p. 290 | The “Social Element.” by J. N. Short

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 14, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 19.

The “Social Element.”

By J. N. Short

The cultivation of the social element in the church is all the rage to-day. We might suppose, from what we hear, that this was the grand condition of the millennium. It is the way to draw people and get them saved, we are told. But it is a little astonishing how the church used to be the scene of such deep conviction, such wonderful conversions, such mighty, sweeping revivals, and how she grew in grace and spiritual power, paid her way, and maintained a respectable existence, before any of these modern devices were thought of. But that she did, there is no question.

How strange that Wesley never thought of this in all his wise legislation for the church. Perhaps it was that he found nothing in the Bible that suggested it. But to-day this is the cry, “We must cultivate the social element.” What a sophistry of the devil is this! Such cultivation so utterly kills out all true spiritual sociability, that the prayer and class-meetings, if they are attended,—which they are not, where this social cultivation is practiced,—are places of cold silence, gloom and death, from which every sinner might well pray to be delivered. Surely, if what such people manifest in the social meetings is religion, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, we do not wonder that young people want to have a little more pleasure before entering this vale of cold shadows.

The heart of the true child of God must burn with a sense of shame and holy indignation to see how effectually the devil is blinding, captivating, and capturing the church, through worldly church members, and converting many of our churches into clap-traps to destroy spiritual life, by choking all the innocents to death as soon as they are born. If it does not do this, it teaches them to believe that all they have heard about religion is not true,—it does not meet the longing of the soul; we must find our pleasure in something besides spiritual things. Hence, from the training they have received, we have many semi-infidels growing up in the church. Much of this is done through the organized system of entertainments instituted to cultivate the social element, all of which was born of spiritual death. Shade of Wesley! where are we drifting? Cultured, cold Unitarianism is much better; for it is just what it professes to be.

Think of the church of Jesus Christ fiddling to please the worldly horde, under the plea of cultivating the “social element,” and in her starved, shriveled weakness, making a clown of herself to win the patronage of the world, that she may eke out an existence that is of no consequence to human welfare,—an existence, because of what it is, that is not half so noble and dignified as a club-room or a theater. Is this the church of Jesus Christ? If so, “how are the mighty fallen!” What impressions must young converts get of God, his promises, and the power of grace! What is the impression upon the unsaved?

Shall we not teach young converts that there is a distinction with a difference? “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” What are many of the young converts of to-day taught to forego, that would not be very unbecoming to them, even if they were not the professed followers of Christ?

In an ancient book we have read, if we are not mistaken, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?” And in that same book we find this advice: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” We also find this: “Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed [or better, transfigured] by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

We have also the experience of one who lived some years since, who, perhaps, would be regarded by some as not abreast of the times; but he said, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” In this he teaches us that the tastes are changed so that we have no fellowship with worldliness. This was his experience when he first came into the church in good and regular standing. From that point, he describes his experience thus: “This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” And he gave this advice to all: “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example.”

We know that this man’s experience is not quoted much by those who mourn the great lack of sociability in the church, and desire to rejuvenate the church, and make her the center of attraction through the agency of dramatics, pantomimes, broom drills, etc. But if we could have a little more of such experience in the church among those of influence, there would be a great increase in attendance upon the social meetings of the church. These places would soon become very much more social, because those who attended would have something always to talk about, which would be “too good to keep.” They could talk with a boldness, positiveness, dignity, and unction which would command the respect of all candid, unconverted men. Men would then see that there was some harmony between their profession and the word of God; young converts would discover that there was “a difference between the precious and the vile; between him that served God and him that served him not.”—J. N. Short, in Christian Witness.