The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-12-30
BY REV. CHARLES NJ. SHELDON,
copwicat. 1899, BY The Advance Publishing Co
CHAPTER VIII.
Author Of I'm His Steps; What Would Jesus Do ?"
Kirk" Robert Hardy's Ceven Days." Etc.


sweeping. almost revolutionary in Phil
ip's utterances on Christ and Modern
Society" Some agreed with him as far
as he had gone. Very many had been
hurt at his plainness OF speech. rms
was especially trne of the property own
ers and the fashionable part Of the mem
bership Yet there was fascination
about Philips preaching that prevented
40 far any very serious outbreak or dis
sension in the church. He was recog-
nized leader In his presentation OF
truth he was large minded. He had the
faculty OF holding mems respect. There
was no mistaking the situation however.
Mr. Winter. with others. was working
AGAINST him. Philip was vaguely con
scious OF much that did not work out
into open apparent fact. Nevertheless.
when he came up on the first Sunday of
the next month and began 10 announce
his subject he found an audience that
crowded the house to the doors. and
among them were scattered numbers of
men from the workingmens district with
whom Philip had talked while down
there IL was, as before. an inspiring
congrega tion. and Philip faced II. feeling
sure in his heart that he had a great sub
ject 10 unfold and "A message TO deliver
10 the church of Christ such as he
could not but believe Christ would most
certainly present IL he were living today
in Milton.
He began by describing the exact con
dition Of affairs in Milton. To assist this
description he had brought with him into
the church his map Of the town.
Look now" he said. pointing out the
different localities. lat r street, where
we now are. Here are seven Of the
largest churches of the place on this
street. The entire distance between the
FIRST Of these church buildings and the
last one is little over mile. Three OF
these churches are only two blocks part.
Then consider the character Of the resi-
dences and people in the vicinity of this
street II Is what Is called desirable-that
is the homes are the very finest. and the
people, almost without exception. are re-
fined. respectable, well educated and
Christian in training. All the wealth
OF the town centers about r street. All
the society life extends out from IL on
each side. IL is considered the most
fashionable street for drives and prom
enades. II Il well lighted. we'll paved.
we'll kept. The people who come out
of the houses on n street are always
well dressed. Tho people who SO into
these seven churches are as rule well
dressed and comfortable looking. Mind
YOU" continued Philip. raising his hand
with significant gesture. II do not want
10 have YOU think that consider good
clothes and comfortable looks as un-
Christian or anything against the people
who present such an appea rance. Far
from n. I simply mention this fact to
make the contrast I am going TO show
you all the palmer. For let us leave y.
street now and go down into tho fats by
the river. where nearly all the mill peo-
pie have their homes. | wish you would
note fret the distance from Il street and
TIA churches to this tenement district
IT Is nine blocks-that is. a little over a
mile. To the edge of the tenement
houses farthest from our own church
building IL Is mile and three quarters.
And within that entire district meas
uring nearly two by three miles. there
Is not a church building. There are two
feeble mission schools which are held In
plain, unattractice halls where every
Sunday a handful OF children meet. but
nothing practically is being done by the
church of Christ in this place to give
the people in that part of the town the
privileges and power OF the life OF
Christ more abundantly.
"The houses down there arc OF tho
cheapest description. The people who
come out Of them are far from well
dressed. The streets and alleys are dirty
and III smelling. and no one cares To
promenade for pleasure up and down the
sirewalks I'm that neighborbood. II is not
. safe place 10 go to at night The most
frequent disturbances come from that
part OF the town All tho hard clara p
ters find refuge there And let me say
that am not now speaking OF the woif-
ing people. They are aim m)st without eN =
ception law abiding. But in every town
l.Fe o'irs the .luatng population OF vice
and crime seeks naturally that part OF
t'wn where the poorest houses are. anG
tie rrost saloons. and the greatest dark
ness. both physical and moral.
III there Is part OF thls town which
rtecs lifting rp and cleaning and heal
trr and inspiring by the prea,n,s ~ the
ehv' ch OF Christ II is rg'': here where
there il no church. The pcoule on T.
street s'd for six or eig1t blocSs 90 /,
side krow the gospel rhsy have la,ge
rtltsbers OF books and 2apa's ard much
shi.i'1n Li.i'.ture Th.s have i.,,n
t1ui;lh the rib:e truths: thev are fairii =
will them. of what value IS IL. ihci,. =,
1tinue to =, Trort on this short .ts, 81.
90 ii-ar isg''her seven chJrchc. af "a
many Ge'.n; denominations. whlc'.
have fcr tl,s'f members the respectful le.
~, raj people { +. the town? Ga No. mean
10 say that mo well-do-do respectable
people 10 rot need the lnil icncs nf ths
cinirrh and IN, preaching e ,hc guspeI
Hut they can get these ns'vilc..,s w.ih.
out rhcn feerful waste Of mai sfill prl
power. II We had only three or All
churches on this street thcy would he
enough. We are wasting our Christian
ity with the present arrangement W.
are giving the rich and tho educated and
wI'-to-do people seven times ~ muth
hcurcl' as We are giving tho poor ,uo
anorant and the struggling worker vi
the tenement district. There is no uues-
tion. there can he no question that al
tnie ~ wrong. II IL opposed 10 . ,.r.
principle that Christ advocated And m
the face Of these plain facts. which ~
one can dispute. there II y duty beta.
t.icse churches on this street which can.
not he c,aded without dcnyiug the .a.y
purpoee Of a church. n H. that duty wher
am now going to urge upon this ,<ai
vary church.
1T has been said by some OF the minis
t<rs and members Of the churches that
We might combine In an effort and build
large and commodious mission In the
tenement district. but that 20 my
mind. would not settle the problen al nIl
ss n should be settled n IL an easy and
. lazy thing for church members rs pu,
their hands In their pockets and saw 10 a