The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-10

The Episcopal Church OF the Ascension.
at the corner Of the Fifth avenue and Tenth
street. has abandoned the plan OF renting
its pews, and hereafter it will derive its
revenue from the voluntary contributions
Of those attending its services.
Practically. the new plan is not different
from the old and usual method Of obtaining
support for Protestant churches. except
that such contribution will not entitle the
giver to any particular pew. 1t means
merely that there will be no reserved seats.
The money paid will be simply for the sup
port OF the religious services and it will Sc
cure for the contributor no special priv
ileges in the house Of worship. Whether
man gives much or little or nothing at ALL
he will have the same right to a seat. There
will be no discrimination in favor OF any
body or against anybody on that account.
We imagine. however. that under the old
plan nobody was deprived OF a seat in the
Church Of the Ascension because he had not
paid for it. Probably. the greater the num-
Der attending its services the more graft
fled were the rector. the officers Of the par
ish and the pew renters and owners. even
II the revenue in money was not increased
by the larger attendance. Whenever any
church is filled. it is an occasion for rejoice
ing; and when the congregation is small.
there is regret. Pewholders usually well
come the presence OF a crowd 80 large that
they are called upon to make room in the
vacant seats in their pews for strangers.
Such church hospitality is general. II any
body wants to go to church in New York. he
has no excuse for staying away. because he
can get seat nor need a fear that his pres
ence will not be desired deter any one from
entering. whether the pews OF the church
are rented or are free to all corners. Admis-
sion to every church and to all churches is
really free.
The pew system. or the renting OF pews,
is adopted for two reasons: First. to Sc
cure definite income for the support OF
the religious services. and. secondly. to as
sure to regular attendants particular seats.
Under the new plan Of the Church Of the
Ascension and OF some other churches. only
one of these ends is provided for positively.
Instead of the regular attendants putting
themselves under the obligation to pay
yearly rentals for particular pews. they
agree to pay specified sum each Sunday
OF the year for the general support Of the
church. whether they are present or absent
by eeCuIiuB tHcSe pleupeS inc cHuTcn Is
enabled to know each year. In advance. ex-
actly the amount OF revenue on which it can
rely. The members OF the parish who arc
able to subscribe anything at all. usually
make the amount at least equal to the old
rent OF the pews or seats they occupied.
Practically. therefore. attendance on FREQ
church. SO called. Is as costly to the parish
toner's rs attendance on a church which
rents its pcws. But there is this distinc-
ton. The subscribers give generally; they
do not buy special privileges for them
selves. The church gets its necessary in
come, but it is under no other obligations
to the givers than the purely spiritual.
In strict principle. therefore. the new
system is more suitable to church than
the old. though actually in the case of both
the contribution Is a free-will gift. The i'm
pulse behind 1t is the same. 1t is the de-
sire to take part In religious worship. Pew
rent is not forced contribution. Nobody
is compelled to make 1t. AS we have said,
a church which rents its pews Is practi-
caly as free to the public as a church run
on the new plan. Nobody is shut out be-
cause he does not pay to come in. In
either case the urgency Is to get in as
many as the church can hold. More
over, the pew system does not In practice
keep people out OF churches they wish
to attend. IL they are anxious TO come, 1t
does not frlghten them away. The most