THE SUNDAY OREGONIAX, PORTLAND. JULY 4, 1D20
ALBANY COLLEGE ATTRACTS ATTENTION BECAUSE OF NO DEFICIT
Liberality of Oregon Presbyterians in Raising $30,000 for Higher Education of Their Children Puts Institution in Good Financial Shape.
I ukmatxom reaches the trus
tees of Albany college that the
is ona of the four Presbyterian col
leges and universities of the 67 under
the board's cars that have completed
the scholastic year without a deficit.
The story leaked ut that President
A. M. Williams of Albany college nao
finally gotten into the committee
room ef the officers ef the General
Board of education at Philadelphia
nere toe rresny lenan general -
sembly was In session. Being alpha"
betically low in the list ot college
presidents. Dr. Williams had to wait
till nearly sundown. The "higher
udi aiscussea me luture p"""
the Oregon school to the satisfaction
of the new president and ha reached
for his hat.
"Wait a minute," said ona of the
secretaries. yen us niraui jur
deficit this year."
Dr. Williams blushed a bit as a
- . , i ,1
tew college presiaent wouiq im hiu,
hslf-apologtcauy, "Why, we naven-i
A bit aeucit." -nsveni any uentm
We'll have to take you out to dinner.
Tou're the first eollega president tnai
lias been In here today without a Dig
deficit."
"He's a rara avis," quoth the treasr
Virer oi tne ooara.
President Williams then explained
that friends of the Albany college
throughout the state were raising
138.000 to be paid In three years, one
third of which was about collected,
and that this fund bad prevented the
locked-for deficit. '
Future Peltries Explained.
Asked about the "future policies"
of Albany college above referred to,
President Williams said:
"Of the three factors in working
out the future of Albany college-the
'vuatees, the general board of edu
cation and the synod of Oregon two
have expressed themselves. The trus
tees have outlined a programme for
raising 1100,000, one-half to be spent
In erecting the first units of three
buildings on Monteith campus and the
remainder added to the present $260,
001) endowment. The leaders of the
general board of education have not
only indorsed the plan in general but
they have said we may have a defi
nite percentage of their receipts dur
ing 1821t33 under the New Era plan,
whereby they are to get two million
from the ehurch at large for the
larger work of Christian education.
That board Is this year helping 17
colleges In various parts of the coun
try to get $7,000,000. Albany college
-was asked if it cared ts be one of the
colleges entering the group to ba
helped in a large way next year. The
trustees definitely petitioned that
board to ba included in its group for
next year and even had the faith to
ask for 6 per cent of the two million.
The percentage has not been given us
and will not be till September, when
the general board of education will
meet.
Synod Important Factor.
"The third, and most important fac
tor in the making ot the larger Al
bdny college, is the synod of Oregon.
Albany is one of the western colleges
that believes In the church's part in
Christian education and desires con
trol by a strong, sane, evangelical
church body. Last July tha synod of
Oregon instructed the trustees of Al
bany college to elect a president, to
Ret more money for ourrent expenses
and to do certain other things. The
trustees have obeyed orders from
thir governing body, the treasurer
has the best report in tha history of
the school, tha college classes tha
past year had nearly as many stu
dents as the year before the war and
the prospect is good for the largest
attendance next year in the history
of the college. We expect Oregon
ejnod to do the right thing and- to do
It enthusiastically.
"Our campaign for an additional
current expense fund has been eon-
ducted throughout tha state. We
asked citisens ef Albany to give us
$5000 a year for three years. They
oversubscribed the first year's quota,
Down in Coos Bay about 85 people
subscribed over $1000. In Pendleton
Judge Maloney of the Inland Empire
btnk asked how much we wanted,
and when told said, 'I'll give you the
lust sixth of this amount go out and
get the other five.' I got them and
came to Portland that night. Down
In Roseburg Senator B. L. Eddy and
W. C. Harding quit their offices and
raised Roseburg's quota and they
didn't shy at the' three-year plan.
Oregon Presbyterians Liberal.
A Portland wholesaler wrote. Til
be ona of 20 to give you tha last thou
sand; get the other 19.' Seventy-five
men and women enjoyed the fun of
making good the business man's. prop
osition. I tell this story of giving in
this incidental and 6emi-personal way
because I know the spirit in which
the "friends of Albany college gave.
One hundred and fifty names might be
a3 worthily written into this story.
Had we been given time to see them
the small but devoted giver would
have been as gracious. It all tells
inat Oregon Presbyterians are read
to back a programme for' making Al
bany a gilt-edged, medium-sized col
lege. "With the indorsement of Oregon
synod, which is doubtless forthcom
ing, the trustees will organize their
campaign for buildings and Increased
endowment. It will be necessary to
reach the large giver and the small
giver alike. We seek the gifts of
those who 'believe that the hope of
Christian America and of the dis
tracted world lies in tha training of
head and heart of a new generation
for making real the ideals of practical
Christianity. Albany college stands
with a record of achievement in the
training of leaders."
Preachers Marching; to Eugene.
