Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-04-19

There is a constant disposition on the part
of ministerial organizations in the larger
cities to magnify the religious restitution OF
the country districts, aud to overlook the
fact that the existence Of a large number of
churches in city does not necessarily mean
that the supply in proportion to the popula-
ton is greater than in the country town.
This subject was discussed at a recent meet
ing of the Congregational club in Boston,
and the statement was made that the most
destitute part of New England if not Of the
United States, religiously, was the hill
country of New England. This was, Of
course, a very strong statement to make,
when one takes into consideration the char
acter of the population in tho mountainous
districts of kentucky, Tennessee and Viz
GINA, and the wilder portions of the West.
We arc not surprised therefore, that the
Vermont Chronicle should take vigorous OK
ceptious to the above statement and seek to
demonstrate its falsty, so far as it applies
to Vermont, which has been referred to as a
typical example of the religious restitution
existing in the hill towns of New England.
The Chronicle shows that the difficulty is
not that there is any real restitution OF
church privileges in country towns, and in
support of this position it states that there
is not a township in the State-except half
dozen or SO in Essex county but little set
tied, and perhaps one or two others like the
little township of st. George, which is but
back district of another town and has only
few families-that has not one or moro
evangelical churches in it, There are, - it
continues Sin tine PA townships in the
State, d63 evangelical churches with over
POO. 600 sittings. In most of the townships
| there is moro than one village. But there
is not a collection of houses worthy to be
called village or hamlet, without n
church. -
But even the exceptions noted by the
Chronicle will admit of revision, for we I'M
derstand that the people of st. George hold
| religious services in their school house, so
that they in reality can not be charged with
being destitute religiously. and the same
thing is undoubtedly true of other sparsely
settled sections of the State where there are
no churches.
If by religious restitution is meant the
! Idlulc VI lcppic " liho uNdltdEt VI lud
religious privileges which are afforded, then
it must be confessed that there is q large de-
gree Of religious restitution in Vermont.
but no more than prevails in the most Wig
orous and Hourishinr cities in the
country. This Will readily appear from
a comparison of the seating capacity Of the
churches in any city and the population of
that city, but statistics exhibit even Il more
discouraging state of affairs in the city in
this respect than even comparison of
church capacity and population would indi-
cate. Few city churches comparatively are
often filled, and the number OF people i'll the
cities who remain away from the churchc.
wholly is amazing as well as discouraging
When people refer to the most destitute por
lions of the country religiouslv, therefore,
they should be sure that they are speaking
advisedly.
How to reach the people who remain away
from the churches habitually, in town rs wei
as country, and diminish the religious dcst
tuition is the problem, as the Chronicl,
points out; and the solution is undoubtedly
furnished by the house visitation which ha,
already been naugurated in this State witt
gratifying results. The duty of the hour il
this connection seems to be for religious
workers to literally go out into the bywgy,
and hedges, and do the worl, Of tho Master
in accordance with the example set by the
Savior in His ministry.