The weekly tribune., 1892-05-28
CHURCHES AND CHRISTIANS.
The assemblies and conferences of

well as the saint Some Of them have so
altered or amended their articles OF
faith that the church OF today is
stranger to the church Of third OF
century ago. Many of the living well
remember when infant damnation was
preached from the pulpit and when it
was emphatically asserted there were
"infants in hell span long" They can
also recall the time when the sinner was
told that a burning lake of literal fire
and birthstone awaited him upon the
other shore, They were also told that
the ball room and thcater were the
vestibule of hell; that card playing
was a most sinful pastime. and that the
racing course was direct road to the
dominions of satan.
Fifty years ago it was considered sin
full, by one religious denomination at
least, to laugh or even smile between the
setting of the sun on Saturday and the
setting of the sun on Sunday, and law
was in force in Connecticut making it
Unable offense for Il person to walk Il
mile unless going to church; to sweep
"a room; build fire; indulge in idle con-
versation, or for husband or wife to kiss
each other on the Sabbath day. Going
still further back we reach the time
when women suspected of witchcraft
were thrown into ponds with stone
suspended to their necks under the be-
lief that it guilty they could easily es-
cape drowning through the aid of the
cvcl one. but if innocent they would
sink. Ileretcs had their tongues cut
out and Quakers were publicly whipped
and banished.
The advance of civilization corrected
many of these unchristan like practices,
but the leaven of bigotry and intolerance
still remained in many churches. Under
IA still higher civilization it is rapidly
disappearing. The existence of witches
and wizards is taught only in some Of
the novels Of the day. Quakers have
long since been permitted to enjoy their
religious beliefs without fear or molcsta
ton; the doctrine of infant damnation is
no longer preached from the pulpit; the
burning hcll'' is figurativc expression;
the ballroom and the thcatcr and the
race track are patronized by professed
God-fearng people and card playing
has become social amusement among
the best" people. Church spires rise in
every hamlet, town and city: denomlna-
tional institutions Of learning are con
stantly multiplying: the number Of
church going people is increasing and
the world, though still very sinful, as
measured by the strictly orthodox, is
becoming little better every day.
Still the lines are being very close
ly drawn in some Of the churches.
In the Methodist conference beng held
in Omaha two reports were submitted
upon the amusement question. The
majority report opposes the effort to Sc
cure a more liberal construction Of the
rules concerning dancing, theatre going,
etc, while the minority report favors
leaving each individual member of the
church. to some extent, his own Judge
as to the nature OF the amusemcnts that
are becoming and Christian. The ma
Jority report will doubtless prevail. and
our Methodist brethren will continue to
follow in the footsteps of the fathers of
the church to the better land while
members of few other denominations
will gather little pleasure here and
there from the passing world ere they
leave it.
But probably the most remarkable
conclusion reached by any one Of the
numerous religious bodies in session was
promulgated by the Presbyterian Minis
terial association which was in session at
Pittsburg Pa, the BIRD inst. The qucs-
accept donations from persons engaged
in sinful traffic." After vigorous dis
cussion it was "unanmously agreed that
the church ought not to receive money
acquired from a sinful practice, and that
it was the duty of the officials to inquire
where such contributions come FROM
The remarkable part Of the conclusion
il contained in the duty imposed upon
officials to ascertain where contributions
come from duty which it would seem
, no official can satisfactorily perform.
But notwithstanding that. viewed
from the standpoint Of the world, there
is suspicion OF illibcrality in many Of
| the churches Of the day, they show, on
the whole, IA wide departure from their
ear,y-day tenets and practices They
have "A more cheerful. encouraging belief
They have somewhat broadened the path
/ way to heaven and planted few flowers
by the waysidc. The stern, puritanical
, faces have given place to smiling coun'
, tenanccs: the dreary three hour sermons
J from firstly to twentethly are supplanted