New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-18
IN THE CHURCH PORCH.
RELIGIOUS ASPIRATIONS AND INSPIRATIONS.

RELIGIOUS ASPIRATIONS AND INSPIRATIONS
said a prominent Episcopal clergyman to me the
other day: Z" I was interested In your little story
about the unfortunate clergyman whose uncompromis
ing views got him into trouble In so many parishes
II suggested TO me that in denomination just
now, clergymcn OF broad an'isaccrdotal views are
all the time finding it harder to get desirable parish
It Is not that the movement Is in the direction Of
mediaevslism, although many OF us think that this
the case But certainly Is in the direction of what
may be called a more Churchy' type OF religion
And this movement is immensely strengthened BY the
aesthetic renaissance which Is so rapidly revou-
tionizIng church life and worship The women.
Who after ALL the power behind the throne In our
church, a rule, have no use for rector VINO does
not think great deal Of ecclesiastical traditions aud
stately ceremonial All the plums In our ministry are
for the men who not only magnify their Office as they
Should but who magnify the peculiar traditions, doc
trlnes and usages of Anglicanism And The clrcum-
stance that clergyman believes In an ornate service.
chorsIy rendered. puts him In the line OF pro-
motion to a good parish while on the other hand his
known hostility to this type Of religion VIII lay him
on the shelf, no matter how brilliant or how devoted
he may be. OF course this rule holds good In some
doceses more than in Others and n all doceses thers
are exceptions 10 It, But the exceptions are becoming
fewer every year. Even Ohio, VIII oh has always oeen
the stronghold OF ansacerdo tallSm, has elected as
bishops men with strong Church views, the EvangrE
Ical party having shown itself utterly unable % maze
itself felt I'm the diocesan conventions. In view OF
all this shall be surprised II the sacerdotai parry
should succeed In capturing the next General ConVeh-
ton, in which great many OF US will get our
ecclesiastical walking papers,
This reminds me that DIR. Greer, the new rector OF
St. Bartholomews Church, in this city, Is one OF The
exceptions referred for he has always been known
as a strong and able opponent Of sacefdotalism For
this reason many liberal Episcopaians Will regret his
removal from Rhode Island to New-York because he
will not be delegate the next General Convention.
which meets In this city in October Dr. Greer IS nos
so radical broad churchman as is HeDer Newton IN
fact hardly think would desire to be labelled with
the Of any church party. Nevertheless ne Is
man OF very wide Intellectual sympathes, modified az
such sympathies always should be- by an abiding faith
I'm the fundamental dogma. of Christianity II there
any who expect that he VIII rashy oVcr'urh .hs
conservative traditions OF St. Bartholomew parish
think they will be mistaken. But without needessy
tearing down for the mere sake OF tearing down. ne
will enrich and strengthen the old traditions and the
old beliefs by showing his people how the Old truths
which their creed enshrines really related TO tho
veryday secular life Of man. There Is little that Is
parsonc" about DR.. Greer His preaching Which -
entirely without notes. is characterized by brilliant In
tellectuality and deep spirituality, combination a.
rare as It is desirable. Tho fervor of his utterancs
and the polish of his style carry everything before
them, and he at takes place among the great
preachers of this city Of great preachers He repre-
sents a type Of preaching and churchmanship which
has not had large representation in the Episcopal
pulpit of this city. And for that reason 1t seems 10
me his advent is happy circumstance for Episco
palians, as we'll as for the general church-goer.
| There is great deal said and said truly about
womsns superiority TO man in her grasp of religious
truth, and her devotion TO religious duty. IL Is tho
merest truism to say that many parishes could not
live II II were not for the devoted service and zeal Of
their women. But there is another side TO the ques-
ton. It Is by true that all women have tho
igious instinct On the contrary we cannot help
seeing that there many women, some OF them rep
uable and honored members Of society. who are noe
only indifferent to the church and religion but whose
whole lives show them to be utterly wanting in tina.
tender human sympathy which is at the foundation OF
all true religion clergym of this city told me the
other day of case in point. He was taking, not
long ago. with the wife Of Of his prominent pew
holders about the tenementh house problem, with the
hope Of enistng her interest in some reforms which
| he contemplated He mentioned the fact that tho
indifference of the 10 their filthy and
immoral surroundings the most hopeless feature
of problem. "Oh. II that Is the case" said tho
| lady as she caressed her hundred dollar lap-dos
| " there in bothering about them. The crea
lures all right long they are content Evil
IDENTIFY Il never head that these creatures
were her brothers sisters, and that II they were
afflicted with deadly social disease. the whole body
| polite likely 10 suffer.
Few Of us realize think, the rapid pace Of currens
religious life Dr. Weir Mitchell said, not long 10
a clergyman who consulted him: What IS the mat
ter with you minister's? More Of your procession cah
upon me for advice than come from any other walk IN
ufes Religious organizations to-day working
with sort OF feverish haste. Religious meetings are
all the time multiplying Regio-socal institutions OF
every kind sprngng up all the time Chrisnan
schools and colleges constantly arising. Not only
are churches to-day more costly, but they must %
supplemented with Sunday school rooms. dining rooms
| n effngs and kffrhen5.
which are extensively furnished. All the time the
cry raised for money, more ministers and more
Law workers to man the old and new agencies OF the
churches All this IS sign of life on the part OF the
church. which is sufficient answer to those who say
that Christianity is dying But also see In this anx-
ous feverIsh activity indication that the churches
of the present day are danger of spreading them
selves over too much ground. The stream OF religious
activity divided into multitude of little ris, many
of which soon lose themselves in the earth, and mono
Of which accomplish any great result. There Is
needed some ccarsghted organizer who shall so COM
bine and coalesce these innumerable activities as 10
direct them TO great end In the evolution of our
church life many organs have become atTophied, be-
cause the need for them has ceased. Let such be
cut Off so that the whole body shall be strengthened
for the work which II has 10 do In other words thero
should be established a great r-denominanonai
house of gious activities in every city in
the land.
The Methodists and Episcopaars have been de-
voting their attention this week TO the great subject Oh
| missions The missionary work OF both churches II
fairly successful In the foreign field the Methodiss
take the lead, while during the last few years me
Episcopallans have been giving much time and labor
TO the task OF evangelizing the West don't think
that Canon 1aylor's pessmisic view of missions VIII
affect these great churches I'm their missionary en-
terprlses as indeed IL should pot But hope II viii
open their owes to the inevitable mistakes which have
been made in the methods and prosecution 81 these
enterprises, and remind them that the world cannot
be Christian.zed by publishing reports of the work
done So optimistic In to give the public the
Impression that Christianity Is carrying everything be-
| fore IT, IL Is Just true I'm the church In politics.
that a victory cannot be gained by hurrah campaign