The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1889-09-12
The Church and the Masses.
A Sermon Preached by Rev. W. 1. Bray Sun
day, Sept. 9th.

A Sermon Preached by Rev. W. 1. Bray Sun
day, Sept. 9th.
Luke 1923: And the lord said un-
to the servant, Go out into the high
ways and hedges, and compel them
to come in, that my house may be
filled.
| found in yesterdays paper call
for a meeting of ministers and mem
bers of evangelical churches to con-
slider some practical methods of
Christian work and to discuss some
of the great questions now upper
most in the public mind touching
the evangelization of the masses, the
reclamation of the fallen, the reform
alton of the incorporate, the relief
of the poor and the elevation of the
unfortunate. The call was signed by
"a pastors of churches and three
evangelists.
This call is in exact line with this
text and voices the same great and
pressing want for wise, persistent,
earnest, consecrated labor on the part
of Gods children to reach the
masses.
It is true that the masses in this
country and in England do not at
tend our churches, and that our
churches have but little influence
over these masses.
The Earl Of SALISBURY said at the
anniversary of the open air meeting
at Islington: "Not more than per
cent. of the English workingmen at
tend any place of worship, Papal
or Protestant" Rev. A. T. Pierson,
D. D., says: eff we take fifty of our
great cities as type of all the rest,
that from two-fifths to three fths
out of the population have any con-
nection whatever with place of
worship, and if we come down to the
average attendance, less than one
fifth of the population is actually
connected with the worship Of God
in any FORM
Looking at Kenosha, we find that
we have church sittings for about
twenty-five hundred, or sittings for
about one third of our people, and
even all these sittings are not used.
| do not think that DR.. Persons fig
ures are mnch out of the way when
applied to kenosha; not more than
about one-ffth of our population is
vitality related to these churches. Ii
now you should turn from the cities
and go into the country, you would
not find much Improvement. Some
writer's affirm that the non church
attendance in the country is greater
than in the cities, 1t is certain but
few of the country people are regular
church goers. These are the sad
facts
What is their cause? And what is
to be the remedy. Probably if we
should each answer these questions,
we should differ in assigning the
cause and in giving the remedy. But
I am sure we should all agree that
the vast cause is the lack of sympa-
thy between the non church goers
and the teachings of the churches.
The spiritual condition of the mass
es is not in harmony with the truth
of God, nor with the sanctuaries in
which it is preached, nor with the
universal brotherhood of believers.
This is the great underlying reason
why so many of our citizens never,
or very seldom, attend religious SER
vices. There are other causes, but
if this vital cause could be removed,
if the spiritual condition of the peo-
pie could be brought into harmony
with God, then most of the excuses
which are now given would vanish
away
But let us look at some of the rea-
sons which do keep many from at
tending church. I. There is a feel
ing among the laborers that they are
not wanted in our churches, and so
they stay away. | do not say that
this feeling is right, or that it is
founded in truth, | only say such a
feeling does exist. | was asked re-
Gently if I dared to invite the poor to
this church. | answered yes, and
that this church would and does
welcome the poor; but the question
revealed feeling. From whence
comes this feeling? 1t has several
sources: a. There is really no COM
munity of labor between what are
called the higher and the lower
classes. One class works chiefly
with the brain; the other class with
the brawn-the muscle. The one
class plans and the other class car
ries out those plans The one kind
of toll is thought to be honorable,
and the other kind is often called
"drudgery," "menial," and is also
sometimes exposed to danger.
Hence the lower class, or the
Drawn toilers think they are not on
the same plane with the brain toll
ers And some weak people endorse