and does not agree to follow its methods. Registration with
the Society of relief given is desirable, however, to prevent
overlapping. When charity is not registered, one family some-
times receives aid from several different societies, no one of
which knows what the others are giving.
*' A word or two in regard to the economy and advantage oi
the plan may not be amiss. Difficulties will always exist with
this plan or any other, but we ask only of each church whetlier
exactly the same amount of work now being done by it would
not yield larger and more encouraging results if concentrated
in the main in a limited area. Desultory visiting of families
scattered over all points of the compass is wasteful in every
way. It wastes knowledge, for the knowledge gained of the
environment and conditions of one family may be useless in
regard to the next. It wastes time, for it may take longer to
visit two families in opposite quarters of the city than to visit
ten in the same block, and in the block the knowledge gained
of each family helps in regard to all the rest. I^Iorcovcr, visi-
tors in the same church would iind themselves all going in the
same direction. They could go together and they wouhl keep
each other up to tlie work, and tlic knowledge of one wouhl
assist tlie rcsst.
"Probably only a few olmrches could alfonl to engage a
special agent to direct their work, but all could support a com-
luittee workiuguudcr the j)astor'.s guidance, and this connnittce
would probably find that its work did not c;ill for theoxpiMidi-
ture of money so much as of time and thought.
"The very fact that in politics it is necessary for elTective
action to divide the city into different districts indicates that
in charitable work tiie sanu! division is needed. It is the old
470 CHRISTIAN PASTOll A^D WORKING CHURCH
story that faggots which in a bunch cannot be broken can be
broken one by one. To practical men the plan must appeal,
for it gives each church a delinite responsibility, which it can
see clearly, and a special limited field, not so large but that
the results of Avork dojie can be seen. It is well to have a
definite responsibility which we can see instead of a general
responsibility everywhere. A strong church, or even a few
strong workers in a church, can often see wonderful results if
the work is confined to a fixed area. Moreover, if there is a
plague spot in the district which taints the neighborhood
morally and physically, it helps to have a definite body of
people feel a special responsibility in that special district. It
is not everybody's business, and so nobody's.
" It has been suggested that some denominations or churches
would fail to co-operate in this plan, with the result that the
burden of caring for their poor would be lifted largely from
them and would devolve unduly upon those participating in
the movement. As for this objection, if the church with
which a destitute family has spiritual relations, when formally
requested, fails to provide for it, it Avould seem to be an honor
and privilege for any Christian church to minister to those
who are deserted by the friends to whom they would naturally
turn for help, and the example of unselfish charity would
redound ultimately to the glory, and even to the advantage,
of the church which practised it.
"It is already certain that the district plan will be tried
upon a large scale in Buffalo, and many churches have defi-
nitely accepted districts, but the plan does not depend for its
success upon the co-operation of all the churches. That of
course is not to be expected, but every church now doing any
active work would find its work less desultory, more telling,
more visible, so to speak, if it were confined to a special dis-
trict. "United, an army; divided, a mob" is a motto which
applies with force. If every church scatters its work it is
impossible to expect such effective results in the warfare on
human misery and vice as will follow a combined attack on
special, limited areas."
Some of the strontr cliurclios wliidi were cailicst to
accept districts, appear to liavc foun(] in Ibis ]ilan lar<jfo
opportunities. One of tlicni reported thai wlicreas, at the
beginning of its first year, one Imndred and thirty-four
THE CAKE OF THE ]'()()K 471
families were on the poor boolvS, the end of the year
showed only eight such families, "and that this great
change was due to lessons of self-help, rather than to the
substitution of church money for city money." Some of
the churches have already established, in districts assigned
to them, settlement-houses, which are the headquarters of
the work of the church for its district. "These settle-
ments," says the Secretary of the Charity Organization
Society, " are centres of the most sunny and beautiful influ-
ences. They are not intended to spread a religious faith
or to proselytize, but to help the residents of the neigh-
borhood to rise to their best possibilities, to give them
symjjathy and affection, counsel and encouragement, and
helpful service. Each has a free kindergarten and diet
kitchen, and Welcome Hall is the headquarters for one of
the district nurses. Each has boys' clubs, and mothers'
clubs, sewing classes, mothers' meetings, penny savings
funds, free baths, work rooms, and all sorts of good things,
all simply conducted, on a modest scale, but all acting as
seeds of good influences. The East Side Reform Club
meets at Westminster House for the discussion of civic
questions. Five different boys' clubs hold their meetings
there also on different evenings, and there are a reading
circle, a circulating library, and classes in cooking, sing-
ing, drawing and physical culture. This is quite enough
to show that the intention of these settlements is far
higher tlian to serve as a mere station for giving out alms.
Their aim is to civilize and humanize, to teach thrift and
cnicicncy, and to substitute liigher for lower pleasures.
"The higlier side of this ])lan docs not consist in the
giving out of alms and sni)[)lics, l)ut in tlu> di'velopment
among those who take a district of such a iVeling of lov-
ing friendliness and neig]il)orliness as will make lliem seek
to know as ^^(H as to help those who live witliin the
noigliborhood in their charge. A resident established in
the district can help greatly towards this."
The first difliculty in tlie realization of this j)lan will
bo to secure tlie co-oporation of all the churclies. 'I'lir
Uulfalo experiment has been remarkably successful in
472 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
enlisting so many at the outset; but only about half the
districts are yet occupied. The Roman Catholic churches
have been slow to take up tlieir assignments, but this is
perhaps due to the death of their Bishop, who, before his
death, had given strong assurances of practical interest.
The animosities of Protestant and Catholic will be hard
to overcome ; but this alone would l)e a great and beauti-
ful achievement. If, by a plan like this, in A\^hich surely
no theological questions arc raised, these two great divi-
sions of Christians could be brought together in friendly
labor for the poor, the gain to the kingdom of God A\'ould
be of unspeakable value. It is devoutly to be hoped that
the Buffalo plan may prove to be successful in this par-
ticular. The end is one to the achievement of which all
good Protestants and all good Roman Catholics should
bend all their energies.
A second difficulty will be found in teaching the churches
to administer tlieir charity by wise methods. Too many
of them still practise the old effusive and undiscriminat-
ing almsgiving; and when they find the objects of their
charity abusing their kindness, they are apt to abandon
them in disgust. Few of them have yet learned that the
chief end of charity is to make almsgiving unnecessary.
"In many cases," says the sagacious promoter of the
Buffalo plan, "we shall be obliged to sit by and see
vicious work done by churches whose cliarity is thoroughly
unintelligent, l^ut our hope is that in such cases our agents
can suggest wiser methods M'ith siil'licient tact to modify,
at least, what threatens to be hannful. The societies
which do unwise work will be no worse on account of this
jilaii, and iiia\', pcrhajjs, iiii])r()ve in their methods. It
will be hard to hand some woi'thy family over to unintelli-
gent treatjiient, which may, by mistaken kindness, ])an]ier-
i/,e them with too iniicli iVee aid; but the economy of the
l)lan is so great, ami liie nearer acquaintance \\\\\\ lliose
lielped wliich the plan involves is so valual)le, that we
conlidently ex})ect gi-eat good from the expei'iment."