From Portland to Eugene, the Rev.
Walter Duff and a band of preach
ers are traveling in tha old wav that
Jesus did. Several clergy and laymen
pegan tneir march Saturday after
noon from Second and Washington
streets at 1 o'clock. Calling at Brook
lyn, near which Rev. Duff used to be
pastor of the Calvary church. Sell
wood, Milwaukie, Oak Grove. Jen
nings Lodge and Park Place were vis
ited. Then Oregon City, where great
open-air meetings were held at 7
o'clock. Today they will be at Canby.
In the morning Hubbard, Aurora and
Woodburn in afternoon, arriving at
Silverton for the evening. The itin
erary follows:
Monday, Salem and Independence;
Tuesday, Albany; Wednesday, Corval
lis; Thursday, Lebanon; Friday, Eu
gene; Saturday, Springfield.
Revs. Duff, Carlson, Schaub, Har
vey. it is expected, and Drs. Ktrkpat
rick. Carter and Laymen Wyss, Carl
son, Massenger and W. Duff. J. R.
Chalk talks from Bible charts and
thousands of tracts and Christian
publications will be distributed.
Ureat gospel route marches are be
ing held in the old country. Rsv.
Duff is of Highland blood and has
preached all over Scotland. He was
director of the largest evangelistic
mission in Ireland, has labored in
Canada and is now holding Bible
conferences in the Inland Empire.
Big gospel marches and conferences
are to be held on the coast now this
summer.
Salem Takes Portland Pastor.
Dr. William T. Milliken. who closed
his work last Sunday with the High
land Baptist church of this city to
accept a call to the First Baptist
church of Salem, was for over seven
years pastor of the old historic Bap
tist church at Oregon City, his pas
torate being the longest in the over
70 years' history of the church. He
was active in war work in the social
and educational life of the commu
nity. He is a college man and has
completed graduate work leading to
the master's and doctor's degrees (M.
A. and Ph. D.) with Ewing college,
a Baptist school. He holds the cer
tificate in theological study from
Crozer Theological seminary and wag
granted his degree of D. p. by bis
alma mater upon recommendation of
members of the Crozer faculty, as
that institution grants no honorary
degrees. He is well known in both
Baptist and lnter-churoh circles as a
platform speaker and also as a spe
cialist in educational work.
The Highland! church has called to
its pulpit Rev. Walter L. Riley of
Wenatchee. Wash., and has strong
reason to hope that he will accept.
Mr. Riley is a brother of Dr. William
B. Riley, the celebrated Minneapolis
pastor, and is a man of outstanding
ability, who will prove a strong ad-,
dition to the Baptist force in the city.
Rose City Parle Extends Call.
Rose City Park Presbyterian church
has extended a call to tha Rev. Don
ald W. M. MacCluer, B. D.. who will
begin his work here Sunday, July 4.
"Mr. MacCluer spent his boyhood in
v ! r
IS .
tawjk fca 'tw'i
It V, ' KJ
4-
- K X
Whole-hearted workers In clty'n" religious field leave congregations here, ene forsakes ministry, one loses health and twi accept new ealln. 1 Hub
ert Murray Prutt, who not only resigned from the Pilgrim Congregational church last Sunday but at that time ended hla service in the min
istry. He experts to Interest himself with religious edueatienal work. IS Dr. William A. Waldo, who delivered hia farewell addreas as pastor of
the First Baptist ehurch (White Temple) last Sunday and who has accepted call to the First Baptist church of Cervallla. He will also lecture
at the State Agricultural college there. S Dr, Robert H. Milllgan, whose health has caused his resignation from the Rose City Presbyterian church,
effective last Sunday. He will rest several months and possibly travel abroad before resuming pastoral duties. 4 Dr. William T. Milliken, who
has left the Highland Baptist ehureh to aeeept the duties aa minister of the First Baptist ehurch of Salem. He was pastor of the Highland
church for 11 months and prior to that time held the pastorate of the Baptist ehurch of Oregon City for aeven years.
world. Wherever the English lan-
guage Is spoken, "Pussyfoot" Johnson
is defai.ied by wets, and lauded by
drys.
The mid-summer communion service
will be observed at Atkinson Memorial
Conprfgational church this morning.
The pastor. Rev. Elbert E. Flint, will
take for his sermon theme "The God
of Life."
The service tonight will be a religious-patriotic
one. "How the Church
Can Celebrate the Fourth of 'July
Without Fireworks." The celebration
will be featured in two moving pic
ture films, "The Battle Hymn of the
Republic," and "The Making of an
American." In connection with these
pictures will be a community sing of
patriotic tongs.
...
The pastor of the Highland Congre
gational church. Frescott and East
Sixth street, the Rev. Edward Con
stant, announces a service in observ
ance of Independence day and will
preach this r-orning on "Thoughts
for the Nation's Birthday."- The eve
ning service will bo discontinued until
September.
Kentucky and Pennsylvania and his
youth in New York city. He is a. grad
uate with distinction from Washing
ton and Lee university and a gradu
ate with the degree of bachelor of
divinity from Auburn seminary.
