Religious Declension of these Days.
We gave last week testimony from the Christian Palladium, the Religious Telescope, the Philadelphia Sun, the Oberlin Evangelist, the Congregationalist, the Watchman and Reflector, the N. Y. Independent, and the Belfast News-Letter, to show that, from 1844 and onward, a general declension of religion has prevailed in all the churches, and that even the great revivals of 1858 and 9, did not present such fruits as would give evidence of any radical change for the better. Others have spoken on the same point whose testimony is worthy of consideration. Dr. Cumming of England, in “Time of the End,” p. 183, says:— “I believe that one-half of the professors of the gospel are nothing better than practical infidels.” Henry Ward Beecher says:— “Thousands of men in good and regular standing in evangelical churches are giving no evidence of piety, are living in open sin, or in practices in business and in public affairs irreconcilably at variance with the spirit of Christianity. I cannot ask such persons to the Lord’s table just because they are regular members of a church.” “Gentility has nearly killed our churches.” A Methodist journal says:— “Home religion among the Methodists is no longer what it once was. Family praise is almost wholly abandoned. Twenty-five years ago, a Methodist family might be known in any neighborhood by the morning and evening song of praise, in which father, mother, and children took part. Who ever hears such a thing now?” Dr. A. Barnes, a few years since, said:— “With the increase of business, and the brightening prospects of commerce and manufactures, there is an increase of worldly-mindedness. Thus it is with all denominations.” Robert Atkins, in a sermon preached in London, said:— “The truly righteous are diminished from the earth, and no man layeth it to heart. The professors of religion of the present day in every church are lovers of the world, conformers to the world, lovers of creature-comfort, and aspirers after respectability. They are called to suffer with Christ, but they shrink from even reproach.” “Apostasy, apostasy, apostasy, is engraven on the very front of every church; and did they know it, and did they feel it, there might be hope; but, alas! they cry, ‘We are rich, and increased in goods, and stand in need of nothing.’” Mr. O. Scott (Wesleyan Methodist) says:— “The church is as deeply infected with a desire for worldly gain as the world.” “The churches are making a god of this world. Most of the denominations of the present day might be called churches of the world with more propriety than churches of Christ.” The Genesee Evangelist says:— “Our Zion is in a state of mourning. The Holy Spirit has not visited us as in former years, and we have great cause for deep humiliation, in view of the sins and worldliness and spiritual indifference of most of our churches.” “Reflecting the other day upon the sad state of the churches at the present moment, I was led to look back to apostolic times, and to consider wherein the preaching of the present day differed from the apostles.” The report of the Michigan Yearly Conference, published in the True Wesleyan of Nov. 15, 1851, says:— “The world, commercial, political, and ecclesiastical, are alike, and are together going in the broad way that leads to death. Politics, commerce, and nominal religion, all connive at sin, reciprocally aid each other, and unite to crush the poor. Falsehood is unblushingly uttered in the forum and in the pulpit, and sins that would shock the moral sensibilities of the heathen go unrebuked in all the great denominations of our land.” These churches are like the Jewish church when the Saviour exclaimed, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.” Prof. S. C. Bartlett, of Chicago, in the N. Y. Independent, says:— “Religion now is in a different position from Methodism then. To a certain extent it is a very reputable thing. Christianity is, in our day, something of a success. Men “speak well of it.” Expresidents and statesmen have been willing to round off their career with a recognition of its claims.93And the popularity of religion tends vastly to increase the number of those who would secure its benefits without squarely meeting its duties. The church courts the world, and the world caresses the church. The line of separation between the godly and the irreligious fades out into a kind of penumbra, and zealous men on both sides are toiling to obliterate all difference between their modes of action and enjoyment.” On Sunday, Feb. 5, 1871, fifteen clergymen of the city of Rochester, N. Y., distributed a circular, entitled, “A Testimony” to fifteen congregations of that city. To this circular the Rochester Democrat of Feb. 7, made reference as follows:— “The ‘Testimony’ sets out by stating that the foregoing pastors are constrained to bear witness to what they ‘conceive to be a fact of our time;’ viz., That the prevailing standard of piety, among the professed people of God, is alarmingly low; that a tide of worldliness is setting in upon us, indicating the rapid approach of an era, such as is foretold by Paul in his second letter to Timothy, in the words, ‘In the last days perilous times shall come.’” These conclusions are reached, not by comparisons with former times, but by applying the tests found in the Scriptures. They instance as proof, ‘the spirit of lawlessness which prevails.’ The circular then explains how this lawlessness (religious) is shown. Men have the name of religion, but they obey none of its injunctions. There is also a growing disposition to practice, in religious circles, what is agreeable to the natural inclinations, rather than the duties prescribed by the word of God. The tendency to adopt worldly amusements, by professed Christians, is further stated in evidence.” This testimony is very explicit. When men “have the name of religion, but obey none of its injunctions,” they certainly may be said to have a form of godliness, but to deny the power; and when they “practice in religious circles what is agreeable to the natural inclinations, rather than the duties prescribed by the word of God,” they may be truthfully said to be “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” And Rochester is not an exception in this respect. It is so all over the land, as the candid everywhere, by a sad array of facts, are compelled to admit. Pres. C. G. Finney, of Oberlin College, in an article in the N. Y. Independent of Dec. 4, 1873, entitled “The Decay of Conscience, said:— “I believe it is a fact generally admitted that there is much less conscience manifested by men and women in nearly all the walks of life than there was forty years ago. There is justly much complaint of this, and there seems to be but little prospect of reformation. The rings and frauds and villainies in high and low places, among all ranks of men are most alarming, and one is almost compelled to ask, ‘Can nobody be safely trusted?’” He goes on to say that the pulpit is chiefly responsible for this state of things. How has it become responsible? By lowering the standard in the church; and this has its effect upon the world. Sin is not denounced as it used to be; corruption is passed hastily and slightly over; and the world everywhere prevails against the church. Even revivals no longer give assurance of radical reformation. The line of demarkation between the church and the world becomes less and less distinct, and the tide of evil rolls on unrestrained. This state of things, in which the church stands firmly opposed to the doctrine of the near coming of Christ, and is alarmingly conformed to the world, and sadly degenerate in religious things, was not unlooked for by students of prophecy in ages past. Martin Luther, just before his death, writing on the prophetic periods of Daniel, in his German Bible, said:— “About the consummation of these periods, this gospel will be shut out of all the churches and confined to private houses.” When one of Martin Luther’s guests remarked that the world might continue fifty years, he replied:— “Pray God it may not exist so long; matters would be even worse than they have been. There would rise up infinite sects and schisms, which are at present hidden in men’s hearts not mature. No; may the Lord come at once, for there is no amendment to be expected.” “Now when he comes will he find faith on the earth? The question implies a strong negative; no, he shall not; he himself foresees it. In general he will find but few good people, few that are really and truly good; many that have the form and fashion of godliness, but few that have faith.” Dr. Gill, on Rev. 3:20, speaking of the signs of Christ’s coming, says:— “Which will yet be observed by a few, such a general sleepiness will have seized all professors of religion.” “There is great reason to conclude that the world, particularly that part of it called Christian and Protestant, will yet make greater and more rapid advances in all kinds of moral corruption and open wickedness, till it will come to that state in which it will be fully ripe.” Mr. Hartly, a learned and sensible churchman, has remarked as follows:— “There are many prophecies which declare the fall of the ecclesiastical powers of the Christian world; and though each church seems to flatter itself with the hope of being exempted, yet it is very plain that the prophetical characters belong to all. They all have left the true, pure, simple religion, and teach for doctrines the commandments of men.” Next week we will present some further acknowledgments of the terrible state of the times upon which we have fallen.