Other practical dii'licultics w ill be eneonnliTed ; as the
circular above suggests, im jilan is wiijiout difficulties;
THE CAKE OF THE POOR 473
but the possible gains of tliis method are so great that no
pains should be spared in overcoming these obstacles.
The hope of bringing the churches of Jesus Christ into
immediate, vital, helpful contact with those Avho most need
their love and care — of restoring to the churches the great
opportunit}' of ministry A\'hicli their jMaster connnitted to
them and which they have so unhappily suffered to slip
away from them, is a hope which no well-wisher of the
churches would willingly abandon. The remark, above
quoted, that such a resumption by the Church of its proper
function would lead to '' such an uplifting of the masses
as has not been known since the coming of the ]\raster,"'
is scarcely too enthusiastic. Indeed, this would be, in a
true sense, the coming of the Master — his return from a
far country. No greater outshining of his glory could be
prayed for by his Church.
Nor need there be any fear lest the resources of the
churches will be inadequate for this task. The material
needs of tlie really poor are not large ; the amount needed
for the relief of actual suffering in the homes of the
people could easily be raised ; the stronger churches could
help the weaker in bearing this part of the burden.
What these people need most is what that church in
Buffalo has given them — friendship, and stimidating
"lessons in self-help." The number on the poor-lists of
any city can be indehnitely decreased in this way.
It is still assumed, let it be remembered, that the help-
less poor — those who are likely to be a permanent charge
upon charity — will still, for the greater part, be caivd lor
by the State or the municipalily in the institutions main-
tained by taxation for tliat ])uri)()S('. And thnc will lie
need, also, that the associatcMl chuiclu'S, as they take up
this work of out-door relief, sliiill keep tlu'mselves in close
and sympathetic rehition with tlie iniMic ;intlioi'ities. The
State must resign to the ehurehes the ministry of help
whieli belongs to them; but there is a ministry of disei-
})line whieli the Stale must exei'else towai'd some ol these
unliajipy jH'ople. Some am(»ng them will |ii(>\e to be
ineorrigil)le I)}- any methods of fi'iendly tuition whieh (he
474 CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND WORKING CHURCH
Church can apply. The mendicant habit is so ing-rainecl
that they cannot be roused to self-respect and self-help;
they will insist on being the parasites of society. For
such as these, workhouses and penal settlements must
be provided; the curse of pauperism will not be cured
without the exercise of a Avholesome severity. The con-
ditions described by Dr. Harnack in the following extract
are substantially present in this country :
" Somit erhalten wir drei Kategorieen von Armcn : solche,
die sich gern christlich helfen, berathen, und aus ihrer
Armuth auf helfen lassen; solche die die biirgerliche Ge-
meinde und der Staat versorgt; und solche, die der christ-
lichen Liebe und dem Staat zum Trotz ihre Armuth
absichtlich festhalten, sie gieichsam industriell, fabrikmlis-
sig betreiben. Diese bilden in jeder Gemeinde den
eigentlichen ansteckenden Heerd unsittlicher suchtloser
Armuth, des socialen Aussatzes, und sind der Zucht des
Staats und seiner Zwangsmittel zu iibergeben. So wird
der Staat auch nothwendig eine Armenzucht zu iiben
haben, wo sich hinter die Armuth das Laster oder gar das
Verbrechen versteckt. Aber wer dieser Zucht verfallt,
hurt damit auch auf sui juris zu sein, bis er sich eines
Besseren besinnt. So scheiden sich diese drei Sphiiren:
kirchliche Armenpflege, staatliche Ai'menversorgmuj, und
polizeiliche Armenzucht, von einander."^
The second of the categories named above, the public
care of the poor in their homes, is the one which, in
America, ought to be by all possible means reduced in its
dimensions; but there ■will still be need of the discipline
of the state in caring for those who count themselves
unworthy of the responsibilities of free citizenshij).
Let us now seek to bring clearly ])efore our thouglit
the considerati(m which renders this whole discussion
pertinent to a treatise on pastoral theology, namely, that
no such work as this can be undertaken without the active
particii)ation of the local chur(;h. Only by churches
e([uipped and trained for service like this can any sucli
plan of enlightened charity be carried into effect, "^riiis
' (r'csrliichlc und Tfieorle der Predigt und drr Sr.elson/c, ]). 41.").
THE CABE OF THE TOOK 475
plan does not appeal to the sects as such; in their con-
leiences and synods and assemblies they will have little to
say about it; the question whether this thing shall be
done is addressed to the local churches of all denomina-
tions; it is the question whether thc}^ will join with
churches of other names in their neighborhood in doing
the work that lies at their doors. It is a work for which
the local parish must be organized and instructed, and in
which, by its pastor, it must be wisely and enthusiastically
led. No more important field of labor is open to the work-
ing church; none in which greater wisdom or a more
genuine love of souls is needed ; none in which the church
can do more to help in answering its prayer for the coming
of the kingdom of heaven.
INDEX
Abbutt, Austin, 205.
" Abt Vogler," SG, 89.
Africa, appropriated by European
powers, 365.
Allen, A. G. V., 104, 158 i>.
Ambrose, 12.
Amusements, in the cliuirb, 121, 402,
405, 408, 409, 410; in Young Men's
Christian Associations, 314.
Aiulrcae, J. V., 13.
Anglican Church, 20.
Annual church meeting, 420.
Antiiropulogy and the pulpit, 94.
Apologetic studies, 92.
Apostidical Con.stitutious, 11.
Apostolical succession, 65.
Applied Christianity, 122.
Architecture, church, ctliics of, 26,
28.
Arnold, Matthew, 95, 99, 157, 378.
Art and inspirati(jn, 88.
Assistant, the Pastor's, 210-214.
Atlianasins, 96, 103.
Audiences, size of, 24.
Augustine, 18, 347.
Authority of pastor, 61.
Baptism, significance of, 157; admin-
istration of, 159 ; sponsors in, 162 ;
formula of, 162.
Barrows, William, 337.
Baxter, Richard, 13, 25, 445.
Bazaars and fairs in churches, 307.
Beck, . I. T., 14. 51.
Bedell, G. T., 16, 65.
Beechcr, Henry Wanl, 16.
Beccher, Lyman, 9, 16.
Bohrcnds, A. J. F., 16.
Bellarmine, 21, 343.
Benovolenco, development of, 371.
Bennett, W. II., 100.
Berkeley Temple, Boston, 402.
Berlin, Germany, poor relief in, 457.
Bernard of Clairvaux, 12.
Bible, the minister's book, 97 ; in the
Sunday school, 230.
Biography in the pulpit, 127.
Blaikie, W. G., 3, 7, 1 5, 98, 1 88, 1 98, 240.
Blunt, J. J., 15.
Bossuet, Jacques Benigne, 21, 96.
Boys' Brigade, The, 357.
Bradford, A. II., 298.
Bridges, Charles, 15, 203.
Brooks, Phillips, 16, 132.
Brotherhood of St. Andrew, 322.
Brotlierhood of St. Andrew and
Philip, 325.
Brother Houses in Germany, 330.
Browning, Robert, 86, 89, 126.
Bruno of Wurzburg, 19.
