USA > New Jersey > Union County > Cranford > The First Presbyterian Church of Cranford, N.J. : a brief history of its first half century > Part 4
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It is fitting next to note the blessing of God upon our Church since its first establishment. It is sometimes said that the Presbyterian system of
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doctrine cannot be preached, and that our Church lacks certain popular features. Neither of these allegations is true-both are disproved by the facts. God has blessed our Church during the two cen- turies of its existence equally with, and some think above, any other Christian denomination in the country. As you well know, during the nineteenth century our communicants increased from 20,000 to 1,000,000; and more than 2,200,000 persons were received into our congregations on confession of faith in the course of the one hundred years from 1801 to 1900. In the great missionary advances of the century, both on the home and foreign fields, our Church has been in the van, and has been so prospered of God that there are twice as many communicants in our Foreign Mission churches to- day as there were in the whole United States in 1801. Other facts which might be dwelt upon there is not time to state, but the history of our Church during two centuries emphasizes the fact that for the work of Christ in the world, America has been but another name for opportunity. Fur- ther, the Divine favor accorded in the past is a sure foundation of hope for, and new endeavor in, the future.
We now turn our thoughts toward the century in which we live. What of the Twentieth Century Presbyterian Church? The Twentieth Century Presbyterian Church will not differ in any essential matters from the American church of the nine- teenth, or eighteenth, or seventeenth centuries.
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The proverb "In to-day walks to-morrow," is for- ever true, and is simply the recognition of the operation of the law of heredity in the sphere of grace, as well as that of nature. Our Presbyterian Church will be as fully in sympathy in this century with the developments of American political, so- cial, and religious life, as in any one of the past three centuries. It will continue to be one of the controlling forces in the mental and moral growth of the Republic. Its interest in popular education and other national institutions will grow more in- tense as the necessity therefor becomes the more clear in God's Providence. It will maintain as reso- lutely, in coming years as in the past, the su- premacy of the Word of God over human thought and human life. Not man, but God, it will rightly insist, is competent to determine what is right and wrong, either in faith or practice. The evangelistic spirit which has characterized it in the past, will be yet more manifest in the future. Our home missionaries have been already for more than a year at work in the recently acquired territories. And the stations in China, made doubly sacred by the blood of martyrs, are already occupied or shortly will be occupied, by devoted servants of our Lord Jesus Christ. Conscious of the blessings which God has bestowed upon it, our Church is now engaged in a successful endeavor to make preparation for a more prosperous future, by pay- ing off the debts of local churches, by making needed improvements in all the congregations, by
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endowing its educational and charitable institu- tions, and, above all, by a systematic plan of evangelistic work, with a view to full obedience within this land to the Saviour's command to preach His Gospel to every creature. While attend- ing earnestly to its own work for the Master, it will continue further to cherish the broadest sympathies toward all other bodies of Christians; denying the Christianity or the churchliness of no denomina- tion, but working resolutely side by side with all who bear the name of Jesus, in this and in other lands, for the salvation of a lost world.
Talking the other day with a friend, who is not a Presbyterian, he remarked that our " Church was at once the narrowest and the broadest of the Christian denominations." There is much signifi- cance in the statement. It is narrow, but only as the Word of God is narrow. It insists and rightly so, that there is a broad way which leads to ruin, and a narrow way which leads to life eternal. It is unqualified in its declaration that for adults faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the irrevocable condi- tion of salvation. It is narrow in its declarations of Scripture truth, as some weak men count narrow- ness, because truth is always intolerant of falsehood. It is narrow, in short, because it is honest, and in- telligent, and obedient to God.
But it is also broad; broad in its sympathies, broad in its view of the possibilities of salvation for a lost world, broad in its insistence that the will of that God, who is at once a Sovereign and a Father,
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is the dominant factor in the destiny of man; broad in including within the certainties of salvation all infants dying in infancy, and other persons in- capable of faith; broad in its proclamation of the Gospel to every creature; broad in its recognition of all Christians as brethren in Christ, and of all men as possible sharers in the joys and glories of the life everlasting. Narrow is our Church be- cause it is true to the law of God, and broad because it is in full sympathy with the love of God. This narrowness and this breadth are certain to char- acterize our Church in the Twentieth Century as in past centuries, and both will make it increas- ingly a power for the moral welfare of this nation, for the salvation of souls, for the inbringing of Christ's Kingdom throughout the world, and for the ushering in of that glorious time, when all enemies, even death, shall have been conquered, and when our Lord Jesus Christ shall reign as the blessed and only potentate over a glorified human- ity and a redeemed universe.
