The sun., 1899-10-15
CHURCH ATTENDANCE.



To THE EDITOR OF THE suN-Sir: Your edito-
rial yesterday morning on Church Going" 10
partly right, and yet IL Is not all the truth
/ am able from experience ss q minister and
again rs wage Garner TO throw at least side
light on the tired feeling" . very hard-work-
ing man has on Sunday morning.
For year In New York. 1897 -9S. earned my
bread by good. hard work. ten hours day. six
days In the week. There was overtime two
weeks In the month. quite good deal. have
worked until lo o'clock OF a Saturday night,
then In an hour and half could count on
being to bed. or course was not in the pastor
ate that year. but most OF the time was supe
intendent Of a Sunday school. Many OF the
workers were tired. and not being over spirit
ual. perhaps. they insisted on getting away from
town somewhere and somehow. did not
blame them In a sense. while know that was
| rested. refreshed and wonderfully helped by
my way OF spending Sunday.
The Protestant world needs Q reformation Of
the manner Of stating the import and value Of
church attendance. or else a reformation OF the
| idea OF church attendance. Non -attendan
or attendance from the Protestant view. Is q
privilege missed or enjoyed. not necessity.
! Any other view 10 Roman Catholic and makes
| salvation depend on the Church. not upon the
individual relation to q personal Saviour. with
out the Intervention OF priest. II the Catholic
theory OF salvation 10 right. so also is that the
ory Of church attendance right. At least 1t 10
| far superior to our Protestant custom.
| Being an orthodox minister OF the Protestant
faith I am not to be understood as decryinG
my own creed. Far from 1t. My salvation
| does not depend on my church attend
| anoe, nor upon church ordinances as
/ such, They can and should be. or be made to
| be. to me a valuable means OF grace But / am
| competent without them to live and die an ac-
| credited citizen OF the heavenly kingdom.
| There may be. and there ore. good reasons
! why I. as o Christian. sustain church services.
| may be a better Christian. better instructed
in and fortified by tho truths OF Christianity
| taught and preached at church. l will be In
better trim every way to be helpful to others
inside and outside the Church. Nor can per-
form my whole duty OF worshipping my Gre
ator as am to- day related. without some such
popular service; at least not SO well. But my
| salvation 10 natter OF personal faith In per-
| sonal Saviour
Why. then. all this everlasting din about
church attendance. unless It be to indicate that
| this or that man. singer or new creed 10 more
| or less popular for q given time. or that a
greater or less number attach Importance to
or can engage In church services2
Ibelong to three secret orders. the name oi
| aEv ono OF when In lto epnere OF ectIon 10 q
sufficient guarantee Of its usefulness. stability
and popularity; yet tho ever-vexed question
| with many ledge Is non-attendance.
There may be differences OF opinion about
the spiritual results or even aims OF the pres
ent Evangelical Church; but there can be nc
| question that II 10 tho most tremendous force
for good In our social and national life there II
among US. II this force 10 unpopular 1t 10 un'
fortunate for those who despiss It, am moi
prepared to say that ION -atts n dance at church
II true. 10. or Is not. a sign Of the decadencs o.
Christianity; but am prerared to say that o.
itself It is not Of sufficient force to demant
such n conclusion. l don't believe the Rrea
Protestant world 10 tired Of the Christ o
Evangelical Christianity.
1t tis not quite so certain. however. that tn,
times do not demand recasting Of more thar
ono of the forms that we have assumed as best
representing this Christ For one thing. I be
lievs too much stress 10 laid on q certain kline
OF church atten ndance-in m ere mum bers. for In
stance. JOSEPH GAsToN.
HYDE PARK. N. Y. Oct IL.