Buffalo experiment in jjoor relief, 467.
Bull, George, 16,34.
Burgon, J. W., 15.
Burial of the dead, 190-194.
Burnet, Gill)ert, 13, 15, 50.
Burton, N. J., 16, 151.
Buslmell, Horace, 96, 133, 184, 246,
381, 382, 387, 388.
C.U.I, TO Tin; PA^Ton.vTi:, 66-82.
Calvin, Jolin, 19, 155.
Taiididates, ministerial, 74-81.
Canisius, Peter, 21.
Cannon, James S., 3, 15, 163, 448.
Casuistry in the pulpit, 119.
Cateehetics, 1,3.4, 17-22, 33.5-3.52:
catechizing in the early dmrch,
.335 ; in the reformation period,
337 ; tlio r.itionale of, .338 ; b.a.sis
of instruction, 341 ; Bisliop Du-
lianloup on, ;!42-34'.l ; amung tlic
EulheraiKS, .349.
478
INDEX
Catecliisms, of Cyril, Gregory and
Augustine, 18; of Gerson, 19; of
Lutiier, 19; of Calvin, 19; Heidel-
berg, 19 ; of the English church,
20 ; of Presbyterian churches, 20 ;
of Sebastian of Mayence, 21 ; of
Canisius, 21 ; of Bellarmiue, 21 ;
of Bossuet, 21 ; Tridentijie, 21 ; of
American Catholics, 22 ; of the
Methodist Episcopal church, 22 ;
of Sciiomann, 22 ; Kacovian, 22 ;
Baptist, 22 ; of Friends, 22.
Cave, Alfred, 1, 3.
Chalmers, Thomas, 132, 450.
Channing, W. E., 127.
Cliarity organization, 458.
Charity, public, 455.
Charlemagne, 19.
Children, the baptized, 355 ; in tiie
yunday service, 356.
Cliildrcn's Day, 355.
Children's Hour, 334.
Choirs, English and American, 144,
145, 147, 148.
Christendom, extent of, 366.
Christian Endeavor, 9, 315.
Chry.sostom, John, 11, 18, 54.
Chcrcii, The, 23-49; defined, 1.
23 ; a working body, 4 ; provincial
or national, 23 ; local, 23 ; limits of
membership, 24 ; gains of size
offset by losses, 25 ; connotes fel-
lowship, 25 ; ethics of church
arcliitecture, 26-28 ; location of
the edifice, 28-30 ; who should
form its congregation, 29 serj. ;
ricli and poor must meet together,
29, 30; social structure of the
church a vital question, 33 ; diffi-
culties in the way of fellowship,
34 ; value and significance of it,
35, 36 ; reasons for the alienation
of working classes, 36, 37 ; the
church as the reconciler of social
classes, 34-38 ; the church ancillary
to tlie Kingilom of (iod, 38-44;
need of specializing religion, 41-
43 ; analogy of the brain in the
body, 43, 44 ; function of tlie
church the cliristianization of
society, 46-49 ; the ministering
cluirch, 255 ; strong churches in
poor districts, 267 ; a social organi-
zation, 271 ; not a commune, 272 ;
furnishes the opportunity of good
will, 274 ; the christianizatiou of,
279.
Church Torch, The, 353.
Clement of Alexandria. 96.
Clerk of the church, 204, 210.
Coffee rooms, 7.
Colet, John, 96.
College and Social Settlements, 264,
412.
Colonies, Church, in neglected dis-
tricts, 262.
Competitions of churches, 429.
Conference meetings, 247.
Conferences of local churches, 432.
Congregational singing, 146.
Constautiue, 127.
Conversation, religious, 200.
Converting agencies, 389.
C O O r E R A T I O N AV I T II O T 11 E R
CiiCRciiES, 428-447 ; Christianity
and the working church, 428 ; de-
structive competitions, 429 ; how to
secure cooperation, 431 ; the basis
of union, 434 ; dividing the field,
436 ; canvassing the districts, 437 ;
large and small populations, 439 ;
in what could the churches cooper-
ate ? 439 ; provision of places of
resort, 440 ; closing drinking places
on Sunday, 441 ; upholding the
laws, 442 ; unity best secured by
local cooperation, 444 ; tlie muni-
cipal church, 446.
Creeds in worship, 153.
Cromwell, Oliver, 127.
Crosby, IFowanl, 16.
Cyril of Jerusalem, 18.
Dale, K. W., K,. l.^O-L'SS.
Deaconesses in the apostolic church,
291 ; in the post-apostolic clinrch,
293 ; in modern churches, 295-305.
Deigratias of Carthage, 18
Pemocracy, connotes Jeadersliip. 62.
/> Ofjiriis CIrrirnrum, 12.
Departments of work in the chunh,
423.
INDEX
479
De Pastorale Cnro, 12.
iJe Sacerdotio, 11», 12.
Despair and its pathology, 185.
Dickinson, C. A., 411.
Districting the parisli, 282.
Doddritlge, Philip, 204.
Domestic difficulties, 177.
Doubters, aud how to deal 'vvith them,
180-184.
Dupanloup, Bishop, 342, 349.
Educational work of tlie church, 402-
412.
Elhcrfeld, German}-, poor relief in,
450.
Elder, 59.
Ellicott, C. J., 15.
Enlisting the Membership, 415-
427 ; the serving church, 415-416 ;
responsibility of the laity, 417 ; in-
forming the church, 419; the an-
nual review, 420 ; the problem of
the unemployed, 422 ; departments
of work, 423 ; all members en-
listed, 424 ; conferences of leaders,
425 ; undeveloped power of the
church, 420.
Ephrem Syrus, 12.
Epworth League, 316.
Evangelists, 397.
EVANHELIZ.VTION OF THE PaRISII,
2.53-270; the Pastor's responsibil-
ity, 253 ; whose servant is he ?
254 ; the ministering church, 255 ;
the outside heathen, 255 ; extent
of church neglect, 256 ; parish
visitation, 258 ; missions, 259 ; peo-
ple'.s churches, 260 ; church colo-
nies, 202; social settlements, 264 ;
strong churches in poor districts,
200 ; street preaching, 268 ; the
shepherding of the poor, 209.
Evans, H. W., 15.
Evening Service, 121.
Evidences of Ciiristianily, tlio best,
120.
Examinations and prizes of Ynung
Men's Guild, 328.
Expression, u.ses of, in the reliL'ious
life, 245.
Eaber, F. W., 174.
Fairbairu, Patrick, 3, 6, 7, 15, 54, GO,
105, 134, 130, 450.
Fairs in churches, 307.
Fellowship of the church and its
difficulties, 29-38 ; fellowship meet-
ings, 285.
Fenelon, 344.
Finances of the church, 200.
risk, F. W., 16.
Fiske, John, 429.
Flicdner, Theodore, 302.
Francke, A. II., 13.
Frederick III., Elector of Palatinate,
20.
Fremantle, W. II., 38, 39, 40.
Funeral services, 192-194.
Gerson, John, 1 9, 343.
Gibson, Edmund, 15.
Givers, large and small, 374.
Gladden, W., 17.
Gott, John, 173, 201, 217, 218.
Grace Church, New York, 405.
