The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-11-01
Christianity in New York.


done and influence put forth by the
churches of New York. Every charity
in the city draws its inspiration, if not its
sustenance, from a generosity which
Christian teaching has quickened. The
charitable institutions of this city rank
among the first on this continent, in num-
Der, variety of service, and efficiency.
They have sprung out of sympathies
which Christian doctrines have vivi6ed,
and most of them are directed by men
and women who are actively interested
in some church. The educational institu-
tions of this city cannot be divorced from
its Church-life in fact, though they are
unsectarian. They were started by the
zeal of Christians, who got their impulse
from Christian institutions; they are
backed to-day by sentiment which the
pulpit of the city keeps alive. Take
away the invisible prop to our schools
and colleges in the religious institutions
of the city, and they would Immediately
begin to decline. The general tendency
and course of life in great metropolis
like this, its laws and customs, its moral
quality, have vastly more to do with the
spiritual condition of the people than
any visible fundamentally and these are
determined almost as directly by the
teachings and influence of the churches
as the temperature and light are deter
mined by the sun. Strike these out of
existence, obhterate, if possible, every
moral element they have contributed to
the general atmosphere of the city, and
it would be impossible to live here with
out moral contamination and degrade
ton. 1t is easy to expatiate on the vices
Of the city, its miles of drinking saloons,
its hundreds of gambling dens, its vile
resorts, its intemperance, violence, and
crime but five hundred Christian church
es are working all the while to lessen
these evils. What would the city be
but for the teaching and effort and in
fuence Of these Christian pulpits, and the
thousands of men and women they are
urging every week to relentless warfare
on all that is corrupt and vicious? Who
shall tell what foods of vice would sweep
over the city and gurgle through its
streets but for the dykes built up by
these Christian churches to keep back
the tide? People who are constantly com
planning at the little Roadway Christiani-
ty is making, and condemning the church
es for not doing more to transform socie-
ty, forget that great part of the work
OF Christian institutions, from the neces-
sity of the case, must be restraining they
are preventives of evil they are power
tul brakes on the car of progress to stop
it from running down the steep grade to
a lower plane. Take away these blocks
behind the wheels, and our city life would
deteriorate into cultivated barbarism in
a single decade.
There are matters which no statistics
can report. The general account of our
places of amusement is that within ten
years there has been marked improve
ment In their moral tone. However it
may have been in Chicago up to last
winter, we are assured that here in New
York an indecent play would be Kissed
from any stage The theatres are not
Christian places, but there is so much
diffused Christianity here, that they dare
not put lewdness and depravity on ex-
hibition.
The tone Of society has perceptibly
improved in many respects. Depravity
is branded as indecent and vulgar, even
N circles not directly under pulpit in
huence. The teachings of the pull pit are
not restricted to the visible congregation :;
they are in the newspapers they are
discussed in society and on the street
they pervade literature. The late DR..
Bellows once said, pointing to the beau
tiful spire of the Presbyterian church
opposite, on Madison Square, I tell you
this city is being saved and educated by
its steeples." Even people who do not
60 inside of the churches, get virtue
from them they hardly know Of. Who
can estimate the amount of vital in
fuences diffused and radiated by an ac-
tive business man who is thoroughly
saturated with Christian ideas and SEN
timents? We have more than once heard
men tell how the high Christian standard
Of merchant affected the clerks in his
employment; how his gentlemanly bear
ing and courtesy softened and refined
them how his conduct influenced theirs ::
how they were held back from vicious
courses and stimulated to do well, by the
hope Of his approval. There is an invis-
IDLE pulpit in every Christian merchants
counting-room. People may not 20 to
the reservoir; the water is brought to
them through pipes laid underground,
and they drink and are refreshed without
thinking that the element which gives
them so much satisfaction came at first
from the fountain head of Christian trutb