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 ............