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Show IIOl'SI, .NOI (iiiM'll, lit!!'. The prob'em that comta very near being u pelunit Just now In rellgloua circles In the Kast la whether tho church shall be fne or not. The chamftonaon the negative side of the quisllou tell us that If the church were made free too mauy of theieoplewbo euoy Us privileges forget to contribute as they ought for Its support, such people taking It for grant ed that becauiu no pewa or sittings are owned or rertcil tho Institution his no mid of support from loullluutlons but Is Independml of public aid through certain risourcta of which the publlo Is not Informed. Ily way ef enforcing their argument the op ouenla of the fnochuroli call attention atten-tion to Dr. Talmage'a great later, nacle which Is staggering under a huge burden of Indebtedness, and the future of which, In consouuiuce, Is In so much uncertainty; one of the lady members ol tho congrigatlon said the other day that "not moio than flvo In r cunt of those who throng to hear Dr.Talmageireach utnnymouey Into In-to the basket." II Is not contended that there aro very many of the froe churches whloh have so sal a atory to tell aa has the llrooklyiitabernaole;andlheadvoiates of the fiee church system point out that under 1 ctter inaoigemout and cksir economy Dr. TalnugewoulJ be lu a moru hopeful condition. They Insist that tlioui.li there la much dls-coutugemeut dls-coutugemeut III the way, "the us, I roblem Is how to make the average lerson reallte his full duty In the luultir," the question of the church being freebavlngalteadybeeu decisive. ly answered In the nlllrmatlva by tho gnat mijoilty of those concerned. In other words thoy claim that the point now Is, how to lrahri upon the dev'oliethat the church Itsolf la trie but the Word of Idle la not free. For our port, we coufiss that If the passing ol tho plate nnd the Latkit does not aulllclently rtmln I the worshl per of tho fait, there li going to be some dllllculty lu hitting Uou ti scheme that will. |
