The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-05-22
A Protestant Lent Needed.

One is half recOnClleQ 10 the paSSlOu'
ate license of the carnival by the COM
parative quietness of Lent. If briei
self-restraint were not preceded and
followed by greater dissipation, the
forty-days abstinence would be com
.mendabie. Whatever faithful ritual.
lists of Episcopal or Catholic connections
may do, Protestants have no such time
appointed and observed for penitence
and devotion. Amusement in most Of
our communities are unarrested.
Church fairs are about as likely to oc'
cur in March as in December. We no.
ticed pastor distributing from house
to house an advertising sheet, gotten
up to help a church fair. The young
people of one church after a whole
winters training selected the Lenten
season to play "Pinafore" for the bene'
fit of the church. One of those bish.
OBS, called Secretaries, lately objected
TO q pastor because he did not sufll'
ciently countenance entertainments
gotten up to pay his salary, under the
name of ''current expenses" A
branch foreign missionary society re-
Gently gave Japanese SUPPER" to
raise money for the heather.
We have not personally observed
any lotteries countenanced by Con.
gregational churches. But what of the
entire system OF which some klnd OF
chance venture so often forms part!
The avowed end is to secure money
for deserving objects, and that is not
bad motive. But does the end JUSTIFY
the means? Not on the ground OF
economy. No money costs those VINO
work for it harder labor. Nothing eX-
hausts the time and thought of those
engaged in it more completely y. The
prayer-meeting suffers on fair week
The revival is suspended if not super
seded. A pastor managing business
enterprise has small opportunity for
study or pastoral wark. The late snp-
ners give the older people dyspepsia
and the children "cross" heau-aches'
Articles are made and bought that are
useless.
The compensations are found in the
social warmth generated which thaWs
some penurious soul into spending
money for finery or food, which other
wise he would have kept. On the
other hand, some are disgusted and
withhold. Others eXpend more than
thew honestly ought. Everybody Is
tired out when Sabbath returns, and
the sole COMPENSATION left is the ''gooc
timen and the money gained. But
'sbetter time" could haye been enjoy
ed with less expenditure, and more
money realized by simply giving 1t, II
the people were so disposed. -.
The bad tendency is to SUBSTITUTE
fancy fairs and late suppers in winter
and strawberry and other festivals in
summer, as means of raising money
for simpler and better ways. Nothing
can be done, but some one suggests al
Entertainment" Lectures, concerts
tableaux, operas, and other stage per
formances must be resorted to. Peopie
are thus approached on the side OF thell
selfshness. The appeal is made to ap
petite, ostentation, or vanity. Inc
Young are educated to give entertain
ments. The mature to give nothing
without tempting bait. irregulalty
and disorder is introduced iuto churcf
finances. The best people are greived
The worst are not won to Christ or tt
the church, but only to table or
show. The minister becomes an auc
tioneer, stage manager, or buisnes!
agent. and the church corporation
apparently organized to furnish com
munity with amusements interspersec
with an occasional small business spec
ulation of doubtful morality.
| Good people are doing these things
i The churches vainly seek to rival ths
theaters. Amusements cease to be sub
ordinate and come to the front as al
end of life. The young associate "s
vain show" with the vestry, and even
the place Of public worship, rathe'
than any distinctively religious rite O.
solemn duty. Was this the work t
j which Christ called and appointed hi
followers? Why not have u Protest
ant Lent?