St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-08-07
More than there's Business
FOr.'
THE MULTIPLICITY OF CHURCHES.


in the course of my travel this summer,
| asked the landlord GLOW many
churches are there in this villageP"
"More than there's business for"
was his ready and very suggestive if
not very definite answer.
Pursuing my inquiries learned that
there were five distinct congregations,
each with some sort of house for
public worship. two or three of them
have ministers most of the time. one or
two have settled pastors, but most of
them depend on supplies, living as it
were from hand To mouth, all having n
name to live, but not one has a vigor-
Gus existence, not one is a thriving,
efficient organization.
The landlord used commercial
phrase, but very expressive, when he
said they have more churches than
there's business for, aud | know very
well what he meant. He was Il tavern
keeper, and if there were five men
keeping as many taverns in the place,
they would all starVc or close. The
travel was not enough to warrant more
than one public house, and the law of
demand and supply limited the num-
Der.
In many villages | find the same
state of things existing IN regard to
churches which the landlord so aptly
defined. 1t is very true of new villages
A few families of one denomination
struggled hard to get church estah-
lshed of their denomination. Another
set of people have been always of
another name, and they want Il church
of their own. And So they go on, each
little community dividing and sub
dividing. They have missionary sOcie-
ties and church extension boards, and
to them all make appeals for help, and
for the most part they get "A little aid,
Just enough To keep life in them, and
they struggle on year after year, max
ing very little progress, and rarely
becoming able To support themselves.
What is the duty of Christian people
in this matterG l. there no principle
involved in the question: May not
every one properly seek Il church of
his own faith and order, and build IT
M for his own rdiiication and that of
his children Certainly. And this is
his privilege and duty when it is III
his power to do so. But in any com
munity it is better to have one or two
vigorous churches than halt-a- dozen
feeble and fainting. 1t comes to this,
that the Christian spirit of Il communi-
ty is to he exercised in sustaining the
ordinances of religion, and sectarianism
should not he so strong as to forbid
hearty cooperation in the support of
the gospel.
"Whcre would | draw the line p 1t
is hard to do it, but some general
truths can be stated that may help us
III ascertaining what is Our duty.
would not attend on the preaching
of "A minister who does not believe and
teach the vital and essential doctrines
of the gospel: who does not hold to
the divine inspiration of the whole of
the Bible: or who teaches such error
as will have an injurious effect on the
minds of the children and young peo-
pie.
The older we grow the stronger
becomes our attachment to the forms
and opinions in which we were cdu-
Gated, or which we have intelligcntly
adopted. At the same time it ought to
be true. and for the most part it is
true, with increasing age and knOwl-
edge we should he more charitable
towards those who differ from us. Let
words as to them seems the most fit
ting And if they are one with Christ
the head, they will Toe one with all
who are members. And so as | go
from place to place, mingling with
Gods people of every name, find
them To be 50 nearly of one heart and
mind that the oneness of Christianity
appcars in all denominations of wOr-
LII. 4 to. . L..
fundamental truths of Our holy religion.
do not forget that there has been u
falling away of some. The tendency
has been of late to alternating the
word. Even gold may he beaten out
so thin as to be nearly useless. And
the truth itself is made very thin in
deed in the preaching of many. From
such preaching it is well to stay away.
But if | were settling down in Il west
ern village where there were two
churches of different names and neither
of them of the same name with the one
to which belong, would find out
the one in which the saving truths of
the gospel are preached with the
greatest purity, fidelity aud power,
and Instead of trying to get up another
feeble church after the pattern | pre-
fer. would east in my lot with those
who are trying to serve God and save
the souls of men.
1t might Toe IL Baptist church. 1t is
not important that | should hold the
same views in regard to the sacrament
of baptism that the church hold, in
order to be edited 10y the ministry. If
| were excluded from the sacrament of
the Lords supper because | did not
receive the other sacrament as the
church receives it, it would Ice great
trial, and would seek the privilege of
communion elsewhere, when it was
possible to find it, But even this dep
rivation would not make it impracti
cable for me to he edited under u
ministry of "A denomination to which |
do not belong.
So could | work heartily and hope
fully in almost any evangelical church
where the whole Bible was received rs
the word of cod. would not sit I'M
der the preaching of a minister who
tried to prove that Moses was not the
author of the Pentateuch, or that Jesus
Christ did not know what is meant by
the law and the prophets; would
not sit at the feet of any man who
denies the true and proper divinity of
the Lord who bought me with his own
blood. would not have for spirit
ual teacher one who says it shall be
well with the wicked who die in their
sins, or that one so dying will have
another opportunity of repentance and
faith when the door is shut. But with
any faithful servant of God, who
teaches a pure gospel, could work
and enjoy, whatever the name by which
he and his church were Called Rev.
DIR. Prime in y. Y. Observer.
IIipuf Greely Maats Hi U,G,.