, 1875-06-27

! but. the people Ii q society bItlQ Cuutcn4
wishing to Worship God and extend Bis TnrnhIp = g
| among others in the way that they believe 70 oe
| truest aud most acceptable TO Him, heg shon'aa
still feel that It is not their house but ods: and
30 while they especially interest them.
selves in supporting 1t. theT should SUPPORT
nes psqgxGtary R'zsS a}, d6s ios t6sI e I'll
who will Against the ctY of '.noseley ana
| iunoratioti," the friends ct this pztac.pe point
out thRt it ia, t1b oue which has pEe7aaleo ID
the worship Of the Deity IN al ages and iands.
Not = hoathen land, past or present, can ns'' oe
places Of free public resort Tor AZ. L "aa zee
same With the wotship Of the Hebrews, alike IN
| the village hTnagoBues and u tno EEeat
| Tenpla 1t Jerusalem. It Was she same WITH
| Christian churches for many century Chf's-
| tiauity simply followed what seems TO have bean
the revarent Instinct OF all the world religions.
Alike il its first little upper rooms, III the
! uoaRuiAcent eathedrals Of the Middle Ages, and
In the pariAh-churches which CAME to be scat,
tered throughou. Christendona, everywhere. TIL
800 ySars ago' 1h .na mt poor tha e1.e1se honse
Of God WIS the place. for I'll alike. To
the broad and simple principle many churches
in various denominations have latterly returned.
My own congregation. in Manchester, have no"
had to years' experience OK 1t, and | believe
that everywhere the result has been Tot course
not always in the same deg1ee) what they hare
found it: that outsiders hhvs felt more FREQ to
enter in and worship; and especially that 1t has
facilitated the gathering ii OF thst Large class
who are too poor to take pews or slttings, or rot
sufficiently settled in religious conylction to be
prepared TO Join congregation. The question.
of course, follows, aoF are auoh 81 froe and
open churches" to BE- aupported? They
might BE- supported IN many .ways which
wonid still preserve the principles OF unap-
or they might oe maintained By the pledged sub
scriptiona Of those specially interested in them
Some have adopted Whist is known As t*the en-
yelope system" handing in q proportion Of their
specified contribution, week by weeA, in little
envelope bearing the donors name, each amount
plan which has been most generally adopted,
and, indeed, has become almost identified with
the "open church systsnl, iB that ut Offertory,
held - one OF the aots Of worship at any ser
vioe. o1ertory-baga which do away with ali
noise, and into which each persuu can put his or
her contribution without any one knowing what
it ia, are passed. round from hand to hand during
the service. 1Iy friends tell ma that here the
collection" plan is SO played out
that any suoh method wonfd be an in
avitable failure, and certainly I have beep
rathcr astoaished to see how many people, at
public services when collections are made, seem
to have no notion Of contributing. Ny business
now, however, IL merely to tell you how the plan
works in England; aud there, can confidently
sav that, wherever It has been rairly and fully
it has resulted in the churches being better sup
ported and that with far greater esso to all. es-
pecialy to the poor. Those vito have had to do
with the financial arrangements Of the churches
viii readily understand what religious gain
there is in 8 plan which does away with ali the
chronic difficulty about "arrea1s" OF pew-rent
aod which obviates tho t1ouble-one OF
the saddest experiences to n minister
Of attached members Of congregations
dropping of In ''ha1d times from sheer in
ability to meet the large fixed subscription.
The question, OF cour,e, remains. whether it
would in this country afford the same reliable
financial basis for carrying on a church Of
that do not profess to be able to iudge. Per
haps the fact that the churches here sre. in gen.
eral 60 much more luxurious in their appoint
ments. aud, I am afraid / must add, more fre-
quentlY heavily burdeped with debt, and more
expensive to support, may create special diff
cuities which With us are not 90 much felt But
from al learn OF ecclesiastical fnances here,
things ara not on such very prosperous aud
Easy basis now ~ to exclude the idea Of some |
being possible. and would sug-
Eest whether ths1n IL not something to be said,
in theory ut 1eadt for pfsn which would restore
10 worship its ancient and natural accompani- |
ment OF sacrifice; which would take the support !
of Gods work and service out OF it's place among
rates, and taxes and accounts, and put 1t ones !
mora in its true and fitting place among the |
happy acts Of Sabbath worship. i
BROOKE HEaFoRp.