New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-27
IN THE CHURCH PORCH,
RELIGIOUS NOTE AND COMMENT.

r. ~, I'm AI,ved Neyin. Of Phfiadelpniss ~ns
49,. 20 the most eminent Presbyterian ciersy men :.
,h,s oopntry takes q very dospondcns Ve~ - 49,.
christi aulty In his opinion 70 Is net sus~ -.
declining Every year larger iz0ns~s- " - -.
ceaaue 20 attend church ssrv1oss' sno 800
,nore sensational efforts are beng mans oN ~. 80,
80 49,. ch,,sches 70 atsraot them. entertainments az,
-, are often made TO take t3e place Oh Iosp'i
.~...,,n, There Is pssnsE Of chnrch msohnory' anu
t.,asor. e,,fereuces of Ill kinds are more numerous
,han ever: hut the saving Of mems SOUS Quo" iO''
kight Of c..,, v.r ia responsible
Cor ynuch Of this decline In spirituality. fho 80.
dous issues involved anew mems auensoh 1870
,h,nss eternal to things temporal and NOISY nnSoT'
.,,.u advantage of the faot, began 10 insm 'no,i
,.o,.on into the public mind. Then many l'onsn
,.ovman attacked them In their pulpts ana 'nus i0
The r,eople 10 believe that the doctrines anu
tof Christianity are open questions "n,'u 49," s 49,
discussionI This impression was sTeng'non1" W
notification Of the revised version Oh INC "'oO' -
unsettled the belief of many IN 'hS in''ki'''
Scriptures ,..,.. \ az hean
,a,I a, the onnion of DR.. Nevin. They nsNo
brought many indiscreet men into notorley anu ne'
divided and therefore weakened, the "orAins ~ =
-. L.h In the meanwhile the disciplinary
authority of the church has, steadily dechncu. my
a,,ties ~ family religion have been allowed 70 ian
s,s rar,,iv worship IS unknown In many pro
fessedy Christian households, and the religious us"
,ng Of children is delegated to the sundaS-SehooL
Nor does Dr. Nevlm spare the ministry In his inu0S
mani. paul, no says determined to " kno" hohins
among men save Jesus Christ and Him crucineo
lint a good many modern ministers seem resoiVeu "
know everything but this. Should the great sposue
visit our large cities and glance over list OF pps
ton,o~ IN the papers he would DO shocked huon u
our modern preaching has more tendency to promote
salvation than poem of Byron, fairy tale OF ONO VI
Aesops fables
An this is worthy Of attention; the more so pecauso
q, the pastion of the man who uters It but most oil
ms will feel that 1t is altogether too sweeping. Dr.
Nevin should say represents an older generauon u
cerrymen who have become fully recono'ieo "
tbe new order of thugs. They are apt 10 TsAiu
changes in methods of church work as evidences Oh
deoadence and they cry out that Christianity ,s ae
clning whenever it attempts TO adjust ltseii 70 iD
present environment believe that we snoulu lSo
With respect to these veterans 1t is neither
nor lust TO treat their grievances with fppant ievi'
espeoialy as there 10 generally basis OF truth IN 'ho
point of view But at the same time, IL Is SnpS
,mpossible to reproduce to-day the state Oh analS
49,. thev denlore Doubtless modern
Christianity has its weak spots-none recognize 'nS
more clearly than those who believe In it-out on inc
other hand It has peculiar elements OF Strength "hch
the Christianity of generation ago did not possess,
and in the face of great difficulties, 1t is doing sood
and successful work.