New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-12
IN THE CHURCH PORCH.
FACTS AND OPINION.

The tendency Of religious worship in this country IA
altogether away from the rugged simplicity that tho
fathers loved so we'll This Is much the case thar
many Of us turn up aesthetic noses at the worship
OF country churches In summer fittings NO
either refuse TO attend them else attend them with
such patronlzing and superior air that We disgust
all sensible people. OF course In all this we very
ridiculous rs well as very irrelidous; but arc so
bent being thought cosmopolitan that we don't
Last Sunday I happened to be at saybrook
Point, Conn, and strsyed into tho little Episcopal
church at Fenwick for morning service. II is
modest little building pine with the bare wood and
racrs showing inside. and larger than the smallest
Of the group OF cottages around H. About three
hundred yards away may be seen tho noble proper.
lions Of Fenwick Hall. with its suggestions OF the
great world In its groups OF gayly dressed guests from
the city But you enter the chapel with Its wide
open windows and doors, and seat yourself on ono
OF tho implanted pine benches, you forget all about
the surgng restless world, and spirit OF religious
calm steals over you that you never could feel In
great Cathedral swcetvoced bird Is sitting on
the gabo OF the chapel, whose joyous song mingcs
in harmonious cadcnccs with the minor chords OF tho
Lltany. The delicious odor Of the sea and tho
characteristic smell of the and the W ID flowers
arc together waited in through the windows, and
your soul Is touched with feeling Of holy reverence
the God Of Mature As you gaze up at the rstrr:
think of the words Of the Psalmist: The sparrow
hath found her house and the swallow nest
where she may lay her young, even Thy affairs, y,
Lord Of Hosts, my King and my Co..
There arc not hundred people In the congregation;
there Is TO choir lady from ono OF the cottages
plays on small meodeon, and the people Join In tho
singing of few old hymns and simple chants Never
thcless the whclc service is deeply impressive
You forget the trvialics Of life for a tine. Its
pomps and vapitics arc shut out from your view.
The glarlng inequalities that exist between man and
man. the feverish Of competition, In whlch mo
weaker goes to the wall, the pain and travail OF civil
zation-all forgotten. The stin small voice OK
Nature penctrates your heart and you see In their
true perspective some at least of the great facts OF
human destiny. have no quarrel W IN me statsy
glad that It is not the only type OF religious worship
And It will be sorry day for Chr stahty IL ever
found mRe G iSi Country churches shall
be improved out of existence
Mr. Laurence Olphant is interesting In his re-
ligious views as he Is III his other speculations. In
his new book Scientific Religion" he declares his be-
lief I'm the speedy outpouring of the Divine Spirit
upon man. A moral era will soon be ushered In,
which perhaps the millennium under another name.
Mr.. OlIphant dlsposcs Of death by regarding 10 as
simply change Of form tho person who is said to die
merely divcss himself Of old worn-out garment,
and develops and greater power 'e still re-
mains, though unseen, living, acti. lorce In tbs
affairs of life The book is an interesting illustra-
Of the religious unrest of the day, and VIII be
Sp rtualism has discovered some truths that would
make clearer the old traditional dogmas OF Christianity
"The Toronto Mail' has been allowing various
correspondents discuss the utility and propriey Of
praying for rain. This is an old question, on which
nothing new can be said. Years ago the then Bishop
Of Melbourne Australia, preached powerful sermon
IN which he took strong ground against such prayers
Tic sermon excited great deal OF comment at tho
time, and good Churchmen, In their wrath went
so far as denounce the Bishop as an infdeL But
you can't prove a man to be nfdel or hereto
simply because he refuses to pray for somethn S
which you think you can get by prayer. so nothing
has been done the Christians whose scientific studies
vain or fair weather or for those at Indeed tho
only way reform them would be to keep from them
cent possbly the late Dean Burgan, would recommend
such heroic remedy as that
Why IS It that so many clergymcn IN the Episcopal
Church are declining bshoprIcs' First of all, sup
pose It IS because an average Episcopal bishop must
work a little harder than any of his clergy, whe
at the same time he has very small salary and lito
real power. In many respects the Episcopal Church
is more Congregational than the Congregatonalists
themselves The bishop has nothing to say In regard
10 the calling clergymen to parishes in his 1oceses,
and nothing to say in regard to their leaving. OF
course he may make suggestions TO the vestry of
parish which is looking for rector, but the vestry
isn't bound to adopt his suggestions. Indeed, the
recommendation of the bishop would kill candidate
in many parishes. 1t Is easily how such state
of affairs might make the Office of bishop very un-
pleasant. The clergy Of a diocese are the bishops
working staff, and yet they may be chosen by men
who are opposed to his ideas and policy and he IS
forced 10 accept them The rector OF strong ana
harmonious parish this, and has no desire 10 eN
change his pleasant position for one In which he
would be little more than confirming machine.
Unless the Episcopal Church makes some chaDge IN
It's working methods. all It's strong men will be city
rectors instead of bishops.
The controversy over the Roman Catholic indul-
ccnces which has been agitating Boston suggests 10
The Christian Register that there are certain forms
of Protestant indulgence that ought TO receive atten-
ton They are such indulgences as permit man 10
stay at homo reading the Sunday paper when he oughs
to be at church, which permit him to discharge his
religious obligations and win responsibility In the
community by paying the rent OF his pew instead Oh
filling IT, which permit him TO turn over all the active
work I'm the church the women OF the parish instead
of doing his fair share OF It, which permit him sefshly
10 close his eyes the sufferngs and mlsiortunes
of other people while he is having eood time hlmscu
There arr other forms of Protestant Indulgence VIC
might mention and they are not merely matter OK
medieval history