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TROPOLITAN 
 iRONTO 
 
 NTRAL 
 
 IBRARY THE WORK OF THE 
 
 A^^.2. 
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 UHURCH at HOWIE. 
 
 AN ADDRESS 
 
 DELIVERED TO THE 
 
 ^t\ic|eKtA* MI,s^loKary Society of Kt\ox College 
 
 IX 
 
 Kkox College, Toronto, 
 
 November 13th, I896. 
 
 1»Y 
 
 REV. D. D. McLEOD, 
 
 BAHHIE 
 
 Printed ai Thk Examiner Offlco 139 Dunlop Street. 
 
 18!>7. 
 
V ■■■ 
 
 METROPOLITAN: 
 lORONTO 
 
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 nrr.r]"n 'i I 
 
 oocidl Sciences 
 
 2S5'^ 
 
 ^^.13 
 
 t 1375 
 
THE WORK OF THE CHURCH AT HOME. 
 
 YOUR ('Ollege has always a warm place in my regard. My 
 acquaintance with it elates back further than that of any 
 of you. It began in the year 1857. The college then car- 
 ried on its work in the house which had been occupied as 
 a residence by Lord Elgin. Some who are now venerable minis- 
 ters were then students. Professors Burns and Willis were then 
 its prominent teachers. I had then a student of Knox for my 
 tutor; and I had the honor of acMng as a sort of "diaconos" to 
 these eminent professors occasionally, when they visited the lo- 
 cal 'ty in which I lived, on missionary expeditions. In recent 
 years I have known the college only through its students. In the 
 mission work of our Presbytery, which is i^uite extensive, the 
 students of Knox have done excellent service. More than one 
 half f»f the congregations in our Presbytery have pastors who 
 have studied at Knox. Of these, twelve have been received since 
 mv connection with ic. Not only then, in the examination of the 
 students, and in the duty of reading your discourses, but in the 
 administration of the mission work in the field I have had op- 
 portunities of being acquainted with you. Nevertheless it was 
 with sonu^ surprise I leceived the invitation to address you to- 
 night. I may not meet your expectations in doing so. but I think 
 you are wise in asking one from the outside of college circles to 
 address you, as often as you can. It is wise both for your 
 society's i:ake and for the sake of the church. It prevents the 
 idea beinj,- cherished that there are only a few men about tht? city, 
 or that only those connected with the college, are interested in 
 your work. I am glad to learn from your last report which I 
 have seen, that your operations are beiu^,- carried on with with an 
 encouraging measure of success. For one cannot but recognize 
 that these operations are carried on under many difficiuties 
 That you have been able to do so much for the church, and for 
 the cause of religion in outlying fields, is creditable to you. I am 
 pleased to learn of your mission work in the city among the poor 
 and criminal. This is not only a held in which you may do 
 much good, bat one which cannot but be of great use to you in 
 your training for the ministry. In this is brought home to you 
 what the gospel has to do for men, and that tohat has to be done for 
 sinful men, can only be done by the gospel. The best antidote 
 for scepticism in to engage in the work of saving men from sin. 
 
-4- 
 
 It is not necessary to occupy your time vvith the common 
 appeals which aie made to as on ()ehalt' of missi.>n work. Ap- 
 peals, which soiuebimcs are not very intelligent, antl which 
 sometimes are not altogether scriptural Every intelligent person 
 knows, that our religion is, in its nature, aggressive and nnssion- 
 ary. Where it is not so, it is either dying or dead. The theoretical 
 part of the subject then is settled, so tar as we are concerned. 
 The questions which occupy our minds chiefly are : How the 
 work may best be done, and ho.«^ may the means be procured 
 with which it is to be done ? 
 
 It would be unfortunate for the church if these questions 
 should be regarded as settled and solved. I do not think they 
 aif . There is room for advance both in respect to, How this 
 mission work should be carried on by the church, and Uow the 
 means for carrying it on are to be obtained. 
 
 iiut regaraing these questions as settled in the mearitime, 
 both the theory and the practice, taking for granted that you 
 have the missionary spirit devei'»ped among you, 1 will proceed 
 to speak on the subject of the work of the church at home. 
 