Upon graduation from the seminary
Mr. and Mrs. MacCluer went to North
Siam as missionaries. They were
given charge of the educational work
in Chieng Rai province and stationed
at Chieng Rai. which is 700 miles in
land, near the Burmese and French
Indo-Chinese borders. After a year
Mr. MacCluer was invalided home with
Jungle fever and accepted the pastor
ate of a home mission church in Ni
agara Falls. From this he was called
to the First Presbyterian church of
Coldwater. Mich. He was placed on
the syond's Sunday school committee
and was soon elected chairman of the
college and educational committees of
the synod. When these were com
bined he was chosen chairman of the
general educational committee. The
church had six prosperous years dur
ing Mr. MacCluer's pastorate and the
Sunday school doubled its member
ship. During the war Mr. MacCluer served
as camn pastor at Ft. Leavenworth
under the auspices of the national
service commission.
Tha Central Presbyterian church of
St. Louis. Mo., in many respects the
Before leaving Mr. Slevin received
three degrees in the Knights of Co
lumbus in ten hours, the first in
Brooklyn, the second in the Bronx
and the third in Manhattan.
Interest in the divine healing insti
tute being conducted in Christensen's
hall, Eleventh and Yamhill streets, by
Rev. John G. Lake and assistants has
Increased to such an extent that It at
tracts attention in practically all
church circles. According to the in
stitute leaders the number of ill. In
firm and despondent persons who
sought healing through prayers and
the ministrations of tha workers
reached 200 daily during the week.
Many of these were tha same parsons
returning each day. A small number
of instantaneous healings are claimed,
but in the main the healings are
spoken of as progresive in nature.
Methods of Rev. Mr. Lake are seem
ingly not greatly different from those
of Rev. James Moore Hickson, who
not long ago visited Portland for a
very brief healing mission.
First Presbyterian to Have
Patriotic Services.
Rev. John H. Boyd to Occupy Pul
pit for Last Time During Visit.
SCR VI
cbur
Sunday School Leader to Be
at First Christian.
Robert M. Hopkins. National Su
perintendent, Will Occupy the
Pulpit. v
leadiner congregation of the southern
aiaamv.iv H.sirinGT tn have its Sunday.
school and young people s work re- j T OBERT M. HOPKINS, national su
organized along modern lines, called I Xv pcrintendent of Sunday schools
Mr. MacCluer to be the assistant pas-J for Cnri8t,,an churches. wiU ,pe,k this
tor and airector oi rcngiyua vu-a.
CRVICES at the First Presbyterian
rcti. Twelfth and Alder streets.
today will be of a patriotic nature.
Dr. John H. Boyd, ex-pastor, now pro
fessor of homiieucs in McCormick
Theological Seminary, Chicago, who
Is supplying the . pulpit temporarily,
will give patriotic addresses both
morning and evening. This is Dr.
Boyd's last Sunday with the church,
as the new pastor. Dr. Harold L.
Bowman, will be in the pulpit next
Sunday, July 11.
The music both morning and even
ing will be patriotic in character, and
alfln the hvmns minar bv the c.ojizr fi
xation. In the evening Mr. Coursen u" by the men. These Sunday after
will give an organ recital from 7:30 noon meetings are drawing as large
to 7:45 and Otto Wedemeyer will sing crowds as in the winter months and
Ki tiling's recessional with DeKoven's " continued.
the Rev. Floyd E. Dorrls will repeat
by special request an unusually in
spirational sermon on "The Open
eyed, Eager Soul." This will be Mr.
Dorris' last sermon as acting pastor
of this church.
a . a
At Mizpah Presbyterian church,
corner East Nineteenth and Division
streets. Rev. D. A. Thompson, pastor,
will conduct services today as fol
lows: Morning worship at 11 A. M.
Sermon theme, "The Lord's Table."
Reception of members on confession
and by letter. Administration of the.
Lord's supper. Evening worship at
7:45 o'clock. Sermon theme. "Things
of Heaven in Terms of Things of
Earth." Third sermon in series.
Rev. Alexander R. Evans will ad
dress a patriotic meeting at the Men's
Resort at 4 P. M. today. There will
be patriotic music and singing. Mrs
Etta Morse will be soloist and the
Battle Hymn of "the Republic will be
4 o'clock prompt.
Music starts at
tion. Largely as a result or new
methods, the Sunday school grew in
one year from an enrollment of 635 to
801. gifts from $745 to $1987 and ad
ditions to the church from 21 to 99
from the Sunday school alone. The
total gain in membership for the
church this past year was 199.
Mr. MacCluer was a member of the
board of directors of the St. Louis
Sunday school association and tha
Sunday school athletic association.
Catholic Choirs to Return.
Acting at the request of Cardinal
Gibbons, James Slevin has sailed for
Rome to make arrangements for the
return to this country of the choirs
of the Vatican and the Roman basil
icas. Tne choirs will tour this coun
try as they did last year, when their
visit was cut short by the recall of
the singers to Rome to conduct the
ritual of important church events.
