The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-10

THE CHUnCM's FuTURB.
One OF the most powerful addresses
upon the subject Of diminishing church
influence presented by = Iayman 10 that
Of Judge E. w. Burke. Of Chicago. q
speaker who SENS to have some Of The
force and eIoquence OF Judge Burke. Of
Seattle.
He takes the view that II 10 not the
mission OF the church to adjust men
to the new conditions Of Life and action.
or, In q temporal sense. to safeguard
them against the storms Of capital and
labor. On that subject he has something
to say with which we cannot agree. and
we regret to be forced to the conclusion
that the temptations OF rhetoric have
drawn him into making q too forcible
contrast. Animated by enthusiasm. he
says that the church as it passes into
the twentieth century meets q perfect
whiriwind OF world forces which over
whelm the statesman. the philosopher
and the historian. and drives them back
into the cave Of Sinai. while the storms
pass the bounds known to law and rush
on to fate that makes the thoughtful
tremble.
The struggle to which he refers has
ben predicted for at least two or three
hundred years. 1t ID going on continu-
ally. not only between labor and capital,
but between labor and labor. as well as
between capital and capital The same
motives. the same purposes and the
same methods are used alike by ALL The
sugar trust pits its strength against it's
rival combination. and the miners Of
Wardner drive rival miners out OF the
field they wish to occupy themselves.
But the point Of the address 10 that
the great masses Of the people are
alienated from their churches because
the wedge OF gold Is hidden in them
This Is not quite clear, but 1t is more
10 the point he makes, whether his con-
illusions be correct or not. when he says
that the moral tone Of the church is un-
satisfactory, and that many societies
would be reduced to few pious women.
aged persons and unsophisticated youth
il the discipline enforced In the prImi-
tive church were applied. He gives as
proof Of the waning influence OF the
church that in eighty-seven cities of the
United States Methodism Ia scarcely
holding its own, regardless Of the In
crease OF population and of the fact that
so many accessions are received by let
ter from country churches.
He does not attempt to give the cause
or point to remedy beyond saying 1t Is
absolutely certain that IL the laiety and
clergy were living according to the
teachings of the New Testament II could
not be So
Powerful. therefore. though Judge
Burke's address IT, II cannot be said
that 1t adds very much to our informa-
ton or lends any material aid to the
clergy themselves. II is very easy To
say that 1t is the duty Of the church TO
use the weapons with which Christ has
armed his followers. That is only to
teach honesty. charity and unselnsh-
ness That the church already does, but
Its weakness lies In the fact that these
are not the foundation OF the church:
the chief reliance being an effort to in
duce the people To rest their horo 70
salvation upon a. belief which has been
constructed upon the life OF Chris,
which is not warranted by his teach
ings and requires blind faith In the
miraculous.
The church has a great work before
It. and should as moral organization
be able to call to It's aid ell that Is good
in man. independent OF belief In mat
sers which always have been a subject
90 controversy. and will become more so
as men become more intelligent and
think for themselves
1t is net pleasant to CONTEMPLATE a
nation without a church. vet this will
become practically the condition unless
IL enters more sympathestcaIly into the
lives and aspirations az the people I'M
der the present changed conditions.
- N@Ak &1s~