The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-28

E9BYELAHO, o.. NOV. Ills reb3&aon
- repperty alike Of rich and poor, or Il
n IL exclusive possession OF those who
= a6ord TO dress In purple and fne
rsansg These are the questions that. for
1cne time past. have caused the Rev. An
1rru Chalmers. pastor Of the Durham
Axenpe Christian church. Cleveland. O.,
ueny eleepless nights. The more he pom
80 over II, the more troubled he was
- the thought that = religion. born and
Ieed among the meek and lowly.
have become 70 far above the reach
1 rank and file Of humanity N to make
cssibis for poorly dressed man to
g ene Of our modern churches without
- a amount OF attention to himself
~ = put II mildly. Ii very embarrass-
r.. Chalmers decided to put the matter
= PRACTICAL test and settle to his own
k6ctfon the length. breadth and Insight
q ~ noos mans welcome from tile ushers
r. iooereGation OF a fashionable religious
fHehment. Dofing his clerical garb.
~. r oImers assumed the clothing Of an
6iIy Don Of toll. and thus disguised he
$500 one Of Cleveland's leading churches.
T1S oyieuces he reserved for . modest
7711e s9rmon delivered 10 his Durham ave.
- nock. But II was not 70 be In the
1890 d things that DR.. Chalmers action
1872 pass unnoticed. After he had
80 the sermon he found himself
1m5 enlmed with correspondence, some
uy1tors criticising his action. others con-
1y1talaains him. He replied to each OF
Shea hffe{ly and modestly. Many of his
5000 urged him to still further aGitate
~ question of heightened versus humble
feiirion, but ne declined TO do so. He has
4 III consented. however. 70 tell In detail
liz story OF his very interesting expert
nnoa while on his tour In the gutse Of q
nooY nan. and his signed statement fol-
hrs:
III this article will be construed az ar
yaying the poor against the churches more
than they already are, II viii not represent
ma aud Will be worse tran wasted. ] did
ri make this visit to further divorce the
Woftdneman from the church. / made 1t
"a - e the conditions noted in the second
chankef 81 James were really true, aid Il
%, % put the churches, my own church
especially, to a process OF seif-examina-
tlon which would be helpful 10 the church
and would prevent our being 'respectors
Of persons In our assemblies.
II vas sick, some In body and much In
soul. because felt that the churches did
not have 'Compassion on the multitude.
because they tainted and were scattered
abroad Is sheep having no shepherd
Matt *. =. I felt this In my own work
/ was 20 sick that my physician told me
! could not preach on Sunday. On Sunday
afternoon I felt better and told my wife
that I was going TO see how far the
churches believed In Jesus Christ and
whether or rot they believed In him In re-
spect to the ones with the gold ring and
the gay apparel would have preferred
10 attend my own church and see how my
own congTegailon welcomed tho stranger
and the poor man In poor clothes. but
knew ! could not do that without being
recognized.
II dressed myself In clothes better than
the average man who works on the street
~ 4 or MS per day can afford. The
clothes were not ragged. They were not
dirty. They were not the clothes that .
man would work In on the street. They
we're such as he might possibly have for
sunday wear. ! went to one Of the repre-
sentative churches In the city OF Clevo-s
lana. ! do not think this church vGited
Y more to be blamed for what followed
than the rest Of 10. am dealing with q
sobdition. The church visited pays the
peetof Roo to &.oo year. think there
ms on the bulletin board on the outside
g ne church. In connection with the an
uonncements OF the regular weekly SER
vices. the usual sign: All welcome
econ found that this sign was much like
sne circus ads. not quite fulfilled. found
y was one thing to place on the bulletin
noard Oh the outside Of the church the adj
velusement Of welcome. and quite another
snins 70 have that welcome written In the
sesy neart OF the church people. deter
nsnse inat night that we In our church
s ~eau eisner take dowr that sign All well
~~S~.
went In during the playing OF the
voluntary on the grand pine organ ana
Ansn the worshipers were entering.
s.ooa IN the aIsles and looked down while
savup after group Of fashionably dressed
= oasnipers In their gay apparel were
n'o~n ny dude ushers to the best seats IN
rs church. ] stood there SO long that
: ,sesn 10 be embarrassed and had 10 re-
WI WI 20 myself again and again who I was