The New York herald., 1879-03-02
CHRISTIANIIY'S FAILURE.
Opinions Of Religious Press
and Correspondents.
RELIGIONS GREAT need IS DEVOUTNESO
Plus Separation of Creeds from Christ
and a Woman to Lead.
"MEN PLAYED OUT In CHURCH AND STATE"


While the HERALD has published the views of cor
respondents this important question few Of our
religious exchanges have taken the matter up, not to
reply but rather to give evidences of its
failure Forinstance. Dr. Stork of Baltimore, writes
to the Independent concerning what he calls eccles
astical gmcracks." and which prove either the posi-
tive or the negative Of the question. Is Christianity
failure according to the way reads it. Among
those gimcracks the Doctor finds affinity tables -
''credence brackets fouled stools" "litany desks.
'.maniples chalce wells, pede mats. pastoral
and seda." Then his admiration called out by
the devotional chairs with double seats. on the
upper of which sits to read and mediate. and
then turning it up. kneels on the lower to pray
Then there fonts and fontlets and oak font
buckets and host of other things which DR.. Stork
wonders how they used in the worship of God
And yet these the things he declares that are
leading Protestants Romeward and which lately led
aneighbor of his. Dr. Cans of the German Reformed
Church, into the Catholic fold In aspect Of
these ecclesiastical gimcracks" Christianity is .
failure. 1t makes those things more important than
the spiritual lite of the soul But, of course. the
writer has faith in them whatever, and therefore
gives lud;crous twist to his entire description Of
them.
DR.. Debaun discusses in the Inethgencer the indct.
ment of the Church by the world. This indictment
he puts into three propositions-namey. Christians
not in earnest, they are no better than other
people, and religion does not make them any better.
and, consequently, Christians generally hypo-
critics pretending to be what they not. These
propositions the Doctor enlarges upon. the Church
in earnest, if Christians in earnest, moth
ing else in all this world would be counted worth
doing in comparison with sending the Gospel of
salvation to every creature. and Christians would
search and send after souls with infinitely
more eagerness than other men dig for hidden treas
ure. But Christians take the whole matter of the
ruin and salvation of souls quietly that it cannot
be possible that they in earnest. Christians pro-
fess to have renounced the world. and to havo be-
citizens of better country. and to have found
infinitely better riches than the things here which
perish with the using. But generally they
eager after worldly gain men Of the world, and
not few Of them need very close watching in bar
gain. Very many Christians fond of worldly
pleasure worldly men are, and some, the latter
say, and underhanded in their dealings and
very unpleasant companions and associates because
Of utter seshness and disregard of the feel
ings and rights Of others. Some censorious.
captious. faut-fnding and incapable of seeing any
good in their brethren and always ready pull
down the good reputation of others.
There are passionate Christians, who have fearful
tempers and not careful how they give them
vent; Christians who very loose in their CONVEX
sation, saying things which would be shameful from
the mouth of respectable of the world ;
Christians who let their children wild, with
apparent of common parental RESPONSE
bility Christians who are scheming revonge-
full unprinciped. And because of the
world make profession of religion they excuse
themselves when they do say mean things but
doubly condemn Christians who are thus guilty
And So DR.. Debaun declares they try TO have a con-
and to look down upon them from honest and
open if not actually higher standpoint of morality
and substantial goodness. At any rate they all
this for disregarding all the claims Of re-
lieion. In another article the Doctor will answer
these charges which are here in substance stated.
The Boptist Weekly thinks that just there is
nothing more necessary to present religion in its
highest aspect to the world than greater devoutness
intellectually it is nobly represented and has the
support of the most enlightened and cultivated
minds of Christendom, and the educated men Of
most communities constitute small part of the
membership OF churches. The disciplined
minds of the present time not exclusively in
our pulpits; they are found in the pews. and
the views which they hold of divine truth are such
ss they have received from their study of the
Scriptures, and are such as they are qualified to
teach and defend. Activity in the Church. the
Weekiy thinks, is not much lacking as devout-
ness. Intellectual religion and conservation to
work. it says. are developments of Christianity to
be commended; but without the element of de-
voutness there defect greatly to be depored. and
for the want Of which other traits furnish
pensation.
The following correspondence on the same general
subject indicates that the interest in 1t is not dying
out. The first comes from woman resident in this
city who declares she would rather 20 without her
dinner than her HERALD. She writes:-
To THE EDITOR HER,Lp:-
We all feel an interest i'll the question, els Chris
tianity failureT' and have our own thoughts in
regard TO ii. which If given to the public may pro-
woke further discussion of the subject and lead to
greater knowledge of the truth. believe that Jesus
teachings were an embodiment of principles
ss eternal as the Infinite mind, and they
have manifested themselves whenever human
gansm has been sufficiently perfected for their
abode, as that Of Moses Joshua the prophets and
ancient poets and philosophers aud that they gave
dehc spiendor to His own character the influence Of
which Will remain forever, while churches aud creeds
will fall into disuse and decay We learn from the
history OF past ages that good never dies.
and that IL is continually overcoming evil.
80 believe that whatever is useless to
the world will in due time be swept away
the forms and ceremonies OF the Church among the
rest. when they are not needei-when man shall be-
come true worshipper in spirit aud in truth"
so then believe that the Christ spirit die
ont become separated from the hearts OF men, But
IL there are schisins in the Church. because
II is a made institution And being IL will
assume forms from time to time which shall the
better harmonizc with the more expanded heart and
intellect of the people. And by the way. does not
the Christian creed correspond somewhat with the
ideas contained in pagansm respecting its gods and
sons of godsg \. W. X.
This from fredericksburg correspondent. who
writes:
To 1iiE EDiroI HEnALD:-
The answer of thrccfourhs of the people Of the
ctvililcd world to this momentous question us
Christianity q failureg' would be mo- A system
OF religion that has by its intrinsic merit it's way
to the heart of all humanity. wherever and whenever
fully aud fairly presented. system that prose-
lytcs from the bgoted Jews: system that con-
Quered the stern and warlke Roman; u system that
subducd the savage and barbarous Franks and Gotbs;
system that tanned the fiery Saxons; q system
before whose wondrous onward march the old
mythologics raled into nothngncss; q system that
In the comparatively short space OF eighteen hun
drcd years has cncrccd the world and breathed into
Il the breath of modern civilization cannot he
failure No system OF morals rlahtly founded. be IL