The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-12-16

are IN nun berS enough to muster an In
vincible force on the side of moral senti-
ment. Many citizens of good intentions,
people whom no one could justly accuse
of being wholly Indifferent to the moral
welfare of the community, yet look upon
the churches with Indifference, and some
times with contempt. Those who are
contemptuous towards religion base thei1
position upon the most superficial and
narrow estimate of religion, and an made
quate knowledge of the present character
and aims of it's organized resources. They
think they have exposed errors in creed,
and conclude that all religious belief is
false. They have noted defects in the
characters of certain members of churches,
and hastily conclude that all church mem
bers are hypocrites. They see that the
sentiment of generation still clings to SUI
perstiticns and absurdities, and while
they may not openly rdicule, they foster
a distant and unsympathetic attitude
towards all expressions of religion, $50
that, as Emerson says, 'analysis has
run to seed in unbelef'' From this po-
sition which they occupy, and the atti-
tude in which they stand, they do not
comprehend the fact that the larger part
of the superstition and inconsistency upon
which their contempt is based belongs to
the past; and that whereverit is witnessed
n
enlightenment. The churches OF to- day,
of all sects, with a few insignificant ex-
ceptions, are entirely different from the
churches of the past, A significant change
has been evolving during the last 40 or so
years. A church used to be kind of
warder's lodge to the elysan fields of
heaven; or a guarded gate in the outer
walls of the New Jerusalem, which no one
could enter unless be could present the
creed of the sect to which it belonged as
the password. Their point of view was
other worldly, and their chief concern
was to save souls from the wrath to come
Preaching consisted forthe most part in
expounding the creeds, and setting forth
mans lost state, and his need of salvation.
though here and there a preacher on oc-
casions, dealt with the affairs of this
world, mainly political issues and when
he did, his utteranceS had no uncertain
sound, but were bold, plain and uncom-
promising. The method of the church
previously to the present generation, was
almost wholly revivalistic and evangelical.
1t consisted of stated times for preaching
and prayer meetings, with periodical sea
sons of awakening, during which back
sliders were reclaimed and sinners con-
verted. The exercise of the humane
graces such as charity, was enjoined upon
the members, but as a rule, there was no
organized philanthropy within the church
es. To save human beings from the evils
and woes, and torrents of this world was
secondary consideration, supplementary
to the more important and exigent matter
of securing their eternal welfare Much
time and nervous force were spent in
praying for, and eXhortiug sinners to re-
pent, and believe, and accept the pre-
scribed conditions of salvation; and the
most noted preachers were those who ac-
complshed the mghtiest revivals, and
added the largest number of members to
the churches
There was a strong under current of sec
tartan rivalry, and frequent controversies,
often bitter and uncharitable, mainly
upon points of doctrine and the admins
tration OF the ordinances. The churches
viewed humanity as two classes, saints
and sinners, or redeemed and unregener-
ate, and in order to pass from the ranks of
the workings to the fellowship of Chris
tians one must have passed through men
tai and emotional experiences called con-
version. Without that experience, one S
character, however above reproach from
worldly point of view; and ones good
works, however many and useful, were
deemed not acceptable to God as creden-
tials of salvation
Such in brief was the character of the
churches so years ago, and there are some
to-day of which the Characterization is in
the main true. But, looked at in large
way, the churches of to-day are essential
ly different from those of so years ago.
Their objective point is practically shifted
from the world to come to the world that
is; from a hypothetical heaven and hell,
to the real hells which are peopled with
multitudes of men, women and children
from the eager quest of heaven after
death, to the possibilities of making life
in this world more heavenly with enlight-
eminent, virtue, comfort, safety, and some
measure of true happiness. The major
ity of the churches to-day maintain Or
ganized philanthropies which are doing
a large part of the charitable work of
every community. Churches which were
threatened with extinction because of the
withdrawal of vital forces and the failure
of old sanctions and methods, have taken
new leases of life, and entered upon new
careers of great usefulness under the i'm
pulse of the new motive of ministering to
the needs of the present world and the