, 1875-09-04
v,x,ise Competition.

ve,saI Christian church. Just in pro- |
norton As the Roman body has real |
ized this its aim, has it been terror
and a curse If all the churches OF a
nation are organically one, there VIII
be despotic control Of the church,
and pestilent interference by II Win
civil government. There can be no
civil liberty with one organized body
controlling the religion of State.
There IS diversity of religious view
and religious sympathy; difference OF
ORGANIZATIONS meets the legitimate de
mand for various forms, shades OF
opinion and personal or social attTac-
tions.
For these and other reasons organ
izations may proftably be numerous
and organically independent OF each
other. But there may be, at the same
time, a thorough spiritual unity and
an effeclual cooperation Ill promoting
truth and the salvation Of men. 1t Is
apparent that we have approached
very closely to this ideal IN recent
years. Our churches and denOmiDs
tions are very near together, and there
is struggle going on constantly TO
reach perfect unity in love and Ia
Dor.
There is only one considerable dan
ger in numerous denominations-that
IS, danger of unwise and wasteful
multiplication of church buildings
and societies in small towns. In the
large and growing cities there is
ample room for multiplication, and
strong presumption that new church
or even a new denomination will gath
er in souls who could not be reached
by older organizations.
1t is different in rural villages and
country districts. There christians
must forego diversity and find a com
mon basis for church life or seeking
to establish several churches they
must be permanently pensioned on
missionary boards, or see their church
enterprise fall slowly into decay.
Let us suppose a case. In a New
England village where there are five
hundred people, with as many more
in outlying farm houses, there are al
ready three churches. Two Metho-
dist families move into the place. Each
of the three churches has two discon-
tented families. The eight families
want Methodist church, and induce
the bishop, conference, missionary
society and church extension society
to favor and further their desires.
The result is disastrous. There
were already three starved pastors
where only one was needed there are
now four, and money collected to
evangelize, the heather is used to cod
die the vanity and mischievous pride
of small minority in a small place.
We have imagined our case; but
something very like it exists. Nobody
is specially to blame for it, because
until recently inter church life seemed
almost impossible. We are reaching
out towards a communion of doctrine
and experience that Will enable lis to
put stop to this needless increase OF
churches, and to lessen illegitimate
uses of the Lords money.
| We recently printed a suggestion of
this sort respecting the two Metho
diSms in the rural South. There is
no use of raising a false issue. So
long as the brethren of the two weak
churches cannot agree, forbearance
with their dislikes of each other NAV
be the wlSeSt course. And yet they
have no right to apply hard names to
Us who tell them plainly before hand
what IN the end the general church
will tell them" We cannot help Won
to maintain useless churches either in
the South or in The North" Every
missionary dollar should be used to
preach the Gospel where the Gospel
would not be preached without lis
and. If there are already from one to
three christian puIpits in a rural vii
lage, a new church should be made to
show that there are fewer church sit
ungs than people, or that a consider.
able growth of the population is at
baud and reasonably certain TO appear.
We repeat that we are not finding
fault or making inquisition. The gen
eral principle we have suggested is
really as effectively at work as that of
gravitat:on. a large diversity is i'm
possible in small places a large char.
Ity is possible; but those who cannot
commune with the existing and suffi
cientiy numerous churches should
either remove TO other places or pledge
themselves to foot their own bills
There Is still ringing il our ears the
magnificent protest Of one of Cur
foreign missionaries, DIR. ThoburD
against collecting money to christian
ize the heather and then using it up in
building our home work. An intense
conviction of a halfdischarged duty
10 the heathen world made his state
ments over-strong but they are good
against the needless multiplication of
churches In places where they cannot
be supported by home funds.-Ne,c
York Methodist.
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