Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-21
CHURCH NEEDS
HE-MEN' SAYS
YOUNG PASTOR
Effeminacy of Older
Ministers Called
Disgusting.
BY NORMAN n. MATSON


/ Copyright, 1922. by The Great Fails Tribune
| London, Aug. 20. The church
whose masculine following is decreas-
ing steadily. is bankrupt. and the fault
must be largely attributed to the clergy
This is the gist of flood of severe
criticism loosened during the past week
by several prominent London ministers.
The list of alleged clerical failings is
very long. Chiefly they are effemi-
nate. according to the Rev b. G. Bour-
CHER and to the Rev. T. III. Stevens.
Mr.. Bourchier plans to publish a
pamphlet containing some of the $50
letters he has received from the young
er clergymen who agree with his criti-
cism and add to IT, They say the mat
ter with the clergy is:
Their flabby handshakes. their de-
pressing services, their dearly be-
loved brethren" voices and the '.oh,
my dear friends manner. their namby
sermons and their weak and feeble
personalities.
The hymn book, beloved of the
clergy" is an ''unmanly, insipid and
childish collection of very bad verse"
declares the Rev. Stevens.
1T could be swept off the face of the
earth tomorrow if the clergy raised
their voices against it. But we. as
class like the insipid and the unmanly.
If we clergymen really had manly
outlook upon life we should be anxious
to sweep away many of the things we
sing and say in church. But we are
not many. and therefore we keep silent
and men viii have nothing to do with
u.s."
Would Drop Hymns
'The Rev Arthur Montford. in his
letter to his congregation is
as emphatic. AT least one third of
hymns should be got rid of. ut is an
insult to an intelligent Christian to
ask him to sing such hymn. for in
stance, as that appointed for ST Mat
thew's day. Indeed, it would be i'm
possible to produce more nauseating
Let us hope that the COM
mittee appointed by the arch bishops
will thoroughly overhaul the book and
bring strong pressure to bear upon the
to remove from it all the
stupid doggerel which disfiEures it."
Many of the tones, he thinks, are
and play hovoc with the
words.
ion for uniformity. the passing of the
,lergy the conventional and the stereo-
yped and tragic inelasticity of mind.
lave eaten out the church's heart the
,ritics suggest that lay committee /:
of professional and working |
people be sent around to churches un-
TO make reports later.
But the church peril is not the only |
me. Belated receipt of the news that |!
mother Gainsborough masterpiece
The Cottage Door" has been pur-
hased by II. e. Huntington and now
angs in the California collection next |
o THE Blue Boy rewakens Eng
and's apprehension that most Of her /,
rt treasures not safely in national |
alleries may in time cross the At
antic.
u Masterpieces Left
There are still about II famous
Masterpieces in private hands. Their
verage value is nearly half million |
ollars. Inevitably one of these will
e put up for auction and who in the
'orld but an American has money
nough to bid.
The national gallery authorities are
aerefore supporting Sir Phillip Sas-
on's suggestion that the treasury be
Empowered by parliament to provide
he gallery with enough funds to buy
1ese masterpieces at a fair market
rice. Five or six million dollars
'ould be enough, but it is admitted
nat there is little that is really inter- |,
sting. Unless the appropriation is Il
lade. according to Sir Phillip and bis
Importers, England win certainly be il
ripped yof its old masterpieces by