 And first, I would refer to the subject of oar Home Mission 
 work as that is commonly un''.-i»i,v;oa. The term 'Home Missions" 
 is a ht)Usehold word. It means one of the schemes of our church. 
 That is all ! It is a work done in outlying fields, by some unknown 
 agents, imder the orders of an omnipotent committee So it is 
 thought of by many. And did Home Mission work mean no 
 more than that which is done through our conunittee. it is yet a 
 gi-eat ana necessary work. The records of it are full of interest 
 to every friend of the gospel, and to every lover of his race. The 
 records of it are full of sell-sacrificing devotion to duty, of patient 
 continuance in the well-doing, of hard toil, of severe privation, 
 of Christian faith and love in those Who have gone out into the 
 new and remote parts of the land to seek the souU that are un- 
 cared for, and to lead them to the Saviour. The story of it has 
 pages also that are sorrowful. On its fields the missionaries have 
 laid down their lives. And on its fields are found those scenes 
 which so touch our sympathies. Homes without the knowledge 
 of God, souls that have not heard the gospel, conuimnities lapsing 
 into moral decay. Some points iti the work claim attention. 
 
 First, the extent of the work forces itself upon our notice. The 
 church by this time should have some idea of the geographical 
 Extent of her field. But this is a subject that only some one from 
 the west, gifted in geography and descriptive power, is couipetent. 
 to speak on The vast extent of the field should be no discour- 
 agement to the church. Rather it is a fact in which we should 
 rejoice. It should be not a disadvantage but a stimulus to the 
 
— o — 
 
 religions life of the chiirtn. It should prevent us sitting down ibo 
 the selrish enjoyment of the gospel fvir ours^elves. It should 
 awakf-h and keep alive oui* sympathy for our fellow men. It 
 keeps ever before our minds the necessity of religious ordinances 
 in order to the growth of religion even in a Christian land, It 
 gives us fill interest in every part of our country which we would 
 not otherwise have. It furnishes ujj with new fields in which to 
 carry out the work of our Master. It is ever affording us new 
 and powerful illustrations of the influence of the gospel upon 
 human hearts. There are souls in these new fields for the church 
 to seek out. Souls more precious than the earth's treabares. Hia 
 jewels whom it is ours to reclaim for His crown. It were a 
 waste of time to dwell on the claims of the Home Mission field. 
 It is that field which has the first claim upon the church. We 
 cannot change the divine order. He has put it first 
 
 It would be absurd to leave our own land inadequately pro- 
 vided with the gospel while we were sending it to other lands. 
 
 We hear much of the ** Cry from Macedonia" as applied to 
 the foreign field. But that cry comes from the home field as 
 loudly. It comes from the lakes and woods of Muskoka, from the 
 the rocks of Algoma from the benighr-ed fields of Quebec, from 
 wide prairies, and from the mountains and valleys of the bound- 
 less west. We must put first in our regard, that which God has 
 put first in its claim upon us, and in i<"8 relation to us. It is not a 
 question about which there can be any dispute. One of the best 
 fruits of foreign mission effort is to make us value the gospel 
 more, and desire to make it known to all men It is a mistake to 
 exaggerate or to exalt out of its proper place, the claims of the 
 one field or the other. 
 
 The souls of all men are alike precious in the sight of our 
 Lord. Reason as well as scripture teaches us to expend our sym- 
 p.ithy and bei.evolence first upon thase within our borders. The 
 true missronary spirit is practical not sentimental. It is governed 
 by duty. It works by divine direction. It is willing to do unro- 
 mantic work. The heroism is shown at home, as willingly as it is 
 abroad. I<et the claims of each field have their just place in 
 our regard. My decided conviction is that the church will never 
 tulftl her duty until she gives to the cause of Home Missions the 
 first place. The church should give to the home missionary the 
 same training, the same generous provision in going to his field, 
 the same liberal treatment on the field, which she gives to the 
 foreign missionary. No one can give any reason thati will stand 
 investigation wliy so great a distinction should be made, as 
 is made, between the supply sent to the foreign field and the sup- 
 ply that is sent to the home mis ion field. 
 
