The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-28
SCUDDBR LIKE AN ANGIE
A Ten Minutes Spin on His
Wheel Affects Him Thus,
He Says.

The Rev. John L.. Scndder was confr onted
with an unusually large audience last night.
Many attended to hear the popular pastors
prelude to his regular sermon on "The
Bicycle and the Church. MI. Scudder's
remarks were as follows
'ssThe bicycle mania is spreading far and
wide and we rejoice in it, for wheeling is a
noble sport and destined to improve the
American stock. This craze is m ore than a
passing tad. 1t is an abiding and increas-
ingly popular form OF recreation. VIC men
lave caught the fever as well as men, land
once infected they seem incurable. Even
aristocrats and aesthetics are swept along by
the current and society bellies can be seen
of night. Iswelcome the tidal wave of out
door exercise, Tor it brings health
and cheerfulness to thousand OF
overworked, people. 1t puts
roses into cadaverous cheeks, sparkles In
sleepy eyes, animation in listless frames, and
drives out melancholy through every pore
in the body. The bicycle Is a thoroughly
Christian machine, for it improves the tenn.
per, discourages dissipation, makes a man
look on the, bright side Of things and puts vi
vacity into his religion. When | feel stupid,
or cross, or blue, l get IN my wheel and take
a lively spin. In ten minutes the world
looks different. I begin to feel like an angel;
/ feel as il | had wings, and | act more like
an angel. my wife tells me the next day. ]
know from experience that a minister can
preach better on Sunday ii he rides a bicycle
on Saturday.
GET A CHURCH ADI COMPASS.
sBut unfortunately for our churches, the
bicycle is becoming more popular on Sunday
than any other day of the week. Its ten
Ioporyj 10 m drax Uor1n ma q vva " f~nrn tho
sanctuary, and latterly, youngdwomen also.
Under these circumstances what shall bethe
attitude of the church to the bicycleanShafl
it be one of an antagonism and Accommodation,
or a philosophical acceptance 5af thensitna-
ton and sensible adjustmeptetheFeto There
is a strong temptation on the part of the
clergy, I admit, to, berate theIwheelmen for
deserving the pow and occupying the saddle.
Excoriation Of absentees 5Q0Enes easy, but
does it pay? Does it tend to, hacrease church
attendance or beget love for the sanctuary
I think not. q
ssThe stern fact is, that in spite Of pulpit
~philippics, the number of Sunday wheeifnen
Is steadily increasing. The country swarms
with them on the Sabbath day.
"Now, in my Judgment, it is better to
adapt ourselves to existing conditions than
to indulge in useless den~unciation. If men
and women will ride on Sunday, why not
invite them to ride to church and provide a
place for their machinesa Why not
allow them to stack their wheels in the lee
tule room or build a shed for bicycles,
as the country church provides a shelter
for horses and ~carriagess People living at
a distance might thus be induced to come to
church who otherwise would certainly stay
away. Surely riding q bicycle to church is
not a sin. 1t is a sanity procedure COM
pared with riding On horse cars, trolleys and
elevated trains, for all these forms of travel
necessitate the labor of drivers, conductors
and brakemen, and prevent their attending
divine service.
A LABOR SAVING DEVICE.
The bicycle, blythe way, has ceased to be
a toy. It is one of the vehicles of civili-
cation. 1t is positively a labor saving
machine. A man works less on Sunday who
rides to church on a wheel than one who
walks to church. am happy to announce
that In this Tabernacle arrangements have
been made to check the wheels of all those
who make the bicycle a church-going una
chine. Our Peoples Palace is not only teach
ing men and women to ride by the hundred;
tits open on Sundays to receive the wheels
ofthese who come to church. While we do
not encourage Sunday riding, we cordial y
invite those who use wheels on Sunday To
ride this way and enjoy the service of'ithis
sanctuary.
The Tabernacle takes a special interest in
wheeimen. ] suppose the reason Is that we
have SO MANY whee1nen n OF
or own--over one hundred and fifty, I be-
lie3e. at presents
s9NThere is one way in. which the Sunday
bicycle has benefited the church. 1t has
taught us that if we expect young people to
to attend the sanctuary, we must make the
services thoroughly interesting. The minis
ter must nave something to say, and say it
in a manner calculated to keep people awake.
In this age of Sunday newspapers, Sunday
bicycles and Sunday concerts, the Church
will have to brighten up and keep abreast OF
the times, or soon the pews will be empty.
This age has no use for piatitudinarians in
the pulpit. Sunday competition is here,
whether we like it or not, and we must meet
~