The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-18
AMONG THE CHURCHES.

/ My friend, Rev DR.. ----, is OPP
posed to the Sunday paper, unalterably
and eternally. 1t matters not whether
it is the yellow sheet that spreads
disease and corruption wherever it
touches. or the clean, bright intelli-
gent paper like The Sunday Spy, which
brings joy, instruction and culture into
the home He is opposed to it because
it bears the imprint sunday" and it
matters not to him how good or how
bad it is. His main argument is that
it tends to secularize the day and to
take it farther and farther away from
the religious purposes for which it
should be used. He argues that the
Sabbath is becoming more and more
work day as time wears on, and that
the Sunday paper is helping along this
movement. He thinks that its publ
cation keeps many at home who would
otherwise come to church, and that it's
influence is generally material to eX-
press it mildly and not spiritual.
The reverend doctor admits that the
street cars ought to run, because they
are necessary for the convenience of
the public, but in the same breath he
declares that the convenience of in
they have a right to know what has
been going on in the busy world Sat
urday but shall be obliged to wait I'M
til Monday to read the news. He ad
mits that good music is necessary to
draw congregations, and that a good
many people come to hear the music
with little regard for the preaching;
he admits that secals, entertainments
and fairs are necessary in churches to
supply the demand of church people for
social pleasure and to keep them away
from other places of amusement where
the surroundings might be hurtful; he
admits that certain church reforms
and changes have been necessary and
iustifiable with the advancing age, but
at the same time he declares that the
Sunday paper no matter how clean,
how intelligent or how entertaining, Is
a thing that must be abolished if the
nation is to stand. My friend can sac
rif1ce little personal convictions in
preaching, because he knows that Mr..
So-and-So who is prominent member
of the church, wouldn't like to hear
them, and that would mean trouble;
he can wear dress suit to a banquet,
because form demands it, when he
| feels within himself that no clergyman
! should ever appear in public unless
gowned in the sombre black, and he can
do a score of little things that seem
queer to other people, and still he can't
have the Sunday paper,
Half a dozen years ago there were
scores of these preachers. Today they
are few. Like communion cups, like
music in the churches and a score of
innovations that the advancing age de-
mands the Sunday paper has come to
stay. All people who have the best in
terests of humanity at stake deplore
the fact that there is SO much demand
for the ''yElow' sheet and all hope for
the time when the Sabbath will not be
| desecrated by it. but the time and in
creasing intelligence along religious az
we'll as other lines, will only increase
the demand for the Sunday paper of the
right sort. 1t seems to be supremely
ridiculous in the present age to ask an
| intelligent man to step out of his house
Sunday or any other morning without
first glanCing through a newspaper. 1t
matters not whether he is going to
church or business. the age demands
that he should know something of what
happened in the world the day before.
If he reads the Sunday paper before
going to church, Sunday morning, he
will be better able to appreciate what
is said, and if he stays at home and
reads it when he should be at church.
it can be for no other reason under the
sun than that his interest in church
affairs is not great.
How to reach the great masses that
never step inside the church door is the
problem. The adjustment of the Sun
day paper will not bring them in and
the doing of many other things which
have been suggested will not bring
about the desired result. The trouble
lies deeper than this AS long as young
men are obliged to work ten hours a
day and some evenings for six days in
the week, the majority will find more
pleasure in the field, Sunday than at
church. AS long as the honest work
ingman must struggle for a small por-
ton of the almighty dollar while the
sweat falls from his brow and his life
blood GIBBS out, he will find more COM
fort in his home than elsewhere. The
age demands so much of people to live
that they have little time or inclination
for anything that improves. If we could
make life easier its hardships and sor-
rows less; If we could educate and re-
fine then the demand for spiritual life
would increase and the churches would
prosper without effort
To reach the masses the great
churches must place smaller churches
among the masses and place workers.
selected from these people, fully
equipped with them. The great mass
of people outside the church can never
be brought into the big churches for
a score of reasons. The condition can
not be changed and to successfully
meet the question the churches
must meet the conditions. DR.. Scott
evidently appreciates this fact. Equip
your smaller churches" is his cry.
"Build up the Notifications on all sides
or the devil will enter and the city
viii fall" Do this, improve the ethical