"The opportunity for development of
popular interest in classic liturgical
music is the primary reason the Vati
can has again consented to permit the
choirs to leave Rome," said Mr. Slevin
before sailing. "Many communities
were eager to hear the famous chor
isters on their last tour, but were
prevented by their recall. It is to
satisfy this demand that another tour
is contemplated."
While in Rome Mr. Slevin also will
maka plans for a Roman moving pic
ture, the scenario of which was writ
ten by a leading American prelate.
morning at H o'clock at the First
Christian church. Park and Columbia
streets. Mr. Hopkins has been a
world traveler in the Interest of the
religious training of young people and
has a message of unusual Interest to
all active Christian workers.
The pastor. Rev. Harold H. Griffls,
will be at Turner, Or., today in at
tendance at the state convention of
Christian churches, delivering- the
special communion sermon this after
noon. His pulpit here tonight at 7:45
will be occupied by the Rev. Samuel
M. Conner, pastor emeritus. The
Sunday music by the church quartet
will include carefully arranged pro
grammes botn morning and night,
witn the special solo, "Ring Out,
Sweet Bells of Peace" (Caro Roma),
by Miss Nina Dressel.
a a
Kern Park Christian church. Forty
sixth avenue and Sixty-ninth street,
under the direction of Isaac Purvi
ance, superintendent of the Biblo
school, will give a patriotic service at
9:15 A. M. A 11 A. M. Dr. J. V
Ghormley will deliver a special. a.d
dress to the children. At 8 P. M. Pro-,
fessor I. A. Melendy will give a lec
ture. Illustrated with stereopticon
views, on epochs of Old Testament
hifctory.
At Gleijcoe Baptist church, corner
Forty-fifth and East Main streets. Dr.
J. W. Stockton will preach at 11 A. M.,
and Dr. G. B. Pratt at 7:4 5 P. M.
The service this morning at West
minster Presbyterian church. East
Seventeenth and Schuyler, will have
the spirit of the day. National hymns
will be sung and there will be special
music. Dr. Pence will preach on
"Caesar and God, Politics and Re
ligion." Mrs. Jane Burns Albert, who has
been soprano in our quartet the past
three years will sing. This is her
last Sunday as a member of the choir
as she is to reside in Seattle. The
congregation is very sorry to lose
her service.
There will be no evening services
during July.
At Central Presbyterian church.
East Thirteenth and Pine streets. Dr.
Nugent will preach Sunday morn4ng
from the topic, "The Life That Tells."
J. William Belcher and Miss Hazel
Hardy will sing as a duet, "I Will
Magnify Thee, b God" (Mosenphal),
and Mrs. G. V. Grayson will sing,
"How Long Wilt Thou Forget M, O
Lord," by Pfluger. There will be no
evening service this evening.
The Sunday school at 9:45 will have
moving pictures as usual; the subject
for Sunday morning will be "Chil
dren of Every Land."
Sunday night. July 11, "Pussyfoot"
Johnson, the noted prohibition lec
turer, will occuy the pulpit.
By special request Rev. L. K.
Grimes, pastor of the Kenilworth
Presbyterian church, will preach this
evening on "The Church and Labor."
The sane element of labor have
always acknowledged their allegiance
and dependence on the church for
leadership in religious thought, Mr.
Grimes declares.
At 8 o'clock this evening at tha
Millard Avenue Presbyterian church,
All Portland Churches Plan
Patriotic Services.
Cinema Will Feature Celebration
of . Independence Day and Pas
tor Will C hoose Toplea for Ser
mon Pertaining, to Observance
of Anniversary.
Services at Sellwood to Be
of Patriotic Nature.
Methodist Chores tn Hear Special
Music and Address by Pastor,
W. S. Gordon.
REV. E- L. I
Or., author
HOUSE of Hood River.
r and lecturer, will oc
cupy the pulpit of the First Congre
gational church today.- Rev. House
needs no ' introduction to the congre
gation of the First church, having
preached here many years ago. He
has been lecturing In the New Eng
land states and has spoken to large,
enthusiastic audiences. He also ex
pects to go south this winter on a lec
turing tour in -behalf of the church.
Rev. House will have as his topic
for this morning's service "An Avail
able God." anl for the evening topic
"The Drama of the Face.'" '
"Pussyfoot" Johnson, world-renowned
reformer, noted editor, pub
licist and author, will speak at the
First Congregational church Sunday
mornintr, July 11. This will sfford
the congregation and the people of
Portland a fine opportunity to hear a
message from a man filled with zeal
for the good of humanity. Mr. John
son comes from Westerville, O., and is
a representative of the American anti
saloun league in England. His work
stirred up su?h opposition among the
Wets that he was mobbed in London;
but this attempt of the wets to sup
press his propaganda only served to
give it the wider publicity. The trsg
edy which resulted in the loss of his
eye by mob violence has made the
name of "Pussyfoot" Johnson almost
a household word clear around the
AT THE Sellwood Methodist church
all the services today will be of a
patriotic nature. At 11 o'clock the
pastor. W. S. Gordon, will speak on
".Some Essentials of a Permanent Re
public." A laymen's meeting will be
held in the evening at S o'clock. H.
