The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-07

blame on the clergy because they
preach from the old texts in the cid
form" incidentally, too, be refers to
the distractions of the Sunday news
paper and of bicycling and other sun
day sports.
Really these afford no explanation
of the decline. When people are earn
estly DESTROYS of spiritual instruction
and OF W8rshiplng God they are not
critical Of the preachers unless they be-
tray Indifference to their deep religious
desires or conduct their services in a
purely perfunctory manner. Moreover,
the coldness Of his audience reacts on
the preacher. As with actors on the
stage and orators Of the platform, re-
sponsive warmth in the audience is
necessary TO fire eloquenee In the
preacher. Persuasive and passionate
religious emotion in the congregation
VIII inspire sympathetic feeling in the
pulpit. To such people the preacher
does not read dry and smotiOnless es-
says. He catches their tone and feels
with them.
Doubtless there are more distractions
from church going than formerly. So
cial activities are more numerous and
attractive. New sports appear to the
public. The Sunday newspaper gives
them food for thought, and the instrue-
ton of the pulpit is no longer of the
singular Importance to them, outside
of its mere religious edificati0n, il once
was. Perhaps the social instinct once
Sratifed only by church going finds
other outlets. But, after all, the ex-
PLANTATION Of the decline in church go
ing, if it exists. is not to be found in
any Of these. They would al be swept
aside like chaff if a wave of religious
enthusiasm passed over the people like
that of the greet awakening Of 1857.
for instance. The explanation of the
correspondent who said that the people
do not go to church simply because
they do not want to go is more philo-
sophical. And why do they not want
to gO2 Is it not because they are losing
faith in the truth or necessity Of the
doctrines preached by the churches?
How, too, Is it with the churches?
Are not many of the clergy themselves
engaged in destroying the force of the
doctrines they preach? Are not
doubters appealing to doubt, though
under a semblance Of consistency as
professional champions Of religious
faith? IN the churches where the old
strength and ardor of faith remain is
there such a decline in church going as
our correspondents describe? We do
not hear OF it in the Roman Catholic
churches, for instance, and Mr.. Moody.
preaching the old Bible and the old
way Of salvation, does not complain Of
slim audiences SO far as we know.
People still crowd political meetings APP
pealing to their partisan spirit. The
theaters Of New York were never be-
fore so many and so numerously at
tended as now.
If. then. people do not go to church
to the same extent as of old, is it not
because they have lost interest in it?
But how can tEeir interest be main
tanned by ministers and theOlOgians
who tell them that the Bible, in which
they have believed as pointing IN
erringly the way of salvation, IS after
al only a human book, human litera-
ture." faulty, questionable and full of
evidences of the limitations of weak
and erring human nature? Is It not
idle for ministers to attempt to I'LL their
churches unless they have a message to
deliver which men must hear and heed
for their souls salvation2