The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-10-09
1 NOT GOING TO CHURCH..
Rev w. A. Cooper Discusses
Mans Lack Of RELIGION. ga


Hey. w. a. Cooper, pastor oil st. james
NJ e. church, yesterday moi ming
Nir. Cooper said i'll part: i6
I tnke for my text this morning Mark
1. 10 and 20 II Is the call OF James and
John to be apostles of Jesus They were
III tho boat with zebcdee, their father,
and the hired servants.g Tho text says
they straightwny ''left Their father In
tho boat and went after Jesus"
l take this text because t brings prom.
iretlt.y before us n chnracter, and that is
Zcbedee, Il man of whom little Is Known
but that little STAMPS him as d type OF II
very large class of mon who remain with
us to-day. The text says that his, Iebc-
dees. two ilustrious SONS, James and
John. left him "in tho boat, 4 and that Is
the only place we find linlNin the Scrip
lures. $
His wife, salomc, was or thnt company
OF devout women who followed JESUS and
mlnistcred unto Him OF their substance.
She was ono Of them that CIV nigh to
the cross when Jesus poured out His
hearts blood for the sins orBthe world.
She was ono OF them that came very
early in the morning to the sopulcher
f,on which Christ had risen from the
dead. His two sons became eminent
apostles of tho Church 8Of Christ. But
Zebcdce himself stayed by the ncts. lie
seems to be type ofsnlan$ men,, who
encourage their wives and children to be-
come disciples Of Jesus, and who give
literally to the support Of the church.
and yet who stay by the business. and
become not themselves followers of
Jesus. These serve The Lord by proxy.
we may find in this circumstance one
reason at least why some mon do not
&c to church. But before I discuss the
question, let me say. that moro men are
going to church, moro men are studying
the Scriptures, more and more men Rre
seeking to solve the problems of our
social, civic and economic ilfe through
the teaching of Christ to-day than In any
period of the churchs history. 5
8 The great Bible classes, s,tch ms Mr.
wanamaker's in Philadelphla,s and Mr.
Rockcfellcrs in New York. are to bs
cund in every city. Witness also the
greater mems meetings of the IS. M. C.
A. where men crowd our largest audi
forums TO hear the Gospel Of Jesus
Christ. Everything to me looks hopeful
for the future. Nevertheless, there are
lnultitudes of men in every city who do
not attend any church. Weeks, months,
and even years pass and they never
clarken church door. Why? Many an
swers have been given to this question
I beg leave to say that II Is not as
some have said "the ministry of to-day IS I
less intelligent and less consecrated than
in former tines There lever was time !
when the ministry of the church was
more intelligent or more consecrated to
the work or the church. '"rhere were
giants in those days. and they lowered
head and shoulders over their brethren,
but to-day the rank and file of the min
istry have grown SO that the giants no
longer tower, Saul like, above them.
Not only 50, but the ministry Of to-day
is more manly ministry. They Are
men among men-mcn Of conviction and
strength.
Not Long Sermons.
It certainly Is not because OF long SER !,
mons on antlquated subjects. In the
good old days. sermons wcro from one
to three hours long, to-day sermon is
rarely over forty minutes. The subjects
discussed to-day are broader III scope
than in former times. The ministry OF
o-day believes that 1t Is within the pro-
vince Of the pulpit to discuss any sub
iect that touches and determines human
life, human character or human destiny.
That men do not so to church Is not
because the church is less practical or
beneficent In her labors. Never has she
been so practical In her efforts to relieve
human suffering. to feed the hungry, to
clothe the naked, to lead the blind to
lift up the fallen and to save the lost;
never has she given so largely OF her
means to.support city, domestic and for
eign missions; to build colleges, hospitals,
institutions. S4 stfl
That men do not 80 to church is not
because there are hypocrtes In the
church. Men known that these are hypo-
critical. not because OF the church but
in spite of the church. a counterfeit coin
presupposes the genuine. and so the hyp-
ocritc in the church. If not these rea
sons. "why do not men go?' Men are
unusually sincere In their religion, They
hold It high In their estimation, and
many reasons that appeal to women do
not appeal to mon ut all to so to church
I think, though, we might find an an
swcr to the question In our moro COM
plex life. In the old days when life was
simpler, when a mans life rcvolved
around his homo and church, when the
ideal OF the world was not money, men
had more time for leisure and worship.
Since the creation OF great fortunes, the
expanding OF our commerce, mammon
has been enthroned. Men deny them
selves rest. recrent ton and worship for
money They spend their years IN ac:-
cumulnting great fortunes. They seek
wealth first last and all the time. They
do not go to church because of Ideal of
the church Is virtue and righteousness.
Wealth breeds within us a desire for
luxury and the church condemns selfish
qualification.
Again, there are multiplied ways to
spend the sabbath. The Sunday news
paper. filled With It's market reports. It's
sporting page, It's columns Of scandal
and crime, its society page, Its news
items and lts-sermons, appeals to many
men to stay at home and read rather
than so to church,
The Sunday excursion, too, Is mod
ern institution that Is keeping some from
church. These are they who make this
holy day a holiday. They sccularize the
Sabbath and use 1t as day OF recrca-
ton rather then worship Then there is
a large class whose lives do not square
with the gospel. They drink and gamble,
live lives of debauchery and llcentious-
ness. These usc Sunday either to rest
from last nights debauch or to continue
az, tr