The Cecil Whig., 1885-12-19
FREEDOM OF WORSHIP.

Oar attention has been drawn to
sensible article which appears in late
exchange in reference to the practice of
renting p9ws in churches. We had
thought such an ancient and un-Ameri-
can custom would long since have been
abolished. The Rev. Mr.. Brooks, of
Springfield, Mass, in an address before
the Episcopal Congress at New Haven,
the other evening defended the practice
OF pew renting, upon the ground that it
was the best practical method of sup
porting churches. We beg to differ
with the Rev. MIR. Brooks on this ques-
ton. Perfect freedom of worship to all
classes in our American churches when
established will be a great stepping
stone to universal religion, which those
classes vii! embrace who are now de-
barred from SO doing in many instances
by the price of admission charged to the
services. One writer says: people are
apt to think that there is something all
wrong about The religion professed by
church when they see wealth winning
the same distinction inside that it gets
outside" And this is very true. The
socialistic creed is the only correct creed
for the universal advancement of pure
religion. Glasses and cliques and sects
are the worms that devour the root of
the church. March the Third street
brokers' wife up TO a cushioned seat near
the altar, and place the seamstress and
the hod- carrier back against the rear
wall of the building, and the divine dis
peIsation of Providence won't fall with
an equal grace over the congregation in
that particular church. That same
seamstresS, and that same hod carrier
are bound to harbor feelings of Jealous
enmity towards that same Third street
brokers' wife throughout the entire ser.
vic4s, and the iota of benefit they re-
celve from the pastors discourse will be
small iota Indeed. Don't make the
church policy shop or banking insti-
tuition. When it needs funds for it's sup
port tell the members of its congrega-
ton so, and let them give freely and
generously to the cause OF Christianity,
without thought of buying better
place in Gods favor than their bejeweled
sister in another aisle, or getting a pew
a few rows nea,er the pulpit than their
wealthy brother. The bread-winners of
| America, the earnest toiiing men and
| women of our nation are tho ones who
| truly need the saving grace of preach
er's words to descend upon them once a
week. Bat they will not, il is evident
| 90 to churcll to hear them where the
pews aie rented to the rich and the poor
and eyknovy they will bea,imitted by the
usher, with the same feeling a theatrical
manager has for the irrepreSsible dead
| head. Better TO have no churches: bet
ter worship sweetly and freely in the
| great universal first temple of God-the
groyes-than to rob the church -goer of
perfect fre eGom to walk where he
pleases, sit where he pleases, and wor-
ship loudly or quietly as he feels in
| clined, beneath the roof of the sacred
sanctuary. Better this than to compel
| him to act in accordance with set rules,
like the man at Il meeting of a secret Or
ganiaation accordirg'to a Constitution
| and Bylaws. Thele are no such forms
in the course of true religion. Men are
as free to love God and behave like
| Christians as the winds are that come
fiom the heaven of God. And we are
very much inclided to doubt whether
they are taught perfect religion nova
| DAYS when they pay an admission fee to
| hear a sermon on Science and Evolution
preached from the texts of Ipgersoll,
| Paine and Carlyle, with an occasional
reference to the gospel and lis teachings.
| There should be business society at
tached to every church, just as there is
to every other charitable institution in
| the land, to provide for its financial sup
port. There used to be sincerer methods
of religious worship in the land. In the
days of simple village meeting houses
and pastors who did not preach Gods
! gospel for q stipulated salary, but be-
cause they loved him and wanted to
| teach their fellow men to love him too
| the question of pew rents did not con-
tinually transcend the worthier question
| of eternal salvation, and the pastors
words did not fall upon ears deaf to all
else but the jealous murmurs of the one
whose seat happened to be placed too
near the common folks, All! America
of the 10Th century, your religious side
! is too often turned down and the side of
greed and gain turned upward. But you
are not hopelessly lost. Let some brave
and fearless man of God teach the peo-
pie that if they want their church to be
a light on the hill which shall extend its
hopeful rays over the paths Of the weary
and heart-sore wanderers from the kindly
shepherds fold, they must give to its
support with no thought of getting per-
sonal advantages for the money, but
solely with the view of spreading the
gospel. F. M.