Litchfield enquirer., 1880-11-18
The Church and the World.

The General Missionary Committee of the
Methodist Episcopal Church find no difficulty
In spending money. They could spend a
great deal more if they could get it. On Fri.
day they appropriated more than twenty
seven thousand dollars for missionary work in
Mexico and thirty Thousand dollars for work
in Japan. These sums together with those
already distributed will make the whole
amount devoted to foreign missions nearly
two hundred and ninety-three thousand dol
lars-an increase, as compared with last year,
of thirteen thousand dollars. While these
figures are interesting, they are less significant
than the announcement made by the treasurer
that there lisa constant decline of contribu-
tions' for this puspose. Bishop sFoster en-
phasized this fact when he said that ''the
Methodist Church occupies a shameful and
and disgraceful position before the world. 1t
makes the largest profession of loyalty to
Christ and of zeal for the conversion OF the
world, and yet contributes for missions less
than twenty eight cents per member" There
is no reason to believe that the members of
the denomination are worse of than they
were in this worlds goods. Why have mis-
sions fallen into apparent disfavor? The ex-
plapation that the money which used to be ex-
pended upon the remote pagan is now laid
out upon the heather nearer home will not
serve, UcCduSc I1ISuOp pOSIcf uWcIt Will III
creasing Indignation on the fact that only
nineteen cents member are contributed to
all other -'foruss of benevoence" -torty seven
cents altogether. Is this small showing anoth-
er sign of the decaying interest in organized
religious activity for which we have ecclesias-
teal as well as secular authority?
1t is curious that the first important meeting
oil. a religious body since the adjournment of
the Protestant Episcopal Convention should
furnish fresh proof of this decadence. No
small part of the time of the Episcopal Con-
vention was occupied in the recognition of
this fact, and in the consideration of safe
guards against the growing tendencies to
worldliness. 1t was urged, perhaps more
strenuously than ever before, that the church
which the convention represented must re-
double its efforts in that direction. Almost
the last words to which the delegates listened
were protest against the increasing'inc
ton of members of the church to conform to
the world IN amusements and other things in
respect to which the line used to be strictly
drawn. The argument of the bishop and the
priests seemed to run something like this:
"Why be a Christian or formal member of
the church If you are in no way different from
persons who are not Christians or members of
the church, The church adm0nishes its chill
dren to come out from among the worldlings.
1t warns them against fashionable frivolities
doubtful amusements, social designations, the
theatre, the dance and the like If the church
does not enforce its rules, if it does not re-
Quire its communicates to be different, out
wardly as well as inwardly, from men and
women beyond its pale, why have church at
all Is it not in the departure from these
rules that we must look for the beginnings of
those deplorable lapses which in recent years
have moved the ungodly and skeptical to say
that membership of a church is no guaranty
against embezzlement and breach of trust?"
1t 10 not for us to decide whether the rules Of
the churches as to amusements and other
worldly occupations are right or wrong. and
we shall not inquire into that question but it
must be said that the position to which we
have referred, that the rules so long as they
are rules ought to be obeyed, is logical
law, whether one of the state or church or
any other society, which IS neither enforced
nor repealed is certain to be a stumbling
block. Ia l,--'
The question raised in the Episcopal Con-
ventiO2 is put to conspicuous test, The ap-
pearance of Mile. Bernhard presents to the
minds of many persons who seldom 90 to the
theatre, the question whether or not the &C.
currence of great event in the theatrical
world warrants suspension of the rule which
they have laid down for themselves. 1t is not
unlikely that the coming of the celebrated
French actress will reanimate the controversy
between the church and the stage which, as
we have seen, was limited at in the Episcopal
Convention and which the Rev. DR.. Cuyler
revived in the Pan Presbyterian Council We
believe that at least one clergyn an has pub
licly pleaded with the church members not TO
countenance Mile Bernhard; and we re-
print to-day from religious contemporary
paragraph to the same effect. 1t is only fair
to remember that the protestants in this case
have something more than the question of the
stage in view. A good many persons who
are not clergymen or denominational journal
lists are watching curiously to see how the
professional and the social, which were hope
lessly confused in London but carefully dis
tinguished 10 Paris, will be regarded in this
country. Upon this matter again we say
nothing just now We simply direct atten.
ton to the peculiar situation. -Neso York
E0e7aial0 Post.