Grace Church, Philadelphia, 403.
Graded Sunday schools, 232.
Gregory of Nyssa, 18.
Gregory the Great, 1 2.
Guild, Church of Scotland, 320.
Guild, Free Churcli of Scotland, 329.
Guild, AVomeu's, in Church of Scot-
land, 309.
Ilagenbach, Karl Ivudolf, I.
Ilalieutics, 1.
Hall, John, 16, 202.
Harms, Claus, 3, 131.
Ilarnack, Tiieodosius, 14, 5S;), 100,
474.
Il.itch, Edwin, 53, 62.
Heidelberg Catechism, 19.
Henry, IMattliew, 20;i.
Henry, Patrick, 95.
Herbert, George. 13, 15. 115. 119.
Herder, J. G., 13.
Higher Criticism and the Sunday
sdiool, 230.
Ilildcbran.l, 127.
History in tin- pulpit, 125.
Hoiigcs, George, 123.
480
INDEX
Home Department of the Sunday
school, 238.
Ilomiletics, 1, 2, .'J, 4.
Hopkins, Samuel JNl., 154.
Iloppin, J. M., 16.
Ilort, Josiali, 15.
Horton, Vx. F., 16, 86.
Hospital work and the cliurch, 404-
406.
How, W. W., 15.
Howley, William, 15.
Humj)hrcy, Henian, 16.
Hur.^t, John F., 267.
Huss, John, 127.
Huxley, T. H., 42.
Hynmals, 140.
Hymns, 139.
Incorporation of the church, 204.
Inductive study of the Bible, 233.
lufant Baptism, 18.
Infectious diseases, 191.
Institltional CiirKcn, The, 401-
414 ; definition of, 401 ; examples
of, 402 ; similar churches, 405 ;
these methods criticised, 407 ; they
imply the sacredness of all life ;
409; fruits of their labors, 410;
compared with social settlements,
412; co-operation of churches in
such work, 413.
International Suuday School Lessons,
230.
Jacobi, J. F., 13.
James, John Angell, 15.
Jersey City Tabern.acle, 404.
Jungliugsvereine, Christliche, 313.
Kaisersworth Iii.«;titution, 302-305;
deaconesses, 304 ; form of conse-
cration, 304 /(.
Kaye, Jolm, 15.
Kidd, Benjamin. 104.
Kidder, l)aiii<'l 1'.. 16.
Kingdom of (iml, 38 srrj. ; includes
state and church, 40; tlic Chris-
tian's first loyalty due to. 40;
church aniillary tu, 40; gospel
of, 112.
Kingsley, Cliarles, 96.
Kirk, Edwin N., 396.
Labor leaders and the churches, 37.
Lamartine, Alphonse, 98.
Language, the instrument of iuspira
tiou, 86-88.
Law, the sacredness of, 442.
Lawrence, Edward A., 365.
Leader of Midweek Service, 248.
Leagues, Young Men's, 325.
Leavitt, G. R., 215.
Le Gallienne, Richard, 112.
Lenten Services, 399.
Leo tlie Great, 12.
Lil)cr I'astoralis, 12.
Literature and the I'ulpit, 95.
Liturgies, 1, 2, 4.
Location of churches, 28.
London, charities of, 458.
Longfellow, Henry W., 126.
Lord's Supper, The, 164; prepara-
tion for, 1 64 ; mode of administra-
tion, 166 ; invitation to, 167 ;
guarding the table, 168; in the
sick room, 190.
Lowell, James llu.ssell, 126.
Luther, Martin, 12, 19, 96, 127, 155.
Marheinccke, I'hilip Konrad, 14.
Marriage, celebration of, 170.
Mason, Arthur J., 53.
Mather, Cotton, 13.
iMatheson, George, 156.
Maurice, Frederick D., 96.
McLeod, Alexander, 15.
McLeod, Norman, 96.
Molanchthon, IMiilip, 155.
MiDWKEK Skrvk'k, Tiii:, 239-252;
the need of a social rcdigious
meeting, 239 ; the prayer-meeting,
240 ; the " experience " meeting,
241 ; conference and controversy,
242 ; uses of social prayer, 242 ;
uses and abuses of conference,
245; the life of the Christian .and
the work of the cliurch .as themes,
247,419; the leader, 248 ; familiar
methods, 249 ; tlio singing, 250 ;
the (piestion iiox, 252.
Miller, J. C, 15.
INDEX
481
Miller, Samuel, 16.
Miliic-Echvarils, Ileuri, 42.
Mi-sioNAKv Societies AXD Church
CoxTHiBUTiONs, 302-377 ; tlic field
is tlie world, 362 ; missions and
jdiilanthropy, 364; the expansion
of Cliristendoni, 365 ; tlie new era
of missions, 360 ; monthly mission-
ary meeting, 307 ; woman's boards,
368 ; who sliall present the work,
370; learning to give, 371; large
gifts from those of large ability,
374 ; the mites of the many, 375 ;
how to gather the offerings, 376.
Missions in cities, 259.
Monthlv missionary meeting, 367.
Moody,' DwightL., 132.
More, Sir Thomas, 96.
Mosheim, von, J. L., 13.
Mozley, J. 15., 133.
Mnnicipal reform and Young People,
319.
]\riirphy, Thomas, 15.
Music, Sacred, 139-150; in tlie Sun-
day school, 227 ; in the midweek
service, 250.
Xcander, Joliaim A. W., 59.
Neff, Felix. 115.
Neglect of the church, 256.
Neighborhood fellowship, 281.
Nitz.sch, K. I., 14.
Oborlin, J. F., 115.
Offerings for missions, 376.
Odicers of the church, 204, 214.
Olivianus, C, 20.
• 'rgan and r)rganist, 142.
Organism and mechanisiTi, 215.
OltilAMZATIONOt TIIkCiIIUCII.TmK,
204-219; dual character of. 204;
temporal interests, 203 ; to be cared
for by men of probity, 206 ; duinh
business needs to bo christianized,
207; a.ssignment <>f sittings, 2i)8 ;
records, 209 ; minister's assistants,
209; p.istor and ])re.icher, 212;
churcli ollicers as leaders of work,
214 ; organism aiul mechanism,
215; departments of work, 217.
Outdoor relief, 462.
Outside heathen, 255.
Oxcudeu, Ashtou, 15.
Oxford Methodism, ;^22.
Palmer, C, 1.
Pajjal infallibility, 64.
Parish and church, 205.
Park, Edwards A., 129.
Parkhurst, Charles H., 195.
Parson, meaning of, 50.
