Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-08-08

OF the daily press. as rendering 1t un-
necessary for country churches to do
organized social work.
All this is true OF the fourishing
| village. but there are comparatively
few rural communities In the country
as a whole which have the Y. NJ. c. A..
! fourishing libraries, literary clubs or
other organizations that would carry
on social work along Christian lines:
and the number OF daily newspapers
whose influence could be substituted
for tho work of the church Is small.
| The author of the article In question
says that the successful church to-
day IL the one that knows how to be
n consistent church. true to its Chris
tian profession. realizing its moral
mission to the whole OF society, mimi
ing its own spiritual and ethical af-
| fairs first of all. and then strong
enough and sensible enough to CO.
operate. for the church is a social In
stitution, with other social Institutions
that stand for any aspect whatever.
however secular, of the Kingdom of
God among men"
This would strike the layman as
| applicable to any church, metropolitan
as well as rural: and thus far we have
gained slight idea OF the peculiar need
of the country church as distinguished
from other churches The same thing
is true of the statement that too
many people in most of our towns by
their habits OF not attending church
are saying that the church is no good.
They do not contribute of their means
toward the support of the church.
The Importance of strengthening the
country churches is recognized. The
author says that more than one-half
Of the total population Of the United
states will have their religious and
moral instruction and leadership d.
rectly or Indirectly from the country
churches or they must remain desti
tute. It is also shown that the ethical
quality of modern city life depends 70
very large extent upon the quality
of manhood and womanhood our coun-
try parishes are producing; and that
the country churches feed the city
churches, and at the same time our
rural weddings and degenerates FIJI
the city saloons, rcplenish the slums
md greatly enhance the urban prob
lem of the submerged tenth.
But what do our country churches
need?" The writer quotes figurex
showing that In the New England
State and New York more than halt
the people are not reached and indeed
are not approached by any direct
Christian influence.
: AS a means Of strengthening the
country churches the author puts the
first need as that of more money. He
says that in Vermont five sevenths OF
the demand for church union and fed
Grafton arises from economic necessity
He would not have large endowments
for country churches, as they wout
artincially keep the churches alive
but the churches would do better work
II they were not so cramped financially
Many people believe the primary need
of country churches Is an improved
clergy. The country churches neet
ministers who will be recognized a.
mon before they are recognized at
ministers.
The writer reaches the paradoxica
conclusion that the one primary nect
of the country church toe day is hardly
a need of the church at all. but tn,
need is on the part of the people VIII,
are out of the church and beyond it,
v influence He concludes that "the PEG
pie need the church infinitely NOR,
We fail TO see how this answers tn,
question what the country churches
y need" to any practical degree TIL
churches in the rural communitie
= need to be told how to overcome tn
d handicap of distance from places o
II worship. Indifference on the part o
y the people. how to organize socia
work whore none is now carried on
how to strengthen themselves fnan
: cially and how to meet present socia
IL and economic conditions. The man o
men who can tell them all this vii
y not only strengthen the countr
Il churches but will also confer a boo
C on the cities so largely fed by til
= country churches.
DOMESTIC SCIENCE.
a Up from the South by boat and train