The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-11-08
THE CHURCHES ANDTHE MASSES


When this election is over, and the
clergymen who have been turning their
pulpits into stumps find topics of popular
interest scarce, most Of them sooner or
later will be driven to fall back on that
faithful standby: "Why have the
churches lost their hold on the masses p
The answer furnished by the experience
Of this campaign is that very many of
the churches have lost their hold on the
Gospel Of Christ The church that
ceases to be 4 house Of God TO become
Il temple Of Manmon is naturally avoided
by men who seek the sanctuary for pur-
poses OF Christian worship.
The political harangues that Sunday
after Sunday have been flung at congre
CATIONS throughout the country in all but
few instances have been in the interest
Of the party OF the rich, and they have
gone far toward justifying the reproach
SO frequently made against the pulpit
that instead Of being the friend Of the
poor, whom Jesus loved, it is a parasite
of wealth
Doubtless the great majority of the
preachers who have lifted their voices
for Sound money" and the national
honor" and incidentally for the trusts
and millionares and money-changers
who have taken both under their exclu-
sive protection, are sincere. So are
courteirs sincere in their reverence for the
King, be he good or bad. But what can
any thoughtful man infer from this pulpit
enthusiasm for the cause which has be-
hind it opulence and influence? 1t costs
the average city preacher no courage to
Gspolise this cause. Ills pews are not
filed with the sort of people likely to
be offended by eloqutnce directed to the
unfolding Of the sacredness Of the privi-
lege Of the rich 10 possess the government,
to inherit the earth and the fullness
thereof. In it wonderful that a working
man entering one of these temples where
q view il taken of the self-aggrandizing
rich man so opposite to that expressed
by the Carpenter Of Nazareth, should not
feel at home-that he should feel himself
rs out of place as the owners of d Fifth
avenue mansion would think him If they
should find him in their drawing room
unlimited? The labor Of the country has
often in the utterances Of its unions
spoken Of the pulpit as being capitalistic
in its leanings, and therefore not friend
ly to the workers, who are engaged in a
ceaseless struggle to resist the pressure
for the lowering Of wages. The last three
months have not tended to disprove that
accusation. And could d more shameful
accusation be brought against a body or
men who profess to be the servants of
Him whose heart went out always to the
humble, the oppressed and the heavy
laden?
There are thousands Of preachers whose
spirit is that of their Master, and whose
efforts in writing sermons are not devoted
to devising arguments, that bring COM
fort to those who have plenty Of the good
things of this life and are intent on get
ting more-preachers who see, as Christ
saw, that there is injustice in the differing
lots Of Dives and Lazarus. But such
preachers are not pastors of fashionable
city churches.
A little investigation, we think, will
show that those churches which have lost
their hold on the masses have frightened
their hold on the trusts, and that if their
peWs are rather empty the pew rents are
regularly paid. They are the same sort of
churches whose pastors a generation ago
defended human slavery and soothed the
consciences of slave owners. The kind Of
wealth which has no soul and deems it's
own increase the highest object in life has
no better friend. no stouter champion,
than the pulpit that since early summer
has forgotten the crucifipd Christ to
preach the mortgage Mckinley. New
York Journal