Pastor, The, 1 ; considered as the
subject of pastoral theology, 2 ;
relation to the church, 3 ; his social
obligations, 7 ; significance of the
name, 50; is he a priest? 52-61;
conception of the early church, 53 ;
growth of sacerdotal idea, 54, 55 ;
remnants of sacerdotalism in Pro-
testant churches, 56, 57 ; a spiritual
priesthood, 59-61 ; pastoral author-
ity, 61 se(]. ; democracy calls for
leadership, 62 ; spiritual power is
moral influence, 64 ; his call to
the ministry, t;6-82 ; dual relation
of, 69, 70 ; qu.alificatious of, 73,
74 ; THE Pastor as Student,
8.3-106; a prophet, 85; a student
of language, 86-88; of history of
doctrine, 91 ; of human n.itnre, 93 ;
of literature, 95 ; of tlie Bible, 97 ;
of social science, 100-104; devo-
tional life of, 105 ; the pastor as
preacher, 107 seq.; preacher of the
law, 110; of the gosjjcl. Ill ; his
relation to parochial affairs, 114-
119; the leader of worship, 134;
])re])aration for worshij), 135 :
priestly function of, 136 ; the min-
ister at the altar, 150-172; the
Pastor as Frieni>, 172-203; re-
lation to general society, 172; in-
tercourse with all classes, 17.3-175;
confidential friend, 176; person.i'i
ministry, 179; dealing with doubt-
ers, 180; reclaiming wanderers,
184; tre.itmcnt of despondency,
185 ; visitation of the sick, 186 ; in
infectious diseases, 191 ; at the
burial of the dead. 192; gener.-xl
visitation. 195-203; hi.s increasing
'A
48-2
INDEX
hunleiis, 210; Pastor and Teaclier,
2\2; Tin; Pastou AND THE Cnii.-
ijREX, .S-32-3G1 ; a closer bond
ueedcd, 333 ; the Childreu's Iluur,
334 ; cjitechetical work, 335 ; causes
of its decliue, 337 ; reasons for re-
suniiug it, 338.
Pastoral Tlieolog}-, a branch of Prac-
tical Theology, 1 ; divisions of, 1 ;
defined, 1 ; relation to Cliurch
Polity, 2 ; to Liturgies, 2 ; to Honii-
letics, 2; to Christian Missions, 3;
includes Catechetics and Poimenics,
3 ; excludes Ilomiletics and Litur-
gies, 3 ; important cliange in its
subject matter, 4 ; earlier treatises
exclusively concerned with the
work of the Pastor, 4-7 ; later
conception that the church is a
working body, 7-9 ; tlie later con-
ception the liigher, 10; Historical
outline of Poimenics, 10-17 ; Bibli-
cal references, 10; Patristic tlieo-
ries and treatises, 11,12; mediaival
ideas, 12; of tlie Keformation, 12,
13; of the eighteenth century, 13;
of the nineteenth century, 14-17 ;
History of Catechetics, 17-22;
in apostolic times, 17; among the
early Fathers, 17, 18; in the Mid-
dle Ages, 19; in the reformed
churches, 19, 20; Presbyterian
Catechisms, 20, 21 ; in tlie Roman
Catholic clmrch, 21 ; in the Metli-
odist Episcopal churcli, 22 ; in
Socinian cliurches, 22; among Ba])-
tists, 22 ; among Quakers, 22.
Pastoral Visitation, importance of
it, 195; finding time for it, 196;
nature of pastoral calls, 197; pro-
fession.al cliaracter of, 198; as an
opjiortnnity of friendship, 199 ;
religious conversation, 200; sys-
tematic visitation, 201 ; value of,
201.
Pastohate, The Call to, C6-82 ;
all Christians arc called of God,
66, 67 ; every good work n divine
vocation, 68 ; the inward call con-
notes inclination, love of the work,
and a rc.isonablc conviction of fit-
ness for it, 68 ; the outward call
is the voice of the church, 69;
the pastor's dual relation, 69, 70;
liow sliall minister and peojde be
brought together? 71; patronage,
72 ; nietliods of free churciies, 72 ;
(jualificatious to be souglit in a
jiastor, 73, 74 ; the etliics and pro-
prieties of candidature, 74-81 ;
])rcacliing as a candidate, 75 ; va-
cant churches and settled min-
isters, 76 ; shall tlie minister seelc
a church ? 77 ; one candidate at
a time, 79 ; ministerial vagrants,
80; minorities, 81 ; financial agree-
ments, 82.
Patronage, ecclesiastical, 72.
Pattison, Dorotliy, 96.
Pauperism, 7.
Pease, Theodore C, 118.
Pedagogics, 1.
Pentecost, 379.
People's cliurches, 259.
Plielps, Austin, 16, 56, 129, 394.
PhiIantliro]n' and Cliristian Missions,
366.
Phoebe, the deaconess, 8.
Poets, the, as preachers, 126.
Poimenics, 1, 3, 4.
Polity of tlie cliurch, 1, 2.
Poon, Care of the, 7, 448-475 ;
in the early churcli, 448 ; decay of
tliis function, 449 ; its assunijition
by tlie state, 451 ; the poor of the
church, 452 ; public charities, 455 ;
the new charity, 458 ; charities
classified, 460 ; the church and
public institutions, 461 ; the church
and private ])hilantliropics, 462;
tlic church and outdoor relief, 462 ;
the church the conscience of the
state, 463 ; can the churches un-
dertake the care of the outside
poor? 467; tlie Buffalo ex])eri-
ment, 468; difliculties, 472; cor-
rectional methods, 473.
Porta, Conrad, 13.
Porter, Ebenezer, 15.
Pratt, Lewellyn, 196.
Pr.-vyer Meeting, 6, 240.
Prayer, public, 135.
INDEX
483
rrcaching, Evangelistic, 108 ; preach-
iiig tlic law, 109; the gospel,
110; the gosj)el of the Kingdom,
112.
Preparation for tlic Lord's Supper,
104.
Priest, is tlie pastor a ? 52-61.
Priseilla and A(iuila, 8, 17.
Projjortiouate giving, 374.
Prostitution, 7.
Question Box in ^lidweek Service,
252.
" Quiet Day " of St. Andrews'
IJrotlierliood, 324.
Qnintilian, 346.
Eaikes, l\ol)ert, 221.
deception of communicants, 168.
Keformation, 12.
Repetition of .sermons, 132.
Responsive reading of Scripture,
1.52.
Rf.vivals axd Rkvivalism, 378-
400; revivals in ancient Israel,
378 ; Pentecost, 379 ; exten.sive and
intensive methods, 381 ; revivalism
as a system, its implications, 382 ;
extremes of spiritual temperature,
384 ; Christian nurture, 387 ;
Christianity as an organ itic power,
388 ; still rofim for converting
agencies, 389 ; the omnipresence
of the Spirit, 390 ; special religious
interest, 392 ; special measures,
394 ; professional evangelists and
pastors, 397 ; Lenten services, 309.
Richards, Charles IP, 394, 400.
Robertson, Frederick W., 96, 133,
161.
Robinson, Ezekiel G., 16.
Rogers, John, 203.
Rofpies, P., 13.
Rotlic, Rirliard, 3.
Ryland, .lolm, 13.
Sacerdntaiisin, growl li of, 51. 55.
Sailer, J. M.. 13.
St. Andrew, BrotlierhoDd <>f, .'122.
St. Andrew and Phiiiji, P.n.tii. i hood
of, 325.
St. Bartholomew's Church, New
York, 406.
St. George's Churcli, New York, 406.
Saloons, 441.
Savonarola, 96, 127.
Scliaff, Philip, 5.
Schleiermacher, Friedrich, 14.
Schoeffer, Joliann, 21.
Scudder, J. L., 410.
Scliastian, Archbishop of Mayence,
21.
