Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-04-20
Fashionable Christianity.


At the sale OF the pews In Grac
Church on Monday evening ant
Tuesday, the prices obtained for sit
tings in that house of worship, wer
greater, we believe than any eve
realized in Chicago. The pew ad-
mitted to be the best, went off to j
Mason Loomis, at the modest fgur,
of $3.50, he having gallantly bic
| $3.50 for the first choice. From thai
sum down to moderate rates, The
descent was easy-the sale of the
evening, closing off No. 1876 TO DR.. E
M. Hale, the abortionist, at the ex-
traordinarily low sum of $500.
1t ia clearly the right of every
number of men and women of Chica-
go, associated under any name to
build such temple as they please,
to express the force and fervency OF
their religious ideas; and we may
not complain of what they do. Ii
any men are moved by any spirit to
pay So, $50 for pew, or if any are
SO lowly that $500 limits their capa-
bilities, theirs is the right TO do as
they please with their own. But
while indulging in the conceits of &C.
clesastical architecture, the sweet
strains of operate music, the luxury
OF house complete in ali its appoint
ments, all in the name and for the
Glory Of God, it is well for them to
remember that the protestant proof
OF Chicago are lapsing into unbelief
and darkness, because, with the ex,
ception of the few Mission Churches,
there is no place in the House of God
for them and that while few of
the pampered classes are building
theological show-boxes, aud are Civ
ing to.religion that tribute which by
pocrisy pay to virtue, they are, from
their neglect of the souls and bodies
whom God has given US to care for,
sowing the seed of infdelity and
disorder, which will in due time,
bear their natural fruit. No man
who labors with his hands, will find
a place in grace church. We do not
say that such would be turned away
from its doors. A poor woman, the
child Of tolls who had given six days
OF the week to her Task, might, if
the sexton was not boor and bulls
ly, find a corner in which her hum
BILE raiment would not be brought
into too bold relief by contrast with
the infinite gewgawgery Of her rich>
er sisters; but she would not be well
come twice. She has not 50, $50 for
a seat: She has never practised
child murder as trade, hence even
$500 are wanting; and the gospel in
these days is expensive, she must be
turned off to make room for the gilt.
| tering ones who can pay. What we
say Of Grace Church is true of all
like establishments in Chicago and
throughout the whole country. In
them certain number of lawyers,
doctors, politicians, editors, specula-
tors, merchants, and sometimes abor-
tionists meet to loll away an hour
and half of every Sunday, on lux
uriously cushioned seats, listening to
words which may be comforting to
hear, but which have but infnitesi>
NAL effect in the control of every~
day life. In all Of them, the men
who labor, no matter at what, nor
how faithfully or intellIigently, are
practically forbidden, just as efec-
tually forbidden as if an angel with
attaining sword stood at the entrance.
And this in all our cities is the curse
of Professionalism which once regen-
Grated the world and what is worse,
this practical denial of the escence of
the gospel taught by Him who had
not where to lay His head, is making
its way into the villages and rural
| districts so rapidly and to such and
extent, that thousands of good men
are looking upon the final triumphs
of the Protestant cause as thing
that must wait the lapse of another
era, in which Popery and Slavery
are again the rulers of tho world
Oh men Who call yourselves Chris
tians what a spectacle is this
In the old days, when a Chuich
was built for the homer of our Max
er, it was for His honor indeed 1t
acknowledged no ownership in man.
Those who gave to it sent in their
gifts beecusethey were conscientious
| ly ihpelled. No matter what the
value Of these, nor the social state of
the givers, in the walls Of the sacred
ediice, all men were alike. There
were neither privileges for the rich,
nor Sights and disabilities for the
poor. Before God and the alter, the
| rich and the poor were one. In his
presence the gaudy raiment, the
| glittering jewels, the naughty mien,
and the arrogance of wealth, were
less than the humble garb and the
consciousness of poverty. Prince
and peasant knelt together to ac,
knowledge their brotherhood, and
together to receive the sacred proof
that God is the loving Father of all
mankind. Grace Church is very
we'll. Itisan ornament 70 the neigh
borhood in which it stands, and no
doubt source of pride and gratfica-
ton TO those who built it. But
sweep pew rents and sales out of it
as the iron troopers swept out the
idols open wide the doors inscribe
on the front: "This is the House Of
Goblet those who will, come in 7
and see how wide and how benef-
cient its influence may become.
s@The Cincinnati Catholic Tele-
graph, sof this week, says "Mr