PARASITISM IN THE CHURCH.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2334, 2 June 1887, Page 3

PARASITISM IN THE CHURCH.

The following extract from Professor Drummond's work, " Natural Law in the Spiritual World," illustrates the law of parasitism, which sets forth that any principle which secures food to the individual without the expenditure of work is injurious and accompanied by degenerations and loss of parts. Tliis is how he applies the law to the spiritual world :— One of the things in the religious world which tends most strongly to induce the parasitic habit is going to church. Church-going itself every Christian will ri»htly consider an invaluable aid to the ripe developmont of the spiritual life. Public worship lias a place in the national religious life so firmly established that nothing is ever likely to shake its influence. So supreme indeed is the ecclesiastical system in all Christian countries that with thousands the religion of the church and the religion of the individual are one. But just because of its high and unique place in religious regard does it become men from time to inquire how far the church is really ministering to the spiritual health of the immense religious community which looks to it as its foster mother. And, if it falls to to us here reluctantly to expose some secret abuses of this venerable system, let it be well understood that these are abuses, and not that the sacred institution itself is being violated by the attack of an impious hand. In those churchps, especially where all parts of the worship are subordinated to the sermon, this species of parasitism is peculiarly encouraged. What is meant to be a stimulus to thought becomes the substitute for it. The hearer never really learns, he only listens. And, while truth and knowledge seem to increase, life and character are left in arrear. Such truth, of course, and such knowledge are a mere seeming. . Having cost nothing, they come to nothing. The organism acquires a growing immobility, and finally exists in a state of entire intellectual helplessness and inertia. So the parasitic church member, the literal "adherent" comes not merely to live only within the circle of ideas of his minister, but to be content that his minister has these ideas—like the literary parasite who fancies he knows everything because he has a good library. Where the worship, again, is largely liturgical, the danger assumes an even more serious form, and it sets in some such way as this. Every sincere man who sets ont iff the Christian race begins by attempting to exercise the spiritual faculties for himself. The young life throbs in his veins, and he sets himself to the further progress with earnest purpose and resolute will. For a time he bids fair to attain a high and original development. But the temptation to relax the always difficult effort at spirituality is greater than he knows. The".CMrnal mind " itself ia " enmity against God," and the antipathy, or the deadlier apathy within, is unexpectedly encouraged from that very outside source from which he anticipates the greatest help. Connecting himself with a church, he is no less interested than surprised to find how rich is the provision there for every part of his spiritual nature. Each service satisfies or surfeits. Twice, or even three times, a week this feast is spread for him. The thoughts are deeper than his own, the faith keener, the worship loftier, the whole ritual more reverent and splendid. What more natural than that he should gradually exchange his personal religion for that, of the congregation ? "What more likely than that a public religion should by insensible stages supplant his individual faith ? What more simple than to content himself with the warmth of another's soul? What more tempting than to give up private prayer for the easier worship of the liturgy or of the Church ? What, in short, more natural thanfor the dependent, freerooving, growing Sacculina, to degenerate into the listless, useless, pampered parasite of the pew p The very means he takes to nurse religion often comes in time to weau him from it. Hanging admiringly, or av§n enthusiastically on the lips of elo? quence, his senses now stirred by ceremony, now soothed by mufic, the parasite of the pew enjoys his weekly worship—his character untouched, his will unbraced, his prude soul unquickened and unimproved. Thus, instead of ministering to the growth ol individual members, and very often j ust in proportion to the superior excellence of the provision made for them by another, doeg fchia gigautio system of

deputy nutrition tend to destroy development and arrest the genuine culture of the soul. Our churches overflow with members who are mere consumer*. Their interest in religion is purely paras-tic. Their only spiritual exercise is the automatic one of imbibition, the clergyman being the faithful hermit-crab who is ,to be depended on every Sunday for at least a week's supply.