Blue-grass blade., 1907-06-09
COMES FROM ABROAD
Sanctified Hypocrites Meet With Failure in England
and Big Audiences Nothing but
Empty Seats

asked for evidence OF the success of
theL propaganda they might well
point to these figures and these Ia
mentations. Every person who drops
out of the ranks of the believers does
not chronicle his defection-very few
do: and we have no penitent form
and offer no encouragement to per
sonal Testimony" But the result is
there, and is shown in the figures
and i'm the laments. We fight with
time and evolution on our side, and
can afford to look with confidence to
the result.
When it comes 10 deal with the causes
of the Church slump, the Christian
perception of their real nature, but
obviously lacks the courage to press
its suspicious too closely. 1t thinks
that the rush from village to town,
and even the migrations within the
city from centre t. suberb, may be
responsible for much of the leakage.
SO. too, it may Immediately, but not
ultimately. If religious belief was
nowadays a matter of genuine con-
viction, and church membership more
than social convention, these
would not be at the mercy of a mi
/ grafton from village to town, or from
city to suburb. 1t is really because
religious belief is nowadays little more
than a social{ convention, often sup
25rt.d frcr, sitaegr- mercenary motives,
that when a man finds himself re-
leased from ~ social leash fuller
play is given toy his real feelings
and opinions 1t means that people
can only be kept UP to the religious
standard so long as coercion of some
sort is applied. Abolish this, give
each person perfect freedom of ac--
ton. and churches and chapels
would soon become bowling wilder
nesses of empty benches.
So, too, with the cause found III
the unpopularity of preachers or oil
sermons. OF course, the man ana
tie message viii always have its in
nuence. Still, no one can study the
modern pulpit without realising that
what the people want is to be enter
tanned. and what the most popular
preachers do is to try and entertain
them. The entertainment being
given. people will go to church, other
things equal as they go to a music
hall or a theatre, and frequently stay
away for the same reason.
The things named by the Christian
World are not causes, but symptoms
The real causes lie much deeper than
anything touched on byv the writer
of the article, and these are that the
churches no longer possess any social
or intellectual vitality. Even ordin-
airy people are beginning to realise
that on no single subject of impor'
lance has any of the churches an
independent message to deliver that
is worth hearing. For all their
science. their philosophy, or their
sociology, they have to turn elsewhere
All they get within the churches Is a
very faint echo of the best that can
he got outside. They are so accus-
toned to this that they have ceased
to regard it as in any way remarka-
able that they have to go to q tsiders
for the truest knowledge on the matter
i Still. accustomed as people are TO
this. and asserting to it as they do
the absurdity of maintaining an army
of men with nothing important to
teach, and nothing of any value to
do. gradually forces itself upon them
People are no longer easily imposed
upon by the supposed learning or
power of the clergy. outside inhuen'
ces teach them how much this is
worth. and their own experience en-
dorses it. If people read they would
find that more can be got from
gathered from sermons in a month
If they think. they realise what
game of makebelieve the whole thing
is; while growing number agree
with Ruskin that
In general, any mans becom'
ing a clergyman in these days
implies that, at best, his senti-
ment has overpowered his intel
lect; and that whatever the fee
bleness of the latter. the victory