Evening star., 1924-12-08
HOLDS IGNORANCE
CHIEF CHURCH FOE
Rev. Or. C. Ernest Smith
breaches 22d Anniversary
Sermon at st. Thomas.

The world now is in the midst of
reactionary movement such as at
different times has troubled the
church and delayed it's progress, Rev.
DIR. c. Ernest Smith. rector of ST.
Thomas Episcopal Church, declared
in his sermon preached yesterday.
on the twenty-second anniversary of
his rectorship of the parish.
"Organized religion is facing today
an indifference that is sometimes an
antagonism-to which 1t has been IL
stranger" DIR. Smith said, adding that
optimism denies this and affirms
more talk about religion, he said,
but talking abou religion is not
being religious.
Assuming that this indifference
exists and is widespread" DR.. Smith
said, a variety of causes can be as
signed, including automobiles, NOV
ing pictures, scientific discoveries,
inventions, church controversies, ma
terialism and, above all. the World
War. But, he said, these are sec
ondary causes, the primary cause
being "a lack of religious training
so that millions are growing up in
religion, with the Immediate result
that there is Indifference to all-re-
vealing religion, and this is followed
by an increase in appalling crimes"
All Remedies Fail.
Clergy and laymen for very many
years have been trying to cope with
this Indifference and have been seek
ing in various ways for a remedy,
DR.. Smith explained but added that
alas. all the remedies proposed are
but broken reeds"
He cited these remedies as %, in
stitutionalism; (2), the demand for
new methods; (3), services must be
recast, made brighter, shorter. more
popular; 90, more publicity; 60, the
latest word in publicity-the radio.
Elaborating on the first remedy"
proposed, DR.. Smith said a generation
or so ago there was a demand that
the Church should not only teach
spiritual truth but should care for
the bodies and minds of men. lin a
new way. Hence came dancing
classes. swimming pools, basket ball,
etc. and st. Georges Church, New
York, was an ideal type of this" 1t
has proved a "wretched failure the
rector said, and its one-time advo-
Gates are now turning upon IL.
With regard to the demand for
new methods DR.. Smith said it is be-
ing taken for granted in certain
quarters that the old parochial sys-
TEN is either worn out or is not suit
able to the time, and must be scrap
ped" Therefore, he continues, this is
the day of commissions, boards, bu-
reaus, headquarters, church offices.
with their multitudes of new officials
of various kinds. consequently GER
tain sinister changes are develop
ing rapidly; the pastoral relation
ship between priest and people
largely obtains no longer: the rector
is now an agent of a board which,
sitting in New York or elsewhere,
directs his movements; he Is its
financial representative in the parish
AS such his chief business is to see
that all assessments, apportion-
ments and charges made on the
parish are fully and promptly paid.
But as we have not yet abolished
parishes by act of the general con-
vention we have on hand veritable
ties, with a certain result ahead"
Must Revise Books.
In discussing remedy No. 5. DR..
Smith said: THE prayer book must
be revised; the hymn book has
already been changed and now in
cludes several hymns which come in
usefully in place of the out-of-date,
obsolete, 'Magnifcat' and 'Nunc Dimit
it's Presently the Apostles and
Nicene Creeds must be altered to suit
modern demands, or, better still, they
can be treated as the Athanaslan
Creed has been treated-that can be
lust omitted It's wonderfully
simple way this of dealing with OBJ
stinate truths"
With regard to the publicity rem
edy" the rector said: Too long
have we been afraid to let our light
shine before men. So we have earnest
men on the housetops, shouting out
their wares and publishing announce
ments of their services and their SER
mons in the daily press in sensa-
tional or startling style, as if they
were advertising bargain sales in
downtown store or describing the
thrilling stunts of a circus coming
to town."
And as the last straw comes the
radio-the latest word in publicity,
the crowning art of the spirit of ad-
vertising. marvellous, inspiring; it's
invention making this age of brill
liant activity more wonderful than
ever and lifting man himself onto
still higher pinnacle than he has ever
before attained, but as spiritual
power-a handmade of religion-a
snare and a delusion to beguile un-
stable souls"
Cites Lincoln Ideal.
President Lincoln's idea of church
worth while, DR.. Smith said, was
one which Stunned publicity and the
glare of footlights, all frantic shout
ing and feverish excitement, and
which preached a religion where
quietness and confidence were the
dominant notes. But we are not as
President Lincoln" DR.. Smith said
President Lincoln is credited with
saying that if he ever joined any
church, it would be the Episcopal, for
that church had neither politics nor
religion.
In concluding his sermon. DR..
Smith said: '1There is just one thing
to do and that is to get back to the
apostolic methods as we see it ex-
emplifed in the first Christian con-
gregation. 1t grew and multiplied,
and that very rapidly. because it re-
lied upon God and not upon any of
these manmade devices. Observe
the four marks which characterize
It: % 1t gave itself to the learning
of the apostles doctrine; CD 1t be-
lieved in and practiced true fellow
ship; CD 1t relied on the breaking of
the bread-the holy Eucharist; 60
and 1t believed in public prayer-not
a word here about sermonizing-jus
the public service of this church of
God"
DIR. Smith opened his sermon with
a brief reference to the conditions in
his parish % years ago, when he
entered upon his duties. To-day only
our two wardens, also vestrymen, Mr..
Melville Church and Mr.. Theodore w
Noyes, remain with us of those who