Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-02-04
4fiscellnnp.
From the independent
The Cancer that DevOurs Churches
BY THEODORE L. CUYLER. d. D.


Mr.. Moody has said and done great
many noble things since his return to
his native land. But he has not done a
wiser or more timely act than when he
refused to allow his new church-edifice
in Chicago to be dedicated to the Lord
while it is under the incumbus of debt
and in peril of that accursed thing" a
mortgage He is careful student of
Gods Word, and he finds on the sacred
page divine command to owe no man
anything but love" He is also a man
of rare common sense, and knows per-
fectly well that it is impossible to main
tain church permanently which shall
be opened to the humber and poorer
classes, and yet be encumbered with
debt. In addition to these higher argu-
ments, it is quite probable that he has
heard the deplorable story of the wide
spread Indebtedness Of our American
churches, and he has seen what fatal
cancer is eating out the vitals of scores
upon scores of our churches.
We need not waste the precious space
in these columns by recapitulating the
long and lamentable details of the pres
sure under which so many congregations
are groaning Suffice it to say that a
very large number of Christian church
es in the land are to day virtually bank
rupt. If they were secular corporations
instead of sacred ones, and were wound
up Immediately, their assets would pay
very moderate percentage on the dol
lar. Others that are really solvent are
pushed to sore extremities. At this
time prominent Evangelical church is
in danger of going under the hammer" :"
in order to meet the claims of mortgage
holders. Another prominent church is
so overloaded that its eloquent and ad-
mirable pastor tells his flock that the
debt must be lifted off, or it will kill
him." He is one of those true-hearted
pastors whose personal life is bound up
in the life of his church. Several church
es have been disbanded on account of debt;
others have been obliged to consolidate.
A director in two or three savings banks
told us, to-day, that the facts which
came before those banks in regard to the
financial condition of many churches
are perfectly ghastly.
How so many churches have become
so embarrassed we need not stop to in
quire. The secret of the Indebtedness
of nine-tenths of them lies in the sim
pie fact that they determined to erect
finer and costlier buildings than they
were either able or willing to pay for.
In doing this they committed sin, and
in these hard times their I" sin finds them
out"
1t is very shallow view of this great
subject, which simply regards heavy
church-debt as inconvenience or an
unpleasant incumbrance upon its pew
rental. Vital interests are vitally af.
fected by it. In the first place, no
church that is embarrassed by debt can
honestly give what it ought to outside
objects of Christian benevolence. Be
just and pay your dues before you are
generous is maxim that applies to
Christians collectively, as well as to Christ
aims individually. No church that is
overloaded with debt can make proper
provisions for seating its worthy poor
and unfortunate members. The treas
urer must have his pew-rents, in order
to pay salaries and to meet the omnivor
GUS demands of the mortgage-holders.
He must pay the interest on the debt, or
tae property is forfeited. The result is
that no mercy can be granted to the
poor or embarrassed churchmember. His
seats are wanted for those who aciH paw
up, and so he is either ousted or else
made to feel keenly uncomfortable. As
to making considerable number of the
seats free to all comers, it is downright
impossibility. Brother Moody's sharp
eyes saw very clearly that an indebted
church could never be an abiding home
for Gods poor
Another stupendous evil that grows
out of big chureh-debts is that the ppl-
pit-which should only be estimated by
its spiritual pOwer-eome to be rated by
low and solid commercial valuation.
The question in choosing or retaining
pastor is not " Is he good man and
full of the Holy Ghost ?" but, viii
he droio : Will he bring our empty
pews into market Will he make the
church paying concern ?" And so