| Show snobbery in religious Eelig ioas ious bodies we vo dono do not twant want our readers to take alarm and feel that a regular old fashioned sermon is about to be preached e a ched nothing of the kind yet ve t we do feel that the times on which we have fallen have brought to the surface many things which demand a reformation the general shaking up that thit everything getting is destined to do great good the chass chaff will be away and the wheat will remain it has hwa been evident to every thoughtful mind that for some years back society was on the down grade and running at a fearful speed extravagance in dress in habits babits of life in livid livin gandin bandin in everything which is calculated to attract the eye of a snob admiring crowd rule eu preme supreme fashionable society flatters itself that outward appearances and circumstances give gentility therefore entitle a to more than ordinary degree of r not only society but t the lie lle church has felt this terrible degeneracy of the times customs nad aad practices which would have startled our old father are now popularized those deep convictions of truth and adherence to scripture forms which so strongly marked the church in the day of her power are now denounced as thoi that relics relies of an iron superstition ion lon and a superficial religion which plays on the emotions has taken the place of that deep and spiritual power transforming life and making il it the noble exponent of the noble teachings of christ the church has to some extent been overrun with pride and fashion and worldliness instep instead 1 I of being the power to crush out evil instead of being the asylum where the poor can find rest to his weary spirit the rich in a measure have turned our sanctuaries into thea tres where grand displays display sare are made of gaudy apparel and Frenc frenchy by manners and the poor who were always the especial objects of Christ lis regard I 1 are driven away from the altars altar of ot the sanctuary even in our own little city the poor cannot to attend the public service of religion his clothes are homespun and patched though clean his man mau manners neris are rae rude though simple and pure his movements 8 are measured aud heavy though natural his bleech is earnest and heartfelt though devoid of artifice such a being feels that there is no place in the sanctuary for him unless in some bome obscure corner under such circumstances the sanctuary ls is is 19 as goo cooj as closed to him and here and at this time begins that process by which the church loses all its power over the honest masses those masses with whom christ associated and with whom he retook betook took sweetest counsel and under whose hospitable roofs he always rested his weary limbs that church must sink that has not a bold upon the poor and makes them a all ail I 1 feel that within her sacred walls they can always find a retreat from the and trials of ille lile apparent as these truths must be to all how angely sti it sounds upon our ears to hear people here in muncie Sf uncle talking about an ar aristocratic listo church and that deop people e ought to join our church for th the a reason the better classes attend with us and one advantage we have is no kitchen girls and rude laborers belong to us and luch sueh such huch stuff 3 well calculated to make an honest soul turn with disgust from all lot no one say these expressions are fr railing alling accusations against the brethren they are not but are words of truth and soberness there is an forth by many in several of the church organizations to impress one and all that peculiar respectability and that thit the aristocratic element predominates in their respective spec tive organizations A wonderful amount of cheap john is cried off to these snobs K and rud roval royal bloods who to get their religious rations once a week but where are the tolling toiling masses the kit hit kitchen clien ellen girls the sons SOUS and daughters of the poor without one drop of 0 blood in their veins where are they me aia they met at the thresholds ef of our oui sanctuaries with a real and not an assumed w in the name of a common commo n mediator and aud and welcomed to a feast of lovea are they madeko made to leel the magnetism SM of the love of christ flowing from soul to soul and annealing all hearts in common fellowship around ground our sacred cross crosb where are the poor ah AM we hear the bound sound coma come grating back not 0 only ly pa the tho ear but blit on the soul egui jsn the better class go to oun church no kitchen girls or rude laborers belong tous to us 11 1 1 we have the aristocratic to church these snobs with all the airs of good french manner sand with aristocratic gen and sanctimonious twang go through their orisons ori orl sons while the poor are either driven in the streets or learn that grandest cfall of all ali assurances in the seclusions of their thein humble homes thedac the sacrifices of god are a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart 0 god thou wilt not dispose di 11 it will be a grand day to society to the church to mankind when all the abominable fashions of society shall be left in the world and the spirit of true discipleship shall be the distinguishing mark of all professed christians and he who best serves christ by abing doing the greatest amount of good shall be the most res respected P acted and honored that church is not the best one which cancell can call off the longest list of people who apo ape nobility but that which can point to the greatest number numbers who wear the image of Christ nearest their hearts though they should be kitchen girls and rude laborers with walked while hereupon here upon earth b with them he ate and slept and they formed the people to whom with matchless tenderness he said when he forth his own sheep he goeth before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice s muncie Tuncie I iad lad ad ird times |
