Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1865-09-20
HeeIing-hOHSe> 4Ead Eyssr=es-
IragsBn

Meellng-hOuSe> 4ad Esssss=~s
ration.
During the di-rnss.o', %! i..,s:.r ,.y ~,
geiization and chur IL uur.in4 f.. jt,r
national councii ot Congregation
Il w Western member eNir-s~ch tvan
of the economy of splendid lnree SUM
to build elegant churches in Wash
IingUon, Baltimore. and other cities
This WAS the nn!y rrIuagk rHr.fa .a
the council that iu,tlvaLca . cou
lsciousness of th5 Hust seI,"uS nhslaci,
in the way of the .vangcIza'ion o
the people N"hndY alluded "a ia.
fact that the present tendency o
things is Ia shut out the ma~a,'s r.
the common people from lIlr charche-
and 10 make public Worship rxp"nsiv,
and exclusive. If the maSs,.; are &,
be evangelical. hy nrthoa"H -toayrc
] ga,iOnalisin, or any Other form ,'I ia"
| gospel, il must bc made ,rgy s-.i,i, la
them. "How ran they rcra witj,auJ
preacher" What th,Io.;! .,trtc ci
the case is can he luid lu few word-
| Instead OF the c,,mmoiiuu~ moeiiu-
houses Of the cid times, meant for the
old times, meant Tor thc whole bop
ulatiOn, we uuw buli,l elegant vhurcff-
es iOr the iew. The cost al >r-taili.
ing these establishments ia surh ~
pew-rents are necessarily high, IT,
fact much hIg her than puur vrupiv
can afford 10 pay; ard uni,S> t..sv
are already vitaily Interested ia ihv
gospel, they viii not make sacrifices
Of material comfort for the sake oi
hearing it preached This tendency
to an elegant ami costly -adminiolra-
IIOL of the gospel. accessible oUly Ia
the prosperous and fashionable, j. Il
growing evil, and that Is - serious
hindrancc to the eyangelizati0n
of tins people must bo admitted. Ano
ther evil which has grown up with the
ambition for snowy churches, is the
meth cd of paying parish expenses 10y
peW-rentals II has some ohviuns sd
vantages over the old system of Suh-
ScriptiOns. but it is mere unequal IN
operation, and is generally 50 admin
istered as to throw 4 great dispropcr-
ton of the parish burden on poor mch
Oers. In some parishes. blessed with
an attractive minister. the payment
of premiums for choice OF pcws is
sometimes partial remedy ior this
ineqality, but ii is neither uniform nor
reliable. As a general principle, the
poor man, dependent on his daily la
Dor, cannot attend church without
paying more than hall as much Us thv
richest man in the parish As "a gen
eral fact III cur cIJies, the pew-rent
of a laboring- man with = family is
equal TO one tenth of his years earn
ings. His neighbour, whose income
is thousand times. his own. THINKS
himself generous if he pays twice as
much pewrent On the old sub.crip-
tiOn system the rich man would feel
compelled, by personal pride, ii from
no better motive, To give at least with
some reference to his larger means,
while the poor man would not be
obliged to pay more than he could
afford. 1t is evident that the present
and great cost to tho poor
of attending'church are anon the chief
causes that our people are every year
becoming less and less 4 church-yoing
people.
Is there no remedy? is there no
means by which VIC retain the ciegan- !
ces OF modern worship, and yet make
our churches accessible to alt classes. |
as they were half q century ago. IfI
not, our special efforts at home evan |
gelization will bear little fruit, for the /.
people will not attend Paupcr church /
es, built and supported for thew IL 4
class. They feel that they degrade /.
themselves by making themselves the |
recipients OF religious charity They I
are much more likely To 90 where I
they can hear the gospel by paving |
their proper share towards its sup
port What we want. then, Is not to /
small and costly churches ia !
our cities and large towns, but to /
erect largo and convenient mcy ing !
houses, where rich aud poor may .
meet together, rs in the old Puritan /
houses, and as IN the CaIho /
lie churches OF the present day. ~ aur /
and forget, in the presence !
Of our common Father, The trivial .
of wealth ana zucia. posi- .
ion. We may Just as we'll have con
of two thousaud rs Of five
hundred 4 minister wid preach .
better TO the larger number ami ;he
mutual inspiration always ausmoGts ,
With the multitude Bat the chief
are those al c=Ono,uy
md OF bringing the church once more
ntO close relations with the people.
The present system of church buird
ng operates to exclude the masses.
md the poor do not have the GOSPEL
To them In all the discus
lions of ecclesiastical bodies about
;hurch-building and home ovangcli-
.ation, we find no reference to the
existing situation, Us we have briefly
ketched it. And yet it would seem
hat these facts must be recognized
md acted upon in any successful ei-
ort TO give the gospel to all the peo
lie. A few scattered tracts, an occ;-
ional personal visit from jealous
will net do Inc work The
gospel must be preached 10 the pco-
lie. This is the original aud true
way. II the church and ministry can
OntTivc some means OF getting back
o this apostolic method, they may
IOpe for success in evangeliZaIiJu;
therwise the majority neglccting
sunday worship will yearly become
lrger.-,SpriHDield Republican.
EHunnfn fE,a CsnIS