The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-02-14

fhhlllyi ms Nhultllrh Hlb Wllllpu "
admitting the unWrlepme fact"
kuOh afe what may bb called tho text
upOn WiIGh-as clearly defining ~
issue-lieY, u, N, M0fah builds 4 Rer
mon or thesis, with tbs above title, II
the stately Forum OF the present month
II ID truly gratifying Ia these Time.
OF doubt and uncertainty W Ull hYbl
an issue "Olear" and Were there any
thing could augment our happiness I
would DO W iind "the proposed remedy
clear also, Unhapplly THIS pleasure Il
denied ua, II being according 70 our an
thor, 0vague aud Indefinite Neither
does he appear 70 DO Ia agreement viii
what seems W him " bb 'the opinion
OF Christian teachers ~ Expressed Ol
the platform ana ~ print that "0ul
social ana industrial systems arc be
yOnd criticism" Possibly he IL mol
that kind OF a Christian, for with 10
Hpe0t ~ the further expression OF "thf
opinions OF Christian teaGierh" that "tht
wage Garner Ignorant, ana nnthank ful
deapiaeR his employer And that Tho
moral reformation ana eternal saliva.
ton OF the working CLASSES depend up.
on tho erection Of ehapelh and tho en-
pl0yment OF missionaries by those
whom '0Od has blessed with wealth
he dOIbtiully rHmafkh That m The OK
pnnentR OF tbs thought ui tho churches
hre correct ~ their premises, llblf con.
illusions may bb admltled. but " they
are ignorant OF tho real cause OF which
tbs condition they discuss II simply
au effect We have an OK
planatiOn OF tde failure 10
solve tho prublem, EyiduutlV there.
fore, regarding tho attrmpta OF thbsf
de|ypnnentR OF the thought ut lhf
/ churches ~ have failed lu solving lnH
problem, our au.liUr thus addietnra
himself 10 tho task!
olhu timG was, whou iH our land,
there was no recognized h%nlaROuihln
between the working clHatrb aud thU
church, II II q new problem 40 our CIV
ilizatiun, aud" le says "the cause
| should b6 easily d]lBCOyfrdUlG NY IN
douded eyes. While Nlty ytlrB ago
anhtuuat'6 proteuh,UuH wore looked
upGu aA yagafieh ana tIeilrl with cDi'
tfmpt, aud people felt nothing OF thV
chill Of caste within tho churches, u
glance 1T the eonttrs Vt population
must convince ua thai nov Hll II
changed"
Having perhaps In mind tho ton mill
lion dollar cathedral, about building IN
Now York city, Ia honor Of the meek
aud lOWly Que, hn REMARKS "An evident
rivalry Ia the erection Of splendid edl
ices, and IN tho social aud uratOrlChl
qualifications Of the ministry, The
poverty Of tho wOTkiugm1ub home Is
accumulated by comparison with the
richness of the sanctuary, Tho chltt
seats arc vivid with purple and tue
linen, OutAidb tho house Of God exists
"A social %miAtOcracy, bulwurkrd by In
frTlOr ullquGa, governed by uiWfiltctl
filos, and making distinctions bot Nceh
man aud man, We have
u monoyod %aflatocracy, a
political Dictatorship landed proprle'
tors, u rapidly i%ncreahlng ttu0ut pupu'
latlOn, the "-wOrklngman" and the
tramp" With the vast augmentation
OF wealth In the possession OF the few,
aud the increasing pressure Of poverty
la tho homes Of The many, the Time IL
nt hand when there Will cxiHt between
claasG6, CULTS ~ lmpasslblo 40 that be
tween Dives and lazarus, Intensity
ing social struggles are working u
transformation Ia the character OF the
church, ~ IL manlieet from the new
Technology coming Into uat, such 40
Nstu preachers "hfat class churches,
"wealthy congregations Hnd "0ur
poor charges" The diverse Of thiN
ia found la the UXplUaulOns Of
The wofklngmor we can't dress well
enough 10 20 10 church, Your Leading
members don't notice 40 In the street
Your preachers run after tho richi
The ministers side against Wj In the
matter Of strikes"
III present social conditions can be
Justified, these phrases caught from the
ilpa of the toil0ra, are simply excuses
Inspired Of the deyll for non attendance
upon religious services, The dlac0n
tent has, however, II basis IN fact but
they who give utterAnco 10 II do not
understand tho underlying principle
and hence cannot formulate
Having thus far followO with pos
albly some surprlSO) the Rev, Morse, we
are perhaps not u|npropHted Tor tho
paragraph which now appears and In
which he strikes Ca koJ uute with u
force that sends II sounding clear,
above the confused noise aud common
clamOr Of the many tongucd pulpit
Listenl
"Wlth social inequality among mem
bOrB outside the church, there cannot
BIO religiO social equality within H. the
great human heart OF the people com
prellendH IN some measure the TACT
that Christianity is not Il cement TO
hold Il rich veneer TO u body Of inferior
materials, but u furnace To fuse UIl
elements into one homogeneous mass
We have reached then, In the Ian.
qunge of our author, ~ dilemma In
which "undor present social conditions,
II IL sheer folly 10 talk about the rich
and poor meeting together In the hours
of God; the poor dpCllue the invita-
ton What ara the influences tNNt
have led to this dllcumuY lusvtrCh OF
them let us glance rapidly over our
early history,
"When the MnyllOwor sailed from
tho mother country, the church was
an W|ristOCratiO institution, Ia this
country the very reverse was true, us u
general rule With our brOud domain
under the Declaration Of Independence,
with unrestricted and unlimited access
10 the soil aud In the AbseuCOO OF monOp
OlIstiC agencies, aud u mOnoyed nristOc
raoy, all men here were IN u position OF
substantial equality y In the
first half Of the century men were indie.
pendent and.hOldOrs, or because OF more