, 1877-07-08

! fair and reasonable price to the South Side
Company, SO that Mr. BILLINGS ought to &C
ccpt his Sc gratefully, under the circun-
stances, if the Council will agree to that rate,
/
CHURCH DEBTS.
| We direct attention to statement OF the
church mortgages in Chicago which has been
collected by the dlliance, and which we re-
publish this morning. It affords matter for
the serious consideration of all who are in-
terested in the well-being and advancement
OF religion. There is grand total of some
! thing less than million and Il half Of dol
lars Of church mortgages, and, if the statc-
| ment is not entirely accurate, it probably
| falls short Of the facts instead of exaggerat-
ing. OF this large sum the Preebyterians
the lenst (53.000 only), though we believe
the rule OF the Catholic Church is to pay rs
| it goes, and owe nothing. The Unitarians,
| Hebrews, Episcopaliaus, Universalists, Lu-
thcrans Baptists, Methodists, and Con-
g1egationalists owe from $4,000 to
$214,0o0 respectively. This enormous
| church debt has been contracted mainly
since the fire of 1871, and its extent is owing
| in large part to the destruction Of church
property. Yet it is well known that the
| mania for gorgeous churches had set in be-
/ fore that time, and that the churches built
since the fire are on a scale Of magnifcence
surprising even that of the business aud
public buildings that have been rebuilt, and
that they haye been erected at q cost grossly
disproportionate to tho ability to pay among
congregations stricken first by great fire
and then by terrible financial panic.
What has been done in this way cannot be
helped, and it only remains for the churches
to add example to precept by honestly pay
ing their debts as rapidly as they can.
But it is to be hoped that the exhibit
of debt now made may act as
deterrent in the future from continued
extravaganza and deht-contracting by re-
Hgious organizations. There is moral con-
sideration which alono ought to be sufficient
to prevent church congregations from going
into debt for structures that cost more than
they are able or willing to pay, viz:
church debt is repellaut force in religion.
It keeps men from joining church, and
drives out others who are already members
of church. It needs no demonstration to
establish the truth Of this assertion. It is
well understood among the members Of those
churches which are heavily in debt that the
tax for pew-rents and the assessments to
make up deficiencies in the interest-account
are more e1acting than men of ordinary in
come can afford. A modest pew in a fash
ionable church carrying debt costs
more per annum than the rent Of
good house for family, and the
q frst-c1ass residence. This is making rc1ig-
ion too costly for popular use. It does not
proselyte, but drives people away from
religious observances and practices. Yet We
know Of one instance where church is out
of debt, and has consequently large and
contented congregation, but where the mln- /
lister of that church is begging, badgering,
coaxing, and threatening his congregation to
abandon it, sell it for what they can get, and
rim in debt for new and unnecessarily gor-
geous temple. We presume there are other
such cases that have not come under our
observation, and we do not hesitate to char
acterizo all Of them as irreligious, because
they injure the cause Of religion, and Us I'M
moral, US far Us religion contributes to NOR
ality.
If the church debts in Chicago amount to
81, 500, 900, the cost Of church property
probably does not fall short of 10000, 900.
What is not owing on the churches has been
paid largely by men who could not afford their |
aud this enormous capital is in
vested for use on one day Of the week, when
the hnlf of it would have furnished more |
churches just as comfortable, and attracted |
more people to religious exercises. IF the
church property Of Chicago represented
cost of onc-half OF onc-third what has actu-
ally been expended on it, the congregations
would be larger. and more numerous, and
great number of people would now be
church members and regular attendants who
have been driven out because they could not
aiford to pay the pew-rcnts and assessments,
or who retired because offended pride would
not permit them to retain positions in church
equally desirable with those they had formerly
Prof. Sw1uo's new method is de-
clQeQ1y pesL, where boOtl behts CIn Da o. |
tained in the number desired, and at reason
able and equal cost, because the structure
occupied carns during the week large part
If tho interest on its cost. Prof. Sw1sos
congregation is always equal to the capacity
If his church,
=---.-=
WHAT Is ECCENTR1CITYf
The London Saturday Repeao of June %
contains paper upon eccentricity, the
writer of which defines as it's elements .tt |