PRIMARY CLASS OF SUNDAY SCHOOL, JUNE, 1901
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APPENDIX VI.
THE SUBURBAN CHURCH.
(Address of Rev. J. F. Riggs, D. D., at Jubilee Service, Cranford, June 12, 1901. Revised by the speaker.)
IN a human body the bony system, the muscular system, and the nervous, respiratory, and vascular systems together, make up one highly complex or- ganism. So, in a church, there is the family idea of mutual aid, encouragement, and counsel; the fi- nancial idea of meeting all obligations honestly out of a common treasury; the ecclesiastical idea of relationship to other churches; and the spiritual idea of soul life, of edification, or relation to God and to His revealed truth. Hence a church, like a body, is a very sensitive and highly complex organism.
The problem of church polity is-How far can we carry out this theory, and by what methods? The term "Church " is employed in various ways, as when we speak of the " Church of England " or of the M. E. and P. E. Churches. But it may also be used as a convenient term to designate the local body of believers who worship together under one roof, the congregation. In such a community the theory is accepted of "the greatest good for the greatest number." This is easily stated; but who
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shall define the limits in any direction. How large ought a church to be in order to secure the best results? When the advantages and disadvantages of extreme types are compared, it seems fair to say that a vigorous suburban church in the vicinity of a great metropolis will be found better adapted to secure good results than any other sort. Look at the huge overgrown churches in a center of popu- lation, and at the feeble church of a hamlet remote from the city, and compare the practical life of each.
A remarkable community exists in the neighbor- hood of New York. Within a radius of thirty miles there is a vast population, so distributed in space and yet so provided with means for transportation that a near approach to the ideal of church life is possible. In that region the churches are so or- ganized and controlled that they share to a re- markable extent in both the advantages of the city and of the country. A distinct type of congrega- tional life is here developed, free from some of the peculiar difficulties that beset the extreme forms. It is possible to maintain a high standard in many particulars, and yet to be free from the peculiar burdens that are inherent in other conditions. This becomes possible through a singular blending of the characteristics of city and of country life. No one would deny that a very large church in a great commercial metropolis has certain advan- tages, e. g., in its strong financial condition. But does not such a church pay dear for its vigor in the
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sacrifice of some other blessings? Is not the fam- ily notion of a mutual relation among the members almost extinct? For example, in that great mass- meeting in London, associated with the name of Mr. Spurgeon, the family idea of a church, as we see it in village life, is absolutely impossible. In many of our large city churches there is no pre- tense of any real acquaintance, or mutual interest. On the other hand, in the very small churches such as abound in agricultural districts, the family ideal can be maintained, for each individual mem- ber knows all the rest. But such a church is usu- ally weak in its treasury, and is at a sad disad- vantage in many other ways.
In a place like Cranford the most favorable con- ditions are realized. The congregation is large enough to meet its business obligations easily, and yet not so large as to forfeit the central idea of church life. Mutual acquaintance is possible, and the organization of church work,-the making up of different boards, the election of officers,-is such as to give a definite duty to quite a large number of persons. Thus a relatively large percentage of the members may be identified with the handling of affairs, and so the church is strong in the affec- tions of many individuals. Other things being equal, it is desirable to assign to every man some duty in direct connection with the framework of the congregation. In a vast assembly of a thou- sand members or more, any such scheme is simply out of the question.
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Our American churches are for the most part or- ganized on the principle of having but a single ordained man in connection with each. If this rule is to hold good, then it must follow that the circle of people attached to each should be small. For no single pastor can possibly do all that is required in a large society, and do the minute work as well. Pastoral visitation in the old sense is practically given up in many of our city parishes, simply be- cause it has become impossible with the advance of other demands.
Statistics show that there is a very high standard of physical well-being in this suburban community; and we are not surprised to find that the same law prevails in the ecclesiastical world. Given a happy combination of traits, a union of city vigor and country freedom, and surely we ought to have a delightful form of experience. History justifies the expectations and the instincts of those who set in motion this train of causes. It is impossible for such a body of people, with their constant coming and going, to get out of sympathy with the active movements of the world. And it is equally impos- sible for them to lose the consciousness which comes to their inmost being through contact with nature, in her purity and beauty-her grass, trees, and warm summer wind.
