The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-02-07


This forms problem which the church
has 10 face
Some say that many people spend
Sundays in gambling. but don't suppose
"A bad action is any worse on any day
OF tho week Time was when a gambler
was not considered nt member OF So
ciety, but things have changed since
then. personally do not see. though.
that 1t Is manly or quite the thing 10
work all day 10 win the money OF
friend.
REALIZES SHORTCOMINGS.
I'VE ministers reai;ze the shortcom-
ings OF the churches quite as well as you
do, but II the persons who are finding
fault with the church should turn 10 and
work 10 make II according 10 their ideas.
then conditions would be bettered in
short order.
When. we abandon ourselves 10 the
earping criticisms we are becoming al
lies OF the devil
a CRITICAL PERIOD.
''The last 100 years have been the most
trying for religion as there have been
more changes in that timo than in the
preceding 100o years and is IL strange that
the church has felt the changes that have
shaken every other belief and idea. The
church Is stu sticking obstinately by the
traditional beliefs which have been
proven and held TO during the past 1900
years.
The Episcopal church has ever taken
as great a view OF what men have done as
what they believe and II is wise i'm the
very simplicity OF it's demands upon those
who would be admitted TO our commu-
Mon.
Simply the apostles creed Is asked
about and n belief thus is required. There
are 10 be sure. some who would even omit
the creed but even the axioms OF mathe-
matics are questioned now by some so
IL is not strange that some should ques-
tion this unique and infinitely precious
doctrine
II believe that those churches that are
only concerned with their own aggran-
dizement are not true churches and not
entitled 20 be called Christian churches.
Wherever the church shows signs OF a
decline IL is because the church has taken
too narrow a view OF it's duties as a
church.
DO NOT REACH MEN.
"Men are usually found 10 lead a for
lorn hope. plenty are ready IN go 10 the
North Pole and die there but IL is becom-
ing harder and harder 10 get men to get
out 10 church and sit and listen 10 things
which do not seem 10 particularly con-
cern them.
The thing which particularly cripples
preaching is the tendency OF the clergy
man 10 hold himself apart from others
not keeping in touch with the people.
The best sermons that are preached come
from our own people. The congrega-
ton, which we will have 10 depend upon
in the future. are our workers. those who
give the church their money and the
love OF their hearts and their labor.
Those wandering stars who appear
occasionally, caught by the music or the
spell Of some mans preaching are as
easily detached and are OF very little
value TO any church.
NO NEED TO WORRY
LAS far as ] can see there need be no
fear for the future I'm any place where
there is n living people. There is no
more mundane and un!nteresting people
ly any religion, but the people Of the fu-
ture, more highly civilized. must have In
hnitely more religion than our people
have now
Rev. DR. Samuel McComb. a man OF
Irish birth. graduate OF a university Of
Glasgow and associate OF DR.. Worcester
was next introduced. and he took up the
question as man who has been or G<oth
sides OF the Atlantic and has participated
In two eccleSiastic communities.
He commenced with several delightful
comments on some anecdotes OF great men
OF letters. satiring the efforts OF scientists
TO belittle religion.
"If religion Is a disease as some say
so is genius. and in this case an area
would be populated by prize lighters. 1t
Is with this sort OF argument that science
tries TO break down belief in religion"
lie referred 70 the statement OF a recent
writer on the Americans as an essentially
non-religious people and cited the long
list OF great religious leaders OF America
those OF the world 10 refute the state
ments.
"Unfortunate the church has not ap-
pealed 10 the working classes, for these
people somehow feel the churches are
more for the roh.
This class is not opposed to Christ.
but he is 20 the church az 1t has been
developed lately.
"Workingmen are therefore open TO the
calls OF the Sociallstic propaganda. and
there Is no doubt they are becoming
Another feature Is the estrangement os
a large percentage OF the Intellectual
people of the country from the churches,
and this puts the American churches
many years behind those on the conti-
nent OF Europe.
MANY ENCOURAGING SIGNS.
Encouraging signs Of religion in
hand. the hrst being the simpliication
OF doctrine Their There ,su is Iittle time spent
which puzzled our ancestors. for the great
stress IN the future will not be laid on
the dogmss TO be lived, but the life 10 be
lived.
while II Is true that dogmatic theology
is dying out In our country. historical
theology is growing: People are studying
the Bible more and are getting n better
idea OF the life and religion OF Christ"
People are now feeling themselves more
and more drawn together, and its inf1u-
ence is being felt by every one OF our
churches, and as the years grow on there
will be a union OF the smaller kindred
religious bodies and federation of the
larger churches is yet to come. the be-
ginning having been seen in New York
atp