Secularization of tlie pulpit, 123.
Senior department of Sunihiy scliool,
233.
Sliedd, William G. T., 3, 16.
Shoplicrding of the poor, 269.
Sick, visitation of, 186-190.
Sisters of ciiarity, 293.
Sittings in church at auction, 206 ;
free, 208 ; assigned by lot, 209.
Slums, missions in, 260.
Social classes in ciuirclies, 29-38.
Social Life of the CiirRCii, 271-
288 ; the church a social organiza-
tion, 271 ; not a commune, 272 ;
harmonizes social elements, 273 ;
organic character, 274; furnisiies
the opportunity of love, 274 ; the
mingling of the leaven, 276 ; diffi-
culty of this task, 278; fellowship
in work, 280; neighborly fellow-
ship, 281 ; districting the parisli,
282; welcoming committees, 283;
sociables, 284 ; fellowship meet-
ings, 285 ; women's part in, 307.
Social Science and the pulpit, 100-
104, 122.
Social Settlements, 264, 412.
Song, tiie service of, 139-150.
Spalding, Jidm F., 292. 295.
S|)eciali/atiiin of religious functions,
42-44.
Sjiecial religious services, 392-394.
Spciier, P. J., 13.
Sprat, Thomas, 15.
Stalker, .lames, lf>.
Stanley, A. P.. 158 n.
Stcail, Herbert, 254.
Stcinmeyer, F. L , 14.
Storrs, Richard S., 16. 76.
Street j)reacliing, 268.
484
INDEX
Strong, Josiah, 428, 437.
Sunday School, The, 4, G, 220-
238 ; a modern institution, 220;
tlie first at Gloucester, England,
221 ; its relation to tlie cliurili,
223 ; best hour, 224 ; how organ-
ized, 225 ; the teacher a pastor,
226 ; the singing, 227 ; order and
decorum, 228 ; the room, 229 ; sulj-
jects of study, 230 ; can it be
graded; 232 ; senior department,
233 ; the Higher Criticism and the
Sunday scliool, 236 ; the Home
Department, 238.
Sunday school teacliers, 8, 225, 226.
Superintendent of Sunday school, 225.
Synod of Dort, 20.
Taylor, Jeremy, 15, 1 19.
Taylor, William M., 16, 197, 201,
202.
Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, 11.
Temporalities of tiie cliurch, 205.
Tennyson, Alfred, 71, 126, 181.
Text, the, 128.
Thomas, Reuen, 3.54.
Thwing, Charles F., 351.
Toynbee Hall, London, 264.
Trinity Parish, New York, 405.
Trumbull, Henry C, 220.
Uhlhorn, Gerhard, 448.
Unchurdied, number of, 256 ; visita-
tion of, 257.
Unemployed church members, 422.
Unions, Young Men's, in Germany,
330.
Unity, Christian, 428.
Ursinus, Zachary, 20.
Vagrants, niiTii.<torial, 80.
Van Oosterzce, Jan Jarol). 3, 4
1.5, 1.38, 14.3, 158, 161, 163, 166,
182, 190, 191, -220, .■136, 339,
455.
Vincent, John H., l'2I, 223, 228,
235.
Vincent de Paul, 293, 294, 295.
Vinot Alexandre Hodnlplip, 3. 9;
58rJ, 106, 114, 115, 116, 11 7,
125, 131, 170«, 190n, 454h.
5,14,
1 75,
340,
234,
. 14,
124.
Visitation by the churcli, 358.
\'isitors of tlie poor, 423.
Walker, Willistou, 212.
W^atsou, Jolin, 16.
Way laud, Erancis, 16, 202.
Welcoming committees, 283.
Wesley, John, 127.
Whitecliapel, London, 264.
Wliitefield, George, 132, 155.
Whittier, John G., 126.
Wyclif, John, 12, 127.
Willcox, G. B., 9, 16, 75, 78, 81,
179.
Williams, E. E., 331.
Williams, George, 314.
Williams, Stephen, 150.
AVilson, Tliomas, 15.
Women's Mission Boards, 368.
Woman's Work in the Church,
289-312 ; woman in modern so-
ciety, 289 ; her jjlace in tlic early
church, 291 ; in the post-a])ostolic
church, 293 ; the Sisters of Ciuirity,
293 ; revival of the order of dea-
conesses in tlie Episco])al churches,
295 ; in tlie Methodist Episcopal
church, 297 ; pastor's liclpers, 298 ;
deaconesses in tlie Church of Scot-
l.and, 299; form of consecration,
301 ; tlie Kaiserswerth Institution,
302 ; form of consecration of the
Kaiserswerth sisters, 304n ; tlie
deaconess homes and the churches,
306; Women's Social I'nions in
American Protestant churches,
307 ; their financial operations, 307 ;
Church of Scotland Woman's
(iuild, 309.
Working ])Cci[ilr> ;iiid the clmrrlics,
29-38.
Worship, the pastor the leader of,
134; tlie enrichment f)f, 150; litur-
gical tendencies, 151.
YoiNc Men and Womi.n, The,
31.3-331 : the Gorman Christliche
Jiinglingsvereine, 313 : Ynuiig
Men's Christian Associations, 314;
Societies of Christian Endeavor,
315; Epworth Lengnes and Baptist
Young Peojde's unions, 316; inter-
INDEX
485
est in municipal reform, 319 ; mis-
sion work, 320 ; worii in the local
cliurcli, 321 ; the Brotherliood of
St. Andrew 322; of Andrew and
Philip, 325 ; Young Men's Leagues,
325; Ciuircii of Scothind Guild,
320 ; Free Church of IScotland
Guild, 329; German unions, 330;
Brother Houses, 330.
Young Men's Christian Associations,
314.
Young Men's Leagues, 325.
Young People's Societies of Christian
Endeavor, 315.
Young Women's Christian Associa-
tions, 314.
Zwin^rli, Ulric, 13.
T. & T. Clark's Publications.
(Iht IntcvnatioiTal S^bcalngiciil l^ibvain.
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G) Christian Institutions. By A. V. G. Allen, D.D., Pro-
fessor of Ecclesiastical History, Cambridge, Mass. 12s.
7) The Christian Pastor and The Working Church.
By Washington Gladden, D.D., LL.D. 10s. 6d.
8) The Theology of the New Testament. By Professor
George B. Stevens, D.D., Yale University. 12s.
1) Tlie Guardian says: 'By far the best account of the great critical problems con-
nected with the Old Testament that has yet been written. ... It is a perfect
marvel of compression and lucidity combiuod. A monument of learning and well-
balanced judt^nient.'
2) Thii Bookman says: 'It is the work of a wise, woll-informo<], independent, and
thoroughly competent writer. It is sure to become the text-book in Christian
Ethics.'
3) The Expository Times says: 'The force and the freshness cif all the writings that
Dr. Bruce has hitherto piiblislnMl have doubtless led many to look forward with
eager hope to this work; and tliero need not be any fear of disappointnient. It
has all the characteristics of the author's personality. ... It will render an
inestimable service.'