It is fair to ask the question, squarely and hon- estly, What do we gain by proximity to a great commercial center? Is there any clear, definable advantage in it? Yes. We are in daily conscious
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touch with the throbbing, warm heart of collective humanity, and the keen, intellectual life. We gain breadth, generosity, large views, energy of admin- istration, and promptness to take advantage of new conditions.
Again, What do we gain from an actual resi- dence in the country? We gain a quiet, restful, conservative spirit. There is the very important matter of physical welfare, in which the advantage of the country is instantly apparent to all. Espe- cially is it a blessing for children to have the green fields and the blue sky, as over against the inter- minable brick and stone of a metropolitan resi- dence.
In considering such questions it should be borne in mind that the old conditions of life have passed away forever. The great increase in population and wealth has introduced a new order of affairs. Time was when a first-class New York City man of business resided with his family in apartments over his own store, and at noon he went upstairs to dinner. His apprentices lodged and boarded with their employer, and the " commutation ticket " was unknown. But that day has passed away like a dream. The population is so enormously increased that both employer and employees must travel to distant points for their lodgings; and the in- flux of commuters into the city in the morning is something to make the world stare. The roar of traffic is tenfold increased, and the demands of trade are imperious, so that the motto is " Sink or
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swim." Under such conditions it is a rest to body and mind, to soul and temper, for a man to escape from the whirlpool and be a dweller in the rural regions, at least for certain hours out of the twenty-four. And remembering the natural in- firmities of human character, we may regard it as an advantage also from the point of view of social relations. It is better that personal residence should be entirely distinct from all matters of busi- ness rivalries. It is pleasanter for a gentleman who is in the hurly-burly of sharp city competition, that he should not occupy a pew at church next to that filled by his commercial enemy.
In the comparative newness of these suburban towns there is also a remarkable freedom from the traditional jealousies that are so often the plague of older centers. Family quarrels sadly disfigure the records of some hamlets, and the obligation to carry on the feud is handed down from generation to generation. From all such follies the small town is free when it draws its business life and inspira- tion from a first-class city. This is largely due to the rapid change going on at such points. Men are coming and going, so that there is hardly time enough to develop any serious bitterness between families. A long residence in the same locality is very likely to beget a narrow spirit, when there is no antidote. But the nearness of a powerful com- mercial metropolis is just such an antidote, and the characteristic dangers of a rural life at a wide remove from activity cease to imperil the moral nature,
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when there is communication of the sort to which we have referred. In a healthy suburban church, not only men do not quarrel, but they form active and pleasant friendships, they become acquainted in and through the church, and the life, both social and ecclesiastical, is a delightful and a natural one.
Is there any serious counterbalancing evil, which tends to cancel the advantages suggested? Not if the circumstances are fairly considered. It is sometimes argued that the suburban type of char- acter is selfish, narrow, and unsocial. It may be true that the typical resident of such a village is not so much inclined to go abroad in the evenings as his city cousin, but we must remember the circum- stances that make it more difficult for him to do so. And the charge of stinginess is completely set aside when we recognize the contrasts, in numbers and in many particulars. It may very well be that the city church gives larger sums in charity; but bear in mind that the city church is from four to ten times as large in its membership. It turns out in many cases where a city congregation is held up to us as a type, that the said congregation has fifteen hundred or eighteen hundred members. Therefore, to make a fair comparison, we ought to take six or eight ordinary suburban churches over against the one, as the basis of comparison. If this were done it would quickly appear that there is not much difference, after all. But the long journey to and fro in the morning and at night does tell in one way. It is not helpful to the prayer meet-
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ing, the Bible class, the normal class, and the social or fraternal visit. In regard to these matters we must be on our guard, and not allow the demands of business to cut us off entirely from the various means of culture provided in our churches.
God has been very gracious to us in this country in providing the material basis for our prosperity, and in opening up before us the moral and spiritual opportunities afforded by these conditions in towns and villages that cluster about the great cities. May He always keep our American life pure and clean; and when we study the actual present facts, when we look at the churches both as to number and quality, we feel as the great Apostle did when the brethren met him at Appii Forum. "Whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage."
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