New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-26
THE STRENGTH or CHRjSTItNITy


The annual report, of the various religious
bodies COR the year now closing viii doubtless
show substantial gain IN numbers and
| strength over the previous year. And II the
various forms " mbeef were compact organ
izations instead ~ lndivIdualistlc units they
would also in all likelihood. give evidences Of
progress ard with. This is only another way
Of SAYING that statistical tables are not In every
case conclusive az 10 the real condition Of an
organization. The plain man who thinks that
two and two always make four Is quite likely
10 find his impression corrected by experience
Human nature Is strange and puzzlIng fact
in the universe. and history shows II often AS
scrilng that two and two make three or five
In other words. great systems of belief and
rules OF conduct have been built up on false
hoods quite as palpablc.
But. although statistics IN themselves may
not settle The question as To the growth Of Chris
tanlty during the last year, they are not with
out their value. They reveal n hcalihful artiv-
ity in the various Christian Churches and. taken
in connection with other facts less capable Of
tabulation. they do prove that christianity In
this country mas lost none Of its vitality and
lilte. If any. Of lis power over the heart and the
conscience Of the Nation. II * true that
multitude Of adult men and women are outside
of the membership OF the Churches and that
Of these some are living absolutely un-Chrs-
tian lives while others are active opponents
Of the Christian faith II Is also true that
many who nominal Christians ignore wholly
the teachings Of Christianity yet, in spite Of all
this the vital principles OF Christianity con
tinuc TO impress themselves on the thought and
action Of the Nation with all their old time com
polling power. In many cases his Is ~ true
Of those who are outside OF Christianity ms It is
Of active Church members. Without Intending
II. and in some cases without desiring II, they
order their life and conduct in accordance with
the fundamental teachings Of Christ. The
phrase Christianity outside the Church has been
rather ovcrwOrked by some highly emotional
liberals with minimum Of solid and subsan-
tial principles. Yet the existence to-day Of
Christianity outside the Church must be adj
mttcd. 1t has become n factor In the prob
lem that cannot be ignored. Though the theo-
loglan may be sadly puzzled in trying to ac
count for it, good men generally will rejoice
that Christianity has been powerful enough to
make It's influence felt outside Of Its organized
limits. Yet this influence, great as 1t undoubt
eddy is, eludes all attempts TO array 1t in
tables Of statistics, and, in point OF fact il often
credited TO forces and ideas that are outside Of
or hostile TO. Christianity.
There Is another thing to be borne In mind
in estimating the strength Of religion to-day.
Besides the two great classes of religious and
irrellglous people into which communities have
always been divided, we are now called upon
to recognize another class OF people-and by
means small one, either-who may be
called nnrellglous. They are not irreligious. be-
cause they not hostile 10 religion and do
not necessarily frame their lives In opposition
to Its teachings. But they are unreliglous, be-
cause they do not feeI. and therefore do not
recognize, their relation TO any higher power
than themselves. The theological setting OF re-
goD and its recognition Of a supernatural
origin, together with a belief In a divine revela-
ton. they would reject as puerllites Bufwhe
so far they are not religious, a great majOl
ty Of them are living good, clean, moral and
wholesome lives and they must, therefore, be
numbered among those who are helping to ad-
vance the cause Of righteousness in the world
Nevertheless, 1t 10 fair to assume that they owe