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2 THE PRESBYTERIA]
OUR LAYMEN.
Now that the general missionary campaign under
the auspices of the Laymen's Missionary Movement is
well under way, it is pertinent to inquire afresh as to
its meaning and value.
It means the concerted and harmonious effort of
the various evangelical Christian bodies of this country
in edvinc the trncnpi *<-? ??ii " ??,J T
0 0 ? w an me wunu. in an intelligent
and business-like way the Churches are to
work together in performing the task which the Master
laid upon the heart of the Church in his great commission.
Foreign Missions is not a new or a nineteenth
century enterprise as is sometimes affirmed, but
on the contrary the Church has at different periods
done more in proportion to its numbers and resources
to evangelize the regions beyond than was done at
any period of the nineteenth centurv.
The Christianizing of continental Europe and the
British Isles was essentially foreign mission work.
But never, probably, since the disciples were scattered
abroad and went everywhere preaching the word, has
there been such a general, intelligent and systematic
effort made to fulfill this supreme commission as now.
There has never been such opportunity, and never
such abundance of resource, and only at rare periods
has there been such cordial confidence and good will
existing among differing religious organizations. .
The business sense of our day speaks out and says:
If we are to do this thing let*it be done in the most
effective way?a way that appeals to our best indor
? J ?&
ment and to our instinct of Christian fellowship and
helpfulness. It is a happy omen that such a period has
fully come in the progress of the Kingdom.
In this larger vision the temptation to local or sectarian
rivalries is discouraged and men are understanding
as formerly they had not done, the meaning of
those words, "The field is the world." They are learning
that the best means of developing the spiritual life
of the local Church and of purifying and intensifying
the faith for which the denomination stands, is to advance
shoulder to shoulder with the hosts of the Lord
in winning the victories which he has planned and
promised against the Kingdom of darkness. The forgetfulness
of selfish interests, for true religion can be
affected by narrowness and selfishness, which is stim
uiatea Dy a mighty movement which has for its end
and its hope the spiritual transformation of the race,
is itself a reflex effect of priceless value. It promises
to readjust the attitude of many a believer toward his
conception of duty and toward his personal relation to
the Kingdom of grace. Are we called into the Kingdom
to be nourished, or to nourish; to be helped, or
tf? V?f?1r? tn Ko minima-- J ?- ? '
?r, ^ mmiaicicu uiuo, or io minister.'' It we
mistake not, men are rapidly learning to hearken to
the apostle's words, "Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus, who . . . made himself of
no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant."
The error of the past has been partly rooted in clericalism.
Not only has too much prominence been given
to the clerical office in the administration of the affairs
of the Church, but the ministry has been made to bear
too large a burdeh of Christian service. The pastor has
? c '
N OF THE SOUTH. - November 24, 1909.
been held accountable for the financial prosperity of
his charge, its increase in membership, its aggressiveness
in Church enterprises, as well as its spiritual prosperity.
With scores, or hundreds of others pledged
to the Master's service, by common consent the pastor
has been made responsible for it all. Such was
not the case in the apostolic Church. Epistles were
indeed written to pastors as to their duties, but the
larger epistles were written to entire congregations
511WimAnir?rt- 4- *
Liiciu to uuty ana chaiging them with
every Christian responsibility. There was no clericalism
in the early Church. It is the product of official
usurpation, the abuse of rightful official duties, and
the neglect of responsibility by the many. In this
new era which as we know is not entirely new, instead
of one man using his talents and his energies
to advance Church enterprises, let us expect to find a
hundred men giving the fruits of their experience, their
training, their toil, their native talents, to the tremendous
work of making known the way of life to those
that are ready to perish, and encouraging them to ac
tepx it.
The Laymen's Movement in Foreign Missions will
open the way for a similar movement in evangelization
at home. The laymen of the country, under the
same impulse which prompts them to systematic and
united service in behalf of the heathen, will direct their
efforts toward relieving spiritual destitutions at home.
The Christian business men of our cities would constitute
a mighty organization for promoting Christian
influences among the neglected masses. It being often
said, we have Foreign Missions brought to our
doors. The problems of the cities are increasing every
year. The spread of the gospel will be the solution of
those problems. The sagacity and consecration of
Christian business men will be a mighty resource upon
which to draw. They will devise sane and effective
pians. i ney will concentrate the power of numbers
and of intelligent zeal to the great work and with
heavenly blessings upon them they may be expected
to transform the aspect of our neglected millions in
the crowded cities and the more remote mission fields
that are now white unto the harvest.
The British Minister of Education, Mr. Walter Runciman,
has taken a firm stand in favor of temperance
teaching in the elementary public schools. He has issued
an outline of lessons on the subject that are suitable
for children and authentic as to statements of
fa<its. He gives this outline of the effects of strong
drink: "(a) Waste of monev whirli
-j ..uv wiocijr
spent or saved, (b) Loss of self-respect, (c) Loss of
employment, unfitness for work, pauperism, (d) 111
health, disease, insanity, (e) Neglect of duty, moral
degradation, crime, (f) Ruin of home; unhappiness,
suffering of men, women and children." * The remarkable
statement is made that, "the amount spent on
drink alone in the United Kingdom every year would
be enoiigh to enable everybody to live rent free. To
put it another way, it is equal to the cost of all the
butchery' meat, bacon, ham, poultry and game eaten
every year in the United Kingdom."