The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-01-22
A NEW CHURCH.
John Augustus Wall Starts Seven
Day Creedless Organization.

John Augustus Wall Starts Seven
Day Creedless Organization.
A new church-a creedless one--was
lormed the other day. lit II the Ma
tional church and has for it. president
John Augustus Wall of the Bronx,
says the New York Tribune. Mr.. Wall
Is also the organizer. The first meet
Ing of the National church was held
at the Berkeley Lyceum theater, in
New York, with about 100 men and
women present Meetings will be held
every Sunday afternoon at the same
place from now on. Since the church
was organized its name has been
changed from the National church to
the National institute This is the
work planned by the president, as he
announced 1t:
I want to build a church practically
without a creed-a society composed of
honest, Independent thinkers. who favor
sinking their own religious differences
to unite for more progress and more
heaven right down here on this strug-
Cling earth. We will respect all beliefs,
but we will be bound by none Of them.
we aim to make this organization institu-
tional, Industrial and cooperative in char
acter. Should our party thrive, we in
tend using our own united cash not for
missionary work, endowment funds or
theological seminaries. but to build our
own self supporting headquarters In ev-
cry assembly district. along with CO.
operative hotels. commercial enterprises,
skating rinks. bowling alleys. and even
our own banks insurance society and
theater.
In other words, our plan Is stupen-
dous fraternal and financial one, based
on the laws of scientific socialism. We
will advocate q higher, unselfish life as
our brother, Jesus, advocated 1t. We will
talk Of the unseen worlds, but more of
this one, and sing hymns as well as col
lege, patriotic and popular songs-any
song, in fact. which has a refined, uplift-
Ing and enthusiastic ring to 1t. l want a
natural, not a supernatural, church. And,
rs Napoleon encouraged every man in
the ranks by reminding them that they
had a marshals baton In their KNAPP
sacks, SO / want every man and woman
In the organization to feel that they can
grow In it, and IL they have any talent
as speakers or musicians or writer's or
executives they may, as rapidly as they
develop those talents. become leaders In
our ranks.
l want every member to be a worker.
I believe in the religion of work - the
work which makes you happy and causes
no one else to sweat and struggle to
compete with you. The last day for pro-
testing creeds has come: the dawn of uni
versal brotherhood is here.
Mr.. Wall wants what he calls a sew
en- day church. On this part of the
work which he intends to do he says
In pamphlet:
II business is simply gross materialism
or wicked, as the clergy often breaches.
then no employer or employee. no matter
how high or humble he may be. has a
right to become a church member. II
the church, which Is really the congre-
cation is SO divine, so holy. on Sunday.
then I say when Monday comes 1t has
no right to let itself slip into gross
materialism" again. The truth Is, there
should be no such thing as gross mate
rialism' any more than there should
have been slavery before the civil war.
There should be no such thing as one
holy day In seven. Each and every day
should be holy; each and every day
should be a time for helping one another.