El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-09-11
THE NON-CHURCH GOING ASSES.
They Are to be Reached by the Gospel in
Its Simplicity and Power.

/
| They Are to be Reached by the Gospel in
Its Simplicity and Power.
| Prof T, d. WitherspoOn, in the HomfletiC
| r eview. Condensed for Public Opinion
| The statistics of church attendance
in this country are, to one confront ted
with them for the first time, simply
| appalling. The tiStics of church &C
| com M odatiOn go to show that if on any
sabbath morning every person OF suit
able age she uld determine 10 attend
| pubic worship, not more than one
fourth could be comfortably accommo-
dated, even though every sanctuary
were crowded to its full capacity. In
| sufficient as church accommodation is
| for those who ought to attend upon
public worship, it will be found that on
ord mary ccss ons it is nearly, if not
fully, double what it is actually reQuir-
ed, so that what is ne eded, at present
at least, is not more church accommO-
dation Inacces,ibility, or at least in
convenience of location in the cIurches
The scant at enhance upon public Wor-
ship. UnfOrluua tely. in this case, a.
in the proceeding one, the fsc's ar
against US. Go on any Sabbath morn
ing into one of our half-filed churches:
ascertain the place of residence
of each wCrshiper You will fad tina,
majority have walked number OF
blocks, or ridden mum Der of miles on
the street cars. They have walked or
ridden two or three times as far as
would be nee essary to take them to
church OF any denomination they may
prefer. 1t is evident that if the people
wish to go TO church, a few blocks
difference in distance counts for
nothing. Nor viii the penacea for
on-church going be found, as some
vainly ina CINE, in making our church
es less imposing in architecture and
less costly and sumptuous in adorn
ment. A II this eX 'ravagance is to be
decried because of its effect upon :he
cburchgoer, but not out OF regard to
the non-churchgoer. Ii these children
of this world who are in the'r genera
ton wiser than the children of light,
fo- nd the masses refused to enter
their palatial business houses their
splendid opera houses, and their sump-
tuously furnished and brilliantly light
ed cafes, they would soon dispense with
them. 1t has been propose d 10 change
the character of the services, and make
them attractive 10 the masses. a 4
so we have the great whoop and hur-
rah with Orchestras al pri ma donnas,
and sensational sermons, and pulpit
harlequinade. Alas, the game is not
worth the candle. We carnot turn
the house of God into Sund ay night
opera hall.
In despair of attracting the nom
church-gOers to our sanctuarieS of
worship, various expedients have been
suggested aud carried into effect for
taking the gospel to people who will
u OF come to the church to receive it.
There is, for instance the plan of mis-
sion chapels and downtown churches,
provided especially for those in the
hum bier walks of life. But, apart from
the unscripturalness of the principle
upon which this movement proceeds
that of having one place of worship for
the rich and another for the poor
there is always the further difficulty
that, from the limited means at COM
mand. the building is hOmely, the con-
the service uninspiriDg, and just
where there is most need of special at
traction it is most signaliy wanting.
To remedy this, second and much
wiser expedient has been suggested,
and is now in successful operation in
London under the direction Of Rev.
Hugh Price: in New York, f'hilad-
supervision of Mr.. Moody. The method
pursued ty these men is to rent large
and attractive public halls, and to sec
ure the ablest and most popular and
attractive pulpit speakers with the
very best possible service Of song. AS
temporary expedien+ and as q means
to an end, this use of public halls is
greatly to be commended. 1t is, how
ever. like al expedlebts of this kind, if
viewed as permanent institution.
open to the fatal objection that it re-
cognizes, and seems to sanction, the
division of the community int, two
classes, one of which is expected to
worship in churches end the Other in
public halls The church edific,.
erected solely for the worship of God,
and sOlemnly set apart to his service,
is the natural and normal center of the
religious cult. The associations that
cluster about it, the ordinances that in
their highest impressiveuess can be
ad administered only within its walls,
make it exceedingly important that it
should be to the whole community, and
not to part of it only the place Of
stated worship.
How, then, are the non-churchgo;ng
masses to be reached? The answer we
wonld suggest is threefOld, and is based
upon the principle that, while mission
chapels, street preachings and saliva
ton army methods may subs eve "a
temporary purpose, nothing but the
influence of Christian sanctuary can
meet the deep and permanent ieces-
sites of the case. First, the nom
church going masses must be made TO
feel that they are welcome in our
churches. The pastor of one of our
large city churches stated publicly. a
short time since, that he would like