THE FUXCTIOX OF THE CHUECH 163 



the mother in fact though it be imperfect, than the most 

 perfect service of a vicarious mother. 



The institutional church performs for society func- 

 tions which under ideal conditions belong to other 

 social institutions. Because the homes of the slums 

 cannot perform their rightful functions the church 

 undertakes some of these in place of the home. There 

 are certain primary classes of institutions such as the 

 home, the club, the firm, the trust, the school, the 

 town, the nation, which among them share every duty 

 the institutional church can undertake. 



The church's function is to be monitor and guide to 

 all these. She is commissioned to go into all the 

 world of human relationships, and disciple all nations, 

 all societies, all communities of men, teaching men so 

 institutionalized to observe all things whatsoever Christ 

 hath commanded. 



Wo have read the Great Commission as though it- 

 said "Go. disciple all persons." Its true force is that 

 the nation is to be discipled until as such it fulfils 

 Christ's will, and the nation here implies all forms of 

 community life, of which it is the chief and the type. 



But, though such is her full social function under 

 ideal circumstances, nevertheless the church began her 

 course with institutionalism. Finding then no agency 

 in society to which she could teach His law of charity, 

 as now she teaches the state, she appointed the seven 

 to perform the diaconate, the social service, of an al- 

 monary society. 



Moreover, inasmuch as her views upon many forms 

 of service are ever in advance of those of all other in- 

 stitutions, the church must ever be. to that extent, in- 

 stitutional. At every new stage of progress in human 