L. German will act as chairmnti and
A. F. Flegel will deliver the adurrss.
Appropriate music will be furnished
under the direction of Professor F. C.
Streyfeler.
The Sunday school meets at 9:45
A. M., with D. S. Mann superintendent.
The Epworth League meets at 7 P. M.
At a meeting of the official board
last Monday evening it wss decided to
remodel and enlarge the church
building. For some time it has been
too small to accommodate properly
the Sunday school. A building com
mittee was elected consisting of W. A.
Campbell. F. C. Hendrick and D. S.
Manny. H. L. German was made chair
msn of a committee on finance.
While the canvass has not been
made, about $2000 already has been
pledged conditionally by members of
the board.
The construction will not begin un
til early next year. An architect Is at
work on the plans, which will include
an addition to the auditorium and a
choir room on the main floor, several
Sunday school rooms and a pipe or
gan. The proposed Improvements will
cost at least $11,000, $5000 of which
is expected from the centenary fund.
As Tacoma avenue is to be paved
this summer, the appearance of the
property will be greatly improved
without as well as within.
a
Fourth of July will be observed t
the Waverly Heights church with ap
propriate services. Special notice will
be taken of the day in the Sunday
school service at 9:45 A. M. The eve
ning service .it 8 o'clock will be of a
patriotic niture throughout. The ser
mon will be on "An Enduring Nation."
Illustrations for hymns and the ser
mon will be shown on the screen.
Mr. Adrian Wildman, who will speak
on the subject "The Young People and
Their Place in Church Work," giving
some of his personal experiences at
Corvallis. where he has been attend
ing the college.
Owing to the regular evening serv
ices being omitted during July and
August. a cordial invitation is ex
tended' to all who would care to at
tend these meetings of the young peo
ple during the period mentioned.
.
At the Church of Our Father,
Broadway and Yamhill, at 11 A. M..
the regular service will be entirely in
charge of the local chapter of the
Unitarian Laymen's league. The even
ing nervines are intermitted for the
summer months. William G. Eliot Jr.,
the pastor of the Church of Our
Father, will be absent from the citv
during July at the Harvard summer
school, returning probably in time to
be in his pulpit August 1.
In keeping with the spirit of the
day Dr. J. J. Ktmib of the Sunnyside
Congregational church will deliver a
sermon appropriate for the occasion
Sunday evening; his subject will be
"Independence Day arid the Patriotism
of Character." Special music will ac
company the service. In the morning
the church will celebrate the Lord's
supper and welcome new members
into fellowship. Dr. Stauh's sermon
at 11 o'clock wilj be "The Gospel We
Have Received and the Gospel We
Preach."
a
At Christensen's hall. Eleventh and
Yamhill streets, where a healing in
stitute is being conducted by Rev.
John G. Lake and assistants. Mr.
Lake will speak at 2:30 o'clock this
afternoon on "The Calling of the
Soul." At 8 o'clock in the evening
his subject will be "The Purpose of
Jesus." Following each of these
meetings healing sessions are held,
free to all who come.
Services are to be held at the in
stitute each evening of the week.
Testimony of persons benefited by
ministrations of the workers are a
feature of these services.
Class Will Be Confirmed at
St. Johns.
Ilight Rev. Walter T. Sumner.
Bishop of Oregon, Will Make
Annual Visitation at Milwajjkle
Wednesday Evening.
Services in All Christian
Science Churches.
God"' Will Be Topic to Be Con
sidered Today.
"G
OD" is the subject of the lesson
THE Right Rev. Walter T. Sumner
will make his annual visitation to
St. John's church , at Milwaukie
Wednesday evening, the hour of the
service being 8 o'clock. A class of
candidates will be presented to the
bishop for confirmation.
The Young People's society of St.
Stephens (Episcopsl) pro-cathedral,
will hold their regular weekly meet
ing on Sunday, July 4, at 6:30 P. M..
in the parish house at the corner of
Thirteenth end Clay streets.
The meeting "will be in charge of
ence churches today.
Regular Sunday services will be
held in all Christian Science churches
Sunday morning at 11 o'clock. Sun
day evening services will be Beld only
in Sixth church, as all the other
churches will discontinue Sunday
evening services during the months
of July and August.
Mid-week meetings will be held as
usual in all the churches Wednesday
evening at 8 o'clock. Testimonials of
Christian Science healing are giren
at these meetings. Sunday schools
for children under "0 years of ie are
maintained In all the churches. The
session for the older children in all
the churches except the Third and
Fifth assemble at 9:45, and for the
younger classes at 11. In Third and
Fifth churches the Sunday school ses
sions are at 9:30 and 11.
Free public reading rooms are
maintained in the Northwestern
Bank building, Morrison and Broad
way, at -S6 Burr.side Htrect and at
1 4 it- Killfngswort h avenue. At these
reading rooms the Bible and author
ized Christian Science literature may
be read, borrowed or purchased.
