The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1874-05-15
Preaching and Practice.

Ihe following IRON The New York
Herald is suited to other places than that
city:
There are about three hundred AMI
iifiy churches Ia New York, wilhsitii *,
FOR nearly or quite three hundred thou,.
sand people. This Is very credltable
eyhibit so far as architecture Is concern
ed. Ii shows conclusiyely enough that
there is sufficient moral energy eoneen-
tratcd in the churches 10, regulate pub
lie opinion on all matters OF social lm-
poriance, IL 1t is earnestly and properly
used. But tho Church is asleep most OF
the lime. and the world is wide awake
all the time. The churches make be.
loye In religion aud the world really
is that The business force OF the COM
munity is TO tho moral force as ten 10
one. If the men of wealth aud social
position, who regularly attend divine
worship aud nod their sleepy. amepssto
every dull point of the sermon. would
wake up aud go TO work they would DO
backed by the people who sit In tho:
side pews or hide in the gallery. aud
by their combined efforts two.thirds Of
the iniqui,y of this city could be abol-.
ished before the summer solsticc. :,
The criticisms which the confessed
man of the world makes on the church
goors is nj once Just aud sharp, They
are perfectly willing TO sit in the shade
under the elm trees in the vineyard, but
IL there is any hard work TO be done tho
Lord must hire some one else. lndecd,i
they keep so very shady about theirae-.
ligion that II is not easy TO fnd out if.
they have any. They pray from their
pcws on Sunday and prey on their
neighbors all the rest ofthe week, There
is about as much human nature In tho
Church rs there is out Of IT,. People arc
very willing 10 liston aud very unwil-
lirg TO act. 1t is one thing 10 shout
"Glorv, hallelujahi" and quito another
10 manufacture the raw material In oue's
business. 1t Is easier TO make lohr
PRAYER than an honest bargain.
Here Is matter which we have look
cd at from the standpoint Of social econo-
my many times and never yet found
any satisfactory solution. No one
doubts that three hundred thousand
church-going people can command
votes enough and political Influence
enough 10 shape this city according TO
their own will, aud yet they not only,
fail to do it, but seem TO DO actually
afraid TO undertake il. They groan
about evil aud pray for power TO sub
due il, and then, instead of keeping on
the watch for the answer, they regard Il
as rorcgone conclusion that they will
get II, and anon fall to lighting among
themselves about tho numhor or alipns,,
OF water It takes 10 Daptize man prop
erly, or about the right OF u woman to
preach IN their pulpiis.
We once saw big boy who had been
sent into the pasture 10 drive tho cows
home. There was at least n dozen cattle,
any one of which might have been cut
up into three or four big boys. They
were entirely ignorant of their power,
however which fact was the basis Of
the boys courage, and its only basis, -
lie picked up u huge stick, yelled with
all his might and rushed at them as
though he was about to annihlate every
one of them. They demurcly fell into
line and marched with solemn faces, as
though they belonged TO an oppressed
race, towards the barnyard. IL those
cows had turned on the big boy he
would have dropped his club and made
tracks !or the nearest fence. AS II was,
he was afraid of them, and they wereS
afraid of hm but ho knew thelr thbr 4.
and they did not know his.
The chufches--let us not be irreverent
ARE like that herd Of COWS. They grum-
bic all the time nj the world which. IN
the comparison, is only small boy with
n big club, aud do not dare to attack fC.a
If they would once lower their horns
aud show fight there would be such
n clambering over fenco0 as we have
seldom seen.
Lot the thrce hundred and fifty
churches recognize their power to con
troll instead orlhcir right TO squabble, and
make dead SET at one evil after auoih.
or and we shall soon have such clean
city that half the politicians aud ring
masters will go West. Less ola,ier and
more march are what is wanted jus,
now.