 The people at home in our mission field deserve to be treated 
 
-e- 
 
 with the same respect as the heathen abroad. If the heathen re- 
 quire trained men to teach them, surely the highly intelligent 
 people, the pioneers of your civilization, require men of equal 
 ability and equal training. The chui-ch appears to think that 
 they do not. The existence and prosperity ot the church depends 
 upon the adequate cultivation of the tield in our own land. That 
 should be attended to Hrst up to the point of our duty and ability. 
 I hope the church will yet come to this view and be as diligent in 
 dtrengthnning her stakes as in lengthening her coitls No 
 advocate of foreign missions desires to diminish the interest of 
 the church in home missions. The very opposite is the case. The 
 true mission spii..^ will not err in this matter. When the church 
 possesses it, then each claim of the Master will be attendee! to upi 
 to the extent of the church's power. 
 
 Let me refer to the agmis by whom tne woi^k in the home 
 field is to be done in the foreign field it is done 
 by order of the church, by ordained men Here a conbider- 
 able part, in fact the gieater of it, is done by students. Some of 
 it by uatechists. 
 
 The church lays a great responsibility en you. The system 
 has serious defects. First, in respect to the partial time of tupply 
 given Second, in the inability of the student to dispense the 
 sacraments of the church Third, in its interfering with educa- 
 tional work of the students. 
 
 We must, however, take the plan which is in use. and deal 
 with it as best wecHU This is to be borne in mind, that your 
 work is CHily preparatory. You are the skirmishers in advance 
 of the heavier troops. Vour work belongs to a dispensation that 
 
 fjasseth away. The result of it should be to make the people 
 ong tor the dispensation that is to follow. It should be that the 
 people would not ask students to be sent to them a day longer 
 than was neces: ary. We find, often quite an opposite feeling 
 created in the mission field. That after students have beeii 
 employed for some time, the people will not look at a minister of 
 years and experience. They do not w.-int an ordained man If 
 compelled tc have one, he must be as like a student as possible in 
 his q laliflcations. This is no doubt complimentary to you, but it 
 is ail unhappy result of your woik You should take the role of 
 John the Baptist and teach, that the student must 'decrease' and 
 the ordainea minister nnist 'increase.' The people should be 
 taught that it is their duty and their privilege to have gospel 
 ordinances in all their completeness set up among them. The 
 church owes this to them. They should give the committee no 
 rest until this has been secured The church should supply the 
 funds to do this, and I think that the church would supply the 
 f nnds. if the need for them was demonstrat ed. 
 
-7- 
 
 the 
 the 
 
 Further there are two elements of character and work, which I 
 wou*d com mend the student missionarv to cultivate while on the 
 field. These are. first, that principle which the apostle inculcates 
 when he says to the Phillipians. "Stand fast in the Lord." I 
 notice a tendency in a portion of the ministry and church to be 
 too easily influenced by the views and practices of those who are 
 not qualuied to be f^uiaes or models. A tendency to fall in with 
 some popular opinion, or to adopt some noveltjr in the form of 
 worship, before the matter has been fully considered. Let us 
 examine our ground and be sure of it, and stand fast upon it 
 There is no virtue in being compliant to every apparently 
 religious current that presses upon you. There is great 
 influence wielded by simply standing fast. Such should 
 be the opinion of the gospel pioneer. False views and 
 foolish opinions and sinful practices will break down when con- 
 founded oy this spirit which will not give, in matters of religion. 
 It was upon this rock like character in the early church that 
 Paganism was broken in pieces. 
 
 The second principle I would mention, thouf^h I observe that 
 you are already adepts in it, is, that of elasticity of method. 
 Presbyterian ism allows this. It also profits by it Fresbyterian- 
 ism puts life above form. It approves of puttinfr the "new wine 
 into new bottles." But while it is proper and sensible to adapt 
 your methods to your situation, this should not ioad you to be 
 careless of form. There is both use and power in the form and 
 in the manner. It is never out of place to be reverent in the 
 treatment of sacred things It would be a great accomplishment 
 to teach the people, that it is of vast importance how God is to be 
 worshipped. So many think, and are ei.couraged to think that 
 it does not matter. That idea fills God's house with confusion. 
 Men think to-day that in the Christian pulpit they may teach 
 what they please with equal acceptance in the sight of God. 
 They also tnink they may introduce whatever fantastic form of 
 worship they please. 
 
