New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-23

aso m, certaiu and that II is keeping pace with
and actually exceeding the expansion Oh ot"er re-
lipious bodies in the city l am also confdent. 1
imagine however. that 1T has kept pace with the
times both numerically and spiritually. AS to the
spec,al efforts made to meet tie religious needs OF
the tenement house population, they are various
and numerous Mission churches and mission
schools clubs and.reading rooms. all the means we
can take TO reach this class who stand SO nuch IN
need of help both spiritual and otherwise are
taken. I think, too, that those special features
of church work which would serve to show an H.
crease of genuine religious feeling. by which mean
soecisl and week day services, Bible classes. and
80 on. apart from the regular Sunday services, are
halter attended and give better results every year.
The average attendance at regular services IN pro-
norton to the number OF parshioners mas, L thinA
neither increased nor diminished within the iast
ten wears; but that also is mere OPINION ior ~
would take a long time to compile any accurate
statistics.
.'You ask me which are the bstter supporte d.
boms or foreign missoasf have no hesitation In
saving that home missions receive by lar tDe
more generous support 1t is undon oted'y true
that some years ago the Christian community gave
asundautlv to those missions whose object It was
to reach the heather in far.distant lands whiie
missions designed to relieve the spiritual needs OF
in every great city of cur land were so poorly sap
norted as to be hampered 10 their efforts tc the
Verge Of extinction This. an glad to say. IS all
changed now and if you examine the books OF tie
two mission societies and compare them you Will
find that the subscriptions to the Home MISSION far
outvalue those of it's sister society. 1 think,
therefore that it is safe 70 say 'naI
thouehtfu mem beers of the Church IN the nea-
then of foreign countries those IN our immaculate
neghborhood receive even more attention anu nior'
is done TO supply their splfltuai wants. VI,
II think the tendency of the times in New Yor k.
as all over the civilized VOL Id is for the dlnerent
religious denominations 70 De more nast
sIouid be unwilling to say that the lines oil ooc,
| trinal difference are becoming enaced' out villa.
nave lust stated namely, that there IS less Dlgoieu
aud more klndlv spirit prevailing oetwe e VI"
various bodies hold TO be without uouot Tue cdse
| For INV own church l can say that II Is NOT
! modifying. do l think II IS prepaIL
| ING TO modify ITS methods of religious WORK
When you ask me If l am satisfied with the present
position of our Church you open out very aaI me
hours 10 ex press myself fully or course no Chris
ran can express himself satisfied until ne sees
| the whole world brought into the true fold; WINE
| one human being Is LEFT to gather unto OnrsV We
| must still be dissatisfied, and never relax our
| efforts What we want 10 see IS tue who're WIZ
brOuoht to our way of thinking and under our COLI
| troll or rather under guidance. As to the
nosIfion of the Church in the community, believe
| II never was 50 firmly estabshe or dong so nuch
GOOD work as al present believe the Church OF Eng
gland nd therefore our Episcopal Church OF America
to be the one most suited TO bring all mankind 10
CHRIST aud believe that at the present time ~ Is
performing that work better than at any tlne our
ing the last fifty years There IS no douOt III NV
mind but that there Is more sincere deVo-
tion and stricier attention paid TO rellg-
| ions duties among the body of its members THAN
there was quarter OF century AGO ne on. on
slaughts made by infilety aud the attacks OF Tree
| thinkers and rauoualIsts have spurred Us on 10 10
Increased exerton and opposition has had the enect
of strengthening III our faith rather than weak
ening It."