The San Francisco call., 1896-04-13

been seeking the aid of the supernatural. For
many centuries the wealth Of the world was
used to propitiate the unseen powers. In our
own country the property dedicated to this
purpose is worth at least 81 900, OOO, 900. The
interest on this sum is $50, ,O00, 900 year and
the cost OF employing persons whose business
1t is to seek the aid of the supernatural and to
maintain the property is certainly as much
more. So that the cost of our country is about
$2,OO0,000 week and counting ten hours as
a working day this amounts to about $500
q minute.
For this vast amount of money the returns
are remarkably small. The good accom- plished
does not appear to be great There is no great
diminution in crime. The decrease of immor-
ality and poverty is hardly perceptible. In
spite, however, OF the apparent failure here, a
vast sum OF money is expended every year to
carry our ideas OF the supernatural to other
races. Our churches, for the most part are
closed during the week, being used only part
OF one day in seven. No one wishes to destroy
churches or church organizations. The only
desire is that they shall accomplish substantial
good for the world. In many of our small
towns-towns of 5000 or 1000 people-will be
found four or five churches, sometimes more.
These churches are founded upon immaterial
differences, difference as to the mode of bap-
tlsm, 6 difference to who shall be entitled to
partake of the Lords supper, difference of
ceremony, of government, a difference about
foreordination, difference about fate and free
will. And it must lie admitted that all the ar
guments on all sides of these differences have
been presented countless millions of times.
Upon these subjects nothing new is produced
or anticipated, and yet the discussion is main
tanned by the repetition of the old arguments
ttNow 1t seems to me that it would be far
better for the people of town having a popu-
lation of 1000 or 5000 to have one church, and
the ediice should be of use not only on Sun
day, but on every day of the week. In this
building should be the library of the town. 1t
should be the clubhouse of the people, where
they could find the principal newspapers and
periodicals of the world. Its auditorium
should be like a theater. Plays should be
presented by home talent, an orchestra formed,
music cultivated. The people should meet
there at any time they desire. The women
could carry their knitting and sewing, and con-
nected with it should be rooms for the playing
OF games, billiards, cards and chess. Every
thing should be made as agreeable as possible
The citizens should take pride in this building.
They should adorn its inches with statues and
its walls with pictures. 1t should be the in
tellectual center. They could employ gentle
man OF ability, possibly of genius, to address
them on Sundays on subjects that would be of
real interest, of real importance. They could
say to this minister:
We are engaged in business during the
week. While we are working at our trades
and professions we want you to study and on
sunday tell US what you have found out"
Let such minister take for series of Sc
mons the history, the philosophy of the art
and the genius of the Greeks. Let him tell of
the wondrous metaphysics, myths and re-
ligions OF India and Egypt. Let him make his
congregation conversant with the PHILOSOPHERS
OF the world, with the great thinkers, the great
poets. the great artists, the great actors, the
great orators, the great inventors, the captains
of industry, the soldiers of progress Let them
have Sunday school in which the children
shall be made acquainted with the facts of
nature, with botany, entomology, something
Of geology and asst ronomy
Let them be made familiar with the greatest
OF poems, the finest paragraphs of literature,
with stories OF the heroic, the self-denying and
generous.
Now 1t seems to me that such a congregation
In few years would become the most intelli-
gent people in the United States.
The truth is that people are tired of the old
theories. They have lost confidence in the
miraculous, in the supernatural, and they
have ceased to take interest in "facts" that
they do not quite believe.
There is no darkness but ignorance.
THERE'S no light but intelligence
Colonel Ingersoll described the system
in vogue for the punishment of criminals,
and said:
All this is Infamous. Men should not be sent
70 the penltentiary as q punishment, because