The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-10-15
The Episcopal church Going TO the
Masses.
,rrespondence OF the Register.

In the article with the above caption
you say "the Church carries tone INTO
so,iety when it represents the culture snd
thought and force of our best life. here
the Episcopal Church contessedly has
great power.
There has been just the trouble with
the Church in the years past, that she
has not reached tbe-mssses in oil places;
simply because she has carried "tene
more than she has "zesl." "Tone and
culture sre what the Church should and
does carry, but she should not let the
stone and culture" SO override her zeal
and practical everyday Christian
dugv to the poor and the masses
tast "lone" so much predomlnates that
the iaatoned and ,lncultured casnet realize
and appreciate her great God-given mis-
sion, to preach the Gospel to all men.
am thankful to believe that this Is
not the fault of the system OF the church
nor OF her doctrines, but of the over
growth of "tone and culture" which hiss
fastened itself on the church, and, rs II
were, tied her hands by making 1t the
too common feeling OF churchmen, a
pride that they are composed OF the "best
people"
Now, the "best people" in society
sense are not always, nor indeed in u
majority of cases, the "best people" in n
Christian sense. | believe that the mis-
sion of the church is especially
TO the poor, or as you term them
1.-The masses" for the masses are, as
"a class, poor, and our Blessed Lord told
us we would always have them with Us,
so that it is not hard to imagine that this
subject will always be n problem for the
Church to solve and to act upon accord
in 10 the necessities Of the times.
But while l think that, as you say, the
Church has come forward and confessed
her shortcomings, she is and ever has
been in her organization and system,
we'll adapted to the masses and, as | have
also - firm belief in her divine origin, so
do also believe that she must eventually
become the corner stone OF beautiful
aud vast edihce OF Christian work and
usefulness IN bringing the common sense
and practical, everyday religious lie
home TO the hearts and sympaLhies, not
ealy OF women but TO men among the
muses..
The laboring class are emlnently prsc-
tic al IN their way of thinking about and
handling every subject brought before
tn IN. IL Is true that there are times
wsen excitemer t, and perhaps want or
wrongs, may urge them on to do that
wlich their own better judgment would
enphaticaliy forbid; but in all things
pertaining 10 religion, they are practical,
unless from the force OF education or AS
citation they may be brought into COR
tact with the impractical, and for while
accept It, bu. which they surely will in
the end throw away and reject. Wise,
indeed, then, is it that the church looks
to this state OF affairs and stands ready
We see SO much infGeIity and ire
lgion among this class tor the very req
son that so much of the systems OF rehg-
us teaching las been 10 them rot in ac-
cord with practical common sense,
and therefor, though nOminally they still
hold TO those views, yet in reality they
arr ripe Tor this spirit and action Of the
church which is disposed TO make her,
while she Is, rs she claims 10 be, the
Historical Catho ic Church, also the
Church of the people, tor the very sim
pie reason that uer form OF government
Is neither complex, loose nor despO;ic
And IN her teaching she takes men .or
thinking and reasoning beings, as wei.
rs the possesSors OF hearts, subject 10 in
toase excitement and strong sympa.hies,
and also finds IN them something Tar
better than mere tools fitted TO the hands
oil the cunning worker upon the lives OF
other men.
A religion which is addressed solely to
tho heart must of necessity expect to
1--we upon the emotional, and AS the sense
of excitement or emotion cannot always
be the sane in the heart, but must by the
laws of nature react, SO will the religion
based upon such foundation, be ever
variable and III stable. Equally so with
high and dry religion which, after the
"R"uudhead' rotion, makes every man
with long and sanctimouious face, and
forces MIN t. believe that his salvati
depends upon his having his face Of
length impossible to measure. Such
strain upon ones religion must sooner or
later cause something to either bend or
break
Neither do the masses see the law for,
or the common sense of their being held
3v Laws of iron to the doctrine Of their
Church in regard to their belief
in things non-essential, and thus
IN We ike puppets at tn beck and nod OF
one
Common sense teaches that the rel-
gior Of cur Blessed Lord, to be the work
Of lis own Hands, must DC for all men
Glsk If it is not this, then is it not Ills;
an when the Church learns and l as
sure you she Is lesrning 1t fast, to think
les of ".one and culture" as requisites 10
oLti.ie men to her blessed privileges,
then and not TIL then will she reach the
mead and, through it, the heart of the
III asses. | say the head first, for the ex-
pcGcnce of all Chrstendom has been, .
taG. YOU must first convince before You
can make the heart fee. EpiscopaIians
never have "JoaStcd OF their advantages Ms |
n historical Church but they nave ever,
and ever Will claim that history AS tai. /
ct of which they may wei be proud, /
E.frl which The e. r.AL Head If the /
Church Will ever hold them responsible, !
that is bright banners may ever be made /
D-iraler by the sacrifices and bright .
lives And hopes Of her children.
You have SAID well when YOU say,
"What we need IN the cities and in al .
large towns Is Cnurches which these
men can leel at home ia The Episco-
p.. Church clsims to be the Church
i.unacd by our Blessed Lord, and not rs
her enemies land whoever does so is her
enemy say a founding OF, Henry VIII,
aud as svCu she Is ready 10 omen wide