, 1877-11-16

Tr,rH.a| t,H,rU i"Ns NI' s.'
s,ermfnrd turske 4 more ,.Iuy-
uu. ,,f1gt 10 deal with the problem
presented ny the irrcljg.un Of the
roor aud the dishonesty OF church
members. ltisan unfortunate, aud,
- first sight. somewhat pu7zilnG
circumstances that So many ol the
cplurit, in tle late cases ni iraud and
aclalca,ion sh,nld have been pro'cs.
sing Christians, aud in some cases
p,rsons Of unusual sccleiastical ac.
tivitv should apparently have fur
nished no check whatever to the
moral descent. 1t is proposed to
meet tn. difficulty by more preach
ing, more prayer, and greatur use OF
Law assistance in church work. There
is nothing very new, however, about
the difficulty. There is hardly year
in which it is not deplored at meet.
ines. of church organizations, and
in which solemn promises are not
made to devise some mode ofkeeping
chnrch members up to their proIes
sions and gathering more of the
churchless working classes into the
fold; but somehow there is not
much visible progress to be recorded
The church scandals multiply in spite
of pastors and people, and the work
ingmen decline to show themselves
at places Of worship, although the
number of places of worship and of
church members steadily increases.
We are sorry not to notice in any
discussions on the subject a more
frank and searching examination Of
the reason why religion does not act
more powerfully as a rule of con
duct. Until such an examination is
made, and its certain results boldly
faced by church reformers, the church
cannot become any more of help to
right living than it is now, be this lit
tie or much. The first thing which
such an organization would reveal
is thing which is in everybody's
mind and on everybody's tongne in
private, but which is apt to be evaded
or only slightly alluded to at eccIesi-
astical synods and conventions: we
mean the loss of faith in the dogmat-
10 part of Christianity. The effort
that has been made by Unitarians
and others to meet this difficulty by
making Christ's influence and author
ity rests on his moral teachings and
example, without the support of a di-
vine nature or mission or sacrifice,
has failed utterly. The Christian
Church cannot be held together as a
great social force by His teaching or
example as a moral philosopher. A
church organized on this theory
speedily becomes a lecture associa-
tion or aphiIanthropic club, of about
as much aid to conduct as e-Ma.
sonry. Chrlst's sermons need the
touch of supernatural authority to
make them impressive enough for
the work of social regeneration; and
his life was too uneventful, and the
society in which he lived too simple,
to give his example real power over
the Imagination of a modern man who
regards him simply as social reform
er.
This decline Of faith in Christian
dogma and history has not, however,
produced by any means decline in
religious sentiment, but it has de.
priyed religion of a good deal of its
power as means of moral discipline.
Moral discipline is acquired mainly
by the practice Of doing what one
does not like, under the influence of
mastering fear or hope. The con
quest os ones self, of which Chris.
tian moralists speak So much, is sim.
ply tbe acquisition Of the power Of
doing easily things to which ones
natural inclinsiious is opposed; and
in this work the mass Of mankind are
powerfully ailed--by the prospect
Of reward OF punishment The won
derful results which ~. achieved ia
the army, by military authority, ia
inspiring coarsr aud common natures
~ith a spiut % the lofaes, devotion,
or, simply das 20 the steady appli
eaton BY day and By night IA pun
ishiHg snd rsssrliug authority The
loss " th,s, NJ itf great enfe-t'e.
meat. undoubtedly Vas deprived its
chureh ol large paua af ns
uesas ~ aPhus, sni rsluaei h
more reSrlg o. ths raie ufasImaIa.
tor aad gfsiif.f OF rsrtaH tender
sgags.oas it cauta.rs larzs iy
uf Frrtnus ~hass rs goes Hls aor
sag snrAy uf o sarrsfs.ar rf srasa
tCus ret "a removed frow Hafssn
vmnrf af wua.r arf r.sfrs A.