Untitled article by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, March 24, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. XXXI, No. 15

THE RELIGION OF THE AGE.

By James White

Men will persist in denouncing us as uncharitable because we apply the prophecy of the fall of Babylon, Rev. xiv, to the position of the fallen, formal, worldly, pleasure-loving churches of the present day. With some, charity seems to consist in finding excuses for all manner of evil, or denying its existence. But Paul says charity “rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.” To tell the truth as it is revealed in God’s prophetic word, and fulfilled in the sight of all the world, is no breach of charity, but a duty we owe to our fellow-men, to point out wrong and warn of danger.

It seems truly singular that the tendencies of religionists is so little known and understood by themselves, while so well known to the world at large. The following exhibits the unconsecrated passion for music so greatly prevailing in the churches.

“CHURCH CHOIRS.

“The character of the music in many of our churches is excellent, and the prices paid for it are liberal. The Second Presbyterian Church, which has the finest quartette choir in the city, appropriates $3,750, of which $1,400 is paid to the contralto, Mrs. Mattison, a singer of remarkable excellence. The organist receives $600, the soprano $600, and the tenor and bass each $500. Trinity Church pays $2,700, the First Presbyterian, $2,900, St. Paul’s Universalist $2,300, and so on. The First Baptist Church has a huge choir of some fifty singers, with the largest organ in the city, and the music is very impressive. The leader receives $1,000, and the organist $600, which covers the whole expense. The music in some of the Roman Catholic churches is very classical and excellent.”

Several of these first class and well-paid singers in the churches also receive large salaries in the operas. In fact, the celebrity they have acquired in the theatre is the cause of their being employed in the churches. Is this worship? or what is it? Is this singing “with the spirit” and the understanding? We call it a shameful mockery of the sacred appointments of God. The N. Y. Clipper thus commends the church for its love of vanity and sport:

“THE CHURCH AND SPORT.—The world moves. We are glad to find that our brethren of the church are showing a more liberal disposition than formerly, touching our sporting pastimes and those who indulge therein. During the past year, various church fairs have been held, at which, prizes of different kinds were offered for competition. A great fair is now in progress in Philadelphia, for the very laudable purpose of raising a fund for the founding of a home for the aged and infirm members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the Philadelphia Conference. The attractions are materially increased by the exhibition there of the magnificent set of base ball implements, to be awarded as prizes to the two base ball clubs receiving the highest number of votes from the patrons of the fair.

The following we copy from the World’s Crisis:

Last summer, while attending camp-meetings in Illinois, we saw in the depot a flaming hand-bill, announcing that a so-called orthodox church in that place would give an excursion to Rock Island, where a fair was being held. As an inducement for everybody to go, it was stated that the excursion would be on the last day of the fair, when the celebrated horse, Dexter, would be made to exhibit his speed in trotting! Think of it! The saints of Jesus Christ getting up an excursion to a horse race!

A notice has just been sent us, of an entertainment adapted to the winter season, gotten up professedly for the benefit of the church. The brother sending it, says, “This is the way we get money for preachers out here.” It reads as follows:

Rev. Mr.:— Dear Sir: An entertainment will be given in McLean, on Thursday evening the 19th of December, 1867, for the benefit of the — church. Oysters, and everything eatable, will be served. Good music will be discoursed, and speeches made by eminent men. The speeches and music at the church, and supper at the Kellogg Hall—for all of which, one dollar will be charged for adult persons, and fifty cents for children under twelve years. If good cheer, good music, eloquent speeches, and plenty to eat, served with smiling faces and delicate hands, can entertain you, come and bring all connected with you. PHILADELPHIA COM.

McLean, Ill., Dec., —

A highly respectable correspondent from Brighton, Ill., writes us: “The — church are having a fair and festival here. The worst kind of gambling is going on. One doll, which cost them about five dollars was run up to near fifty. One man put his daughter’s name down seventy times, at ten cents a time, but after all lost his money and the doll. Their preacher made a wooden elephant, which his members rode around the hall two at a time, at twenty cents a pair. After they got through with it, one of the stewards of the church bought it for ten dollars.”

What would John Wesley and John Knox think of such proceedings in churches professing to believe the doctrines which they taught?

One of the most common forms of religious festivity and trifling is found in the mis-called “mite societies.” Should we tell what transpires at these places, we fear many would consider us prejudiced; so we copy the following from the Western Christian Advocate, and certainly no one can object to the witness. It purports to be written by a “wife’s cousin” to the minister:

“It was Thursday evening when we arrived in town, and the preacher said it was mite-society evening, and they would expect him and his wife; but as Cousin had to do a little extra washing, and fix up a bed for our children, she staid and I went.

We met two girls at the door where the society was held, one had a book and one a plate. The one with the plate said, “We don’t charge preachers,” but did not take the plate down. The preacher put in a bill; and, as they said nothing to me, I suppose he paid for both. I did not get much acquainted. I sat in a corner all the evening. The only person that said anything to me was a stout lady that complained of rheumatiz; said to the preacher that she had not been to class or prayer-meeting for more than a year, her health was so poor. As Uncle John would have said, they were the laugh-iest set I ever saw. They mixed round for two hours, and I could not see the fun. I’ll warrant they would have tired out in less than half the time in a prayer-meeting.

Then came hot coffee, and pickles, and ham. Then charaids, I think they called them. I know they made some raids that upset my chair.

At 11½, P. M., the preacher and I left, and as a girl ran to get our hats they said, “Oh, it is early yet,” but I overheard some one say, “Let the preacher go. The fun is just begun.” On our way home I asked Cousin—the preacher—what was the object of the mite society? “Oh,” said he, “the money goes to pay current expenses, but social improvement is the main object.”

I wondered greatly at the lively interest taken by so many outsiders in church affairs; for outsiders they must have been, as their diversions were not taken in the name of the Lord, according to rule in the discipline. At least the only mention of the Lord’s name I heard was in the prayer of the preacher for a blessing on the pickles, ham, and hot coffee at 10½ o’clock.

These are mere samples. To join in sports, plays, lotteries, raffles, and sociables,—“to eat and drink with the drunken”—is a sign of the times; these things everywhere abound in the churches. To “hunger and thirst after righteousness,” is antiquated and unpopular. How much we need to watch and pray, in these days of peril! “The pure testimony cries out separation.” May the Lord assist us all to keep our robes spotless, lest we also be “led away with the error of the wicked,” and fall from our “stedfastness.”

J. H. W.