Christian Ketone; churches are lo
cated as follows:
First churca, .vineteenth and Ever
ett streets.
Second church. East Sixth and Hol
la day.
Third church. East TwelCth and
Salmon.
Fourth church. Emerson street and
Vancouver avenue.
Fifth church. Sixty-second street
and Forty-second avenue southeast.
Sixth church. Pythian building, 3SS
Yamhill street. -
Seventh church. 403 Smith avenue.
St. Johns.
The Church of Truth has services
in room 412 Central building every
Sunday at 11 A. M.
The Pentecostal assembly has
pitched its tabernacle for their eighth
annual old-fashioned non-sectarian
il'onclinlert on Pace (i.
ROBERT MURRAY PRATT CONFESSES FAITH IN FAREWELL SERMON
New Church Is Visioned Which Spells Doom for Self-Centered Institutions Declared to Be Mere Convenience for Ambitious Ecclesiastics.
(An addresa delivered en Sunday morn
ing. Jun 7, la F!lrtm Congregational
church. Portland. Or., closing the ministry
of Robert Murray Pratt. a pastor ot th
church.)
MY eU to preach has expired.
Frankly, I shall be glad never
to be asked to preach another
vermon. It is true that I shall continue
to speak publicly on matters reli
gious, because I am deeply Interested
In the welfare of human society. My
call to preach came from my fellow
men. I was asked to preach certa-in
things and was Instructed in the
method of taking sentences of scrip
ture to prove the truth of those
things. Ths most important thins
Beemed to be that men should know
that they were hopelessly lost. Also,
that the 'way out was a miraculous
method, depending; upon an act of be
lief in the process. The experience
of the years, In very earnest contact
with people, has wrought great
changes in faith and works, and has
made It quite Impossible for me to
pend time and energy in fruitless
gictivity.
Frequently, I hear the cry: "Get
back to the fundamentals." But I
cannot find any unity of expression
upon the fundamentals, except upon
some things which those who Insist
Ufcn fundamentals declare to be not
fundamental. When doctors disagree,
who shall decide?
l-edger la Balanced.
At the close of another pastorate. I
very ainoerely enter upon the task
of stock-taking. As moving day is
always a day of Judgment upon my
books, and other accumulated 'junk,
so this day la a day of judgment upon
my professional equipment. 1 find jt
very profitable to balance the ledger
of my activities and to study the
matters of profit and loss. I have not
always been so exacting with my
self, aa now, for which I am re
pentant.
This is a day when all organized
activity la closely scrutinized. Wheth
er business methods in religious or
Kanization are used, or not. business
tests are applied in the estimate of
results. It Is true that human serv
ice transcends the dollar sign, but
how much of that which Is called re
llgious Is far from the classification
of human service. No. I shall not say
that my call to preach has expired
J shall simply state that It seems to
me we have outgrown the need of
sermons. That which Is ordinarily
embodied In sermons is well known
tooth in and put oi tha church, and the
repetition of it does not improve it,
but is largely responsible for the lack
of interest in religious presentation. I
shall change the form of my call from
"preach" to "teach" and shall use the
Information X have gathered, and the
experience I have developed, in the
work of teaching the great facts of
life aa they are revealed in the lives
of the great masters of life.
Confession of Faith Given.
The process of stock-taking and ot
estimating the matters of profit and
loss has been completed for the pres
ent purpose and I give my confession
of faith in all sincerity. Not that I
must confess my faith in order to
make It effective, but that I may be
clearly understood in my expression
of what I would teach.
I came to my faith through a pro
cess of great doubting. My most en
joyable vacations have been taken in
the midst of most strenuous service.
Many pilgrimages have led me to po
sitions of marvelous comparisons, and
life as it touches others has been used
to test the reactions of my own soul.
Things that had been taken for grant
ed, and- adopted without question, de
manded revaluation. Many ideas
picked up at the bargain counter were
not worth the little they cost. And
the doubting process developed. The
ministry oi doubt is not as effective
in human life as it deserves to be.
owing to the prevalence of opinion
that it Is a very wicked thing to do.
Doubt Goes With Faith.
There can never be a great faith
without a corresponding degree of
honest doutt. There may be a great
credulity, but what ia It worth? I
may believe every fish story I hear
but my faith in the fisherman would
really be worth less the more I be
lieved. Fortunately, that I may serve
my desire to avoid charges of heresy
I can find in the writings of the
Apostle Paul a clear-cut statement
embodying this truth : "Prove all
things, hold fast that which is good."
were you nave tne secret of ef
fective faith building. "Prove all
things." That Is doubt. "Hold fast
that which is good." That Is faith,
No life can find its highest develop
ment when, the questions of the soul
are stifled. The art of questioning
so large a factor in legal procedure
is lost to the matters of personal
development, because religious lead
ers. afraid of the truth for which they
contend, decry against all forma ot
doubt, The appeaj to. reason is at .the
same time an appeal to doubt. But
doubting for the sole purpose of de
thronement Is disastrous. Doubting
should always be for the purpose of
faith-building and as an aid to proof.