 The idea prevails that it is the people who are to be consulted 
 and not God as to how the service of his house is to be catried on. 
 But I say, be under divine commandment. "The grandest 
 things that ever come into us are commanded in. The authority 
 of God is our noblest educator For more than all else it wakens 
 up our life and impregnates our sentiments with all that is heroi- 
 cally true and good. When the soldiers of .Testis Christ throng 
 in, after their great campaign is over, what will be more surely 
 discovered in them, than their everlasting ennoblement in 
 Christ's great will and commandment." 
 
 I have been speaking of home mission work in the narrower 
 sense in which we are actustonied to regard it It has wider 
 meanings. It includes the whole work of the church at home. 
 
— s- 
 
 Kvcjy coM^fivj^iitioii Mhoiihl be an or^i^aiii/iitioii for doiiij^ homo 
 iiiissioM work. VVt» do not luu'd to leave our own uarislies to find 
 HinneiH ontsiile of the chui-ch to eonvert. Tliey exist all aiuund 
 us. Our Hi.st duty is to them. The thurches of the old countries 
 recognize this. They nearly all employ mibsion aKcncies beyond 
 the pastors work. 1 see that the cliiirch in your city recoKnizes 
 tills. And in this direction is the nmst usef.d Held for Htudent 
 traininp^ and for the employn»ent of students. I speak from per- 
 sonal experience, having spent my last year in theology between 
 this kind of work and tiu' duties of the hall. Tlie people of To- 
 ronto are favored in having ii college to draw upon for agents in 
 this field. 
 
 This mission agency is of the kind called by the Lutheran 
 church the " Inner Mission.'' 
 
 It deals with things temporal and physical, as well as things 
 spiritual. This is the niost fruitful effect of foreign missions on 
 the church at home. That these teach us more fully what go? pel 
 work means. That it means not only preaching, but teaching 
 and healing and caring for the poor, the sick, the friendless, the 
 orphan, and the widow. 
 
 Under the shadow of our churches an unchristian ized popula- 
 tion is growing up. That is ti ue in rural centres as well as in the 
 city. 
 
 The need of directing attention to this view of the subject is 
 attested by two painful facts : 
 
 1. First, that in not a few districts and towns, while the 
 population has increased and other denotninationshave increased, 
 our own chinch has ri^mained stationary. In some towns whose 
 population has initreased thei'e are no moie congregations than 
 there were twenty years ago It was shown a few years ago in 
 the census returns, that there was a large number of Presbyteri- 
 ans who were not accounted for in the statistics of our church. 
 The second fact is, that in the neighborhood of all our congrega- 
 tions, other agencies are at work to reach people who are not 
 connected with any of the churches. When each congregation 
 becomes a centre of mission life in its own district, the spiritual 
 life of the church will be revived. A greater interest will be taken 
 in mission work both at home and abroad 
 
 The church would increase not only by the natural growth of 
 its membership, but by the in gathering of those outside of the 
 fold. There is nothing to boast of in the fact, that in comparison 
 with a few years ago our numbers have increased. Only some 
 calamity, or disruption, could have prevented this. There is no 
 thing t() boast of in the fact, that the man is stronger and wiser 
 and richer than the boy. It would only be a matter to thank God 
 for if we could show, that any increase was the result of enlarged 
 activity and zeal in bringing the people under the power t-^ the 
 
-0 
 
 gospel . But a(2:ain, let lis enlarpje our ideas still further in respect 
 to the work of the church at home. The vhurch is the great 
 educating power in the land. Religion exercises a deeper influence 
 over the minds of men than any other agency. E«enthede 
 nominational form which religi >n takes, shows itself in the life 
 of the people. We have an it.astration of this fact in many 
 countries but very uianifestly in the people of Scotland. They 
 are intellectually and morally the product of their religion. And 
 they are marked by very distinct denominational characters. 
 No where probably are seen so clearly both the coarser or finer 
 shades, indeed all the i: hades of Presbyterianism. A fact that is 
 made much of in a humorous way by rtt ent Scottish writers. 
 
