, 1877-10-28
SOME NEEDS OF TIE CHURCH.

politics and finance, has at last grapple
with religious question, or, to speak mo,
strictly, social phases resulting from o
absence of religion. The problem which
discusses is the dishonesty of chusch-men
bers and the irreligion of the poor,-a prot
lem which recently engaged the attention c
the .Triennial Convention of the Episcops
| Church. The former branch of the probIe1
ia certainly an important one, when it
considered that nearly all of the largo df
faulters, forgers, and financial pecu!a:or
who have been lately exposed were no
only members of churches, but active mem
bers, who have been conspicuous for thei
ecclesiastical industry and their prominen
standing in the Church. 1t is but Justice tx
the Trlennial Convention, as well as to til
Nation, to say that neither of them gives
very well-detlned remedy for the evil they
discuss, and perhaps no one else can The
Nation, however, presents cause for churcl,
scandals that The CHICAGO TRIBUNE in times
past has suggested. but which is well worth
repeating by way Of emphasis, and that is,
the loss of faith in the dog1natic part OF
Christianity. The Nation says: "People do
not believe in the fall, the atoncment, the
resurrection, and future state of reward
| and punishment at all, or do not believe IN
them with the certainty and viyidness which
| nre needed to make faith constant influence
| on mans daily life. They do not believe
| they will be damned for sin with the assur-
! ance they once did, and they are consequent
IT i11f n fr,F. ~,
Of the need Of repentance" Without ac-
cepting this declaration in its sweeping char
acter, there is undoubtedly much of truth in
1T. Arguing from this bnsis, is it not logical
to assume that the Church itself, rather than
tho world, is largely responsible for this fail
uro of religion to act es rule Of
conduct? With the rapil development of
science, the general progress of thoug ght,
and the enlargement Of ideas, the people
keep even pace, and it is natural that they
should; but the leaders of the Church, those
who e1pound its theology and seek to en-
forco its discipline, not only do not advance
IN any ratio with this progress, but they
stand still and oppose it. They are conserv-
alive to the degree that everything must
square with their dogmas or else be rejected. /
Their dogmatism is so inelastic that it will
not yield It will surrender nothing, conf
promise with nothing, investigate nothing.
Science and human thought in all its depart
nents must lay aside all their pretensions,
OF else Science must be Anathema Maranatha
The consequence is the people are running
away from their leaders, aud, being without
spiritual guides, aro acting after the manner
Of tho world, without restraint or discipline.
so that tho carnal man frequently gets
The better of the spiritua! man. The
Nation, in despair, suggests as remedy that
Il Church membership ought to involve dis
,ipllne of some kind in order to furnish
moral aid" But what shall the discipline
'e: Who shall enforce it? How are the
CHURCH lenders to enforce it when they are
% far behind their docks that they cannot
each them: The toughest Of all duties for
he average man is self-denial,-that is, not I
0 do the very thing he wants to do,-which
les at the basis of religious success. If the
eaders and the t1ocks are not in actire SYM {
athy, if the leader is preaching what the /
ock will not concede, it is but natural that
be average man should do just what he :
'ants. Humanity is not nscetic except 4
nder compulsion, hope of reward OF t
enr of rnnishnent,-and TINT compulsion t !,
lust result from discipline well-nigh mar q
al in severity. 1t is possible, il the bar of :;
ognins did not loom up SO forbiddingly aud :
lankly between pew and pulpit, that c
le lenders might come closely enough | Al
} the people to suggest form of nsceticism n n
lat might not necessitate utRr withdrawal II
ON the world. It is hard problem to y y
I've, but are the leaders making any effort 10
solve it: Docs it ever come VI, RS a ques- =,
IN for examination in Synods and Couven- pi
ons? Is it preached upon i'll the pulpit !"
wrestled with in the prayer-meeting It
more vital than forcordination preaestina-
N, transubstantiation, consubstantiat,on. SC
any other alton " in theology; and until s
Church, through its leaders, can devise IL IL
me means of making religion act as prac -
al, everyday rule Of conduct, the Church -. -.
mot offer its certificates as infallible guar ~
tees, or even Of more yalne than unsecured In
'ra1 paper. r.;
Ehe othor branch Of the problem is not so nd
'icult to meet, Us it docs not involve ati
5na. The poor are irrelig,ous because it sa'
90 expensive for them to be religious. tc'
poor man likes to make public conces- -.
rs to lis poverty, except with his butcher wa va
grocer. The pride Of poverty is quite as adj
citing as the pride Of wcalth- II, there
e, the poor man must come forward and t
for religion IN torana raupe11s he will be ma ma
'ly not to come Mt all, especially in these ,.a r,a
er days, when Communism has seduced t.,
lc Of the working classes and the bee the
equality is in NIL their bonnets, era
this is the tendency, and it is nor
ost universal in tho Protestant Church. imr
Roman Church being elastic enough. rot:
possessing machinery exactly adapted s'e.
meet this want. As the Nation puts it, 49,
ecclesiastical organizations " which sell i to $
lioned pews Mt auction, or rent them at tin,
| rates, and build million-tlollar churches to t
The accommodation of one Thousand wor-
er5, can mover convert the working -
!. The matter Of dollars aud cents ,." ,e.''
IS him out. He will checrf1l1ly pay nll ! ,sh.
diy taxes, but refuses to be assessed for wbif
,3-. [