New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-30
IN THE CHURCH PORCH.
RELIGIOUS eLf,nsEs AND CHANCES.

possible for at least long time TO come. The most
that DO hoped for at present Is religious CO
operation thought that is gradually taking shape IN
the minds OF some of clearest religious thinkers
But anything more than that IS impossible so long
as men differ In taste and temperament III men
think all they viii necessarily come 10 indepohdh.
conclusions, no matter what may be the subject ot
their thought. On Christmas Day. for Instance
dropped into the morning service al Old Trinity ~
its conclusion overheard two comments on II that
srikingy illustrate what have been saying o"o
was that Of man evidently In the upper walks OK
life with finely moulded intellectual face ana an
alert intelligence. Moreover from his appearance YOU
would say at orcc that he was man who had kcps
bis body urdcr-hieI moral character. ~ not spin'-
uality, was wi'ftei IN bis courtenance Ana yes
this man said a f1enl while passing out; "Wbss
senseIcss mtmmcy ~ all IS. neither pleasing 10 Cod
nor helpful 10 man. The other comment was uT
tered by poorly dressed. trampish-look1g man, IL
literafe In appearance and with the air OF one VINO
had struggled hard all his life TO get enough TO eas
and hadn't succeeded HIS nose also gave evidences
Of a somewhat confirmed alcoholic habit He was
the last man you would expect 10 be impressed With
the stately and artistic service he had just whc~ed;
and yet his remark to his companion was: splendids
wasn't TT wouldn't missed II fer Tie biggest
schooner OF beer in the city, Here thon you see tho
Immutablo difference IN temperament that VIII produce
a similar difference in worship 10 the end OF time. In
spite of all the church unity societies In the World
What have said about the futy OF q gencraf
organic Christian union does not apply to the presens
movement looking TO the reunion OF the two gfeas
branches Of the Presbyterian Church which became
separated during tho In doctrine, discipline ana
worship they always have been and are ono; and
there is substantial reason why they should not DO
organicay. The great meeting in this city dur
Ing the last week is evidence that there Is general
desire for such reunion, and sincerely hope that
the next General Assembly will witness the healing OF
the unjustifable schsm of so many years STANDING
Modern religious activities furnish some striking
contrasts we'll similarlties Take. for instance,
the Year Books OF such typical congregations -
those of Trinity Parish and the Anthem Memorial. now
known All Souls Parish. D0ctrinaly. the two
churches wide apart as the poles And yet no
Year Books show that both Of them are fruitful IN
good works of almost the same character. And both
are successful in carrying large number OF phil
anthropic agencies which no force outside OF Chris
anity has the power ~ create mar tain Cciainlv
Dr. Dix and Heber Newton stand for two radically
different conceptions of religion. But in their parish
work they both 70 arrive at the same point ana
I ask myself IL not this, after all. moro desirable
as we'll as more feasible unity than the formal &C.
clesastcal unity which some OF US are dreaming
about1 You can extend the picture. You can place
the work Of Presbyterian Methodist. Roman Catho-
lie church, OF Jewish synagogue. side by side WIN
the work OF Old Trinity and All Souls and VIII
will be substantial unity OF purpose IN II all tho
desire to bring men TO God and 10 each Other
This is hopeful feature OF modern Christianity that
is not always noticed but which should be taken into
account in any analysis of ITS work.
DO the well-todo Christian mon and women Of this
city really want know ANYTHING about the poverty.
want Indebtedness and vice at their very doorsf
begin to seriously doubt it Here for instance Mt!
Jacob A. Riis the accomplished Associated Press re-
poll Dead
he has attempted In vain to interest Christian peops
In the spiritual restitution existing In this CITY, Mt.
Rs mas had every opportunity TO lcarn all about ms
neither side Of New-YOrk lie IL man of the highess
character and a church member. and he conceiVed
the idea that he could render service TO religion by
telling the churches Just what he himself had seen
In the Sums so he prepared graphic ana
picturesque lecture illustrated by stereoptcon views
taken by himself The lecture was the ripe expert
ence of ten years of daily contact with poverty ana
crime at first hand. and embodied facts when every
good Citizen as we'll Christian, should know IL
described the wretched tenemcns, the opium dense
the street arabs quarters the haunts of the home-
less the Rogues' Gallery, the penal INSTITUTIONS u'e
cemetery of the unknown dead, aud showed IN "ha7
way we are all responsible for these things II "aS
entertaining and instructive with mth ana pa'hos
all its own. The photographs displayed on the seecn
were taken from real life with detective camerasy
many of them at night by means of the Iewly
pistol fash light that has mado it possible to photo
graph the darkest This lecture mas Deeh ue
hvered with great approx al In several ehurches' a'
has been cordially Endorsed by the CITY Mission anu
many well-known elergymen. Dr. schauiier Is mo-"
using the startling facts furnished by MT hllS III
lecture which he Is delivering
And vet. though backed by the very best tes-
tirnony Mr. Rils tells that he has vainly knoche"
at the doors OF church after church, ana sunday
school after sunday school, in this city and Brooklyn
C,,o-r ubar ha mt wit
trust until out of pocket and tired Of crying In the
wilderness he Is almost ready 10 give u? an eHors
that has taught some very practical but to CHRISTIAN
man. very saddening facts. "Lst me add SAID Nr.
Rlis In telling the story that the reason assignee
In every for the refusal 10 let me into the CHURCHES
was that am a newspaper ran and police reporter
at that Nevertheless judging from nv recent az
perience in this matter. have to the conclusion.
although am a deacon in Congregational church
myself that the atmosphere of newspaper Offices IS
at least repete with sancty as 10 that Oh Tag
average church OF my acquaintance"
Even our Jewish brethren have begun 10 "bservd
Christmas, fact which leads The Hebrew 1ournal'
to sound a note of warning. ANY Israeiite.' ls
says mingling in society must observe how great
an event the advent Of Christmas forms In many
Jewish household Mamma. and grandma. and papa
and the Children respectively mot counting the nti-
mate friends OF the house, rack their brains how to
surprise one another with Christmas gift Darling
baby taught dictate letter to santa b Lam eone a
OF that conrivanco rected By the idol Of tho family.
Is the advent Of any Jewish holiday SO much spoken
about 7"
"The Jewish Standard however. takes somewhat
different view "Afer all,r 1t says the strictest
Jew may not suppress qualification the thought that
the civilized world commentaries the natal day oe
one who walked the earth Jew, and the Jew con-
meets the hope with Il that the day Will rot be very
when the blessings conferred upon the wOrlt
by the Jewish Book thu Bible Jewish prophets. sees:
singers philosophers aud teachers will be recognized
and appreciated Tho hope will grow stronger that
with the greater advance OF civilization the foreign
that the pure teachings OF Jesus. the man. rooted.
grounded and founded In Judaism. will crysiSllizo
into religion Of humanity. with which the old mother
can affiliate without abandoning the rock from which
they are hewn''
am not much surprised to learn that the Rev
James s Bush, formerly the rector OF the pretty
Enlscnnal church AZ West brighton. S. L has finally