New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-26
IN THE CHURCH PORCH.
QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS.

por-erv Not the Howcrv on sunday morning, You
saw And why not II the Founder OF CHRISTIANITY
were on earth to-day, lie would probably DC HVlhe III
the Bowery or some street even more democratic hu'
Won say there is nobody on the BOwery on sunday
morning MY dear sir, You were never more mistaken
in your life To speak of nothing eiNe thefe are 'e
numerous lodging houses that line TINS street ana on
this SUNDAY morning each one OF them IS packed iuii
Of "men for whom Christ died" to use phrase 'hat
has almost become bit Of pulpit can't Let MS enter
one Of these hotels Of the people Faugh! yOu cA-
claim what a vile smell OF course but thinK you
that the smells sweeter in the ghetto IN Rome
where Paul the Apostle dwelt two whole years Ana
shall we let a bad smell stand between sinner and
salvation Yes, a diSnfectant, but come H.
WHY do YOU shrink back? CROOKS Certainly but
the ospel message is for crooks" more than for
those who are straight. The Master, yon KNOW Iau
a tender and sympathetic word for Just snol poor
wretched, lost sinners as these. Besides, theS are
not all crooks on. There are prodigal sons
here who have wandered from happy CHRISTIAN hoMc''
Here may be found the victims Of misfortune anu
novertv as well as the children Of vice and crime
And under each ragged and tattered coat beats near
vet responsive to good. There are men mere ieauS ~
melt in tears Of penitence at word OF genuine sym
pathv YES and ready to break out in the cry OIL inc
prodgaI if only would tell them oil fa."c'
who loved them. But no tells them society
has thust them out the Church and its ministers pass
by on the other side the world looks on them a. S"9
poets: they social parials moral lepefs' every
one Of whom can ltmthfuy say with David " no man
careth for my SOUL What think yOn OF thlS may
spot of blackneSs the fair face of our urban O'
tanity?
stuff and nonsense, yOu say why dont the'e OUT
casts 90 10 church, If they don't hear the Gospel
message it is their fault. But stop bN Dld
Jesus preach His Gospel in big ana WeHdppolh'o"
church in Highest, Jerusalem! Did lie announce
that those who desired to hear Him must 80 there OF
did He rather 20 where the sinners were and there
|
word lie did better than preach, lie entered mo
the lives of sinners lie learned what their burden OF
sorrow or trouble and tried to tighten IT, lie
came to them not professional preacher Du' aS
friend and brother. And if the modern church would
succeed it must 90 and do likewise. Take an iluStra-
ton Here is great physician, and here are multi
tude of sick folk needing his skill But instead oil
going the homes of these sick folk ana trNlhS 10 cure
them. by suggesting remedies appropriate TO tIer
special cases he erecs biz hail. and gives course OF
learned and brilliant weekly lectures on the importance
of believing in and supporting the state Medical so
ciety Do YOU think the sick people would
go to these lectures to be cured OF their SIGN
ness? But maybe the physician would de
scribe in his lectures the true nature oil ul9edSe
and the manifold resources Of medical science May
be he would show how frequently people brought SICK
ness on hemselve, by their vices or their ignorance
WouId that help the sick people Not at all No
matter how comfortable his lecture hail might De' io
matter how beautiful the music Of his choir might De-
no matter how eloquent his lecture might De- uo>o
who were sick in their wretched homes or Oh inc
streets would ,tll remain SICK until ne went 10 'he"
individually and gave them medicine to heal iheii
sickness What say you 20 Ms. brother preachers
who cyepct sin-sick souls 10 De cured 10y listening
to your eloquent sermons on the importance Vi Io'
ing the church. some ab~truse scheme OF inc
oocy Would il not be wiser 10 90 to these men anu
women and personally give them the medicine "Ih'h
will cure their special sickness. Not that preaching
i to lac ignored Oh, no. 1t is one Of the greatest
functions of Christianity. But IL cannot take the
place of sympathetic mni,taton TO individual sous
which, more than anything else, l. heeueu "u'N III
orr great cities. To vast multitudes ot men ana
women parochalism, with it's caNtlroh Metnou''
i an utter and complete failure. Would II MOI 'heie
fore he wise for the Church to Try some other more
simple ana direct pan
some few sunday, ago / attended service in what IS
known ~ a peoples church a. II al Chu1 ,;,.i
NOT peoples churches The service was deIo',omal
and Inc sermon was earnest and uplifting. Ao ~a'
canning ont overheard Il scrap OF "Il'cIs"u""
tween two decent looking young men WHO were Ju,.
