New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-24
yEKYLL AND HYDE ~ THE CHURCH.

Mr. Bolton Hall promugatcs n remarkable
theory Of church ethics. In a letter 10 The Trib
une. published yesterday. he defends the Cor
poratlon Of Trinity Church against the com
plaipts made concerning the condition Of It's ten
cmcnt-housc property. He argues that the tr'is-
fees Of Trinity Corporation are secular and not
religious Offices that they are held In law To
such administration OF their trust as may result
i'm the largest profits TO the corporation, ana mat
90 long as the land Is theirs they have both
LEGAL and moral right To do whatever they
nleasc with il so long as they comply with IN"
strict letter of the statutes. II there IN anything
wrong in the condition Of the slums. that *
proper subject for the church in its religious
capacity 10 take up and rectify, but the church
in its secular capacity need not trouble itself
with such matters.
This assumption Of double personality for
Trinity Church Is "A new element In the discus
sion II IL entirely aside from all question or
the truth or fllsity Of the somewhat hystcrical
and sensational revelations concerning Triniiy's
property. Though they were all proved to be
false this conception Of the functions Of the cor
poratiOn would remain as jan example OF III"
moral pcrversion OF which the wellmcanlng
human mind is capable. Were the worst charges
10 be proved true. and were Trinity by any
chance to adopt Mr. Halls argument as its de-
fence, il might not unjustly be said that the cx
c,lse was worse than the crime. That the cor
poration takes the same view OF It's duty as he
does is not for n moment to be believed. The
avowal Of such a conception would take from
the church all claims TO the consideration OF
highmnded and philanthroplc people and re-
veal an utter hollowness In it's pretence OF fol-
l.u, no pIt Of
Halls theory Is the true one, the church Is to
he corporate DR.. .Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde. More
over, II Is TO suffer no Inconvenience from 80
being. The good and the bad Is each to have
It's sphere, and he protected In It, None Of the
penalties which the story visits on this violation
OF natural law are to cnsue The church In its
secular capacity may be thoroughly heartlcss
and even wicked so long as It Is smart enough
to clude the provisions Of the statute law. There
Is no reason why ii should not be pawn
broker and wiring the last cent possible from
the needs Of the poor II may profitably put its
agents in the easements Of its buildings to carry
rumshops. 1t may. without blame. rent It's
houses for any shameless traffic, provided the
law at any time happens TO be so framed as not
TO interfere. The church secular has no morals
and no soul Its business Is 10 make money
ruthlessy with avarice fitting ShylOck. and
dlsdan for the innocents worthy Hcrod.
These bOOd-rllstc coins once gathered are to be
taken by the church in its bengnant state Of
mind. The religious personality Is to consecrate
and cleanse It's income. then spend II bringing
prayers and hymns teaching and charity, to
those whom in Its evil mood 1t starved and
robbed aud left In misery. This Is the logic Of
dual personality in churches. Trinity need not