Politics in the Chapels.
One of the greatest evils which is spreading in Nonconformist places of worship is the introduction of politics in sermons from the pulpits. This is greatly to be deplored, but it is encouraging to know that there is growing antipathy among members of Nonconformist congregations towards such practices. In many of these places of worship religion is even compelled to take a second place, and—as in the case of Whitefield’s Tabernacle—the subjects of the first importance have been such as “Land Values,” “Stud Trams,” “How I Won East Finsbury,” “How the Lords Stole the Commons,” etc., etc. The Rev. Mr. Sylvester Horne, M.P., who is the pastor of Whitefield’s Tabernacle, can hardly expect the blessing of Almighty God upon his work when he turns a building dedicated to Him into a political meeting-hall. And yet Mr. Horne is the very gentleman who scoffs and jeers at our Irish Protestant brethren, and takes them to task for mingling politics with religion over the Home Rule question. What was Mr. Horne doing when he invited the Roman Catholic Irish Nationalist, Mr. John Dillon, M.P., to deliver a “sermon” on the “Irish Question” in Whitefield’s Tabernacle?—Extracted.
The Bible and the Stage.
It is symptomatic of the age, that plays dealing with Biblical subjects are now permitted by the Censor to be staged. This is a new departure, for hitherto plays of this description were not allowed. This is only the beginning, for, as a quasi-religious journal remarks, “there is a disquieting prospect of extensive development in this perilous field.” Even the Times considers it necessary to administer rebuke in regard to Bernard Shaw’s “Androcles and the Lion”:—”It deals with subjects and thoughts far more deeply spiritual and sacred than anything in Mr. Parker’s version of the Old Testament story, and at the same time deliberately and constantly aims at provoking uproarious mirth. It makes no difference that Mr. Shaw does not laugh or expect his audience to laugh at the sacred names and words and prayers that he puts into the mouths of his Christians. The mistake that he makes is to think that it is seemly to follow up each of his sacred lines with a line of comic relief, which is practically what he, and his Christians, and his Romans, and his lion are doing all through the play.” It gives us pain to chronicle this new departure on a downward course. The stage has much need of being purified, but this is not the way to do it. It was bad enough before, but this new departure will only make it worse. The devil certainly has a great hold over this age, and nothing but a mighty revival from Heaven will break the spell that binds a pleasure-loving and godless people.
“The Canker of Indifference.”
The “Daily Graphic” has published a series of articles on the “Canker of Indifference,” which have excited considerable interest and elicited the views of several correspondents. The articles deal chiefly with political and religious apathy. Proofs are adduced to show that the people do not manifest the same care now for Parliamentary proceedings as they used to do in the days gone by; also that the power of the Churches is waning in the land. Statistics do not always afford satisfactory evidence of spiritual life and activity, and if nothing more than their testimony were forthcoming, we might not view it with great concern. But there are many other tokens of growing indifference. To these we cannot shut our eyes, and indeed we have no desire to do so. When we proceed to examine the reasons, however, for this state of things which letter-writers suggest, we notice in them some remarkable defects. They rightly condemn cheap amusements, the gambling craze, inordinate love of so-called sport, and the growth of materialistic ideas and tenets, but they omit to mention clerical lawlessness, sceptical views regarding the Bible, worldly ways in Church work, practical contempt for the divine obligation of the Lord’s day, and the lack of true scriptural teaching from the pulpits of the various denominations.—English Churchman.