Samuel Brengle Said
In that branch of the Christian Church known as The Salvation Army there have been many significant spiritual leaders and teachers. One of those was Commissioner Samuel Logan Brengle. The following quote is from personal papers of his found some time after his death.
It is important to note that there is a terminology difference between what one might call the mainline church and The Salvation Army. For your edification the terms used in this quote which are different from other churches are:
Cadets
- Students at the College For Officer Training (see Training
Garrisons below).
Commissioner
- A Senior Rank and leadership position of Salvation Army Officership
Officers - Ordained ministers in that
branch of the Christian Church known as The Salvation Army.
Salvationist(s)
- A bonafide member in that branch of the Christian church known as The
Salvation Army.
The Army, The
Salvation Army - That
branch of the Christian Church known as The Salvation Army.
Training
Garrisons - Commonly known today as The College For Officer
Training (seminary)
His words are timely for the entire Christian Church today, not just The Salvation Army.
Enjoy.
The Holiness teacher warned future Salvationists of an insidious danger - a well-organized machine, rendered powerless because of a loss of love in its ranks.
"The Army is so thoroughly organized and disciplined, so wrought into the life of nations, so fortified with valuable properties, on such a sound financial basis, that it is not likely to perish as an organization, but it will become a spiritually dead thing if love leaks out. Love is the life of the Army. 'If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us'. (1) But if love leaks out, we shall lose our crown, we shall have a name to live and yet be dead.
We may still house the homeless, dole out food to the hungry, punctiliously perform our routine work, but the mighty ministry of the Spirit will no longer be our glory. Our musicians will play meticulously, our songsters will revel in the artistry of song that tickles our ears, but leaves the heart cold and hard. Our Officers will make broad their phylacteries and hobnob with mayors and councilmen and be greeted in the market-place, but God will not be among us. We shall still recruit our ranks and supply our Training Garrisons with Cadets from among our own Young People, but we shall cease to be saviors of the lost sheep that have no shepherd.
If the future of The Salvation Army is to still be glorious, we must heed the exhortation, 'Let brotherly love continue.'"
(1) I John 4
Commissioner Brengle was not implying that Ministers of The Gospel should not associate with the leaders of our towns, cities or for that matter, the world, nor was he saying the church is dead already. He was warning Salvationists and by extension the Church, of the danger of becoming a spiritually dead thing because of a loss of love and that would surely affect all the dealings a Christian has with the world at large..
