The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1893-11-15


are ignorant and misled by arrant dem
agogues, it is high time they were better
informed by better men. See to It'll
Fourth-The organic life of the church
Is also threatened. Thirty-two millions
Of people in America attend no church
at all. OF the remaining $4,000, 900,
not half Of them are Of any practical ac-
count financially or spiritually to the
church's life. They are utterly indiffer-
emit while nominally loyal to some sort
Of church life. They have some sort Of
religion, but it is mostly on the surface.
1t not only does not go skin deep-it
does not get through their clothes. It
never reaches the pocket. An evangelist
the other day requested everybody in the
audience who had paid his debts to stand
up. They rose in mass. Then he said,
''Sit down, and every man here who has
not paid his debts stand up" One man
raised his arm aloft. my good man."
said the evangelist, shave you not paid
your debts1" "No," said he, 81 have
not paid them and cannot. I am the
editor of a religious periodical, and near
ly every member Of this congregation
owes me for my paper" This is fair
sample of the religion Of one-haf the
the nominal adherents of the modern
church. The modern church that Is
powerful, that pays its debts and is able
to take care of itself is the church of tho
rich pewholders.
THE N0NCHURCHGoERs.
The SS,000,0OO Of our people who do
not attend churches at all are many Of
them bitter in their hostility to all
churches. They have grown to believe
that the priest and preacher are their
enemies and the churches the stronghold
Of their allies and supporters. Church
after church in our rural districts die,
Church after church in our cities die as
the rich conservative classes move up
town and out into the suburbs. The
church has neglected the mass Of poor
people until they have lost faith even in
It's friendly pretensions. Its invitations
are regarded bait with which they are
10 be swindled. Right or wrong, this is
their attitude. If it is a mistake, it is
high time they were taught better. The
attitude Of these millions bodies no good !
TO cushioned pew, candled altar, solemn
arch and cleric frock. Shall we have a
century of atheism, as with France,
md then after hundred years of stag
yering in darkness grope our way back
70 the point Of departure and begin
sgain-a hundred years lost? Believe
ne, the power and authority and organic
ife of the church is at stake in the pres
mt threatened social revolution. The
church must ever lead or die. Is it lead
ng2
On the part of the restless and radical
masses, what are the issues for them in
7olved?
Whether they are right or wrong 1t
matters not. The restless masses believe,
md believe with conviction deep and
ullen that will not stop to parlev or to
easoni
First-That the right to life for them
8 at issue. The specter Of starvation
launts hundreds Of thousands of these
,eople from years end to years end.
The possibility of being thrown out Of
york and tramping the weary, hopeless
ound for days and weeks and months
nd begging for the privilege Of the
lardest labor in vain hangs now over
hem. It saps life. It takes the heart
ut. 1t kills The specter of shame
aunts thus q thousand girls dreams
ay and night. An honest life to hosts
{ girls seems each day more and more