 The mfitience of tbe church was exerted upon the country as 
 it ever is, through the ministry. 
 
 An educated ministry in each parish from generation to gene- 
 ration, preaching Bible truths, affected the life of the people pro 
 foi?ndIy Those who were interested in spiritual questions found 
 a counsellor in their pastor. Those who had literary aspirations 
 found a friend and guide in Him. 
 
 It IS the church which has had such a niinistiy, which 
 has been the great educating power in the land. It is the 
 church which has kept alive the conscience, which under 
 all defects and errors, makes that people conspicuous for 
 their integrity. As is the ministry so are the poople. Scot- 
 land under the reign of moderation illustrates the s»»nie truth. 
 There is no virtue in Presbyterianism, nor in any ism, 
 to preserve it from corruption. We have seen it sink into 
 Unitarianism in England, developing Arianism m Irehuid, 
 and Moderatism in Scotland. So it is not the ism there 
 is any virtue in. It is only the church as the temple of the 
 HolyGhost that has power. It is only a church spiritually alive 
 that call escape corruption. The purpose of the church whether 
 at home or abioad is Npirit\ial. It is to make good men out of 
 bad men. So long as sh(^ does this there is no danger of her over- 
 throw. Her strength is in her product A gos|3el that can 
 gather a church out of 'Jerusalem, the city of priests ; out of 
 Antioch, the city of lovers of pleasure; out of Corinth, the 
 vanity fair of the Roman Empire, at once the London and the Paris 
 of the first century after Christ ; out of Ronje, the city of imperial 
 power," is a gospel that cannot be despised by anyone. To do this, 
 IS the best answer the church can make to her assailants No 
 criticism can harm a gospel which can show such trophies of her 
 teaching. The influence of the church is felt in every department 
 of life. Education in this Province, it is said, lacks the religious 
 element If it does so. it is not so much the defect of the laws as it 
 is the fault of the people, and of the church. It is because the min- 
 isters, the trustees, and the parents do not take the trouble to see 
 
—10 
 
 more in this field. Ciirist- 
 the world. The churches 
 as ours do, and yet do not 
 the education given in the 
 weak. Weak in intellectual 
 
 that the schools are religioMs. The law permits them to be so, if 
 the people desire them to be so There is nothing in the hiw to 
 prevent any Board of Trustees from being careful to appoint a 
 person of Christian character to teach There is nothing in the 
 the law to prevent the trustees giving their teacher to understand 
 that they net only desire the religious exercises which the law 
 prescribes t » be used, but that they desire the teacher to impress 
 on the young minds the authority of that divine law which they 
 are required to teach them, once a week. That they desire him 
 to enforce his instruction by a refer^^nce to the principles of the 
 Christian religion. And there is nothing in the law to prevent, 
 but there is a distinct provision to encourage the ministeis of the 
 different ci urches. giving all diligence to see that this is done. 
 The church to-day is disposed to lean too much upon the Govern- 
 ment, and to ascribe to a defect in the law that which is due to 
 the weakness not of the gospel buh the ministers. The church 
 should make her influence felt much 
 ianity i& the educating element of 
 which exist alongside of the school 
 make their power felt in moulding 
 school, are churches which are v 
 power and in spiritual power. 
 
 A<jain. The religious life of the family in our parent churches 
 was due to their teaching. They held that it is in the home 
 that the beginnings of character are made. The home has the 
 chief influcMice in making a religions and moral people. To make 
 good men is i,. made good citizer s. That was the theory. The 
 church set herself more to the attacking of sin in the heart than 
 to crusades against particular sins. 
 
 It is not a successful method of work to divide up the sins of 
 thecomnumity too much, and letting sin alone, to make a great 
 stir over sins. It is injurious to the conscience, and has been so 
 m this land, to maguify one sin, to the hidir.g of others. 
 
