THOSE MARTYRS by Bishop Wilson tx z z ¿X xx xx xï xx *x xx xx xa juc GJfw WITNESS CHICAGO, ILL., JANUARY 16, 1930 The American Heresy B y s D e a n M ilo H. Gates F THERE is a heresy in American Christianity, I think it is the error of casualness. It is not I alone of American religious life. It is through­ ä out all American life. W e are a casual people, but when you bring casualness into religious life, it is a great deal more serious than it is in ordinary life. The old theory was that if the spirit happened to touch you, you were converted and saved. The modern theory is that if you happen to feel like going to church you should go, and if you happen to be attracted by a certain eloquent preacher, you should go. This is a dangerous error. Attend­ ance at church, listening to sermons or listening in on sermons, sharing in so-called “church work” can never take the place and can never do for you what you can do for yourself. You must accept your responsibility and by accepting it regularly and faithfully take your place in the fine army of those who come, week by week, Sunday by Sun­ day, to assist in the Holy Eucharist. The Message of the W eek i U . U xX H H ^ XX XX U Di ijS x z i i x z t Circulation Office: 6140 Cottage Grove Avenue, Ctaieajro. Editorial and Advertising Office: 981 Tribune Building. Ne' York CAv Copyright 2020. Archives of the Episcopal Church / DFMS. Permission required for reuse and publication. länirg ■ Wgttd - Hornig 3«. 2}-2)*27SlXTH - AVENUE- NEW-YORK MEMORIALS IN STAINED-GLASS IMOSAIOMARBLE ‘STONE* GRANITE tw^tgte8öeaiao6aica<±OTd>decmittc^ CARVED WOOD«METAL*ETC♦* Tower Chimes Played from Electric Keyboard at Organ Church Bells— Peals McShane Bell Foundry Co. Moller Pipe Organs Baltimore, Md. The highest standard of musical excellence. Every ’ organ designed Vestments and built special for the particular For the Clergy and Choir. Altar linens, embroideries, Church and service and fully guar­ clerical and lay tailoring. anteed. Every part built in our Materials cut to measure own factory. References, organs and stamped for others to in over five hundred Episcopal work. ■Churches alone, including many of J. M. HALL, Inc. the most prominent. Booklets and 174 Madison Avenue Bet. 33rd & 34th Sts., N.Y. specifications upon request. M. P. MOLLER MENEELY BELL CO Hagerstown, Maryland T R O Y , N .Y a n d 220 BROADWAY.NY. CITY BELLS lEUrooflö Potta jstfoötoß CHURCH VESTMENTS 5438 Market Street Philadelphia, Pa. Cassocks, Surplices, Stoles, Em­ MENEELY&CO.djb broideries, Silks, Cloths, Fringes E S C ° | I &*** ESTABLISHED fjjffljjAil MEMORIALS IN STAINED CLERICAL SUITS P lag I— IN > 8 2 6 JN||jS|k Hats, Rabats, Collars GLASS, MOSAIC and MURALS Specialists in Church vestments WATERVLIET, If interested write for cuts of some of and Embroideries for a half a CHURCH BELLS, CHIMES AND PEAL8 our recent work century. Unequaled Musical Qualities COX SONS & VINING 131-133 E. 23rd St„ New York ST. HILDA GUILD, Inc. I ll E. 47th St., New York CHURCH VESTMENTS ECCLESIASTICAL EMBROIDERY RGEISSLERINC.^ Heaton, Butler & Bayne Conferences with reference to the adornment 56 W. 8th STREET, NEW YORK..N.Y. of churches iilaaa Arifata Telephone Vanderbilt 8761__________ Church furnishings By appointment to the late IN CARVED WOOD AND I® M KING EDWARD VII. MARBLE-BRASS • SILVER n IT FABRICS + WINDOWS Stained Glass Windows Memorial Brasses, Etc. Designs and. Estimates Heaton, Butler & Bayne (N. Y .), Ltd.^ French Building 551 FIFTH AVE. NEW YORK ¿ ’•C O M P A N Y -1 2 Press a button and the Chimes begin to play. Or, set the dial of a clock today and tomorrow at the desiredjiour a program of Chimes music tills the air! The Voice o f the E X E T E R Cathedra! yard. Church—the Memorial Sublime. Price, $4375 and up. Full details on request. MANCHESTER^'52 Victoria St. Stautet cflass Uiututej J. C . D E A G A N , In c., 161 Deagan Building, Chicago /^„IteuftfuifejouptUQs I .+ iOelt, mrtileb ^ LONDOAr"Duncannon St. W. Q,. |ft| (Swömus + CmnfiinuUMSotCatoe •:< *•••.*: §¡ 1 ^ ^ AUSTIN ORGAN CO. C ra ftsm en Nein.