The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-10


Il seems to be q movement Of recent
| organization and its aim. 40 defined by
one Of our correspondents, representing
II, Ii "te preserve the Christian feat
| ures Of the institutions OF our country"
"the Bible In the schoois the sacred rest
Of the Sabbath and the defence Of the family
from . wrcokina system OF loose marriage
and easy divorce"
Now, "a to the Bible. would II not be moro
| appropriate TO undertake . specific reform
In the theological seminartee and among tho
clergy who teach that It is human. faliible.
"literature" oniyf or course. n that view
Of the Scriptures Ia accepted the obligation
Of keeping Sunday - Sabbath hiss no d.
vine or supernatural foundation Hthc Bible
10 the faulty and moro or less spurious hook
made up Of documents Of unknown author
ship, which DR.. BRIeos OF tho Episcopal
Church teaches II 10 be In the Presbyterian
Union Theological Seminary. for example,.
why should II be read In the public schools
more than any other book OF religious
literaturef II, as tho Rev. Mr. scBsRNRB-
HORN, another Episcopal clergyman, oon-
tends portion. Of the BIhls are indecent.
inhuman and false unnt to DO read In
churches, arc they suitable for reading to
school chlldren1 Moreover. these express
sions Of opinion como from clrrgymen who
continue In good standing In the Church, In
spite OF them. Ought not, then. the work
OF reformation to begin In the Church Itself.
for upon the Divine authority Of the Bible
depend all the arguments used by ~ 1850
ciationf II It falls the Sabbath must
fall with II and its observance become
nothing more than a purely human insti-
tuition Of tho Jews; and marriage and divorce
must BE- rel-gstcd to the category Of purely
human conventions
It secms TO US, therefore. that the Ma
tional Reform Association ran away from
the true source OF the trouble when, on
Thursday, Il went outside o. the Church to
search for II and In lie vain quest passed .
resolution attributing tho cause to tho
publication Of newspapers on Sunday. Tho
Sunday newspaper. asserted one OF the
speakers, 10 tho foo OF 1.-THE Church. the
Sabbath school and religious ssrvio.s" II
charge upon the Sunday newspaper said
another. "the crime OF being one Of the
greatest agencies In overcoming the fear OF
the living Con" Now. all this might be
true ~ a Newspaper o. evil purpose and In
nuencs. but. surely. the harm done by such
q journal Ia not confnsd to the seventh
day only. Every unprinrip'ed paper 10 Tho
foo OF its readers on all days; its lea, Its
perverslons, It's vulgar'tv. its low morality
are constantly harmful. and the mischief
II docs, the DEGRADATION II encourage. 10 In
cu,tivating during the week taste for tho
d~based which Graves more Of its stun on
Sunday.
Our own correspondents and many other
ministers and lay students OF society
have discussed lately tho cause OF the
decline In church attendance at thu pres
ent time; but how can there be any doubt
on tho subiectt No coincident decline In
the intellectual ability Of the ministry
| Ia d'scovrrabls and there Is no decrease
In the attractions offered by tho churches
in tn" way Of music and their services
generally. Rather has there been an
unpxampled effort to increase thsir popu-
larlty by tho invention and adoption OF
many devices. soma OF them rcpnlsIve
to good taste and grossly offensive to
genuine religious sentiment Sermons arc
made as distinctly secular md sensational
, as the most catrh-penny newspapers nre,
and not less offensive and m'schievous by
reason Of loose and superficial and fall
laclous reasoning. Now, the competitor
Of such pulpits is not the seIf-respect-
ing newspaper, which appeals 10 the Intel
lIgpnt people. but the dehnsed new. pa per Of
kindred cheap and tawdry and sc nsational
methods.
Naturally, such devices fail as q perma-
nent attraction Of church Attendance; they
simply lower popular respect for the Church.
Nothing can induce men to go tn Divine
service a. an imperative Religions duty
except hearty aud profound faith In Con, In
their mead Of salvation. and In the teaching
Of the Church as an authoritative exposition
Of Divine truth. Ifthey regard the services
and sermons simply AZ they look on the
theatre or the oneru or as inviting only 80
far AZ they appeal to their fancy. they are
likely Tn seek other means Of entertain
ment for. apart from faith In II, a church
Ia dull place for thu run OF people.
Men who will alt out a pay for two
or three hours or tire Themselves out with
days eo'anG or bicycling are wearicd
beyond endurance by an hour In church
unless they enter II In a worshipful spirit
ana with unquestioning faith that In II alone
the way to salvation can he pointed out to
them. But II they are told by even their
own ministers and theologians that the
Bible Ia only fallihle human literature
how can they be expected to 20 on bclIey
ing In q Church which breaches It as a
guide to salvation3
, That. reverend reformers, Is the cause of
tn" trouble which vexas your souls; the
Sunday newspaper has nothing to do with
It, Believe yourselves deeply and genu-
inely and create such belief In men, and
neither the newspaper nor any other outside
influence will distract people from going to
you to learn the way to everlasting life.
Ihat faith Is magnet whose attraction no
other can overco0e or even lessen. No
church having 1t and inspiring II has ever
any reason to fear competition. But II the