Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-07-12
CHURCH ATTENDANCE.

CHURCH ATTENDANCE.
The matter of church attendance
received considerable handling in no
less than four well-written and incl
sive articles in the July number of
the North american Reoieso. In
glancing overthem preparatory to their
perusal, the question naturally sug-
gested itself, 'sHow all Of them could
have appeared simultaneously, unless
that from the pen of the non-church-
goer, was a thing Of straw, prepared
to be consumed by those that follow
ed?" Upon closer observation, how
ever, it was discovered that If such
was the object of its production,
there was something like failure in
the accomplishment Of what was
aimed at. TO a large extent what is
advanced by the non-church-goer
against church attendance is little
more than the embodiment of what
may be heard at almost any time,
almost everywhere, not only among
non-church-goers, blu. even among
the elect, and, to some extent, what
followed was an acknowledgement of
its pertinence.
After severely handling some of
the assertions Of q non-church-goer as
untrue, the Rev. DIR. Ward, who
makes the first answer, says: sour
church simply Because the churches
have not yet got hold of them. The
progress of the churches is reaching,
and will gradually get them in. But
the thinking non-ehurch-goers are to
a great extent unapproachable, be-
non-church-going population may be
divided into its two classes-those
whs think and those who not think.
OF the latter the vast majority have
inherited or absorbed q general belief
in christianity. They do not 60 to
cause they are unbelievers. For their
Inbelief, however, the churches are
to some considerable extent response
BILE. A very great part of them do
not believe, because believers make
christianity incredible to them by
their unconscionable demands upon
their credulity."
In the second attempted answer,
DIR, Pullman freely admits, ''that
some of the criticism directed towards
church dogmas and practices by a
non-church-goer is keen, sound, well
placed and thoroughly deserved.
Much of it, and much of the strongest
of it, is from within. Faithful are
the wounds of a friend. The church
is not christianity, but an instrument
for the administration of christianity,
and we very well understand we have
this treasure in earthly vessels"
In the third answer, DR.. Rylance
says: ~ accept also the leading as
sumption of a non-church-goer, as IN
the main sound; for it Is notorious
that a very considerable number of
men In christian countries are to-day
Indifferent to the claims and calls of
the church, and it may be-though
this l am inclined to doubt-that their
number is rapidly increasing. I care
not to go to statistics or census tables
for proof or iisproof of the assump-
ton. Every christian pastor knows
to bis sorrow the reluctance of men
to submit themselves to any sort Of
ecclesiastical yoke. Fathers and sons
are often absent from church when
mothers and daughters are there.
Or, if now and then present from
motives of expediency, men very
often stand aloof from the real vor-
ship and work Of the church, or they
look on with a distant sort of respect.
Many of those who thus far conform
to church usages, having very little
faith, there is reason to far, in what
is ordinarily said and done in our
synagogues."
When prominent divines make such
concessions as the foregoing to nom
church-goers, there ought to be no
hesitation on the part of the press to
give its views concerning the cause
and removal Of what is clearly so
much to be deplored as n~on-attend.
snce upon the ministrations of the
sanctuary.
1t is not necessary to spend time
upon the aristocratic and mis-named
churches of large cities at. which the
structures Of a non-church-goer are
aimed, and that none but the wealthy
can attend with self-respect. They
are in reality religious clubs, and,
like the secular ones, have their
houses, assembly rooms, kitchens
and parlors. 1t is of ordinary
churches in such towns as Mexico, |
the LEDGER would speak, and here
and elsewhere there is too much vari-
ETY. and vagueness in the motives that
take people to church. Not to more
than mention those that attend ehur ch
from habit, listlessiy and without
motive, or intelligent expectation, or
the least conception Of what they are
to hear or do, some 60 simply to hear
Mr. So-and-So; others to meet Mr..
or Mrs. or Miss This and That; others
to sing and play ; others to be RECALLED
With music, and still others to see
and be seen. The relative attractions
OF preachers, choirs and congregations
are matters Of Sabbatical comparison,
and when it has been settled where