Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-10-28

PorhAps, they figure the women VIII
drop n line with the men.
Now protestants az class have
been quite resigned to the lack OF
religion In the education Of tho young
Indeed they have been rather proud
Of that lack They have fostered ir-
religion among the children by denying
It place In the public education sys-
tenn. Now they reap the product Of the
seed sown. Their churches are becom-
ing deserted. It follows in the natural
sequence Of events, that II the child 10
not taught religion while his character
is ina formative stage or development
he will not beinclined to acquire de-
sire for 1t when he is older and set In
his ways.
And even tho expert exhorters and
religious organizers with christianity
all packed up and ready for carrying
bring 1t to them they are not apt to
accept It, No. the Catholic church has
pointed the way. And it is children
and religion forward
An Example Of Church Union.
Fire solved the problem Of protestant
church unity In Vermont village. Tho
Proctor. in Rutland county. had an
edince that served for Sunday school.
there was no protestant church IN
1889. Then the Sunday school building
burned down. and the question Of re-
building arose Methodlsts and Congre-
gationalists predominated, but coun-
sci prevailed against the erection Of
churches for each of these bodies, and
joint enterprise was undertaken. Its
history Is given in Leslie's Weekly:
There is a modern church edAfce.
built Of marble.Svalued at $45,000., In
Guiding beautiful parish house. The
church policy Is Independent and un-
denominational The financial organ
tzation Is an Incorporated body, whose
membership includes some who are not
members Of the church. The regular
business Of the society Is done thru a
board Of six stewards. perpetuating a
title and an Office peculiar to Metho-
iism. Thus there Is perfect blending
If Methodist and Congregational
methods in the governing board.
The Proctor church began its career
with a Methodist minister. and his sue
cessor was furnished by the same de-
nomination. But after that followed
Congregationalists. II Proctor should
ever seek new man, there Is no rea-
son why he might not be Baptist.
but:
1T is quite apparent that the pas
tor 81 such church could not, In the
nature of the case. be one whose am
bition would be to build up sect
rather than to evanselize a community.
The pastoral relation is indefinite. 1t
may be terminated by either party
giving the other three months notice,
and 1t is Significant that in every case
thus far the initiative was taken by
the pastor himself"
The Church WEIGHTED by Gold.
ST Paul's exhortation to LAY aside
every weight" and especially any that
easily beset," might be used as text
by Mr.. Israel Zangwill in new book In
which he declares that the churches
are suffering from too much money
Every new church starts out with
fresh truth. which in time grows old
and loses its revivifying force The
church must keep on. however. for by
this time It has become weighted down
With property of which II is the Gus
tod.an SO IL gradually turns from be-
ing an advocate of new truth to
guardian of old dogma. old rights. and
old forms. When this time comes. II
should be ended by the state. MI
Zangwill thinks. This celebrated He
brew novelist quotes Ibsen to the ef-
feet that the, life OF a normally con-
stituted truth Is twenty years at the
outside. and aged truths are ant to
be she ckinglv thin" So he argues "the
danger which threatens all churches
the danger Of having to buy their min
isters-is raised to infinity IL the
money ;s thus to be tied ND by the
dead hand Of the past" He thus elu-
cidates the time limit
THE first generation OF church or
heresy-the terms are synonymous.
for every church starts as heresv-is
full to the brim OF vitality fire revolt
sincerity. spirituality, self sacrifice. 1t
Is a generation In love, a generation
exalted and enkindled by the new
truth, generation that Will count life
and lucre equally base beside the
spreading Of the new fire. The sec
ond generation has witnessed the fer
VOL of its fathers, 1t has been nour-
ished in the warmth OF the doctrine.
its education Is imprinted with the
true fiery stamp. 1t is still near. the
Holy Ghost In the third generation
the waves radiated from the primal
fire have cooled in their passage thru
time; the original momentum tends to
be exhausted. Now is the period Of the
SNUG Pharisees profiting in the mar
tyrdoms Of their ancestors. habhiinS
Observation-Disclosures two pleasures
Of their fidelity to the faith Of their
fathers. If the third generation of a
church can get thru with fair spiritual
success 1t is often because Of revival