The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-11-25

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| her feel uncomfortable. In other words
he forced upon her the conviction OF her
sins: Now this is not the idea with
! The religious dissipant does not go to
church TO be made uncomfortable any
more than does the lover OF his sSins %ins
good they seek the flush and the feeling
Of goodness without life and action.
A STRANGE PARADOX.
II is one of the strange paradoxes OF
the church that II both offers the means
people come TO church to satisfy the low
er side OF their natures, so others come
to escape their sins. All religious SER
er it approac ches TO the ritualistic the
more II appeals 10 people who feel their
sins. and yet who feel them in such
themselves through the port hole OF the
confessional. or by reading prayer book.
The great hold that the Catholic
church has today upon the masses Is the
hold secured through the confessional.
| Among the Protestant churches the Epis-
! copal church has the lead In meeting this
feeling mind 1t 1esa b.tbsr i tss Seatfu i
side of the Episcopal liturgy or the
sombre, morbid side that lays hold upon
and influences large per cent s Of the the
| Episcopal church should omit the prayer
| beginning God" have mercy upon us
/ us miserable sinners.
III service was instituted today where
the blood OF bulls and goats was de-
manded as in ancent Israel II would find
! a clientele OF worshipers. That this idea
alone is false need not be emphasized,
| however sincere may be the motive tnat
prompts II.
We get rid of our sins through the as
| sumption of virtues; sins are not thrown
| OFF they are crowded out by very tangf-
BILE labors of sacrifies and service. But
lam anxious 10 point out that there are
people who take advantage of all forms
OF igious service just as there are peo-
pie who drink red-raven splits and bromo
seltzer, A great many virtues have been
vertiser has ever claimed that they would
| take away the taste for alcohol, on the
contrary II they died they would spdl
These remedies are only long enough to
| reach back over last night and only
broad enough TO remedy the evil physi-
| cial effects of one transgression. Fur
thermore they not only serve with some
people TO wipe out the past; but In wiping
out the past OF last night they prepare for
, the glorious future.
of the night to come. At heart most peo-
pie are better than they think; but on the
surface we are usually worse than we
| think
SELDOM TRULY REPENTENT.
| Ii would be n surprise 10 some people
to know why they attend church and
seek forgiveness We are often sorry, but
seldom truly repentant. We always wish
that he hadn't committed such and such
| a. sin. but we would feel even worse II
| we knew we would never, no never. be
allowed TO do 1t again. This Ia not the
ology, but I tell you, my friends, IL Is more
II II human nature and II It's wrong We
had better know it.
Dissipation and false idea OF atone
ment for sin are two the wrong mo-
ment for sin are { wo Of the wrong mo-
tives for attendance at church which have
been characteristic of the church In all
ages.
There are two more such reasons that
while not peculiar TO the times are at
least intensified by spirit OF modern So
ciety. We noted last Sabbath evening the
prevailing conceptions in the mind OF the
masses that the church was out OF line
with the new truths OF new world and
that II did not seem able to help the world
OF industry and machinery, solve its
knottiest problems. II these two reasons
keep men from the church, Viewed from
another point OF view they help explain
why some attend church.
II some people stay away from church
because the pulpit does not express itself
In terms of modern thought. there are
other people. who for that very reason
come There are churches today, popular
in a sense. because the ''oversiept de-
fender of the faith In the pulpit poses
as martyr not to the truth that Is. but
TO the truth that was and has been.
Again where truth 10 preached In the
language OF today thers are people who
come. not because they agree with It. but
Just because they don't
It's the old story OF John the Baptist
and Christ
whereunto then shall lken the mer
of this generation and 70 what are they
like. They are like unto children that sir
In the market place and call one tc
another: which say. We piped unto yor
and We did not dance; we walled and "
did not weep.
For John the Baptist is come eating ne
bread nor drinking wine and ye say; II,
hath devil. The son OF man Is come
eating and drinking: and ye say behold
n "gulttonous man and a wine bibber,
friend of publicans and sinnersi''
! There are some people dissatisfied tha
they wouldn't be satisfied with satisfsc
tion.
NO ovBRDRAwN SENTIMENT.
The thought indicated in relation Z,
!, mems attitude IN regard 20 truth hold
good In relation 10 the practical question:
OF life. IL may not be an overdrawn state
! ment to say that while the masses re
main away from the church because the,
! doubt It's ability to help them the ctassc
|, come because they ind help socially
financially. materially. viz: In Just thos'
relationships OF hfs where the masses DC
; spair. What is good for the employer
ought to be; but IL not always good 20
. the employed. T'hs spirit OF self seek.n,
otter leads men into the house dedicate,
! (, sacrifice. Men have said to me: +"
go to such church for business essohs
! There are people there ougnt TO kno,
!. and can't meet in any other VA" Thes,