Omaha daily bee., 1890-01-05

CHURCH IDEAS
The Rev. Duryea of the C%ongrega-
tional church of this city uttered u
somewhat peculiar remark recently
when he declared that the preaching
of beardle5s youths and the sensslcss
shouting and singing of emotional
evangelists bring religion in6o con-
tempt and swell the ranks OF unbe-
levers, The reverend gentle IN must
revise and qualify his opinions. Youth
and inexperience, however sincere, arc
not the only elemcnts tending to rob
the modern pulpit OF its force and char
acter.
A new sect has been launched on the
troublous seas of sin, and Milwaukee
is entitled to the credit of origi-
mating the idea and putting it
Into effect. 1t cannot be sand
that the craft is manned by fren-
zied zealots. On the contrary, the
captain and chief steward is the Rev.
Judson Ellsworth, q prominent local
preacher. The Rev. Ellsworth is II
sample Of the modern progressive
preacher. He believes in fighting the
devil with the DEVILS Weapons. and de-
clares that the churches, to compete
with his majesty, must be male popular
and offer cv0ry attraction to lure the
sinner from his haunt5. The accounts
OF the formal opening Of the Church
of Latter Day IDEAS agree that the
services were The most remarkable aver
held in that city. A Judge, Il lawyer
and u banker occupied the pulpit by
turns. They selected their own topics,
and delivered addresses us diverse AS
their professions and rs distant from re-
ligion as the poles OF the planet. Loud
bursts of applause. cheers and much
laughter i~nterspersed the proceedings.
Brother Ellsworth displayed admira-
BILE mental acumen in announcing his
determination to fight fire with fire.
and hen selecting n judge, n lawyer
and a banker to open the campaign.
Perhaps the reverend gentleman real
lied that these professions afforded Il
grand field FOR reformation according
to the modern idea. That he succeeded
in making u good start is evidenced by
the report that profound argument on
the relation of ancient and modern
sciences was in~terlarded with catchy
anecdotes and sallies of wit, which pro-
voked liberal applause"
A gymnasium, a reading room and O
lunch room will ne made n leading part
| OF the church. A baseball park and
pool room might also be added, as well
as a club room with a well stocked side
ln, l,.,h 80 r tto. nor, H.
cannot we'll ignore the one great road
| to popular favor-the stomach route.
With a monopoly OF that, coupled with
such entertainments as are necessary to
| good digestion, the future OF Brother
Ellsworth on earth, at least, is likely to
be serene. 4
1t would be we'll, probably, If more
modern needs Of the church. AT least
it is safe to presume that these moral
educational teachers would exercise a
more potential influence on society, and
thereby tend to exaltits condition, were
they more liberal in their views. The
broad criticism which the world makes
on the church generally is, that it pd-
heres too rigidly to forms and phrases
and does not get down to first principles
in its contest with sin, and its endeavors
TO regenerate the sinner. But after all
the church Of the present is not so ma
terially different from the church OF the
earlier times. In Puritan days there
was something of glamor and formal
ity in the observance of religious
duties. Washington is said to have
much admired the grave Dig
nifty and the quiet formality
which attached to the rites of the
high church of England, and he is said
to have counseled the adoption of many
of its forms In establishing churches in
this country. For all his seeming plain
ness OF manner and his transformations
preaching, John Wesley was o believer
in church %formality. So it has been
with most OF the distinguished leaders
Of religious thought throughout the
world. They have all been believers in
a certain amount of form and religious
ceremony.
1t has only been in more recent years
that certain church managers have I'M
dertaken TO lead popular thought out OF
the rut into which long established GUS
tom has gotten it. Invariably their