The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-20
pAID.pEW CHuRCHES.

dIb-f r. W vi : INtIII1s
81 Thomas church New York, Is one Episcopal
sanctuary where people worship who have umasscd
much money. and where the music sgond, aud all
the comforts aud condiments Of religion are sup
piled IN tue fullest measure. The church has a
sexton who has four aids. And he isus sexton who
t. modelled after the successful business men who
arr rich enough To hold pcws IL H. lie holds that
the owners arc entitled to the pcws they pny for
aud that Il h his business Ia that they get them
aud that inlrudcr are kept out, aud he performs
| his duty with uncompromising force, and hcsintcs
not 10 tell any stranger who has slipped past him
and entered pew uninyltcd, togct up aud get out
aud doe, not even wait until they have got up or
thcr knees, IN the prayer that II Is the Epis
cnpnl fashion 10 enter upon M soon m they enter
their pcws The other day lac thus invited out a
Mrs. Moore, Of Detroit bLd consequently got a
newspaper interviewer upon him, Ia whom he eN-
pressed his views Of his duty with fnnkncss
which he probably regrets since he Is being abused
for IT, and the pastor and the rich men Of his
church find that they cannot sustain him In H. Il
| is very nice to have their BOWS reserved for them,
and very distressing To hnd strangers In them hut
unhappily Il Is just such annoyance m the Chris
iRu spirit does not lind an annoyance, aud that he
| who assumes IN be- Christian cannot publicly
| acknowledge. lie must welcome the stranger to
| the house Of Cod Lancaster lid) hiHg1iodr
There is very SIMPLE way OF arranging
the difficulty that the blunt sexton Of ST.
Thomas's 40 brusqucly, not TO say bru-
tally, prccpitalcd, aud that is by the set
ting apart 10y the congregation Of so many
seats for strangers, rs we believe was the
custom in Plymouth Church, Brooklyn,
during the lamcntcd Bccchcr's lifetime.
Besides this there ought 10 be rule in
all churches that all pews not occupied by
their owners at ccrtnin period in the
service should be filed by the sexton with
waiting strangers This would obyiate all
trouble. II is an easy thing for sexton
of any church TO average tho number Of
strangers who in the course OF year apply
for seats. In the case Of oven the fashion.
able church Of ST. Thomas's they would not
beover 200 each sunday. and a congrcga.
ton OF such rcputcd wealth should be able
to supply 80 many free seats. But the
truth is the paid-pcw system has long
been acknowledged by many bishops Ms
well us priests Of the Episcopal Church, TO
bo difficulty that intcricrcs with their
work Of calling sinners TO repentance. II
makes a clubhouse, 80 TO speak, Of each
exclusive church, aud would make Of the
church general close corporation for pri.
yatc, not public worship, II It generally
prevailed. but not only Episcopal bishops
aud rcctors, but many pastors Of other
churches have recognized the evil Of this
system, which prevents anything like
results 10 their work Of calling
sinners to repentance. Tho early Christ.
ians built churches for the masses, and
their doors were kept open for prayer at
any hour Of the day. The later Christians
form congregations build churches Of
certain seating capacity, beyond which
there Is no care put upon or shouldercd
by pastor or people. To remedy this
some u the Evangelical Churches occa.
sionally have royinls Tor securing mcm-
hcrs, AMI on those occasions there II goa.
orally q recruitment Of the congregations
OF q city, hut this work Is committed 10
specialists like Jones and Small, who pos.
scss peculiar po1cu Of speech, that Is. take
ON latitude that the regular pastors, gen.
orally, will not or cannot. Aud an u thi.
lies at the doors Of tho congregations.
which i they wcc established on the true
Christian or voluntary plan, would be- able
10 throw opon Wide their doon and thu,
second the lubor Of the preacher or priest
10 win souls 10 God" This Would
silence all complaint, would save the pns,
tor or rector from much embarrassment
would enable them 10 do a more ciIccty,
work and obvialc the necessity Tor IA,
spasmol.c ryiyals that arc fruitful onl,
Of scnsalionalism that Is wholly Opposed
tothc pcnuasiycspdt Of true Christianity
Mmrms can never claim 10 be q thor
oughly clean rlaco until ll) systcmali,
plan Of street cleaning Is organized. 70
until the garhav scryicc i increased one
/ thifI auI L. I.t,t ..,,,st.,,tt, - III I'd.