The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-01-01
DO NOT HOLD CHRISTIANITY
RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR
SHORTCOMINGS.
Another Preacher Who Dares Look
the Devil in the Face-A
Righteous Roast.
THE CHURCH IS MAMMONIZED.
1t Is the Screen of Scoundrels and Abettor
of Sin in High Places.


Yes" is virtually the answer which
Rev. Carl f. Henry makes to the ques-
ton, rs the Church Mammonized?'
This query he took as the theme of
striking sermon which he delivered
yesterday morning at All Souls Univer-
salist church. and in the course of which
he spoke significantly of the resignation
and recent departure from Cleveland of
one of the most prominent of the minis
ters of the city.
The sermon was introduced with quo
tations from certain vigorous articles
by eminent writer's bearing on the sub
ject Of his discourse. Professor Heron,
of Iowa, was quoted as saying: "Protes-
tant Christianity is practically caste
religion. Until the church repent it
self of it's money worship, it is not even a
fit companion for the special movement
and would lead it in a devolution rather
than an evolution. Any leadership the
church would now put forward to repre-
sent it would be chiefly interesting in
bounds and interests of mammOn.'
These said Mr. Henry ARE severe
words, and since they have been given
such publicity, and because they voice
the sentiments of so large a portion of
the population they should receive con-
sideratiOn. The charge of corruption
and utter subserviency TO wealth is about
as strong as it could be made. The
church is called tree under whose Shad-
ow nearly every kind Of respectable CD
sin and fraud and corruption find shelter.
1t is a screen of scoundrels and the abcr-
tor of sin in high places. The clergy
is represented as a set of men without
courage # they have convictions, with
the plutocrats' golden gag upon their
mouths.
What are the evidences that hese rep
reservations are true? There are evi-
denCes. First of them, perhaps. is The
fact that the church is practically for
saken by the poor class. It is not only
the submerged tenth that is beyond the
pale Of it's influence but it is the working
half. If the $50 900 people of Cleveland
were drawn up in 2 line according to
their financial worth. with the richest
millionaire at the head and the poorest
paUper at the tail end OF the line, and
~
nearer the head than the foot, you would
have a reasonably accurate division OF
our population into church -goers and
non church -gogers Of course, this evil
Gence is not a CONVINCING argument that
the church is mammonized but it creates
a strong presumption that it's sympathi3G
are not SO much with the poor as they
ought to be. There are in our churches
people whose enormous possessions have
been practically cXtorted from poor men
and women. They are not more censur-
able than the pernicous industrial sys-
tenn and the diabolical commercial ethics
under which they gained their wealth!
but it must be admitted that many min
listers who love ease and what the world
calls success yiold to the temptation to
let the magnate and the immortal meth
DDS Of his doing business pass unre-
buked.
''TWo or three years ago the Cleveland
public was edited by a quarrel in a Boil
ton avenue church. The pastor was
turned down and out. and the principal
reason seemed to be that he did much of
his work among the humber people dn1
had not succeeded N attracting TO his
congregation the aristocracy Of the kinl
that sraced the sittings of the mother
church
within three weeks another disgrace
ful row has been brought to public gaze,
resulting in the loss of one Of the strong
est men in the city. who has gone to
more peaceful vineyard. We without
the ring do not know the full history of
events that led to his resignation but our
suspicious We're aroused when one Of his
most virulent enemies rushed into print
and over the signature Fair Play charg-
cd his pastor with being too good to the
poor.
Taken all in all, with all the evil
dence in, considering the facts already
cited, adding to them the significan;
truth that they are holding mem bership
in some of our churches. men who derive
revenue from saloons and gambling dens
and houses Of ill-repute, remembering
that a preacher rebukes their methods
only at a cost of removal. and that many
are therefore silent (thank heaven one
William Knight would not be silenced):
remembering that in our large cities the
churches are moving up town, not be-
cause of lack of people in the down town
districts. for thousands swarm about
them, but because of the lack Of their
kind OF people-the arstocracy-remem
bering that the man with the million is
the man in the church. and that his nod
is more eloquent than the voice of united
hundreds, it seems that we are unwilling
" forced to the conclusion that if the
church is not mammoniZed. and has not
become a Worsh.per of self instead of
God, its vOtarieS are at least guilty of
total disregard of the admOnition of the
Lords brother James, for as general