Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-12-05
OUR SATURDAY NIcur.

There is after all no subject 81
much talked as religion. " hat is
true religion and undefiled? Where
does selfishness end aud ,sanctifica-
tion begin? How shall we harmonic
reason with faith2 Has the much
talked-of reconciliation Of science
and revelation taken place? These
aud a thousand aud-nne similar
questions are ss'sed from day to day.
Another phrase If the meyer
ceasiug current Of discussion is the
contrasting constantly of thinking
and acting, Of believing and doing,
Of the theoretical religion and prac-
tical living of it. 1t is hardly possi-
BILE that system of pure religious
practice, devoid of creed or cant,
devoid of profession and protesta-
tions Of worship, but content alone
with actually doing something tan
gible for rfellow-creatures, would ever
satisfy the masses.
Religious denominations as exist
ing in churches or the various forms
of social organization are at best but
a compromise with seifishaess. In
place of lifting the masses to the
plan of Christ's teachings, the cause
sinks and adapts itself to nearly the
level of the aggregate spiritual con-
cept of the people organized. In
one respect the practical tendency
in religion Is manlfesting itself in a
most marked manner aud that is
what we started to speak of this SAT-
URDAY NIGHT. This tendency is to
force the churches, or the social
organizations calling themselves
snch, tn interest themselves in
the great masses of poor people.
People who enjoy no luxuries, who
WELD no influence, who possess no
prestage, the laboring poor of large
cities,-these large and alarmingly
neglected elements of society are at.
tracing the attention of some of
the progressive ministers. One OF
the pioneers along this line Is au
Oregon man now in Boston, Rev.
Louis Albert Banks, of st. Johns
church.
Banks is a Methodist. He is prop.
erly to be termed fanatic on a
number of subjects and presumably
like Paul, glories in his shame and
makes the most of it. His book
entitled "rhe Peoples Christ" Is
firebrand amongst pulpit litera
ture. The author is tall, vigorous.
go >d-looking, frank, open-hearted,
manly fellow. Not satisfied with
conducting merely the customary
religious society, he has broken
loose and gone to the masses Of the
poor with his Gospel. He is not
satisfied to have been what thous-
ands of other good men have beer, a
mere preacher and no more. AS
we'll be fir tree in q forest of ten
thousand like unto it, no more and
less, as to occupy pulpit stated
number of times and then depart
with the customary obituary In a de-
nominational paper. He argues that
his mission is to preach peoples
Christ; that Christ was friend for
the masses; that the common people
heard Him gladly; the poor found
in Him brother; that then as now
the vast majority of men were poor;
that religious organizations for
social purposes, for the rich, well
dressed, then as now, was mockery
of religion; that the gospel of Christ
was distinctively to the many as
against the few; aud not as nOw.a-
days, the poorer you are, the farther
we will keep away from you.
These are some of Banks ideas.
Banks has another idea. The gospel
of Christ not ouly carried consola-
ton to the poor but Jesus had
welcome for poor sinners. Banks
says; II do not mean respectable,
titled, high-toned, wealthy, power
full sinners, whom most people
fiatter and fawn upon, but disgraced,
unknown, friendless sinners" Do
you remember, says Banks, the
poor sinful woman who WAS about
to be stoned to death by the highly
respectable mob, and Christ said:
stop! Let him who is without sin
himself cast the first stone. And
all the brazen hypocrites skunk
away. At the house Of the rich
aristocratic Pharisee he was invited
to dine. A wicked woman Of the
town, but penitent for her sin. came
into his presence, washed his feet
with her tears aud wiped them with
the hairs Of her head and he re-
buked her not. What modern din
ner party prayer-sayer and aristo-
cratic church.menIber host would
tolerate a proceeding anything akin
to this familiar scene from scripture.
asks Banks. The poor are mostly
ln our cities. The uncOnverted mas
ses Of sinful men and women are 10
the cities. Christ labored largely 10
cities. He was man OF the people.
He was a modest citizen, truly In
sympathy with the poor and the
erring. The modern city preacher
Is not a commoner. He is not in
touch with the poor 50 much as with
the rich. He Is more Of the upper
II NlE ar.afal H.