The times., 1898-10-04
DECLINE OF RELIGION.
Rev. DIR. DE Costa Says There Is Too
Much Sectarianism.

New York Oct 3.-The Rev. DIR. Ben
5amin F. De Costa, rector of the Church
OF St. John the Evangelist. Waverley
Place and West Eleventh Street, in be-
ginning his discourse yesterday morning,
said: II wish to consider the fact this
morning that the religious bodies of this
country have failed TO accomplish what
they ought TO have accomplished, and ii
they ever are going to accomplish what
they ought 10 accomplish, instead of
working against one another, they must
work together.
Granting the proposition that the old
church has broken up because it ought
10 have been broken up IL is idle to at
tempt to resurrect it. The question is,
what are we going to do? Are we going
10 build a new church TO take the place
of the old one and care for the people of
this land2 The time has come to think;
it is simply criminal TO attempt to shut
our eyes to the facts presented by the
census showing the spread of irreligion
in the Land. Millions of young men of
three generations have gone down TO un-
sanctified graves. Morally denomination
alism has not saved the people. II has
not saved religion or morality. This
morning Christianity is ignored by the
masses Of the people. Sectarianism has
played a high game and it has lost. Even
among its membership, if reports be true,
there are men VINO reflect little or no
credit upon its work
The masses of the people in this land
on Sunday morning are found, not facing
Zionward, but with their eyes glued TO a
newspaper. Their is no plan for the con-
version of the people from irreligion. One
hundred years ago there were one million
people cut of the church; today there are
fifty millions. How long is it going TO
take at this rate to convert the nation?
The say the old church was not fit to
live; that il was not success. / want TO
call attention TO the fact that denomina-
tionalism is not a success. Today there
are fifty million out of the seventy million
people in this land who are either hostile
or indifferent TO the teachings of the
church.
Martin Luther was a great man, but
he did not reform the church. and Prot
estants claim that he did not reform him
self. as he held TO the worship of the Vir-
gin until the day of his death. The Eng
lish reformers did not satisfy the people,
and their successors who took up the
task found so many errors that 1t took
two hundred reformations by two hun
dred sects to eliminate the superstiti-
tions
The most Of these sects have been re-
produced in our land. with additions,
forming an exhibition altogether lewd and
melancholy; still another new party has
risen up to reform, not only church doc
trine, but the Bible. They are the higher
critics, seeking TO rid the Old and New
Testament of myths. telling us that the
Pentateuch is a fraudulent composition,
and that when our Lord said: I am the
way and the truth he was ignorant of
the fact that the stories or Abraham, Jo-
nah and Daniel were simply pious false
hoods He was the blind leading the
blind.
Thus the work of reformation goes
on, and If is about time for men who are
not wholly besotted with sectarianism to
pause. Il is something pitiful TO see the
secretaries of church societies prepare
figures TO show an increase in the mem
bership of their organizations, when the
masses are drifting away from the Cos
pei. You can count the gains on your fin
gers. while the census counts up the loss
es by millions. Blatant infidelity prevails
throughout the land.
The one thing we have got to do is tc
to remember that sectarianism has moth.
ing in accord with Christianity. Sectari-
anism has done this work Christianity
Is not responsible.