His service to the world does not enter into the
transaction any more than when you buy the latest novel of your favorite
author, or purchase a picture that pleases you, or buy a ticket to hear
your favorite musician. We do not pretend, when we do these things that
we are ministering to the world, or that we are moved to spend our money
thus to serve God, even though there may be in the book, the picture, or
the music, many things that will make the world better."
The big fellow moved uneasily.
"But" he urged, eagerly, "the church is a sacred institution. It is not
to be compared to the institutions of men. Its very purpose is so holy,
so different from other organizations."
"Which of the hundreds of different sects with their different creeds do
you mean by the church?" she asked quickly. "Or do you mean all? And if
all are equally sacred, with the same holy purpose, why are they at such
variance with each other and why is there such useless competition
between them? How are these institutions--organized and controlled, as
they are, by men, different from other institutions, organized and
controlled by the same men? Surely you are aware that there are
thousands of institutions and organizations in the world with aims as
distinctly Christian as the professed object of the church. Why are
these not as holy and sacred?"
"But the church is of divine origin."
"So is this tree; so is the material in that old building; so are those
farms yonder.
Pages:
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99