, 1882-07-15
The Church OF the Future.

SE interesting and practical cxpesi-
menl has been tried al Cincinnati during
+ the past eight or ten months, which IS
( worthy ui imitation In these days VIXEN
1t is the fashion 10 complain that for one
class q our city churches there are no
! wOTShipsls, and that for one class of our
{ population there are no churches. Ii
/ was eti;orislly suggested that Of the no.s-
ohurchgoing people of that city, many
world gladly attend free non-sec;arian,
non :. nssticusl church, where they could
feel entirely Welcome. and II was sGs-
Sssted further, that an one Of the pub ic
halls Such popular church Llght be or
gan;z>d. These suggestions commended
themselves to the people, and VAS
promptly acted upon, the hall was rented,
Il gentleman Of culture Was secured IS
pls.ur. and on ;he first Sunday there were
5000 people present, and that number
has increased until now there }, 900 0people
in shat hail every Sunday afternoon or
evening. The sermons or lectures ars
plain, practical and short, and the service
simple, 50 that there is no attraction ot
ciap-trap or fashionable music for the ca
r:ous or ;dIe. Writing of IL, cJrrcs-
pendent says
The regularity with which these immense
congregations have gathered Sunday after
Sunday, the air Of reverence which ;,eIylies
every rar. os the srrNIoe. anu the sincerity
snd heartineSs with which they participate IL
the singins, ot the hymns, render them events
# Inoru than local or ordinary interest Ia
congregation assembled Is composed of Jus;
the class that the CUrch desires u reach. brJ
which under ordinary circumstances il ngiz
,hiicEll 10 reach The experiment. as simple
succ->sfal, Is worth trying elsewhere.
The establishment II this and similar
Organizations elsewhere, the departure
from TIE Methodist Church at Chicago Of
DR.. Thomas, one # It's most distinguished
men, and the withdrawal of the successor
of RpLer; Collyer, Of Unity Church, III
the same city, means something more
than rapid d-e!lne in churoh-yoing.
which is compllIned IF every - here, even
here III Waila Wal'a church, last even
IN. lI has u different and q more in
tense meaning than TIE decline IN New
England church-goIng, which Is the result
of Il reaction from the harsh flith and iron
clad discipline Of Puri;a.ism. People
are RAPIDLY growing away, from the old
creels, and tnd nothing soul satisfying in
the system OF modern revIvalism. There
Is wide, and a WIdenln. gao between
the abstract value of religion and the
practical utility Of churches and the
church Of to-day has no greater or glaring
fault than lis plans Of revivalisn. In
this sensational aye ncthing is more
tempting than the disposition 10 hawk
cheap wares, relis.ou, or otherwise, with
voiublo emphasis; disposition TO live
loud ia the ears of men. In San Fran
cisco We behold the shank artists at the
Pavilion aad the revivallsts competing.
The star walkist completes his tramp and
sends word that he will attend divine
-.----. ...--:. a vtrurvi., e-,r,I requvsvs
chorist,- 10 sing - Nearer my God to
Thee He VIII be 800 miles nearer than
anv Oi the rest Of us Thus is the tan
bark mama and the modern gospel recon-
ciiei All honor and praise IL due every
cLris;ia effort, wherever 1t may be found,
but this sensational must be condemned.
This plan Of exploding ALI auetioneer sp-
peal from the puipir, " Here's your re-
demptirn at hard-time prices" or,
:. II r. ; your \ No. | gospel, Is Ger
tainiy repreheusibie. Ii is repreheLsible
to seek to kindie moral or spiritual lie
by these popular flashes, for it is not IN
consonarce with the spirit, either Of the
graciuusness If the old Mosaic law or the
Christianity Of that elemental Man into
whom Nature gathered 10 save herself
from the malce Of time, and 10 remind
mel. tha, to live ike Him Is 10 oUtw.t OBJ
hv:ou. These people propose to gro"
soul in ten minu,es as the jLggler pre-
tends 10 mature a rose. No wonder that
men, thinking, turn away to form new s.
ciet:es where all tins is excluded.