Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-15

lying that is softened into 'shrewd-
ness and these warp the natures of
men and destroy their love for the good
and true."--Rev. Charles e. Locke, D. d.
Rev. DR.. Charles Edward Locke, at
the First Methodist church, preached
on the subject. why Do Not Men
Go to Chureh?" Text, Go out into the
highways and hedges and compel them
to come i'm Luke 14:23. Dr.. Locke
said, in part:
I'VE do not discuss this theme to-
night because fewer men attend
church now than formerly, or because
the church is "A decreasing influence in
the moral and religious world today.
For manifestly the opposite of this is
true. There are more church people in
this country today than ever in our
history. In 1900 the proportion Of
church members was one to twelve of
the population, while now there is one
church member to three and one-half
persons. The church as a factor in
philanthropic and mission work has
never been so influential and generous
as now, and never has the churcn been
so aggressive in practical reforms and
in successful methods of reaching the
sick and poor and aged. and in min
istering to the vicious and submerged
peoples in the crowded cities.
"There was never so much activity
in summer schools for the study Of
the Bible and of useful plans for reach
ing the vast unchurched classes as
now. Ours is not a lost cause.
Christianity has not sounded a retreat.
1t has never opened any century with
such a mighty swing Of conquest. We
raise the question tonight. why more
people do not go to church, that we
may if possible, be aroused to the
distractions in the way of the larger
progress of the church and awakened
to the limitless possibilities of the
kingdom of God.
Responsibility Is Double
1.-THE responsibility for the absence Of
many people from the church services
must be shared both by the church
members and by the people.
"The church, we must candidly
acknowledge, is no doubt sometimes at
fault. The founder of the church COM
manded his workers to "go out into
the highways and hedges and compel
them to come in Not the compulsory
power of force, but the compulsory
power of love Where the people viii
not come by the usual, formal invita-
tions, then the church must go to the
people. Christ went where the people
were, and IL is said, The common
people heard him gladly It is not
enough to build a stately edifce and
throw open its doors and ring greetings
from the graceful spire. Ecclesiastical
architecture and finished service will
appeal to some people. but these very
things intimidate others. The personal.
sympathetic, cordial invitation viii
reach more of the multitudes separated
from the church than all the at
fractions of architecture, music or
oratory.
There is no doubt that the incon-
sisteneies of some church members are
a serious hindrance TO many people.
There are doubtless hypocrites among
Christians just as there We're whited
sepulchers among the Pharisees. There
are some so-called Christians who do
not pay their debts and who use ques-
tionable business and professional
methods. There are tares among the
wheat. But the great masses Of
Christian people are sincerely striving
to lead upright, exemplary lives, If
stranger were seeking for a typical
American, he would not visit the hos
pital or the prison. And so there are
in the church the weak and the wan
dering, whom the church is trying to
heal and help, but the average church
man is a man of lofty instincts and
honorable living.
Given Fair Welcome
Great injustice has been done the
church by a class of persons who have
sought to create the impression that
the people of the church We're unin-
terested in the masses and We're not
cordial in receiving the strangers and
non-church goers. 1t will be remem-
bered that when Professor Wyckoff of
Princeton donned the coarse clothes OF
q workingman and made a tour of
this country, working at any employ
ment he could secure, he said:
"'When I had made the round Of
many churches Of many denOmina-
tions, I realized how general and how
sincere among them is the spirit of
hospitality to the working poor In
the vestbules / always found young
men who acted as ushers. Never onca
did 1 fail of a friendly greeting, In the
pews there was no withdrawing Of
skirts or other signs of objections to
me as a fellow worshiper, and cordial
Invitations to come again would often
follow me from the pew door
"The men who are not in the church
must bear their share of the RESPONSE
bility for their absence from the house
of God. Jesus would say to many to-
day, if he were on earth, what he said
TO the Jewish Sanhedrim, 'Ye will not
come unto me that yc might have
life.'
OVerwork q Cause
"Many men stay away from church
because of utter indifference to any
obligation to worship God and main-
tain the services of his temple. Some.
no doubt, gradually drift away from
the habit of church going until at last
they lose taste for religious meetings
''NIany others are ovcrworsed through
the week and seek recreation in the aban-
don and rest of the sunday. Many mer-
chants and clerks are occupied until nearly
midnight on Saturday, and plead this in ex-
of absence from church. There
Is no reason why the stores should be open
saturday night, and by the by, when
nyarice shall surrender 10 humanity and
when the purchaser shall not be indifferent
10 the rights and needs of the seller Of
goods. o'clock will see every Office and
store closed, and on the Saturday the year
sound the half-holiday will prevail.
"Then, too, there is a vast deal Of
unnecessary Sunday work, and it is
lamentable, indeed, that there is an
Increasing amount of Sunday recrea-
iion. Here. again, avarice shows its
eruel generalship, and frivolity iasei-
mates into sacrilege and sin.
again, it cannot be denied that the buSi-