Morning journal and courier., 1894-01-26

should appear with q revelation In this
nineteenth century, 1t would not be other
than this. It is not improper to call this
declaration living manifestation Of God.
II was not chance that, In spite Of Lu-
theirs attempts to reform religion with his
matchless power, the reformation was
weakened In its progress, and there In still
q realm left to the Roman church.
| 1t Ii time for the Christianity of to-day
to break from the control of old supersti-
lions and old theology, and to reform the
existing organization of the church.
Christianity Ii In an age of transition such
% was never seen before. so that IL we
look only at one side of events, Is certain
| ly appears as If Christianity were on the
decline. Yet this is nothing but sign of
the new Christianity that is going to spring
| up In the future.
ABxScK OF HKN In CHURCH.
Since coming here have BEEN surprised
that thrse-fourths of the attendants at
church are women. At frst thought 10
was because there are many more women
than men In New England. But taking
America ss Q whole, thsre are more men
here than women, yet two. o.thirds of the
whole body of Christians in the land are
women. What does this sianifyf Were
not the twolvs apostles msni And also
the seventy disciplssi Why 10 It that the
church of to-day cannot attract mems
hsartst Generally speaking. men are more
rational and are fond of strength. They
have more of the spirit o. independenes
than women do. So IL religion 10 based
upon . feeling of depsndepcs, as some the
ologians say, ID IL no wonder that the men
of the nineteenth century 60 TO church
lsss and less. Unless the doctrine that the
essence Of religion 10 in the future world,
and that the present world 10 a place of
probation, is reformed 90 ~ 10 put the aim
of religion In this world, and unless the
making of the kingdom of heaven to come
In this world is made the chief end OF re-
lision, Sunday worship will be msrely q
halting place on the way to the next world.
Unless Q man knows life he cannot know
death. Mans knowledge is limited 30 Che
present world. II we do not work evil
here why should We fear the futuref he
has not q manly heart who decides TO do
good or evil for the sake Of rewards In the
next world after death. Therefore IL is
natural that under . pssstmistic religion,
In both the east and west, there should be
many more women than men who believe.
or course all men who do not attend
church do not understand the view above
mentioned one reason for mems absence
Ia that they do not take suy interest in the
ideal God and Christ. Not that all ladies'
who attend church are flled with that
ideal, for It is bsyond dispate thA. one
cause of the large female attendance is
their love of society.
LACK OF RKLIoIos AMONG TEE LOWER
CLASSES.
have bssn surprised again at fading
that the lower classes do not attend church.
This condition of affairs Is not limited to
one locality; and 1 have found g fitting
reason for their absence. 1t Is the custom
TO cell the psws In the churches. or in case
of churches With free .este, IL generally
happens that contributions are tAkea up.
Besides this Ii is the custom for ladies
to wear hne dresses. With such cus-
toms, those who have bat little money
and who wear coarse clothes are ashamed
to 60 10 church. ------=---
AS society 10 at present orgsnizsdr in
spite of political equality, It is inevitable
that there should be social inequality. So
American society is divided into three
clssses-the rich, the poor, and those In
between. And naturally there Is no social
intercourse. only such as arises from bust
ness. Though there Ia no legal divlsisn
into three classes, there sctusIly is q social
sristocracy, called ths money sristocracy
aimee 1t has no titles There being no
legal restrictions, 1t would seem that the
poor could become rich and vIcs vsrss, bus
In reality it 10 impossible, because, accord.
ing to the present systsm of society. cap
itslists control the majority of interests,
while the wages of laborers 10 very small
II In not too much to ssy that under the
principle of individ ualism, or let ing things
taxa their natural course, the laborer is at
the mercy Of the capitalist. Slnos the law
permits capital TO be hereditary, rich and
poor remain the same generation sfter gen
sration. On the one hand there are some
who have no difficulty In living without
doing any work. Then again, there are
many who work from morning till evening
and yet cannot sustain their families. Is
not London the richest city In the worldf
And yet 1t is said there are forty thousand
children who go to school without eating
any breakfast IL this 10 so, IL is useless
to arrange any compulsory system of edu-
| cation. America is In the same condition.
| There are thousands Of mi:lionAirss In the
one city of New York, and thousands Of
dollars are spent for one evenings enter
are many who sisrve or commit suicide
| even when there is no famine. Thus the
world In rioh, but the lsborers are poor.
| Civilization 10 progressing, Jet IL show no
mercy 10 the laborer. Ths gospel is
presched, but not to the poor. An, the
words, blessed are the poor" and THE
gospel Is preached 10 the ponr," are In the
past. and are merely recorded In the Bible
which is chained to the pulpit. In er-
treme cases Christi churches exclude the
poor. Alas. the gospel of the Savior has
become an almost exclusive possession OF
the rioh and the middle classes.
But It is net proper to say that those
outside the churches are not Christians.
There are many who make the true God
aud Christ their moral ideal, and who yet
do not 60 to church. Even among the
lower Glasses there are many such people.
There 10 q society In New York where,
when Q speaker uses the word "church, !"
the audisnes hissss, but when he ssys
"Christ" there 10 applause. So Ii is clear
that the church of to day is losing Its
power TO attract men, ard especially TO
win the hearts of the lower classes. Yet
this 10 not sign of ths decline of Chris.
tianity. 1t simply shows that the oreeds
and systsms hitherto prevalent are getting
antiqusted and do not keep pace with the
general current Of the ninsteenth century.
Those by whom the present church lie or.
gsniasd are capitalists or persons of The