4) The Critical Review says: 'A clear, readable, wi'll-proportioned, and, regarding
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.5) Tlie Literary World saye: 'A reverent and eminently candid treatment of the
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7) Tlie liaplist Muf/azine says; ' Wt^ know of no treatise so comprehensive as this.
. . In fact, tlicMo is scarcely a jihaso of pastoral duty which is not totJchod
upon luminously and to good inirjiose.'
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Ck |utcination:il Critical Cnmmcutarg,
UNDER THE EDITOKSHIP OF
The Rev. S. R. DRIVER, D.D., Oxford; the Rev. A. PLUMMER, M.A., D.D., Durham;
and the Rev. C. A. BRIGGS, D.D., New York.
' The publication of this series marks an epoch in English exegesis.' — British Weekly.
The First Nine Volumes are now ready, viz, : —
■*'»*'^</-(l) Deuteronomy. By Professor S. K Driver, D.D., Oxford.
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Second Edition. Price 12s.
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(1) Prof. G. A. Smith (in The Critical Revinr) sfiys: ' The series could have had no
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sobriety of judgment.'
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(3) Literature SKys: ' The most complete and minute commentary hitherto published.'
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(8) The Scritsman says: ' In every way wortliy of the series which was so well com-
tnenced [in the New Testament] with the admirable commentary on the Komans
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THE NEW BIBLICAL ENCVCLOP>^DIA.
' This Dictionary seems likely to take its place as the standard authority for biblical students
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A DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE,
Dealing with its Language, Literature, and Contents,
including the Biblical Theology.
Edited by James Hastings, M.A., D.D., with the assistance of J. A. Selbie,
M.A., and, chielly in the Hevision of the Proofs, of A. B. Davidson,
D.D., LL.D., Edinburgh ; S. R. Driver, D.D., Litt.D., Oxford ; and
II. B. SwETE, D.D., Litt.D., Cambridge.
To be completed in Four Volumes, imperial 8uo {of nenily 900 pages each).
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should present the student with the approved results of modern inquiry, and which should also
acquaint him with tne methods by which theological problems are now approached by the most
leanied and devout of our theologians.' (Vol. II.) — 'Dr. Hastings has brought out the second
viilumi- of his great Dictionary in good time. . . . The critJKil articles seem to us to maintain the
same high level of excellence which wp naturally expect from thoir distin;;uished WTitors. . . .
Dr. Sanday's article "Jesus Christ" will take rank as of the lirst importance for students of
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' Wo welcome with the utmost cordiality the first volume of Messrs. Clark's great enterprise,
" A Dictionary of the Bible." That there was room and need for such a book is umiuestiiiuablo.
. We have here all that the student can desire, a work of remarkable fulness, well up to date,
ond yet at tlio same time conservative in its general tendency, almost faultlessly accunite, and
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Dictionary is one of the most important aids that have recently been furnished to a true under-
Htanding of Scripture, and, projierly used, will bri,;hten and enrich the pulpit work of every
miniiiter who posses.scs it. . . . We are greatly struck by the excellence of the short articles. Thoy
are b<-tter done th.iii in any other work of the kind. We have compared .several of them with tlioir
sources, anil this shows at once the unpretentious labour that is behind them. . . . Dr. A. B. Davidson
IS a tower of strength, and he shows at his best In the articles on Angels, on Covenant (a mastorpieco,
lull of illumination), and on Eschatolo^ry of the Old TesUinient. His contributions are the chief
ornaments and treasure-stores of the Dictionary. . . . We are very conscious of having done most
inade.iuato justice to this very valuable book, rcrhaps, however, enough has been said to show
our great sense of its worth. It is a Iwok that one is sure to bo turning to again and again with
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'Withoiit question the most important contribution to the second volume is Dr. ..Smday'ii
article on "Jesus Christ." There is nothing in Kn;;lish so full (It takes up llfty |iages in doublu
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to students.' — Journal of TKeologictU Sliulics.
' Will fr\\o widcspn-ad sjilisfaction. Every person consulting It may rely upon its trustworthi-
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full Prospectus, with Specimen Pages, from all Booksellers, or from the Publishers.
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BEYSCHLAG'S NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY.
New Testament Theology; or, Historical Account of the
Teachiug of Jesus and of Primitive Christianity according to the
iSTew Testament Sources. By Dr. Willibald Beyschlag, Professor
of Theology at Halle. Translated by Rev. Neil Buchanan. In
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one who takes upon himself to expound the deep things of God as set forth by the New
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ministration of the word.' — Professor A. S. Peake, M.A.
' Dr. Beyschlag has achieved so large a measure of success as to have furnished one of
the best guides to an understanding of the New Testament. . . . These pages teem with
suggestions. ... In the belief that it will stimulate thought and prove of much service
to ministers and all students of the sacred text it expounds, we heartily commend it to
our readers.' — Methodist Recorder,
' A book of much interest and importance, independent in conception and treatment ;
happy in seizing and cliaracterising the courses of thought with which he has to deal ;
ingenious in combination, and acute in criticism; expressing the results which he
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The work well merits translation into English.'— Professor W. P. Dickson, D.D., in
Tkt Critical Review,
WENDT'S TEACHING OF JESUS.
The Teaching of Jesus. By Professor Hans Hkcrich Wendt,
D.D., Jena. Translated by Rev. John Wilson, M.A., Montreux.
In Two Volumes, Bvo, price 21s.
'Dr. Wendt's work is of the utmost importance for the study of the Gospels, both
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[now translated into English], which sets forth the contents of the doctrine of Jesus,
18 the most important contribution yet made to biblical theology, and the method and
results of Dr. Wend t deserve the closest attention. ... No greater contribution to the
study of biblical theology has been made iu our time. A brilliant and satisfactory
exposition of the teaching of Christ.'— Professor J. Iverach. D.D., in The Expositor,
' Dr. Weudt has produced a remarkably fresh and suggestive work, deserving to be
ranked among the most important contributions to biblical theologj'. . . . There is
hardly a page which is not suggestive; and, apart from the general value of its con-
clusions, there are numerous specimens of ingenious exegesis thrown out with moro
or less confidence as to particular passages.' — The Critical Review.
Dr. R. r. HOKTON refers to Beyschlag's 'New Testament Theology ' and Wcmlt's
'Teaching of Jesus ' as ' two invaluable books.'
Messianic Prophecy: Its Origin, Hi.'^torical Growth, and Relation
to New TcsliUiient l^'ullilment. By Ih; Edward Rikum. New
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' No work of the same compass could be named that contains so much that is instructive
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of prophecy both reverent and critical.' — Canon Gokk iu Lux Alundi.
T. & T. Clark's Publications.
SGHULTZ'S OLD TESTAMENT THEOLOGY.
Old Testament Theology. The Religion of Revelation in its
Pre-Cluistian Stage of Development. By Professor Hermann
ScHULTZ, D.D., Gottingen. Authorised English Translation by
Professor J. A. Paterson, D,D. In Two Volumes, 8vo, Second
Edition, price 18s. net.
' Professor Paterson has executed the translation with as much skill as care. . . .
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accuracy.' — /<Voj/i the Author's Preface to the Translation.