^ueKCUi). (ialumuus.eityio; ■ Hartford, Conn. in Designers and Builders Wood, Stone o f Metal, Glass Hie Rossbach Art Qcass C© PIPE ORGANS S c u lp tu re -Omct /jKoSniwo- JltJU5-Lfl)lJDN-ST - COt0qB0S,Ofpe. noted for their superior tonal Embroidery. Deskners-a n d b Oicde^ - of-eccusiash qualities and mechanical reliability MEMORIAL'Y)lND0Y)i>. Designs and •-’ fitares, DtSKNS H)* oEsniji)TW ■ Oem inclusive estimates Correspondence Solicited sent on application. KSnjBUSHU> 1809. Copyright 2020. Archives of the Episcopal Church / DFMS. Permission required for reuse and publication. THE WITNESS A National Paper of the Episcopal Church Vol. XIV. No. 23 Five cents a copy $2.00 a year EDITOR, RT. REV. IRVING P. JOHNSON; MANAGING EDITOR, REV. WILLIAM B. SPOFFORD ; ASSOCIATE EDITORS, REV. GEO. P. ATWATER, RT. REV. F. E. WILSON, DR. J. R. OLIVER, REV. CLEMENT F. ROGERS, REV. IRWIN ST. JOHN TUCKER Entered as Second Class Matter April 3, 1929, at the postoffice at Chicago, Illinois, under Act o f March 3, 1879. Published Every Week EPISCOPAL CHURCH PUBLISHING CO. €140 Cottage Grove Ave., Chicago What’s Wrong With the Church? B y BISHOP JOHNSON F I were to suggest a resolution which might help Protestants thought if they could eliminate the Pope I through the year it would be to stop criticizing that that they had a panacea for all ills, but it has failed to which is outside of me and to specialize for a year on cure the body politic. self-examination and my own personal conduct. One Now we have those who advocate substituting a is fed up with things that are wrong with the Church. pantheon of interdenominationalism for either Pope or In the first place one group of self-constituted censors Presbytery in order that we might exercise the glorious think we ought to scrap our traditions and accept mod­ liberties of the sons of God. What we would probably ern experiments, while the other group are equally get -would be a fog which would be so uninspiring that sure that such action would be culpable. It results in selfishness would run riot. •each group applying epithets to the other which the E mery W heels difference in their respective abilities in no wise jus­ It has dawned upon some of us that small groups tifies. After all to measure another man’s dimensions who resent any authority; who claim absolute finality accurately your own measuring instrument must be su­ and who despise all who disagree with themselves, are perior to his, and as a rule it isn’t. invariably wrong and merely produce confusion worse T he R eal T rouble confounded. I suppose that zealous reformers are as The probability is that nothing is wrong with the necessary as emery wheels, but emery wheels are not Church but with the human beings whom the Lord is dynamos and are incapable of producing light, heat trying to use to promote fellowship. They are fuss­ or energy. They are useful mainly in brightening up ing with one another instead. the instruments of those who are doing the work. It is like asking what is wrong with golf as a rec­ T he Critic and th e A rtist reation. The answer is “ Njothing.” It is my own It is much easier to be a critic than it is to be an game that is off. When I improve that I will have artist, since the critic has the advantage of never doing more respect %for the pastime. anything which the artist can criticize except the criti­ There is a group of people in every age and clime cism of the artist himself. This places the artist at a who think that if they can smash existing institutions great disadvantage because he knows that his work is that they can cure the evils of humanity. All that they imperfect and that there is no inspiration in defense. are apt to do is to inaugurate a reign of terror and be­ Those who attack always have the sympathy of the wilderment. crowd who do not want to work themselves, but delight I nstitution N ecessary in pointing out the mistakes of those who are work­ In order to do corporate work we must have an in­ ing. As a matter of fact one workman is worth a stitution through which human nature can function. It dozen critics. is evident that any and every institution known to man Perverted Conscience has produced some fine characters and that no institu­ Our conscience was given us to audit our own ac­ tion has ever succeeded in turning out an innumerable counts, but it can easily be perverted into a machine company of perfect specimens. that points out the weakness of other people. It then Some people think that if we all obeyed the Pope becomes worthless for doing that which it was given we would have the millenium. Well, the Papacy has us to do. had an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that in sev­ In answer to the question “ What Is Wrong with eral countries and the result is not inspiring. the Church?” the answer probably is that I am. Copyright 2020. Archives of the Episcopal Church / DFMS. Permission required for reuse and publication. Page Four THE W I TNESS January 16, 1930 And just in proportion as I try to cure that mal­ intrigue.