Experience Declared Proof.
But what Is the basis of adequate
proof? It is the test of experience.
It Is the laboratory method. It Is the
method of the kitchen. The truth
that can be trusted is that which can
be tested. The most decisive testing
faculty of the physical is the ability
to taste. Correspondingly there may
be developed the spiritual faculty of
taste. Unwittingly, religious discrim
inators were once called sermon
tasters. ' "What is truth?" eald Jesting
Pilate. What is truth? It is that
which is so real that it eiands the
test of tests. "O taste and see that
the lord Is good," said the Psalmist.
Experience all things. Test all thlntss.
Prove all things. Doubt all things.
Finally, hold fast that which is good.
Ah, sure within him and without.
Could his darlc wisdom find it out,
There must be answer to his doubt.
So eald Tennyson. True it Is that
honest doubt finds an answer and the
answer becomes a pillar of useful
faith.
Dormant Creed Unsatisfying,
t
This is the vital point in the matter
of organized religion today. It is a
question of stagnation or progress.
Many things are studied by leaders
of religion, less profitable than a
comparison of Browning's study of
the world "Pephan. free from strain
and doubt, In contrast with that other
world, which is a sphere of conflict
and misgiving, but in reality a sphere
of progress and hope. To be uplift
ing, religion must be buoyant and
the vital factor in- its buoyancy is a
strenuous, constructive, serviceable
faith. A dormant creed will not sat
lsfy. Said Coleridge, "We strive to
ascend and ascend by striving."
My confession ot faith is my present
reliance upon the trustworthiness of
certain things as valuable in the re
ligious matter of human service. 1
believe in obedience to law and order.
Obedience Held Accessary.
There Is "no limit, either physical,
mental or spiritual. In the practice of
this belief. To practice it is to taste
the fullness of its enjoyment. Noth
ing can take the place of recognition
of law. Nothing can take the place
of respect for law. Nothing can take
the place of obedience to law. Paul
said, x find then a law." "I see an
other law," He spoke oj Uie laws of
sin. of death, of life, of truth, of love.
Wonderfully he anticipated the larger
knowledge of today regarding the
workings of the law of evolution from
lower forms to higher and highest,
when he declared, "The whole crea
tion travalleth together until now,
waiting for the manifestation of the
sons of God."
Everywhere we see law In opera
tion, co-ordinated manifestations of
force. The key to knowledge is not
the marshaling and memorizing of
tacts, nor the assembly of proofs, but
the recognition of law and obedience
to it. Whether it is the law of the
land relating to life, liberty and prop
erty; the law of sowing and reaping
in agriculture; the law of associa
tion, assimilation and reaction in
science, or the law of truth in splr-'
itual power, the principle is the same.
The apostle has expressed the prin
ciple In the broad statement. "All
things work together for good to
them that love God."
Faith la Confirmed.
The test of .experience has con
firmed my faith in God, whose law Is
the delight of all lovers of life. Said
the Psalmist, "O how I love thy law,
it is my study all the day." And It
is not surprising that when Jesus of
Nazareth uttered his great truths, il
lustrating them by the ordinary, or
derly processes of divine law as
manifested In common life, that it
was said of him, "He that hath the
key of David."
Truly we are hound up in the bun
dle of life. . Our brothers are the
trees and we are related to the ever
lasting hills. The universal law gov
erns our being, and our well-being
depends upon our attitude toward it.
We are a part of that variously man
ifested law that characteristically
moves in cycles. We are one with the
seasons and the stars. Not worms of
dust, but dwellers in the house of
God, sharers of a lavish providence.
The starting point of all sin, of all
sorrow, of all misfortune, lies In Ig
norance and disobedience of life's gov
erning forces. Therefore," I believe
in obedience to law and order.
Church Belief Difficult.
I believe In the Idea represented by
the church. I wish I could say,
without reservation, that I believe in
the church. There is a great gulf be
tween the idea of which the church
is a partial representation and tht
is a partial representation and the
conveniences of ambitious ecclesi
astics. I believe In the church of the
modern spirit, The church that is
more concerned about human rela
tionships than forms of worship or
vehicle of message. The church that
Is so busy aiding the reincarnation
of God in human life that it has no
time to quibble about the incarnation
of its master. I believe in the church
that is in harmony with the scientific
spirit, that tests its work and works
its test. The church that is a school
for growing personalities, where no
person is considered as beyond the
need of instruction. I believe in a
church where the boys and girls are
taught the great ethical principles
in preference to mysterious doctrines.
A church where the finer emotions of
life are so directed that they become
a medium of soothing, healing, rec
reating ministry. I believe that such
a church would find a large response
in, this day of practical application
and scientific testing.
Pleasures Are Subordinate.
The church of the new day must
be a church of ethical culture, with
the development of a fine emotional
expression of life in practical service.
