Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-05
Nearly Ninety Per Cent Of Plttsburg
Churches Have Free Seats.
VOICES RAISED FOR TIE RENTAL PLAN

| cult TASK 10 SECURE SYMPOSIUM OF oplulousS
inasmuch as many of those seen were minis
tering in the practical sense of the word.
Several were caught on the wing, as 1t were,
and gave their views upon the subject.
INCEPTION OF THE SCHEME.
As q starting point an ecclesiastical
authority gave the following history of the
free pew system.
An organization known as the Gree and
Open Church Association, formed about 15
years since in Philadelphia with view, as
its title suggests, of offering the advantages
| of religion without money and without
price" The association had its origin in
the Protestant Episcopal Church, and, in
the furtherance of its object, the abolition
| of pew rents, has made rapid strides. It is,
as rule, safe to assume that people would
prefer securing anything for nothing, rather
than paying for it. This is certainly true in
everyday affairs, at least among the masses,
and there is no cause why the same reason
should not exist as to the religion which is
served out, or sought by them, on Sunday,
| provided, of course, that it is good, fair
! grade of religion.
FREE PEWS ARE POPULAR HERE.
There is a very large percentage of the
churches of PittsDurg which are already
free Inside of the city Limits OF Pittsburg
and Allegheny 89-100 of the churches charge
no regular rental. In many of the number
rental OF tacit nature is paid. But the
very large preponderance of free churches
in the two cities show that the free pew sys-
tenn is distinctly popular hereabouts.
The opinions CLEANED from a tour among
the clergy will be read with interest. Not
the least interesting is an interview with an
English clergyman whose church life has
been divided between the large parishes of
London, where there is a recognized element
of Goods poor" and the wealthier curacies
In the gift of the aristocracy and the landed
gentry of the "merrie" isle.
AN ENGLIsHMAN's VIEWS.
Rev. William c. Rodgers, NJ. A, an En-
glish clergyman and one of the masters of
Trinity Hall School, Washington, Pa, was
encountered casually at the Episcopal
church rooms. He has devoted some years
of his life to church work in London and
elsewhere In conversing upon the subject
under discussion he said:
"In England it is becoming almost uni
versal that the churches shall be free and
open. There the church is regarded as the
property OF the parish. The fact of the
Church. of England being an integral part
of the state gives every parishoner an in
herent right to the use OF his parish church. |
This idea was to great extent lost In the
dead ages, but since the great revival of
Catholic teaching, 80 years ago, the En- |
glish clergy have endeavored to impress |
upon their people the fact that all differ |
ences of station, wealth or race disappear |
upon the threshold of Gods house. In con-
sequence of this in all well-wOrked parishes |
the church is opened from one weeks end to |
the other, and rich and poor alike come and |
take any seat they please at any service.
TO ABOLISH DISSEMINATION.
1.-THE one desire of the Catholic Church, |
whether the English branch, the Roman, or
American, has always been to do away with
anything like discrimination among its peO-
pie and to entirely abolish everything SAVIOR
ing of class distinction. thus making the
Church of God home for all people. The
pew system probably had its origin in an
ancient custom and one still adhered to in
many of the country churches, wherein the
lord of the manor required seats to be ar
ranged for himself, family and retainers,
this finally leading to the construction of
pews for persons who wished to pay for
them, and in time eventually became COM
mon through a neglect, which crept in after
the reformation, OF the true Catholic idea of
almsgiving."
A BLUNT OPINION.
Bishop Phelan was called upon later, and
though his reception was marked with his
usual urbanity of manner, he asked to be
excused from an interview, and made the
remark: "If the newspaper men would do
less interviewing and writing and more
PRAYING they would be much better of. +"
Father Wall, of st. Paups Cathedral, was
found in the interior of the edifce carefully
overlooking some cornice work by which
the Cathedral is to be still further beauti-
fed. He seemed verv much engrossed, and
divining the mission of the reporter de-
clined most positively to be interviewed
upon the subject.
But, demonstrated the anxious intruder,
f'haven't you any opinion on the subject of
free pews?" 'NO," he quickly responded;
81 have not. need all the money 1 can get
for the work of the church."
FATHER sHEEDY TALKS FREELY.
''I can see no objection to the free pew
plan" said Father Sheedy, of st. Mary of
Mercy Church; "nor can see either how
it is to be brought around unless some bene-
factor comes along and makes bequest or a
few of our rich people assume the liability
for the expenses of the church. Devotional
services are always free, at regular services
however, collections are always taken up.
the Lord drove money-changers out of the
temple. In several countries in ancient
days the church was supported by
tithes and still is in Italy,
Austria and Bavaria, and was, until a COM
paratively recent date, in Spain and Portu-
gal. In Catholic countries there are no
such things as seats in the churches. Here
in America we have had to conform to a
certain extent to the customs in vogue.
Though. as / say, the churches in Europe
are without pews, the poor are allowed the
privilege of renting out chairs, and by this
means they are enabled to considerably
increase their scanty means. In the ab-
sence of these chairs the congregation are
forced 10 stand during the entire service,
and when in PRAYER they of necessity kneel
upon the naked floor. This, it strikes me,
is eminently proper, in the fact that it evil
dences genuine and unaffected humility"
BISHOP WHITEHEAD FAvoRs IT.
Bishop Whitehead, though extremely
busy found time to express himself favor
ably to the Stree and open church."
81 regard the movement however, strictly
from an expediency standpoint, and not as
at all involving any vital principle. The
tendency is evidently and positi lively toward
the adoption OF this plan and in view of the
recent comparatively rapid strides made in
this direction and the attendant success, 1
think it fair to conjecture its final and very
general pursuance. The percentages of free
churches here is large and / hope will be
rapidly and steadily increased"
Rev. Robert Mech, of Christ P. E.
Church, of Allegheny, said: "The rental
system was abolished with us about five
years since, and the plan of voluntary con-
tribution by which it was supplemented has
proven equally as satisfactory.
The receipts, agaregating about the [
same, amounts yearly to what we formerly