The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-03-11

which Ahe az ArYth, III hnh TepenI hnn
'dO the llfst wOfke." 'Lel the right
eOns" j)in 10 "emlte her, and IL shall he
an excsllent oil, which shall not break
her head" But on the other hand, lel
not the church be charged with aina OF
which ahe Ia not guilty. Lat not the
church be charged with what must be
charged TO tie p6TyeTalty OF human
nature, LIT her not be smltlen nn'
TighteOnaly. II the blows belong other
where's, there let them fall also without
stint,
TO return to tho original question Of
fact: Ia II trleY Isit measurably true
that the maslls are allenated from the
church beyond what IN normal, from
the facls OF human natureY And N 40,
how much OF the blame for this state OF
thinga In to be charged TO the departure
OF the church from the spirit OF Christ,
aud how much TO false teachers, ana
unscrnpul0na demagoguesY
II i3a question which covers 30 broad
q asld. aud which requires 40 wide n
range OF correct information, 10 be
answered trnthfnlly, that a degree OF
mOdesty Ia becoming, 40 IL abstinence
also from extIeme and d gnatic asser-
ton The question has 6een asked In
public prints, and prejudice ana fefliag
have hastened TO anaHer II with an un-
qualified 'Yes," or m unqnalined
mo" according ~ the writer has Wish
ed II were no, or not no.
Let us l0Oh AZ the statement against
the church, as set forth by those who
are nnfrlendly TO her life and ways,
and whose delight In to criticize aud
dIsapprOye, and even rldlcule. They
proclaim from every h0naetOp, that the
lower half Of the human family Is not
reached by the church, and further that
they are not sought after; they assert
that there II almost an entire absence
from our churches Of the plain but
respectable working claasea, and an
utter absence OF tho very poor and they
insist further that the man who works
IN the shop, aud his wife who wOlk'
hard at home, and who come 20 church
In their plain clothing, are not wanttd d
there by the side of the man with n
gold rug" and the woman In sllk
gown, aud that the man aud the woman
know they are not Wantei,. and that
they not only stay away from the
church, but that they are feeling very
bitter against II, These same acculers
Of the church 90 on to say that the mass
OF church members are utter strangers
TO the paths that lead into the cellars
and attics where dwell the very poor
that they are never seen going into the
midst of the penury, OF the squalor, Into
the ab0des OF poverty aud distress,
where are housed but not hOmed, the
very poor; IN a word that the churc
shows no proper appreciation Of the
hardships OF thep no prop'r sympa
thy with them la their mlserlea, ana
that the consequence II an utter absence
Of them from the church, aud that their
feeling toward IL N one OF bitterness,
aud IN becO ming more aud more no.
Such is the case against the church as
II Is summed up In no measured or hon
eyed terms by her unfriendly critics.
Aud now what answer can be glyenH
Are these things truep | will try TO
answer frankly We need not be- afraid
TO lot the brightest daylight shine upon
the church aud her methods aud life. II
there IL anything In them that the day
light will shame, the sooner II Ia turned
on the better II there Ia anything COZ
trary TO the spirit Of Christ, II Il not IA
the interest Of the church or the cause
Of Christ 10 conceal Il. We want no
skeletons In her closets.
| will give on answer to these things
In general, and then In particular. To
the question are these things trge2 |
answer with shame "Ypa," aud In the
same breath answer with pride, mo"
They are measua6ly true, aud meaanr'
ably false, but much more false than
true. These things may be said TO ba
meaaurably true OF some churches In
large cities, where wealth and fashion
aud where critics mostly
i've, aud take their observations. This
accusation against the church like that
false accusation against man, whl, h
has enough OF truth IN II 10 give wings
~ the lie, is the m anest Kind Of on ac
CusatiOn, and the most 4 lllcult 10
answeT. The meaneat lie IN half u truth.
But 10 the answer Az TO the charge
that the church does not reach 10 sue
as IL desirable what we may
term, without any invidious distinction,
the lover half Of society, we Will readily
admit. We do not succeed In getting
them Into the church, aud 10 accept
the teachings Of religion a. largely nv
we deyoutly wish, There " In tnls half
Of society q large alienation from the
aud from thu ways Of u religious
life, which we freely own and depl0re.
But the same thing is true Of the other
half Of society, which men please
TO call the upper half, | venture
the assertion that the alienation IL no
greater In proportion 10 numbers, In the
one class than In the other. The fact In
that thia Is getting TO be an old song,
aud there Ia no more In II than there IL
In Sounding BRASS" which IL i9 chiefly.
Or u ",inkling cymbOl" We are told In
Que breath that the educated people are
quitting the church, the cultured people
are quitting IL; aud In the same breath
hat the poor people are quitting II, and
lro embittored against, until one
would think TO read after these emptiera
Of churches on paper, that there was no.
body going 10 church n0wadaysi ana
yet somehow our churches continue TO
be- reasonably full, and are growing into
strength and as q general rule continue
10 6e made up OF rich and poor In pretty
'Qual numbers.
Canton 10 city Of. workshops, her
population ls largely made up Of that
plain respectable class OF people known
~ working people; people who get their
living by respectable, honest toll; and
II may be taken to be representative
city OF Ito size; and II you Will poll the
and attendance Of her
II will be found that all grades
Df life are included IN about equal pro.
portion. The fact IL, II ls easy ~ cry
out against the church because she does
not save the poor. They need saving.
Their hardships are great, and they are
on the surface. But do not the rich need
saving alsop II 10 the demogogues cry
10 exclalm at the church, "Y0u nre not
saving the pooTl" Why do we not hear