Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-01-04

The COST OF CHURCH Go1NG.-|
There is great deal of good sense in
the following remark of the New York
Express. e
There can be no doubt of tho fact
that the expense of attending church is
one reason why large portion of the
inhabitants Of this city absent them
selves entirely from places of pubic
worship.
The question naturally arises, how
can a poor person hear the gospel
preached?
There are churches enough scattered
over our city to give all those who de.
sire it an opportunity of listening to
sound prcachin but tho cost of seat
in those places whcr, the highest pull
Pit talent is displayed is far beyond the
means Of the poor, and is heavy tax
even on those persons who arc in mod.
crate circumstances. In these high
priced churches, too, there arc many
pews that arc mover half occupied ; and
yet the holders Of them would not let
seat at any price. The poor man may
have as heavenly as pirat.ons as the
rich one, and be may be as glad to lis
ten to good discoursss, but as matters
are now arranged, he is obliged to crow!
into some place where the system of
worship may not agree with his consci-
entious convictions. and where the style
of preaching is offensive to his good
taste. In these places even ho is not
exempt from the pulpit tax, bu. is con-
stautly reminded Of what he owes by
the presence Of contribution box into
which he must drop something or he is
marked man.
The case is the same with many Ia
dies. They 10 not want to run about
from one free church to another,
if it is possible to get seat in a church
with which they sympathizc; and rath-
or than SO run about, it is no wonder
that thej will stay at homo altogether.
The truth is, we fear, the gospel is
preached to the poor in poor places.
Profit and loss are taken into consid-
Grafton as much in hiring minister
and building q church as it is in fitting
out a ship or stocking a store.
Would it not be as reasonable to
provide worship for this multitude Of
men and women at price within their
means, as it is to raise money for tie
benefit Of persons similarly situated at
q distance
But it is said there are places where
anybody may go freely. We grant it,
but the persons Of whom We are speak,
ing will not 60 to these places. Their
means are limited, but they are willing
to pay for what they get, and they can
appreciate a good sermon. They are
persons OF cultivation and refinement,
and listen to words which they approse,
they Will stay away alto2 ether u.s..
Thus it is, that many fill into bad
habits, and lose all reveren % for the
Sabbath, because they can :ot bs ad-
mitted into as good society Sundays as
they enjoy week days.
Something on2ht to be done to check
this evil, aud the sooner it is done
there will be less ef 'sruined" young
young men and women in tn, large
cities. Frg
The merchant rho Tolls in his c;:sh-
ioned pew is just as mach his clerks |
keeper Of a S1nda' as tho rest Of the
week and the gai!y dressed lady VII Q
sits 4 the head Of she pew Is res ponsi-
Bile, in u measure, for the wherca DIS
Of her poorer acquaintance during the
services Both may one day have to
aaswer the question, where is thy
brother, Or where is thy sister?
There is only one remedy for it all
and that is u vigorous extension of
the free church system.