The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-20

nected with church capable OF conducting
your funeral in q manner befltting your
station.
Tho remarkable and suggestive thing
about this matter of the effect of dull times
on churches Is that, coincidently, we hear
that they are spiritually, as well as mate
rally, enduring season of drought. Gen
orally throughout the city the churches OF
the Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian
denominations are struggling against
apathy within and without The Inst
stand It better than the others. for the
Presbyterian communion in New York,
like the Episcopalian, Is very strong aud
wealthy body, which can easily bear up
against temporary stagnation. The Epis-
c)palians do not rely on the fruits of
special religious excitement, but, like
the Roman Catholics, follow, with little
vai ration, the round o. tho Christian
year, and get their regular increase by
the systematic confirmation of the young.
Tho Episoopaliaus also enjoy tho nd
vantage, or suffer from the disadvan-
tage, of being of communion intlu-
enced by fashion, sometimes without re-
gard TO religious conviction. Bishop Por-
TER, not long ago, was very severe, and
even satirical, in his dcnunciation of
this class of frequenters OF Episcopalian
churches. The great endowment OF Trinity
parish is u strong nucleus of its denomiua-
ton in New York. and the wealth OF the
communicates of the churches Is large.
The Collegiate Dutch Reformed Church
also administers large property, and that
very conservative and wel-to-do denomi-
nation, enjoy ing the advantage OF the
eloqucncc of the eectrical-lookng scotch
man. DIR. ORMIsToN, Is as sound In finances
rs In Calvinism.
But the Baptist and Methodist churches
are far from prosperous. This, too, Is the
season when they should expect their
greatest spiritual successes. The winter Is
the time OF REVEALS The preachers and
deacons prepare then methodically for
stirring up the waters OF Zion. II Is the
season when protrlcted meetings are held,
ana evangellsts are earnest. About this
time the revival column OF the religious
papers usually begins to I'LL up, reports of
the baptism of converts to come IN, exulta-
tons over the outpourng of the Spirit to
be sounded in leading articles, and the
subscription lists to be swclled with the
names aud the exchequer with the dollars
OF the converted. But this winter the re-
ligious papers are very duh. None OF
them are doing rs we'll rs formerly, and
some have declined ominously IN cIrcu ~
ton, while their Advertising like that OF
the common worldly papers. looks very
slim indeed
Now, what does this mean? Brother
MOODY and Brother SANKEY have been
campaigning fora year, and are still urging
on their columns against the Prince OF
Darkness. Their audiences have been
made up mainly from the so-called evan
gclcal denominations. They preach the
doctrines of these sects aud adopt the
tactics Of conversion honored among
them. Yet languor distinguishes the
churches. they are not growing with
rapidlty, their contributions are reduced,
their faith suffers u chill, and tho brethren
shake their heads aud mourn over tho low
state of religious progress.
II is worth the thought OF our evangeli-
cal friends whether. after all, Brother
MooDY and Brother SANKEY have added
To the growth of n true, genuine. healthy,
and permanent religious prosperity
whether their guerrilla spiritual warfare
has real advantages over that of the regu-
lar armies. Duh financial times cannot be
the cause of the present religious deprcs-
sion, Tor we know that, as in 1857. thy
may drive men TO the ark OF safety.
What then, is the troublel May not
Beecherism be the blight?