Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-07-09

where in the houses OF the wealthy and
| titled persons, clothed In fine linen and
| faring sumptuously every day talking
unsayory society scandal with as much
easy glibness as any dissolute lay
docadent that ever cozened another
mans wife away from the path Of
honor In the tricky disguise OF a 'Soul|
What OF the spltefll, small minded,
quarrelsome little local parsons, who.
Instead Of fostering kindness neighbour
Illness. goodwill. and unity among their
parishoners, set them all by the ears,
and play the petty tyrant with doml-
neering obstlnacy which Is rather
worse than pagan, being purely bar
barous?
And II the word pagan be used at
oil, should Il not be particularly and
specially applied to those theatrical
dignltarles OF the church whose follow
ing Of the simple and beautiful doctrine
OF Christ consists I'm sheer dlsobedlence
70 His nds-disobedience OPEN
~ displayed In the ornate ritual and
VAIN repetltions' which Christ eS-
pressly forbade? Disloyal 10 both God
and the King, the pagan clergy are
doing more ne this present day 10 In
ture the cause Of true religion among
the masses than liz any lack Of zeal or
want Of faith that NAV exist I'm the
people themselves. who can blame
sensible men and women for staying
away from church when. IN nine cases
out or ten. they know that the ofiiclat-
Ing minister Is less Christian. less en-
lightened. less charitable and kind
hearted than themselves?"
The article ls interesting because II
discloses the fact that Miss CorellI en-
tertains Views concerning the clergy
similar to those held by host Of prom
inent literary leaders. among whom
may be mentioned Victor Hugo, Tol-
stol, Bjoernson, and Ibsen. II Is
a sad fact that the clergy Of our day
are cutting a sorry figure in the estima-
ton Of the men and women foremost
I'm the intellectual field. Miss Coreln
must have been laying In wait for an
opportunity Of unburdening her mind
on this subject, for otherwise the harm
less reference to London as pagan"
would not have caused this thunder
storm
1t Is n curious fact that a British
church man. the bishop OF Rlpon, has
said virtually the same as Miss Coreln,
though I'm more polished terms. Ac-
cording TO the Manchester Dispatch the
bishop, in his visitation to Bradford |
Parish church, said no Christian man |
could feel happy or satisfied with the
conditions Of our times The |
census OF attendance at places |
OF worship showed that 50 per cent OF |
the population never went to any place I
Of worship; and II they followed those |
who went to church. he was afraid they !
would find they did not display any |
signs OF deep spiritual earnestness. The |
feeling with which some went away |
from a place OF worship was that Of |
irritation and regret OF having wasted
time.
The bishop continued and explained |
that this indifference was not towards
religion, as such, but towards the for
NAL and ordinary expressions Of re-
lglous faith and worship. Doctrlnal
he said, no longer appealed
10 the great mass Of laymen. Church
services in this non-theologlcal age
we're still obtrusively theological He
thought, considering the enormous re-
sources at the command of the church.
hat none OF them could be content with
heir output Of moral energy.
That comes pretty near laying the
blame on the clergy, as Miss Corelli
Ices. only the bishops hand is en-
,ased in silk this time, while the lady
Ihakes a mailed fist" at the church,