Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-02-12
BEEeHER ON PEw-RENTING.

The system Of pew. renting, as ~practised in most
OF our city churches of oil denominations, has,
from time to time, cause numerous complaints from
those unrehecting grumblers who consider their
rights invaded when, on entering a large and ex.
pensive church, they fDd no seats thrown open
for their accumulation.
The annual letting of pews is sure to give occa'
sion to these censoriUus omments. Correspond.
ents find it a good opportunity to let off a few
filings at gospel shops y and country journals,
seized with a sud den horror, retail to their readers
the New York market price of religion. The recent
sale of pews at the Plymouth Church in Brooklyn
has been noted in this way. The scribes, if not
the pharisees, of modern times have walled in
print over the moial obtuseness of Mr.. Beecher in
allowing such scenes to occur in the parish under
his charge. The rent of Plymouth Church pews
for the coming year amounts to S25 1000.
Mr.. Beecher, in the Independent expresses his
opinion very clearly ia regard to this subject.
whenever a church comes to that part of it's
business which is secular and requires commercial
wisdom, then it must stand. just like any other
honest concern, subject to all the equitable laws
of matter and money. The pews must be sold
and taxed, or rented every year ; and this must
10 done publicly, that all may have q chance.
And if the pews are not much sought after. there
will be but little trouble or complaint. But if the
pews are fewer than the applicants if ten men
want seats when but enc can be accommodated
how ore we to select which shall have themf
"Shall there be a perpetual scrambled Then
the strongest will get them. Shall they be rented
privately Then the alert and shrewd will gel
them. Shall they be rented openly and in fair
competition ? Then, inevitably, they must follow
the commercial law, and the man who wants them
most and has the means of paying the most, must
have them.
"Now, it is very easy to stand off and rail. Will
any one suggest a plan by which 5000 men can
be put into a church that will hold but 3 5000? II
only a part are to be accommodated, will some one
tell q better method than open competition upon
fair commercial principles? For the secular ar
fairs of a church are just as commercial, and jus,
as subject to right commercial Jaws, as is the br
siness of a bank, q mandatory, and academy OF
college,"
Mr.. Beecher, upon the principle that it is easier
for a camel to 20 through the eye of a needle than
for a rich man to enter the kingdom Of heaven, say,
that these men, because they are rich, need preaching
moro than others. He adds;
at is very easy for men who do net live III
large cities not to believe that is right or Chris
lain for one congregation to expend S25 900 fo>
themselves &c. If men that have money knew
what to do with it half as well as those do wit
give them advice without knowing anything abou
their affairs, what o thrifty world this would be
What a church spends annually is great or little
according to circumstances. There are man,
country churches where $4,000 a year would b
, more extravagant than 10 others would be S25 600
But in this particular case the. surplus funds ar
employed in paying off the debts and mortgag
which lie upon the property. and we hope tina
it is not unchristian for a church to pay its hon
est debts."-N. 7. Erening Post.