The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-06
TO PROMOTE CHURCH INFLUENCE

AZ ENoAVah ShtoSh lNF'Lt EN- h.
Archdeacon Madden. of Manchester,
delivered very remarkable address re-
Gently In which he made the prophecy,
speaking Of church influence, that:
They would die. some OF them, Of re-
spectability. IL they were not careful:
and the church they belonged to would
die and be respectfully buried, and there
would be no resurrection of it,
The Church of England particularly
prides itself upon It's rigidity, and it
is losing its influence In that country,
while the Catholic church. which is ex-
tending it's views Of individual liberty,
Is encroaching. Archdeacon Madden is
a very eminent clergyman. who has
made his church most popular, and so,
by the best means. is enlarging its in
duence and bringing the members al
most unconsciously nearer to the truth.
He believes in reaching men by rea-
son; In making them better by the force
Of precept and example. He Is opposed
to trying to make men good by act of
parliament.
Much OF his address would bear repe-
tition, but II is sufficient to present
some OF the points to which his argu-
ments led up. He said, among many
things. that they wanted little more
elasticity about themselves Some one
said the Baptists had all the water. the
Methodists all the fire. and the Church
had all the starch. He did not want
the wafer; he wanted a little fire and
enthusiasm. and adaptability In the
great national church. IL they were
going 10 reach the people they must
have a flexible backbone. because they
wanted to stoop. They could not lift up
the fallen II they were starchy and
stiff.
His address. which was made to min
echo in the remarks Of the lord mayor.
which were also received with great APP
plause He said there was one thing
he would like to say TO the clergy who
directed the lay help provided by this
society. There were many people who
were temperate in everything except
language. II was necessary 10 be tenn
perate In language. as in anything else.
He did not believe in those gentlemen
who preached temperance principles and
who told them they were bound to go
70 perdition II they took glass OF beer.
He had been told himself that because
he liked drop OF sherry to his lunch
and n little whisky and milk for his sup
per. he was worse than a drunkard.
Did anybody in his senses believe such
arrant ciaptrap as that was likely 10
convert people 10 teeto;alism? lie ven
tured 10 say that those who wanted 10
teach the people how 10 become Chris
tlans should be temperate in their lam
guage. and should first OF all show what
1t was To be Christians themselves.
These speeches are interesting because
England. the Church and Church mem
bers are beginning to realize that sua-
sion and not force Is the best weapon
ia dealing with men. 1t indicates that
In ether countries than this the intein.
genee Of the ministers IS being directed
70 a consideration of the question not
only how 20 hr the churches. bu, 20
!inpart a higher moral tone to society
The work % the church IS the nobIest
- which any man can dea!cate his life
and energies God knows the world
needs the intelligence ara the earnest.
ne2s 20 It's preachers and tea hers and
thAt there Is wide Geld far their work
Bat the ola methods are 20 longer e.
ficacious. The day when the church
Of TIE medieval age could succeed hv
| the FnethoSs % the Catholle church ana
the Puritans alike Is past. All cree8x
row recognize this: ard the church Is
| always usoss potent now where II re-
ognixes the difference Ia TIRE character
ana temperament % men
CeGrch and state are stiu noaalna'lv
synonymous IN England bat the Non
eoTFTorrutsis ard Dlsseu;sTs are a nos,
fnfiaenttal body in England. ard thu
speech q Arehtsescon Madden Is ex!-
asaoe that the cid eharch sees the need
81 abandoning the old methods. Eng
| Land vii no longer tolerate the tnter.
farenss 0f he p9lS.s in The way In Which