The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-02-10
THE INVISIBLE CHURCH.

THE INVISIBLE AZ
1t must be evident to those who note
the drift OF current events that special,
efforts TO create an interest In religion
by what are known as revival meetings
lave not been as successful as they were
years ago. Those who believe i'm such
special instrumentalitles nave themselves
noted this partial failure. and have de-
piored il as an evidence of a general de-
cline of interest in the Christian religion.
Because so many people do not share
their particular beliefs, and have not their
zeal. they are inclined to deplore the in
activity of the church and what appears
TO them as the increase of unbelief in the
principles of Christianity. According to
their belief, a person is not a Christian
unless he processes a belief in a creed as
positive as the t~hirty-nine articles ard
has been admitted to a church upon pro-
fession Of faith. Because many of those
who believe in the Christian religion are
not demonstrative and do not attend
church and do not observe certain ordi-
nances, they bemoan the infdelity of the
age. Fortunately, the statistics of church
membership and of the religious and char
liable work carried on by church organiza-
tons do not sustain these doleful observa-
tions. The visible church is growing in
numbers; quietly, it is true. but as rapidly
as in any other period.
There is another church which is not gem
orally recognized. 1t is the church which
a jealous Christian preacher has called
the invisible church, whose church edi-
fee is the dome of the heavens and whose
membership embraces every living being
who reveres the teachings of the Sermon
on the Mount" This greater church few
religious teachers take cognizance of. They
have failed to note the general acceptance
of Christianity by the mass of people
They do note the fact that the num-
her Of those who openly denounce the
Christian religion is much less in proper
ton to the whole than it was years ago
1t is true that fewer people take an in
terest in the dogmas which many hold
TO be the evidence of Christian faith. Some
CT the old beliefs are no longer advanced
by the preachers to whom the people lis
tel. DOClTlleS once regarded as essential
are now tacitly avoided as nonessential.
1t is a fact that more people are reached
by the opinions of religious teachers than
at any previous period. This is not be-
cause they attend church, but because,
every week, the newspaper gives extracts
from the sermons of preachers of every
denomination. These are read and dis
cCssed. If the largest church in this. city
were filed every Sunday not many over one
thousand people would hear the message Of
the preacher, but when the vital extracts
OF that sermon are given in Mondays
and consider. Extracts from five or six
sermons give these newspaper thousands
more religious instruction than they could
get by going to church two days in the
week. How limited, would have been the
influence of such great preachers as
Sturgeon. Beecher, DIR. Storrs, Talmage
and others If their sermons had reached
only the limited number of people filling
their church ediices.
Another potent force in bringing the
G multitude to regard religion with favor, is
the personal influence of a class of preach
ers whose personal graciousness and Chris
tan kindness cause communities to re-
spect the religion they exemplify as they
move among the people. There are such
preachers in this city. The unselfshness
of their lives, their human sympathy and
their broad charity and helpfulness cause
those with whom they come in contact
to respect the religion such men live as
we'll as preach. Such preachers can never
know the size of their audiences or the
number they influence for good. These
are a few of the influences which the strict
sectarian does not take into account when
Re deplores the worldliness of the world
and the quite general neglect of what he
considers special means of grace.