 The avarice which is the root of all evil, lies comfortably 
 undisturbed in our churches, while the offspring of it in particular 
 instances, is assailed with exaggerated violence. Let us remember 
 that it is only by attacking sin we will get rid of sins. The life 
 of a people is measured by the life of the home. The church is 
 responsible for the character of the homes, the state is not Such 
 is the wide spreading influence of a living church Such the work 
 that is to de done at home. To do her work effectually requires 
 the indwelling in her of the Holy Spirit. As one working in the 
 fleld I simply add my testimony to that of others when I say, 
 that the great duty to which we sho.ild address ourselves, is to 
 maintain at a high standard the religious life of the people. 
 
 What is nee.led is that we should unite in one great effort to 
 lift up the whole church to a higher plane of life. Not separating 
 
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 in our recfard, or in oar advocacy, one part of her operations 
 from another, but putting first that which God has put first the 
 life of the church as a whole, and the mission she has to fu'fll in 
 the j)lace where by God she has been put. The question is, how 
 is this to be done ? It is a question which toe courts of the 
 church might profitably spend some time in the study of. 
 
 Those who are placed oy Providence as eaders in the church, 
 should hold before her a high standard as to what is required, 
 and what is to be undertaken. There is now a painful acquisence 
 in low standards. 
 
 When one considers the doles and driblets meted out for 
 God's work at home, compared with what is required, it is dis- 
 couraging. Through all our home work, as well as home mission 
 work, more means are required. We should not set before the 
 people the minimum but the maximum of our need And we should 
 ask for it, not as those who ask a favor, but as those who are. 
 appointed to show to the people the will of our Master and the 
 openings set before them in His service. 
 
 2nd. We should not separate in the regard of the people, 
 one part of the church's operations from another. W«. should 
 adopt the divine order in presenting claims For there is a, divine 
 order We should follow it. If we did, I think that in some cases, 
 that which is now last would be first. The wants oi the house- 
 hold, the providing for the family, the widows and orphans, the 
 aged, and the educ'ating of the family would be first— and after 
 these every outlying enterprize. 
 
 There are required in the church at present those three 
 things : 1 Unity. The whole chnrch being enlisted for the whole 
 of her operations. There should be not only an alumni associa- 
 tion of tTiis college or that, but of all the colleges. An association 
 in which men of all schools and from every part of the church at 
 home or abroad should be enlisted. To such an association let 
 your schemes be submitted, endowment schemes and all other 
 schemes which require to be lifted up. Are those ministers who 
 have been trained abroad not worthy to associate with you ? Are 
 they not interested in the colleges and in the church as much as 
 yourselves? Appeals enamating from such a source embracing 
 all the ministry would come home to the church with more hope- 
 fulness of success. I think it is needed in the direction of 
 jjfreater unity. Unity of policy, and plan and spirit. 2. There 
 IS much to be desired a larger measure of enthusiasm in 
 the ministry, and membership, on behalf of the operations 
 of the church. Enthusiasm for the life, and the good 
 name, and the prosperity of the chrich as a whole Such a 
 spirit would lift us out of our localism and our hobbyism, and 
 make all parts of the church equally the subject of thought and 
 prayer, and all the schemes equally the object of our care and 
 
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 synipathy. 3. There is needed further an increase of our 
 faith in God. It is His work we are engaged in. He will supply 
 tWe means for accomplishing it. He will iionor a large faith. 
 
 It will be unto us as it ever is according to our faith. He will 
 send the means for generous undertakings. Let us cast ourselves 
 anew on him, and attempt and expect greater things. Union, 
 enthusiasm, and faith, these are a trinity <.>f great power. As 
 the rising tide Will lift the heaviest vessel in the channel from 
 the place into which she has been left to sink by the outgoing 
 tide, so the tide niust flow in upon the church, the tide of divine 
 grace and of aivine enthusiasm and faith — then those who are in 
 charge of her operations shall have clearer and ^larger 
 views of her great duties ; then all jealousies shall be 
 swept away, then the church with all' her attendant in- 
 stitutions and schemes, shall be lifted out of her worldliness and 
 unbelief, into a spirit more worthy of her high calling, and shall 
 go forward witn new power on her mission of divine beneScence 
 throughout all tiie regions of this wide Dominion, and unto thb 
 uttermost parts of the earths 
 
 ,a** 
 
 ^