tcnind me- well. Hiil said one did ye see 'n iig
scrappin' match. last night = on pf,, piV
iee5 in a long time There more Of the same
sort but You have probably heard ehOHgh. ~ t., =,
Inc inner lie OF the lower orders. but uInN heii
YOU say that really one cannot eABect amy .Ih5 ~,
Ter from those sort Of people e. Iho>e ,oFt J. un
grammatical but IT j. used by very gehteel lohs, u-'
readerJ However, | haven't told an my 'to tHS' es
Here i chapter two The SUNDAY a41fI IL, tGc
service in one Of the most arist"cIatc churohe, ~ ~
city noble edince. aesthetic iutnishlhb', spenni"
choir eloquent and inspiring preacher, and Two nun
dred millions dollar. Of course sitting II, te
pews. Everything gilt edsed, you Zee i" aiso
Of low recrcations here Very vel IN 'h> 81"
/ overheard the conversation OF two Young men VII"
were coming out behind me &C. saw Ole row, cN-
claimed one | didn't see you At the ettO last night
Very sorry | con16n't GO replied his companion
tic au 70 The CaSno We know Wa~ lively 37
Vas, very champion put the other low 10 sep
men, They plainly belonged to the higher walk, oi
life doubtless the sons OF some of the millions VINO
attended he church. And walking between them wa,
at the conversation. Dear sir, You were inoialIins
i some r' of ms are placed by the builder III,
very top layer Of lofty structure ana other, ol IT,
meut are therefore vastly different but believe me We
all made out Of the same Wud'
The other day Phillip, BROOKS took part officially in
the installation Of Lyman Abbott. and by maj act
Christ. This is entirely consistent with the great
boston preachers principle for II - well known
which such churchmen Morgan Din 20 cOneceii-
tionsly hold. 1t is therefore, an evidence Of the
broad charity and tolerance OF Dr. Din, well a Of
the roOmneSs of the Episcopal Church, That philips
Brooks has been invited 10 be The Lentcn lecturer ia
Trinity Church this year. lie has accepted the in
vation gracou,ly extended. and Will give cour,e
Trinity during the first week Of Lent from February 81
10 March l. II IS needles, 10 that the venerable
edifcc will be packed at every service.
Ii is my privilege in this column to give expression
to many OF the undcrcumcnt- of religion, thought
that for obvious cannot appear in the church
organs Here. for example is very uncccesia>tical
definition Of Christianity. sent to me by the son of
OF the most eminent Episcopal clcIgymen in the
country. aud who Is himself an Ep,copalian. Chris,
tianty.r he says, is the brotherhood Of
eAempliGcd by the earnest disposition to settle all
questions Of public policy on the principle Of the
greatest good to the greatest number Ny core
spondent assuming tlh' definition 70 he fair then
asks whether there is. in the whole world, any
considerable organization which stands for Christian
ity. The churches, he says certainly 90 not but are
sn..ly partisan machines whose priests treat hardly
any question Of humanity or public Justice on lis
merits. but instead. shape ter Opinions ana utter
anceS TO please the small cOtcIie who are their en-
plOvers. They must indeed. my correspondent adds,
either do step down and out. Where then. he
reitcrateS. is Christianity to he found The question
he raises i old one and has troubled great many
Independent thinkers. The fact that an EpiScOpaan
raises il is ONLY Of many evidences that the
Of dnlLf NIrnInIeN MnrLInC fllIf