The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-29
WY EMPTY CHURCHES?
The Rev. Robert K. Wick
breaches His First Ser
mon on the Prevail
ing Indifference
to Religion.
THINKS PARENTS ARE TO BLAME
Severely Condemns Lax Home
Training of the Young
Sunday School Cam
not Do All.
THINKS PARENTS ARE TO BLAM

The Rev. Robert K. Wick, pastor of the
| Wayne Street Reformed Church, deliver
| ed, last night, the first of a series OF
six sermons on What People Think
His Immediate subject was, why do
so many men of good moral and business
standing maintain an attitude of indiifer-
ence toward the church,"
This question has worried me for
some time began Mr.. Wick, before l
| ever entered the ministry. It's answer or
| solution could only be obtained from
| those Immediately concerned or involved.
therefore addressed 200 representative
men on the subject and received about
100 replles from lawyers, doctors, bust
ness men and even ministers.
These answers are as varied as the
men themselves, and the reasons advanc-
ed are diverse enough, yet most of them
| can be grouped under several different
heads.
MANY said tina the incompetency of
ministers was the root of the trouble.
Much weight must be given TO this rea-
son. There are many incompetent min
listers, though, man for man, l hrmiy
believe that ministers a as high in
education and mentality as the members
of any profession. This reason, however.
should not be a valid one, for ministers
are but ambassadors; they have no in
herent powers of themselves, for the
Word derives it's weight and power not
from them but from Almighty God him
self. All the %eloquence and learning in
the world will not convert a man, though
both. admit, may be and are great
aids.
MANY others ascribe this attitude of
indifference as being due to so many IN
consistent Christians. Appearances are
often deceptive, and from time immemo-
rial the Lord has been wounded mostly
in his own house and in that of his
friends.
Inconsistency of Christians as an ex-
cuse for lukewarmness towards the
church is a subterfuge Of the mind, and
in fact and reason should nave no evil
effect on the community. One may as
we'll refuse to accept a five dollar gold
piece today because some one palmed eff
a counterfeit on him yesterday as to re
fuse to accept Gods saving grace be-
cause he has been taken in by one who
pretended to be saved. Christ says, Fol
low thou me- and not anyone else. Be
a Christian yourself, mo matter what
others may seem to be. Their backslid-
ing and hypocrisy should only lead on to
let others see what straight living and
fair dealing should be.
Another group of people say they do
not go to church because they have so
many other things to do This is a cam
did confession that the world in their
-, -. 1-rax 49, 11nnc-
ures, is more to them than Gods king
dom. with it's eternal happiness. God
does not and cannot object to men work
ing and getting money, but he does OBJ
ject to money getting them.N Many allow
the glitter of the almighty dollar to OBJ
scure the splendor of heaven, and it is
only when they are on the brink of the
great beyond that they realize that there
is something else besides stocks, bonds
and titles to real estate
Some others say that lack of sym-
pathy and hatred of creeds are respon-
sible for this prevalent Indifference. This
is only too evident, and one OF my cor
respondents says that the reason IS be-
cause the carnal heart and mine is
against God. This is a tremendous accus-
alton for man to make against mans best
friend, but it is only too true that many
people,. like the Fiji Islanders, do not
want help and will not receive aid when
it is offered in the most seductive man
ner. This statement holds equally good
in religious asSweu as in material mat
tiers, and though the Word of Goo IS
within their reach and offers untold adj
vantages and benefits, yet they will not
grasp the golden opportunity.
Several of my replies are, however, of
a much more encouraging nature. One
man says that people stay away from
church because its standard is too high,
and another says that it is his opinion
that there are a few moral men who do
mt annrnVp of and assist fine church,.
"A third says it is because people are
swayed by selfish and materialistic mo-
church offers no benefits that appeals to
them. Another comes out, plump and
plain, and says the church is a humbug;
another AYERS religion is a mere matter
of emotion and as now preached savors
too much of theory and theorizing; while
still a third advances the reason that
spiritual and unseen benefits do not APP
peal as forcibly to the ordinary business
man as do tangible results.
"All these reasons must be given a GER
tain amount of consideration, but one to
which a good deal of weight is attached
is the lack of home training of children.
This in many instances is the basic seat
of the trouble, for as the twig is bent
so doth the tree incline Lax home train
ing of the young cannot be too severely
condemned 1t seems only too true, the
boast of the Roman Church that no child
who has been under its care for eight
years ever forsakes it's church, and if we.
only paiu more attention TO our rising
generation the next generation would see
much more consideration accorded to
spiritual matters. The Sunday School
cannot do all; it is only a preliminary
church, for, as children become older,
they outgrow the Sunday School, lose
sympathy with the church and gradually
drift away and become ~engrossed in the
world and its pleasures.
9Th whole trouble, to my mind, can be
summed up in the statement that this
Indifference is. due to the lack of the
| spirit of God. Men refuse to give their
hearts to their Maker. Lack of the spirit
of God is the only reason why so many
men of good moral and business standing
maintain an attitude of Indifference to-
wards the church."
Next Sunday evening Mr.. Wick will
| preach on What influence in our COM
munity has the. most facilitating effect
| morally upon our young menu"
MISS NELSON'S MUSICALE.