Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-06-10

tHe HunDcr OF slttlnSs IN Eplscopa
Churches and the mass of people who be
! long nowhere. Then consider what me
thods ae used to reach the poor, the ig
norant, the careless, and those in rural
neighbahoods. Consider these things
and thea observe how much existing pa.
rish regulations hamper and repress ear.
nest effrt-how much, indeed, they stife
out of existence any feeling at all Of re.
sponsiblity for the condition of these very
people. The prevailing idea is that these
people might have parish-that is, a
Church Society, if they only had enough
enterprise and energy. Just SO but had
it not bsen for Apostles and martyrs who
preached the Gospel to our forefathers,
who thirsted for their blood, it may be
that weourselves, though boasting to this
day of dIr energetic qualities, might not
have wanted the church or anything else
that is holy and Christian. Remember
that az Enbaptized unbelieyer in free and
eniightnedAmerica is as much of heath
en- and more of sinner than the savage
in free and unenlightened deserts Re-
membe, that the mission of the Church is
to post such people wherever found, and
in whatsoever numbers. Remember that
these nen find themselves not only called
to faith and to take upon them the light
burden of the cross, but also to be yoked
into a corporation with more or less of So
cial requirement and sundry taxes which
are a0tsufficiently represented as a conse-
cratIocfof substance to the Lord, but to
appear in the shape Of a certain appor-
tionmmt of the cost of maintaining
an establishment among ambitious ri
walls. Seats are rented on the value reCeiv-
ed pri1oipie, mulUifarious, elegant, good
4 for nothin2s are sold at crushing prices in
I fantAsically adorned Bazaars, and all, not
10 upcL the doors To a'tiOating.pOpulAtion
not 10 iiford instruction to the neglected,
not to huut up and rescue the dying and
I the unredeemed, but to sustain the opc-
rations OF self-supporting Parish; self
supporting and nothing more, even though
/ that support be lavish. So much Is this
/ tho ca-r, and 80 much haG this become the
regular order Of thing-, that any man, OF
any body Of men or women who give
/ their attention to what il the legitimate
work 81 tho one Holy Apostolic Church
/ in its entirety, attract immediate notice
( by their unusual and commendable de-
yOtion. Brethren, in this thing Church
Z
does not fail entirely, and one of the him
derauccs is to be found in the closencss Of
Parish Corporations, and the worldlncss
OF THUR tinancering. But another point.
Under existing circumstances, the Church
does not appear LeTore the people in her
proper character. She l. represented by
a society which is forced to admit the
social power and bearing Of rival scots,
and she il allowed to join in IA scramble
for numbers, without careful instruction,
without the dignity Of Catholic bearing.
The same policy, the same means, the
same compromises with the world, mark
the career OF Parish As distinct from
the Church, which build up rival fanes in
rural hamlet-. and undermine the whole
subject Of Christianity in the communi-
ties which suffer from these wiles of
Satan: Rival hours, services. sermons,
music and attractions of various kinds
open a way Tor comparisons which should
never be made. and cutting the Parish off
in great degree from any representation
Of the whole Church, places it before the
neoris IN w~ak and puerile Sectarian
light unworthy of itself and its anteced-
ents Now in this, it is no part of my
idea 10 dispense with the Parochial insti-
tute that would be To cut off the chan
ne through which tho gospel graces reach
Us. Bat it would be to break down the
barriers of prejudice and solfishnesz, aud
locality, which beat back she Influences of
the Gospel. 1t would be to try and di-
vest people of the theory that their taxa
tion for the Lord ought to be in proper
ton to their neIghbors offering for Pa
ri-h purposes, and not rather in the same
ratio in which they are themselves indi-
vidually prospered by the Lord. 1t would
be to take off these checks, and allow mo-
uey and time and effort to be expended
in that work for which our souls are re-
sponsible before God, namely preaching
the Gospel to those who have it not Ii
would be to allow the Parish to so far keep
step with the great movements of the
Church, as 10 be a fair representative OF
Her unity ana her work. 1t would br t.
make every Parish the centre of a wide
at least Of an earnest Church extension,
according to the means and opportunities
at command. 1t would be to consider our
first and highest duty, not to ourselves,
but to the Church and to mankind, and to
regulate our operations.strictly upon that
basis 1t would be to remember that the
value received, for which we pay our
money and do our work in the Church, does /
not come, nor can we wish to have il I
come even i'll the very Church itself, this /
side the grave. But especially the matter
of most interest TO the great body of
* the work to be /
done by the Lay members, not
Of isolated Episcopal Societies. but /
Of the great Church of Christ /
II its Wilderness. These are schools to \
be held i'll various places, where the prin-
ciples of Catholic Christianity should be |
To that end there are oppor-
tunities of instruction to be sought,
members may become familiar
with the meaning of their own position,
of' which they are ridiculously ignorant,
and may learn the facts, the doctrines,
and the methods of christianity, just a.
they learn the intricacies of science and
business Then, well furnished at all
points, they would be missionaries, every
)ne by force of their own position as
of a church established, contin-
1ed and supported upon sound principles
If spiritual and intellectual economy
That is the way to obey the injunction of
he text, to do things with our might, and
o realize the sentiment expressed in the
VI OuI sdNlOuT 10 lONe pOu WlIn
Ill our soul and strength. The evergreen
If the State of Christ, would be as well de-
,eloped, as thoroughly organized, as heart
ly applied as those of the tempral state.
There are migbter stakes, deeper interests,
higher rewards. The work goes on while
III other industries flag, the demand
Increases as the world grows older and
men change, but God does not.
States fail and the kingdom of Christ re-
mains, sects corhe and go, and the church
presses steadily on, sharingly somewhat in
he Godlike reality of Immortality. The
questions of most interest TO every undying
oul remain the same, and death every
lay cuts off myriads who are unprepared.
Are we doing our duty before God if these
ouls are lost through our inaction, are
We not sinful in the right of God, if the
means which he has placed at our disposal
re not used? The fearful record against