The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-10-23

vital elements OF all religion, that some
of those who are most interested in the
preservation OF the church are victims
almost of despair in the perusal of its
history.
If we are to bring things back to their
elements. we must say without hesitation
that the first and capital object for
which church exists is not to clothe
| itself with vestments, or work out an
elaborate order of ceremonial observ-
ance; It is not even to pretend that 1t
has the key. of all knowledge, and that
| it can unlock all the august and battling
life of a human being here and here
after.
Its primary duty is much simpler it is
ito make saints" to revive once more.
| in the midst of an artificial society, what
the Psalmist called 1.-The beauty of holi-
ness.'
| The showing made by the recent
church census taken in Chicago is bad
enough : in all conscience but 1t might
have been worse.
| 1t shows: Number of persons reached,
ence, 10000; regular church attendants,
100000; irregular attendants. 10000; re-
/, fused to give information 1000.
| The complete classification of the data
! will require another week The census
was taken by 1900 workers, representing
500 children.
| The general convention of the Protest
ant Episcopal church, heard this year the
version of the Jews but there was gen
eral approval of the view of the house
of bishops that a separate church for
Hebrew Christians would tend to per-
petuate the aloofness of the Jew from
the Christian, and there was evidence of
a large sympathy among clergymen and
llaymen for the view of the Rev. William
NJ. Grosvenor of Manhattan. who said:
The Jew knows what the Christian has
been to him during the centuries. 1t has
not been history full of Joy. He has
suffered inquisition. persecution, herding
into ghettoes In America for the first
time in the history Of his race since the
| fall of Jerusalem. he finds an open door,
and Is doing his best to fit into Ameri-
can institutions. The only way for the
Hebrew to ever come into the unity of
the church Is after he has had few
centuries of Christian tolerance, love,
| charity and Justice.
| 1t was in accordance with these views
that the house Of bishops decided that the
Jews converted to the Episcopal faith
may continue the Jewish rites, festivals
and ceremonies as historical and racial
| traditions, provided they do not do 1t as
a matter of religion.
Enthusiasm and sense of perspective
should go hand in hand, In religion as in
art. Warm faith cannot but show itself
| in zeal. Calm common sense cannot fail
to recognize the perspective when It
comes to PROSECUTING. The Protestant
Episcopal church means to keep zeal
without abandoning common sense.
Public ipterest n MARYLAND hoe hoer
awakened In an ancient little church at
| Dorchester, on the eastern shore because
| of it's antiquity and its relics The
church was built in $780, and still con-
tains as cherished treasures a chalce
presented to it by Queen Anne, and
cushion on which the queen Is said to
have knelt on the occasion of her coro-
nation.
There are number of ancient church
buildings in the east but the oldest re-
ligious edifice in the United States. ante
dating even the remnants of the Sapnish
occupation of the Florida east coast, Is
the old church of Santa Fe. N M.
| This Is without question the oldest
church In the United States antedating
/ even the remnants Of the Spanish occupa-
ton of the Florida east coast is the
| oldest church in the United States It's
foundation was laid in 1541, and 1t was
used at once. though not completed until
either 1547 or 1913.
| For this old mission Spain sent a staff
| OF painters and scuptors and donated a
bell which was cast on August 9, 1356-or
| 1856 years before Columbus discovered
America.
The old hell did service in spain before
| 1t was sent to the new world, and still
calls the faithful to mass. to vespers
and to numerous services that are being
conducted regularly in this oldest church
| in the United States.
New York Presbyterians gave away
more money through the channels of their
denominations last year than in any pre-
vious year. The amount was $l,35l $40
| Congregational expenses amounted TO
s625, 427 Benevolences reached SIPS. 49,
The figures just compiled by the Rev.
Jesse F. Forbes. clerk of the Presbytery
show that there are 32,o25 members of
the Presbyterian churches In the city
and 1872 ministers.
| Decrease In Surplus Cars
Chicago, October 22.-The fortnightly
statement of the American Railway as
ISOLATION. made public today, shows a
PRODUCTION In surplus cars of 1874, bring
ing the total down to 33,7s5. The total