The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-07-15
Absence From Church,

his millions. -Ne,9 York STAR
Absence From Church.
That large majority of people outside
of the Catholic communion do not. in
large towns and cities at least, attend
church. and that the influence Of large
towns and cities WILL in this as in other
things. produce in time like results in
country districts, is on all hands con-
coded. The causes have been discussed
and rehearsed, but the remedy seems no
palmer than before. The Boston Con-
gregatiOnatist takes up the subject and,
after enumerating the various alleged
cause.-the demands of social life re-
quiring for fine house and fine clothes
all the money that is earned; the hard
six days work that needs its holiday;
the outgrowth from orthodoxy and the
lack OF simple and earnest preaching
1t recites an incident happening recently
which, 1T declares, throws considerable
light upon the whole subject:
A young married couple, the wife ac-
customed to attend church regularly at
home, were called upon by lady who
asked where they attended service. "We
go from one church to another, but
would be glad to take seat in -
Church five only knew anybody there"
said the wife. my husband has lived
Ill boarding house for some years, and
has gotten out of the habit of attending
church, but he is willing now to go with
me-" The lady at once called upon
several in the church mentioned, and
said: Here is an opportunity to win
two excellent young people. The re-
suits were not encouraging. One lady
knew ali the friends she could possibly
visit, bat she would try to call some
time. Another had her spring sewing
to attend to, and would see the young
bride If possible. Another belonged to
several societies outside the church, and
did not know when she could possibly
find time. Weeks went by, and nobody
from that church called. FINALLY q
lady whose hands are always full of good
work, whose two children were ill, and
whose spring sewing was untouched, was
asked to call. She did so at once, and
if the church gains these two people as
members, it will be partly because one
overworked woman made them welcome,
and with no thanks to the others who
were Indifferent In this case, at least,
lay at the doors of several busy but pro-
Tossing Christians.
This incident, which we presume is
not peculiar or exceptional, goes very
little way toward explaining the general
want of interest in the church, the doc
trines, and the important subjects which
the church represents. 1t only shows
that the members of the church are
themselves affected to indifference by
the same influences which keep people
away altogether. 1t shows that social
pleasures, social duties, and social cares,
in other words what is evangelically
known as ''the world" engross their
time and their thoughts, and that they
prefer these to the increase of church
attendance and even to the personal
spiritual welfare of those outside of the
church. In the very nature of the case
such members can not and do not regard
the church as essential to salvation, any
more than those outside of it regard it
as essential If they did, they would
sacrifice their other cares and their
pleasures to the upbuilding of the church
and the increase of its members. In
these respects the attitude toward the
church, both of the members and the
non-members, is strikingly alike. Both
are swayed by the same force away from
the church. The one do not much care
to go; the others do not much care
whether they go or not. The one are
already outside of the church boundar-
les; the others are indifferent about
their coming in. If the young married
woman and her husband had wished to
go to church, they would not have waited
for an invitation. They would have
voluntarily united with one. If the
members of the church had deemed
their membership an affair of Importance
either to the church or to the husband
and wife, they would have needed no
urging, nor even an invitation, to per-
suade the non-attendants to join their
communion.
Hence the same trouble and the same
temper lie equally behind the paralysis
of the church-going and of the church.
abstaining world. When this is recog-
nized there will be an attempt at more
searching analysis of its cause, and per-
haps a more satisfactory answer, than
has yet been offered. Detroit Free
Press.
THE new Duke of Portland seems to
be a generous young man. The Swing
estate in Caithness was bought 10y the
late Duke of Portland not long before
Il IL