New-York tribune., 1889-12-22
mpost, under thin formaty known as ain forma
IN THE CHURCH PORCH.
GLEANINGs AND GLANCEs.


1t is always interesting to get the point OF view Of
an intelligent foreigner and so when had tho
pleasure recently OF meeting English gentleman
who had been travelling in this country .anc paying
some attention TO our religious life ] asked him to
tell me how IL struck him. Well" he replied, 81
only pretend to give yod superficial opinion, as
have had little opportunity to get beneath the snface
But you can have II for what IL is worth First Of
all, struck with the conservatism of your churches
especially in the country. They cling to the old
ways and the old modes Of thought. and 1t Is much
harder TO bring about any revision OF creed or cere
monal than II is in the British churches. Then the
tmidity of your clergy seems to me a marked char
aoeristic Of your church life There Is an excellent
reason for this, Of course, they depend on the
good will Of their congregations. The pastor OF
church in the United States must first Of all fill
the pcws and then keep them filed. III he fails In
this he is failure In the ministry. Consequently
every clergyman is careful TO preach In such way
as to remaiN popular and OF necessity, therefore,
many aspects OF religious thought left untouched
Again. the in many of big city churches
10 to partakc largely Of the character of
fashionable performances. You aim, in such churches
10 have Gnc preacher, fine choir, and luxurious
auditorium situated in the most fashionable part OF
the city. The people come IN their most snowy
clothes the women often wearing their iewelry and
they are shown TO their seats by launty usherS Just
as IL they were ut q theatre Many of them take
as ! am told that goodly number Of pcwholdcrs in
some Of your chui ches not church members at
all. Last OF all, yOu will open your eyes when l
tell you that the spirit OF caste seems to me TO be
very prevalent in your churches. There is gulf
between the rich and the poor and there is even less
sympathy between the masses and the classes than
there is In England. AS we become more democratic
you become more ariStociatic.'
The Rev. Madison c. Peters of the Bloomlngdale Re
formed Church, is not making so much of sensation
here as he did in Philadelphia he is, perhaps, little
out of the centre of population But he will doubtless
soon build up a strong church. lie is young, un-
ministerial looking man, with good voice and good
delivery and way OF stating hOmely truths In
homely way. In the pulpit he wears black gown
and white satin tie, and uses the lturgca service OF
the Reformed Church. In Philadelphia he was
great favorte with men, and had the reputation OF
being thoroughly good fellow He avoids any sort
of clerlcasm in dress, and is reported 10
wear colored scarf occasionally. by the way why
should the herald of glad tidngs be always compelled
to wear funereal black?
Speaking Of colored scarfs, not long ago big
church in a town not thousand miles from New
York refused to call clergyman simply because Oh
the Sunday on which he preached in the church pre-
lminary to his call he happened to wear somewhat
gaudy scarf. In all other respects he was inc loeai
man for the place But the church drew the inc a'
colored scsrfs. Afterward a man was calied WHOSE
apparel was most aggressiyey clerical, but ne mas
proved to be suclr utter failure as preacher ana
pastor that the officers Of the church are KICKING
themselves for having called him. Ihey say IL tncS
get rid of him they will call the olher man cS S
II he should insist on wearing sun oI pIdiu III 'i0
pulpit.
Surprising isn't it, that reputable and well-man-
nered newspaper men should ever be treated win
rudeness and insolence by clergymen' but many
of them tell me that such is the case. suppose the
comparatively few clergymen who thus forget them-
selves have become soured by the appearance of
few typographical in the reports OF their ser
mons or stin worse, maybe their titles were omitted
for 1t is well known that few clergymen can readily
forgive that crime Or perhaps in general way they
have attained such prominence IN the IhurGn anu %
communitv that they can afford to be Indifferent TO the
friendly Offices Of the press But whatever may DC te
causes the fact remains that selfTespecng reporters
dread to go TO certain cergymen because they KNOW
that they will be snubbed or perhaps treated Ike
ackey. have in mind one of these good brethren, H.
who treated newspaper men very Inherently Wheh nc
t had his fame TO make He w9S then amHst sen oD
sequous to editors and reporter lie consanty & ny sen'
and frequently asked that reporter be sent TO re-
Script Of sermon he was about to peach to the, the
editor so to insure its getting In AS ne was really
an able man. and wthal good fellow, his efforts TO
work the press were successful and the publicity thus
given to him did as much as anything else 10 a9vahSe
doesn't need the press any more and ne treats any
reporter who calls upon him with naughty disdaln:
And TO his friends frequently complains OF the vulgar
what funny world this is to be
1t is discreditable to Christianity that such vast
masses of and in this city are allowed 10
remain in condition than that of Paganism
The churches, rule, reach only those who are
already in the fold Indeed they don't even do that
for they all numerous backsiders. But
there are dense Of people in New-lork to-day
who are not Christians, don't know what Christianity
is have never been asked by anybody to become
Christians and have reason to suspect that any
body on the face of the earth desires them to be
come Christians. Why2 We'll, because they aren't in
any clerymans parish: nobody is responsible for
them. They don't fit into the organized scheme OF
Church activity. They sporadic accidents outside
of the parishes Nobody has been sent to them. and
nobody is responsible for them, and practically no
body cares what becomes of them. City missions
OH / know all about them. But they hardly touch
the fringe of this great world of spiritual darkness
They can't They have neither the men nor the
money, nor the authority. Oh when viii the Christ,
anity of New York arise in its might, and gIapple
with this monster Of rregion and immortality ? For
get all about your sects and churches stop building
up your party walls and 80 to work unitedy to bring
the Gospel home to the heart Of every man and woman
in this great city. Or else stop prating about the
church preaching the Gospel to every creature For
ii Doesn't