' The book will be read with pleasure, and, it need not be said, with profit, not only
by professional students, but by all intelligent persons who have an interest in the Old
Testament. . . . Though externally popular and of singular literary finish, the author's
work within is a laborious and able study of the whole subject.' — Professor A. B.
Davidson, D.D.
' A standard work on this subject may bo said to be indispensable to every theologian
and minister. The book to get, beyond all doubt, is this one by Schultz, which Messrs.
Clark have just given to us in English. It is one of the most interesting and readable
books we have had in our hands for a long time.' — Professor A. B. Bruce, D.D.
KAFTAN'S TRUTH OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.
The Truth of the Christian Religion. By Professor
Julius Kaftan, Berlin. Translated from the German, under the
Author's supervision, by G. Ferries, D.D. With a Prefatory Note
by Professor Flint, D.D. In Two Volumes, 8vo, price 16s. net.
Summary of Contents: — Division I. Ecdeniantical Dogma — The Origin of Dogma
— Development of Theology — Orthodox Dogmatics — Breaking-up of Kcclesias-
tical Dognia-rJudgnient of History. Division II. The Proof of Christ ianity
— Knowledge — The Primacy of Practical Reason — Criticism of the Traditional
Speculative Method — The Proof of Christianity — Conclusion.
'Eminently a work which the times require, and will bo cordially wolcomtd by all
students of theology.' — Scotsma7i.
' Quite apart from the immediate question of obtaining a knowledge of the Ritschliiin
theology at first hand, these volumes are welcome. Eor Kaftan is no imitator, but a
fertile and able writer. In the near future his view of theology, its essence and its
accidents, will exercise a deep influence in our land.' — Expository Times.
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life at a given time.'" — Critical Review.
The Apostolic and Post- Apostolic Times: Tin ir Diversity
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Two Volumes, crown 8vo, price 16s.
' It contains a vast amount of historical information, and is replete with juclieious
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T. & T. Clark's Publications.
WORKS BY PROFESSOR F. GODET, P.P.
(Copyright, by arrangement witb the Author.)
'For devotional warmth and practical application, Godet is perhaps unsurpassed by any modern
commentator amongst foreign Protestants.' — Guardian.
Introduction to the New Testament. By F. Godet, D.D.,
I'lofe.^.'^oi' in tlic Faculty of the Independent Church of Neuchatel.
(In course of publication. Not yet completed in the Original.)
Two Volumes of the Enj^lish Translation are now read}', viz. : —
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' In every particular it is fully abreast of the times. For the purposes of the hard-
working preacher there is no book on St. Paul's Epistles quite e(iiial to tliis. Por the
student, it must always lie in a place that his hand can reach. It is delightful reading.'
— Methodist Times.
A Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke. In Two
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Gospel.' — Guardian.
A Commentary on the Gospel of St. John. In Three
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' This Gospel forms one of the battlefields of modern inquirj', and is itself so rich in
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Freeman.
A Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans.
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Defence of the Christian Faith. Tran.^lated by the Hon.
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T. & T. Clark's Publications.
WORKS BY PROFESSOR A. B. BRUCE, P.P.
The Epistle to the Hebre^ws: The First Apology for
Clu'istianily. An Exegetical Sliuly. Ey the late Alexander
Ealmain Bruce, D.D., Professor of Apologetics and Xew Testament
Exegesis, Free Church College, Glasgow. Just puhlished, Second
Edition, in post Svo, price 7s. 6d.
This book, tlu> fruit of thirty years' study, is a companion volume to Professor
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Apologetics ; or, Christianity Defensively Stated, In post Svo,
Third Edition, price 10s. 6d.
'Dr. Bruce has wou for himself the foremost place amonp: apologists. . . . There
does not exist in our language so satisfactory or original a treatment of the historicity
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we 60 just and informing a criticism of the theories of primitive Christianity. . . . The
Church at large will inevitably recognise Dr. Bruce's "Apologetics" as a volume of
great and permanent value.' — Expositor.
Being the Third Volume of ' Tiik Inteunational Theological Lii;i:ai:y.'
St. Paul's Conception of Christianity. Post 8vo, price 7s. 6d.
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The Kingdom of God ; or, Christ's Teaching according to the
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graph on the subject in existence.' — Kev. James Stalker, D.D., in the British Weekly.
'The astonishing vigour and the unfailing insight which characterise the book mark
a new era in biblical theology.' — Professor Makcus Dous, D.D.
The Training of the Twelve; or, Exposition of Passages in
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Di-scipline for the Apostloship. In demy Svo, Fifth Edition,
price 10s. Gd.
' A volume which ran never lose its rbnrm either for the jireacher or for the ordinary
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' An elaborate study of the teaching of Jesus, whicdi after twenty-five years is still
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minister.' — ^fr. Situgeon in Su-ord and Trowel.
' That minister ulio has not read " The 'I'raining of the Twelve " betrays an indiffer-
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The Humiliation of Christ, in its Physi.al, l'"thi<al, and OfTicial
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T. & T, Clark's Publications.
ANDREWS' LIFE OF CHRIST.
The Life of our Lord upon the Earth : Considered in its
Historical, Chronological, and Geograithical Kelations. By the
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*»* This book has long been an achnouiledged authority with scholars and with the general
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' As a teacher's apparatus, I would recommend— (1) Andrews' Life of our Lord, an
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The Incarnate Saviour. By W. Robertson Nicoll, M.A.,
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The Lord's Supper: Its Origin, N'ature, and Use. By the
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' Mr. Lilley supplies us with an excellent and much-needed book. . . . Altogether
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' This is a seasonable piece of work, well and thoroughly done, . . . There is an
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Words to Young Christians : Being Addresses to Young
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Contents: — Habits. — Keeping the Soul. — Holiness. — Growing. — Half-IIearted. — Power.
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Scenes from the Life of Jesus. Lectures by Pastor E.
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The World of Prayer; or. Prayer in relation to Personal
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'One of the richest devotional books tliat wo have read.' — Primitive Methodist
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So Great Salvation. JJy Rev. (1. II. C. Macgregor, M.A.,
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Second Edition, Revised. Neatly bound in cloth, price Is.
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T. & T. Clark's Publications.
BEN GEL'S GNOMON.
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centuries, for its masterly terseness and precision, and for its combination of spiritual insight
with the best scholarship of his time.'— Vi"{rssnr W. Sani>\v, O.D., Oxford.
Gnomon of the Newr Testament. By John Albert
Bexgel. Translated into English. With Original Notes, Explana-
tory and Illustrative. Edited by the Kev. Andrew R. Fausset,
M.A. The Original Translation was in Five Large Volumes, demy
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*,* The Five Volume Edition may still be liad at the original Subscription,
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The Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol says of Bengel: ' There is one expositor
80 uniquely eminent in drawing; from Holy Scripture its deeper spiritual meaning,
that it may be well for the student always to have at hand, for the New Testament,
the Onomon of Benc/el, and to acquire throuffh the help of this most introspective
expositor the aptitude of drawing from the llulj- Word its full message to the soul.'
ST/ER'S WORDS OF THE LORD JESUS.
The Words of the Lord Jesus. By Dr. Rudolph Stier.
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LANGE'S LIFE OF CHRIST.
The Life of the Lord Jesus Christ : A Complete Critical
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