a christian church should be the uncompromising friend of all virtue, and the determined enemy of all vice. public morality and social purity should find in it an open and earnest advocate and defender. churches should bear in mind that christian morality, which constitutes their rule of life, claims a much higher standard than the morality of worldly society about them. therefore their deportment should be such as to have a good report of them that are without, and command the respect of the world. in all this the pastor should be the wise but decided and courageous teacher, leader and exemplar for his people.
there are certain questions of moral reform and social recreation with reference to which the churches are often much perplexed, but with reference to which they should have settled convictions, and hold a well-defined attitude. it is not wise to put [p. 78] definitions and restrictions touching intemperance, card-playing, theater-going, dancing, and the like, into covenants or articles of faith. a better way is for the church, after due consideration, to pass standing resolutions on the subject, to be placed on its records as a guide to future action. something like the following, to be varied at the option of the body, would serve as a declaration of principles:
1. resolved, that this church expects every member to contribute statedly for its pecuniary support, according to his ability, as god has prospered him, and that a refusal to do this will be considered a breach of covenant.
2. resolved, that this church will entertain and contribute statedly to home and foreign missions, and to other leading objects of christian benevolence, approved of and supported by our denomination.
3. resolved, that the religious education of the young and bible study as represented in sunday school work commend themselves to our confidence, and we will, to the extent of our ability, give them our sympathy and our aid, by both our personal cooperation and contributions and expressed [p. 79] appreciation of all their legitimate aims and work.
4. resolved, that in our opinion, the use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage, and also the manufacture and sale of the same for such a purpose are contrary to christian morals, injurious to personal piety, and a hindrance to gospel truth, and that persons so using, making, or selling, are thereby disqualified for membership in this church.
5. resolved, that we emphatically discountenance and condemn the practice of church-members frequenting theaters and other similar places of public amusements, as inconsistent with a christian profession, detrimental to personal piety, and pernicious in the influence of its example on others.
6. revolved, that the members of this church are earnestly requested not to provide for, take part in, or by any means encourage dancing or card-playing; but in all consistent ways to discountenance the same as a hindrance to personal godliness in their associations and tendencies, and an offense to brethren whom we should not willingly grieve.
