St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-07
CHURCH FIGHTS.

The wrangles, personal chickering's and
contentious in Christian churches, often be-
tween the pulpit and the pews, are not only
disgraceful and disgusting, but shameful
blemish on the Christian name and a profess
sion of religion. Such conflicts are dis
reputable departures from all the tenet teach
ing and inculcated spirit of the New Tesla
ment gospel. The world regards with sur
prise, and true Christians with grief the I'M
godly spirit often manifested by professors
and pastors, under the guise and in the
abused name of religion.
The following from the New York Observer
is meant as a rebuke to the disgraceful feud
now going on in DR.. Newman's church in
that city. The Observer does not name the
church, but it can mean no other than the
Madison Avenue congregational chnrch,
where colossal personal fight is raging,
fight which in spirit and incorporate speech
would dishonor even partisan set-to in an
electoneering busting. Rev. DR.. Newman
says with lofty scorn he does not care any
thing for the pugnacious assaults of Deacon
Ranney and his compeers, and processes to
look with serene contempt and disdain on
the church affairs.
DR.. Newman, the pastor, ought to care,
and with deepest contrition for the scandal
and reproach which he and his church are
bringing upon the church and the Christian
name. His affected sneer at, and attempt
to be-little his internecine church warfare,
does no credit to his christian character or
professions of Gospel piety. The following
is what the Observer says about church
wrangles, fights and discussions, and ap-
plies with blistering force to DR.. Newman
and his belligerant church,
true apostle Of the Master would retire
from the fight where only dishonor, and not
laurels are to be won, and seek more
peaceful field of labor. But not so the fight
ing doctor. In the spirit of1a contentious
world, he defantly holds to his position,
caring not for the wounds inflicted on the
church and religion itself. The Observer
says:
We refer with grief and disgust to the wrang
lings and fghtings at meetings called to promote
the interests of the church. Within a very few
years we have seen accounts of them in ne arly
all denominations, so that we need not be sus-
pected of predjudce or Partially in speaking of
them with severity.
In this city they have recently broken out,
and violent wranglings have defled the sanctuary.
Whence come these fghtings9 They are the
outcome of poor, unsanctifed human nature, of
which there is much in most men who are called
good. One of the highest attributes of gentle
man is self-control; and Christian is supposed
to have the grace Of God to help hin in the
charge of his own soul. But a war of
words, with epithets of abuse and re-
proach, is disgraceful even if the excited parties
do not come to blows. We do not know that
there is any good to come ofpublicly rebuking it.
As scenes in the Church of England parishes are
often quite as bad as anything this side of the
water, we cannot attribute our fights in church
to a lower stage Of civilization. 1t is enough to
say they do so in England. But of this we are
certain, that God is offended by such conduct:
and Christians should try and behave themselves
so that the world may know that their profession
of religion is something more than a mere sham.
We do not make mention of instances as they
occur, for we would not spread the scandal. And
we would hope that they will cease from among
men, and no longer grieve the good and provoke
the divine displeasure.