Transcriber's Note: Footnotes have been renumbered and moved to the end of the book.
"The time is come," said a New Testament prophet, "for judgment to beginat the house of God." Perhaps that time ought never to pass, but if, inany measure, the criticism of the church has of late been suspended, itis certainly reopened now, in good earnest. Nor is this criticismconfined to outsiders; the church is forced to listen in these days tocaustic censures from those who speak from within the fold.
That such self-criticism is needed these chapters will not deny. Thatthe church is passing through a critical period must be conceded. Butthe way of life is not obscure, and it seems almost absurd to indulgethe fear that the church, which has been providentially guided throughso many centuries, will fail to find it.
These pages have been written in the firm belief that the Christianchurch has its great work still before it, and that it only needs tofree itself from its entanglements and gird itself for its testimony tobecome the light of the world. Something of what it needs to do to makeready for this great future, this little book tries to show.
Through all this study the thought has constantly returned to the youngmen and women to whom the future of the church is committed; and whilethe book is most likely first to fall into the hands of their pastorsand teachers, the author hopes that ways will be found of conveying itsmessage to those by whom, in the end, its truth will be made effective.
W. G.
First Congregational Church,
Columbus, Ohio, December 17, 1907.
The church with which we are to deal in the pages which follow is theChristian church in the United States, comprising the entire body ofChristian disciples who are organized into religious societies, and areengaged in Christian work and worship.
This church is not all included in one organization; it is made up ofmany different sects and denominations, some of which have very littlefellowship with the rest. Among these groups are some who claim thattheir particular organizations are the true and only churches; that theothers have no right to the name. Such is the claim of the RomanCatholic church and of the High Church Episcopalians. Their use of theword church would confine it to those of their own communions. Otherswould apply the term more broadly to all who profess and callthemselves Christians, and who are united in promoting the teachingsand principles of the Christian religion.
The church, as thus defined, has no uniform and authoritative creed, andno