New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-12
IN THE CHURCH PORCH.
SOME PROBLEMS OF TO-DAY,

mooerl na'erialsm is affecting Christianity n tra
ways IL Keeps people from accepting Il, and II hss
io"crod 'o STANDARD OF spirituality in the churhax
Even the clergy who preach against Il are unconscious
~ carried along by its resistless cuscnt. D0ubtleu
the socaed ages OF faith were much less perfect th.a
they pictured. But allowing sor sx,gvera,,o, a
IL certain that the men and woman Of ,hose a9,s n,
tanned to degree Of faith, whatever might have beam
Its ethical value, which is not possible today Ths
chasm between the two ages cannot be brdged over
In medieval times the Church was not only the an
preme expression Of mans spiritual life hut .Jmoa,
the only great fact in his earthly existence worth tnh
ing about It enlisted In its the greatest ana
best minds OF the ago. and rewarded that service WITH
the guerdon Of honor, fame and power. VITA
splendid audacity that almost disarms criticism N.
great mother OF the nations used not only the virtu,s
but the vices; not only tho holy aspirations but ,hs
sordh ambitions. Of men to promote her own glory,
What wonder that she retained the allegiance Of ths
world1
But things are different Tho spirit Of mate1.L
ism and the spirit Of indivhuslism, which fostera
are to-day the ruling IDEAS in tho word Of action
and the world Of thought. The Church longer
c0mprehends within herself the sum Of all human
activities. Men seek honor, fame and wealth OUTSIDE
Of her pale There is little OF that human solidarity
which, IN the days Of old, made great nations ana
great religions possible. Selfshness has taken tho
place Of sefdenia and egoism has supplanted brthes
hood. Religion cannot flourish in such an atmosphere.
The finer graces Of spirituality that made tho lives Of
tho saints beautiful fade and withcr away whom
exposed to It's mlasmatic inhuence-
OF course, as have often said, Christianity b
neither dead nor dying, and believe that 1t VIII
finally throw OF the domination OF this materialhm
and proclaim its old time with all its odtirna
power and fevor But 10 the meantime II is useless to
disguise the fact that II Is engaged in deadly struggle
with forces that would destroy all spirituality And
these forces have gained many temporary advantages
That -woridAness7 which Christ taught finds no
adequate expression in modern Church organizations
As Dr. Donald pointed this last week paroc hiasm,
The lust Of entertainment and tho adoation OF com
mltees obscure the lines, dull the coOrs and Dwarf
the dnen sions Of the real Church Of Christ. Often
times indeed, the churches do not seem 10 more than
half realize tho tremendous import Of their MESSAGE
and the clergy too often differ from men IN Other
learned ealings only in being more dgnined in manr
Der. more moral in life, and generally more unex-
esp tonable members OF polite society.
Speaking broadly, tho Christianity OF this ago does
tho height Of It's teachings. 1t smbles
along respectable proprety upheld partly by the TO
membrance Of its early trumphs and partly by the
siren 9Th derived from It's complex organization. In
many ways It has confOrned 70 the low material
standards that content the world around IL; and from
the desire please men Il hss held In reserve many
Of the lofC, though perhaps impracticabe teachings
| Christianity Of Christ. Like the Church In Lsodicca,
u is too often neither cold hot but stands before
the world the image and type of conventional morality
and conventional goodness.
This is all the more deplorabe because the modern
world cannot DO converted by routine preaching or
routine practice. 1t only be conquered by the
al-compeng power Of unconventional earnestness aud
| enthusiasm. Frivolous the world sand perhaps
| in no age has it been more trvolous-it VIII
| xuhp. haN-a
| Hyo upon them. Hence the success Of many of he
so called religious cranks" Of the day, who with
| great earnesness call upon men 20 BE-
| nevo some hslttruh, or gross SUPERSTITION.
! This is indeed paradoxical age With
the most catholic impartality IL canonizes alike IT'S
sinners and IT'S saints. Sometimes II seems almost
| noble in It's spssmodic acts of goOoness; and soms-
times almost british in its deeds Of conscious baseness
Sometimes IL suggests Jeky IN its struggles after
higher things: and sometimes, slas &c suggests Nj.
HYDE In its incarnation of that which Is cruel, dsbas-
ing and mean Ready at all times to treat with cynical
CONTEMPT those who live up 10 higher standard than
| It's own It is also ready to crown With laurel tho
| hero the martyr and the saint. And though. bks
Gallo Il processes care for none OF these things
Il Is nevertheless quick 10 see when Christians fal
below the standard they profess, and 10 use the fact
| against them. What wonder that in such an ago
puzzled and doubling Christian teachers so often fsn
10 impress the message of Christianity on the hearts
| Of men'
While the world holds Christianity up to all its most
ideal Professions It gives itself very loose rein An
ominousy large number Of people IN the community
have virtually forgotten the meaning OF the word duty
in their eager quest for their rights. Their moral
| sense has become blunted. The desire TO do night
because Il IS right has become an almost rudmentay
impulse Il has become atrophcd through long disuss.
Expedency and selftntercst the two great motive
principles OF their lives Fortunately for the WE'LL
| being OF country they have not yet become i'm
moral they only Immoral Recognizing no here
after and ignoring the claims OF brotherhood in this
world their only object IS TO avoid as much pain and
| get as much pleasure out Of life possible To SUI
| people tho message Of Christianity is an unneT
| absurIity II Is startling TO speculate what the
| Of our Republic would be should those men, having
| become the majority, cease being neSaaee!y un.
moral and become positively immoral And yet
that Is entirely within the bounds OF possibility II
| Christianity should ever cease 10 be a vital force
| In the hearts and lives Of men.
/ Wish that the young who now being grsdul
aed from the theological semnartes could understand
and appreciate the real problem that Christianity muss
to-day. They will soon come under the influence
| of the paroch!asm which DR. Donald has so severely
| and Justly criticised and almost insenSbly they
will to identify the failure OF the little
! BIT Of work which they set to do with ths
success or failure Of Christianity. II their parish
| sociablos and parish heatrcas we'll attended. IA
tho annual parish fair nets large sum, II tho ladies'
aid societies have large membership Il the parsonage
kept good repair, If the weathiess people in tho
town take pews, IL the church decorations hand
some and II the parish takes the leading place in tho
social fo Of the town, the chances that the pastor
| viii take the most optimistic view OF the growth Of
Christianity lie will mistake the accidental prosperity
Of the pleasant little club OF which no IS the president
for tho triumph of the Church throughout tho world.
and viii rest content and happy. How often It hap
pens that when the clergy together TO talk abous
| religious matters they confne themselves TO thess
| little paronhal triviates. ones attended such 0
gathering, at which the eSsayist man of wide repute
and high Abilities spoke for hour with great eio
quence on tho paramount importance OF early English
stained glass windows And the whole body Of learned