The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-04-19
CHURCH DIFFERENCES.

fever, of disasters, CT measles, ant
other disc q es, incidents and casual
ties; and churches are not free from
them. At the present time there
are sirifes in many OF the churches
of the country, from the congrega"
ton in New York that is trying to
rid itself of the EOtorious Parson
Newman, erstWhile of the Metro
poIitan Church and Chimes, Wash
ington, down to the humble little
societies in the mountains Of he
west. The pestilenee is not confined
to any sect or creed, but embrace s
all, we Relieve, save the "Mo'ber
Church" which moves along, S ED
lily gaining ground and Coz yer S
in the New Wo1l:, snd losing
power and Influence in he
ole; nor does color sscspe, for among
the negro churches both north and
south there is trouble. Only the
other day the papers told of kn j k
down in a colored church in one o.;
the southern cities, the two actions
of the congregation coming TO bl WIS
Not long ago, in Pennsylvania, he
regularly ordained and d ly ccle-
dited pastor found on Su day
morning. the church doors locked
and the key in possession Of party
opposed TO his continuance in tie
place. He threatened to call on the
courts to put him back into the pal
pit, since which we have lost track
Of the case.
It frequently occurs that the c. use
for an epidemic Of dinhtheria, of
yellow fever, or smallpox cannot
be found, and the search for cause
for the church strifes epidemics
would be even more fruitless,
for the reasons are more subtle
and deeper hidden. However,
we can find TIE general causes for
the lack of harmony in churches to-
day, as contrasted with the unity of
the past. The grey-hsired Christ
ians will tell you that in their youth
the church was the centre OF the
secular as we'll as the religious
forces Of the community. lis dis
cipline was severe and strict and its
influence was felt every where in
social life. The minister was not
alone the spiritual head of the town,
but if he were man Of any hing
like strong character, he was recog>
nized almost as the secular head as
well. It frequently was the case
that he was the best educated man
in the community, and his advice
was needed as that of wise man
who, In a perfectly disinterested
way, had the interests Of the COM
nunity at heart, whether or not the
members thereof belonged to his
fock. He was also recognized as
the one man acquainted with theol-
ogy and capable of explaining the
mysteries of doctrine and discipline.
Then the church was invested
with extraordinary authority and
could crush opposition or discord
with an ease and effectiveness that
are never thought Of nowadays.
To-day the relations between the
pastor and his congregation and the
church and the people are entirely
different. Formerly it was sacri-
Iegious to question a doetrinal ut
teranee by pastor; now it jsno I'M
common thing for layman to take
issue with the minister upon points
of doctrine, and members are not
above making their criticisms pub
lie, and In such manner as to
place the preacher in ridicu-
Ious position. The modern pastor
is without authority, except such az
the members of his congregation
choose to concede, and naturally
this is very little with people who
think it something Of disgrace TO
fail to do their own thinking. In
plain words, the pastor has degenn
Grated In one view, until he is little
better than a hired man, whereas
formerly he was the head and his
fock the obedient tail wagging as he
directed. The new church Is not I'M
der discipline, and it accepts or re-
iects the teachings of the ministers
according as individual members
may prefer. The churches have also
divided within themselves, until
two congregations within the same