Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-09-19


couraging to all Christian workcrs is
ths discourse of DR.. Talmagc while de-
nying the accuracy OF statistics which
represent Sunday audiences as diminish
ing; text, Hebrews y, -, Not fo1sak-
ing the assembling Of ourselves to-
gether."
Startling statements have been made
In many of the pulpits and in some Of
the religious newspapers. 1t is heard
over and over again that church attend
ance in America is in decadcnce. | deny
the statements by presenting some hard
facts. No one will dispute the fact that
there are more churches In America than
ever before, ono denomination averaging
two new churches every day of the year.
The law Of demand and supply is as in
oxorable in the kingdom Of God as 1t is
in the world. More churches supplied
nrgues more church privileges demanded,
More banks, more bankers; more face
tories, more manufacturers; more ships,
moro Importers; more churches, more at
tendantS
In all orr cities within few years
churches have been built large enough to
swallow up two or three Of the Old me
churches. | cannot understand with what
kind of arithmetic and slate pencil man
calculates when he comes to the coucu-
sion that church attendance in America Is
in decadencc. Take the aggregate Of the
number of people who enter the house Of
God now and compare il with the aggrc-
gate Of the people who entered Tho house
OF God twenty-five years ago, and the
present attendance j. four TO on. The
facts are most celebrating instead of be
Ing depressing. That man who presents
tbn aup1sitp ctqtiefirs fpust haNo lppu
most unfortunate in his church acQuaInt-
nuCe.
You are not TO argue adversely because
here and there a church is depleted.
Churches have their day. Sometimes
merchandise viii entirely occupy a neigh
borhood and crowd out the churches and
families ordinarily attendant upon them.
Sometimes a church pershes through in
tcrpecinc strife But there are no facts
10 overthrow the statement that | have
made in regard to the increasing attend
auce upon the house of God. Now, | am
ready to admit, as every intelligent man
will admit, that there are churches which
have been depleted. and il is high time
that a sermon be preached for the benefit
Of young men who are just entering the
Eospoi ministry and for the warning of
prosperous churches as to what are the
causes Of decline in any case. If mer-
vhandise crowd ont church, that cannot
DE helped. hut under all other circum-
stances decadoncc in church Attendance
Is the fault either Of the church or of the
pastor.
Use of Modern Methods.
Churches are often cleared II their au-
diences by the attempt to transplant the
modes of the past into the present The
modes and methods of fifty wears ago are
no more appropriate for today than the
modes and methods Of today will he an
propriato for Fifty years hence. DR.. Kirk.
Dr. McE,lry. DR.. Mason. Or. De Witt,
Dr. VermiIyca and hundreds Of other
men Just a, good as they were never
lacked audiences. because th,v were
abreast of the time in which they lived.
People will not be- interested in what we
say unless we understand the shirt Of
the dav in which we live. All the woe
hogoneh statistics are rivor by those
who are irving in our time 10 work with
the wornout machinery Of the past times.
Such men might lust as well throw the
furnaces out of our church bascments
and Substitute the foot stoves which our
eranduothrrs used 10 carry with them 70
meeting. and throw out our orpans md
our comets and take the old fashioned
tuning fork. striking il on the knee md
then lifting il t. the ear 70 catch the
Ditch Of the HYMN and might as well
Throw ont our modern uniforms ana mod
ern rulpits and substitute the wineglasp
pulpit VI which the minister used to
climb to the dizzy height Of Mont Blanc
eolitariness and then 20 in o,; Of sight and
shut the door after him. When YOU can
get the great masses Of the people to take
passage from Albany 10 Buffalo in stage
coach or canaboat in preference to the
lightning express train which does It in
four hours, then you can get the great
mnsses Of the people 70 go TO church
half century behind the time.
The trouble begins away back in the
theological seminaries. II IS shame
that larger provision is not made for
ministers Of religion, for the sick and
The aged and the nfrm who have worn
themselves ont in the service of God
We have naval asylnms and soldiers
asylums for men who fought on land
and sea for our country when these men
have become aged or crippled, and it is
shame that larger provision Is not
made for the good soldiers OF Jesus
Christ who have worn themselves out in
battling for the Lord. But lack of pro-
vision in that respect makes n tendency
70 turn our theological scminaries into
No'l'."'S iOr sIoN anu ageu ana lhhrm
"'n man ueHIns 70 go
'"H t"ey Wv n!i'' t''r ule Oh ~ H. ny
m"J VI IeSunCllutIoh' II 'Hul Iullsi tHen