The church must be more than a pri
vate pleasure circle. It must be a
teaching force. The world Is more
than a stage; it la a schoolhouse
Education is an absolute necessity for
service. The church to be effective
must aeitver tne liner toucnes to edu
cated life. The bane of the age Is
the union of high intelligence with
low moral purpose.
'(Jesus opened his mouth and taught
them, saying " Then followed his
expositions of the great ethical prin
ciples of Justice, mercy, love, purity
and truth. Not a word came from
him concerning the impractical things
that ecclesiast isism has carried for
ward in the programmes of the
church.
Small Church Discarded.
I believe in the large church with
adequate facilities for varied forms
of service, I do not believe In the
small church. There is no more rea
son that there should be a church of
every variety in every precinct than
that every farm should have a school
house on Its corner lot. The small
church should go the way of the two-by-four
school house In favor of the
consolidated school. The small church
is the bane of Christendom. It is the
breeding place of petty things. Gen
erally, it is dominated by a small
group of amateur theologians and
second-rate administrators. Such
would be compelled to accept a cor
ner seat in larger enterprises. It is
crushing to the soul of earnest work
ers for human betterment to be at the
mercy of a small group who run, the
church for their own amusement and
organize to defeat everything that is
not in harmony with their obsolete
conception of office.
I believe in the church that is spe
cialized in its organization and large
enough to carry on effectively. It
should not be manned by a pastor
who is compelled to be a "Jack of all
trades," but each department, public
forum, religious education, social wel
fare, should have a well-paid, quali
fied expert who will be allowed to 4
co-ordinate the appropriate energies
of the constituency. We could well
spare 90 per cent of the churches,
with the remaining tenth of this type.
I believe in the church of larger serv
ice In harmony with the teachings of
Jesus the Christ.
Jesus Tiot Mere Personage.
I believe in Jesus as the master
of life in the midst of life. To me:
Jesus is not merely a personage of
history, nor a mere teacher of ethics,
but a very present reality of spirit.
Because of this spiritual reality. Jesus
becomes a power in giving to life new
forms of expression. In the days of
his earthly sojourn he breathed a new
religious spirit. His keynote was
reality in religion and life. As is true
concerning his real followers today.
his teaching brought him into conflict
with the traditionalists and conven
tionalists of his day. He swept aside
the superficial and sounded the
depths.
1 believe there is a. wide difference
between belief in Jesus and an ex
pression of opinion concerning his
origin and mission. Jesus is a leader
of men in the ways of life Just in so
far as his character reveals the kind
of life that is worth living and pro
ductive of largest service. To under
stand what it means to follow Jesus,
we must place ourselves in the posi
tion of the followers of Galilee. They
were attracted -to him before they
heard his teaching. It was his per
sonality that gave his teaching
credence. "He taught as one that had
authority, and not as the Scribes."
When he opened his -mouth and
taught them, his words were so true
to the responsive test of common ex
perience that they were carried for
ward as memorials of him long after
his death.
Value Seen in Teachings.
Today we know of nothing better in
all the great-mass of teaching that
has come down the ages than those
words spoken from the hillside to
illustrate the golden rule as a law of
universal human and divine relation
ship. I believe that the teaching of
Jesus, faithfully taught and consist
ently practiced, would increasingly
make this world a place of safety,
peace and prosperity.
As I interpret the teaching of Jesus
reading that he said to the conven
tional religionists of his day: "Ye
have heard that it was said by them
of old time, so and so. but I say unto
you" 1 am sure that his message to
day would be to the effect that new
life must have new forms. There
must be new applications of old
truths. Sectarianism, which is on
posed to innovation, will destroy the
church unless the churches, incor
porating the spirit of the ever-living
L,ord of life, can transcend it. Sec
tarianism has divided the church and
unity can never come except through
the elimination of the divisive factor.
The spirit of Christianity will never
die, but it will leave our forms and
institutions to assume new forms and
build up new institutions more serv
iceable to life. I believe in Jesus,
whose spirit gives newness of life.
And, finally. I believe in the power
of prayer. Not in mere" repetition of
prayer phrases, or the observance of
prayer customs, merely, hut in the
cultivating of an attitude of soul that
is receptive to the higher influences
of life. I know what the apostle
meant when he said: "Pray without
ceasing." There is a type of life that
is unconventional, of sublime sim
plicity, full of divine power, for which
there is no calculus. No institution
can claim a monopoly of it. Jt is the
life that is a manifestation of God in
human form. It has learned the
secret, "be still and know that I am
God." In the stillness of its medita
tion it finds the divine revelation:
"If we live a life of prayer.
God is present everywhere.
I believe in prayer.
Ofr Corns!
Doesn't hurt I Lift touchy corns and
calluses right off with fingers
-a.
W Nj
Qv: T- , . r - T- ,, X. w i JpO
tut few cents at drug stores s"1i3
Apply a few drops of Freeyone" upon that old,
bothersome corn. Instantly that corn stops
hurting. Then shortly you lift it right off.
root and all, without pain or soreness.
Hard corns, soft corns, corns
between the toes, and the
bard skin calluses on
bottom of feet lift
right off no
humbug!
f