Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1908-07-11
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| Pulpit Declining, Dr.. ;
; Aked, RQCkeiellsr'S !
! Pastor, Asserts !
! Tells His Pensioners that /;
} II Is Not In Touch /
! With The Times /
Says The Church Needs }
noney....C Clergyman /
Appeals for More
Generous support J.:
for 1t....Rocke.
Teller In the
Audience

The Rev. DR.. Charles F. Aked,
preaching In the Fifth Avenue Bap.
list Church. New York city, deplored
the decline Of church attendance.
and declared that the Church Is not
In touch with the times. This. he
said. was worldwide. His appeal for
more support Of every kind, financial
included. was heard by John d. Rookie.
Teller. Mrs. Rockefeller. and John d.
Rockefeller. Jr.
DR.. Aked's subject was The Al.
legged Decay Of Christianity In New
York City" and he took for his
text, Matthew xvi. 3, "Can ye not
discern the signs of the timesi" In
part he said:
when ! first came to this great
City OF New York. the centre II EN-.
pire. its broad avenues thronged with
eager. strenuous crowds. pulsatins
with energy and hope. saw the
buoyancy Of the American people.
I learned their character Of hope and
endeavor and electric activity.
A~Vw want w IebTu tue bIBuS
Of the times. II you will show them
to me ] shs.i know them. II Is for
me to observe. a. II IL for you to
indicate. What IL the condition OF
Christianity In New York? When I
interview my Pensioners. and they
are among the most representative
In the city. I find the spirit Of re.
ligious depression very unlike the
spirit Of Astounding enterprise In
business, In manufacturing, In en-.
cheering. and construction.
I'VE have heard OF the great nd.
vance made by the Roman Church In
America. stand on the broadcast
grounds OF liberation. but should
not be content II what we have los.
had gone to the Roman Church. But
has Il? Give the Roman Catholics
In America all they claim--twelve
millions. We still find that there have
immigrated into America no less than
100000 Roman Catholics. So that
the Roman Church has lost instead
Of gaining from us.
| "VOVv WV SV0vVV SVUvUs
"Take our own denomination. The
increase In the Baptists Of America
has only been equal to one.fourth Of
the birth rate among Us. proving that
three out Of four Of our young people
tell away from US.
"Let us look at this great City OF
New York. Fifty years ago there were
over 400 churches. Now there are
100. But the population has In.
creased much faster, II the churches
had increased In proportion We should
now have 1000 instead Of 1900. FIJI
~ years ago there was one church
In New York for each 1900. Now
there Is but ono church for 800.
"The decline Of Christianity Is uni.
versal. In ENGLAND. In France. In
Spain. In Italy. and In Germany wa
hear the same cry.
"Only lately I was talking to an
English clergyman. lie told me that
not merely was there a great falling
on ir churchgoers In England, bu,
that the class OF people who frequent
Ell churches were becoming inferior
"What great field IL here In
Fifth Avenue for US. In the centre
Of empire! Yet there are one mil
lon In this CITY who are not Jews
nor Roman Catholics. nor Mohamme
dams. and who must be Professionals
But this million is entirely un
churched.. II IL not classed In any
OF these Protestant denominations Il
which II should belong. What use
Ia q church without congregation?
"The spirit OF the age has gont
ahead, but We have made mo progress
In the old formulas. the old theology
the old sanction. We are afraid u
,peak OF religion. When we DO 10 w
speak with bated breath, apologetical
~.
An Age Of Ambition.
This Is an age Of great schemes
ef great ambition. But what have ",
to do for Christ? What have w
done? We are content to 90 on thu
tae same old way, unsuited to TN
times. We want to appeal u
the young men. We want TO appea
to a higher class and In q highel
way. We want preachers Of TIT
highest type-spiritual and prophetic
am not speaking Of myself bu
though there may be exceptions
there may be foolish men. even bat
ones, for time In the pulpit-spirit
ually you can rise no higher than thu
level OF the pulpit.
ave want more teachers, NOR
schools more churches and large
ones. 10 hold the 10000 Baptists o
this city. We require a larger build
ing here for our congregation--ther
Is not elbow room for all who com'
here.
"But when We make an appeal vi
are met by q spirit Of oommercialisnl
Of moneymaking. We have not We
learned to adapt the Christian ides
TO our own times.
| rs Christianity played out!" aske'
the clergyman. quoting a recent articl
In a current magazine. "What an
the causes?
First. would say that The pulpi
Is out OF touch with the times. Ey
erythlng has progressed except Chris
tianity. Many thinking and progress
sive young men and women have bee
driven from the Church by the stu
1 pidity OF the preachers. The pulpit 4