The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-01
Regarding Episcopal Church.

What was at one time considered a dis
tinction that the Episcopal church of
America should be regarded as the
church of the aristocratie and opulent
alone, would now be looked upon as a
disgrace, repudiated as a characterization
more appropriate to social club than to
the apostolic and Catholic church of God
For club is a human organization which
Is properly enough exclusive. 1t includes
only those who have certain social inter-
ests in common; 1t exculeds any one who
is not congenial to all of its members
Its prestige and its very existence de-
pend upon its exclusiveness But the
chruch, we know to be not merely an as
Sociation of men and women bound to-
gether for religious purposes but divine
organism created and founded by Christ
Himself to live through all time and to do
for all men what He did for men during
His ministry in Palestine. 1t is to be in
no sense exclusive, but as inclusive as
Christ Himself, to reach out in His name
to all kinds of men, to include within it.
self men of antagonistic interests, of dis
similar tastes, of all sorts of social posi-
ton, of all varieties of occupations: to
extend the same fellowship to the sinner
and to the saint, to the rich and the poor
This is the New Testament idea of the
Catholic church Of God. Nothing short of
that will convince the world that Jesus
Christ has sent us to carry out His COM
mission. Consider frankly, in the light
of these facts, the impression YOU will
gain from conversation with people in the
community, here and there, who belong, il
we must use the detestable word-''class''
TO the poorer class. 1T will be "A class
which includes many II the non-chruch
gOers; though some of them have drifted
Iii .I.., t.
consolation elsewhere. Now when you
ask these people to explain their neglect
of the church to which they rightfuly be-
long. they say that they are not wanted
here. They do not say who 1t Is who
does not want them. There is nothing
upon which you may lay your finger. But
there seems to be among them an indefi-
ma BILE feeling that the church is a kind of
club In which they are out of place 1t
may well be said that no thoroughly in
churchman would allow such a
feeling as this to stand between himself
and the worship of Almighty God Tn
doubleday II is gross misconception of
the nature of the church. But such a mis-
conception is one which we must recog-
nize as an obstacle to the wider useful
ness of the church. nisconception for
which, we have our measure Of RESPONSE
bility, a popular deluslon which we must
do all In our power to dispel by word ana
deed. 1t Is to be doubted whether any
parish church can completely win its way
as the church home of the people, or ex-
ercise all the influence which 1t ought to
have throughout our city, state and ma
ton. so long as there exists a system OF
rented pews. No doubt about the com
fort and convenience and financial sound
ness of the pew system No doubt that a
sudden sweeping change in the system
would be disastrous. But it Is evidently
not possible. under that system, TO go out
into the highways and hedges and compel
men 10 come in and to claim their priVi-
leges In Gods house as the children or
Him. You may ask them to bespeak the
hospitality and welcome Of men as
though men owned the church, and not
God.
Individual Responsibility.
There ought to be carried out, in the
and an attempt will be made to
earry out IN this church and parish OF
81. Johns. q plan which will impose on
every soul, no matter how meagre his
ability, tho responsibility of the indl-