New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-04
NEW YEAR or CHTRCH WORK.


This Is the beginning Of new year for the
churches. 1t IS not thus marked in the &C.
ccslastcal calendar. but the practical neceSSl-
ties of the case have made it so. Both pastors
and people have had such Il summer rest as their
circumstances permitted. Unfortunately mu'-
tltudes Of people and. we may add. many OF
the most deserving pastors, have had llttle or
no vacation. and in some Instances the sum
mer has brought to them only an increase Oh
discomfort and work. Yet summer has meant
at least an intermsSion in many forms Oh
church activity and a relaxation of the rule OF
church attendance. But today new year OF
work and of worship begins. and it is to be
hoped that a majority Of both pastors ana peo
pie come back tuned up 10 the right concert pitch
OF enthusiasm and faith. They have had me
advantage of getting away for n while from
the trivial round and common task or their re-
gous work. and of looking at 1t from the point
OF view Of an outsider which Is helpful ana
wholesome thing for every one to do OCCASION
ally. And they have also had the opportunity
Of coming in touch more or less with the great
world outside ~ the Church. And this also Is
an advantage. especially 10 the clergy. who are
always IN danger Of being made narrow ana
self-cenred by the very carnestness and zeal
But. though vacation IA good thing for
Christians as we'll as other people, we venture
10 say that in many cases it's immediate effect
is to foster encouragement. For it takes
church members ont Of the small and contract
ed life Of their parishes In which the victories
Of the faith are enlarged upon, and ts defeats
either forgotten or ignored. and filings them into
currents Of life and thought Indifferent or hos
-, In II
on his vacation encouraged by the unusually
large number of young people who united Win
his church during the previous year perhaps
comes across numerous cases OF religious apos-
tasy in the course Of his summer Hitting. or in
his Intercourse with some Of the men who are
shaping the thought and activity Of the age
he learns OF great countcrcurrents ~ opinion
ana belief that are seemingly hostile to the
ideals Of religion. II is inevitable that many
Christians live In n sort Of mutual admiration
atmosphere There Is lack Of intellectual
perspective in their outlook And they empha
size unduly many circumstances of really
trivial import that make for their view. while
failing to estimate the facts that make against
II. In this Of course. Christians are no differ
ont from other people; for everybody inevitably
constructs n horizon OF his own. beyond which
produces n shock when such n horizon Is en-
larged. and unsuspectcd factors IN the prob
lem OF life rise suddenly into view II Is not
every Christian who has tho wisdom and
strength ~ make good use ~ the larger knowl-
edge that comes 10 those who lfc as II Is.
The immediate result Of such m enlargement
~ vision l. often 10 chill enthusiasm and para
I'VE effort
And there Is another thing that tends 10 dis
courage many Christians to-day They have
got II into their heads that the triumph Of
Christianity can only be- brought about by n
return TO the ideals Of the past and a mechan
zeal reproduction Of It's religious atmosphere.
Sooner OF later they discover that this can
never be done The march Of events Is ire
sIstlblc. and amount 81 religious zeal Will
ever make the living. breathing present into q
pale replica Of the past The sincerity OF those
who are to-day crying Back TO Christ" can
not be- questioned. and so far ms the cry Inn
plies fcaliy TO the spirit Of Chrsts teachings
II is commendabe. Hut when II IS taken lit
orally II Is fatal TO every modern Christian
body. Protestant as we'll as Catholic For
while they all may and do claim 70 exist in
harmony with Christs teachings, not one Of
them exactly reproduccs the actual Church as
II was In tine days Of the Apostles. "A Il mat
ter OF fact. neither Protestants nor Catholics
make any such claim. but agree In admitting
that the organization and life ~ Christianity
have been profoundly modified by time and
environment. The thing FOR nineteenth cen
fury Christians 10 do Is TO apply the teachings
Of Christ 10 The life Of to-day. and cease trying
10 make the Church an artificial patchwork Of
the past