Trends

He Drew a Crowd. The Rev. Ernest Thorn of Peckham, England, has gone to extreme lengths to solve the problem of lax church attendance. Last week he appeared before his flock as Abraham at the age of 127, and told the story of Sarah’s death and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He asked the audience to refrain from applause, and requested that no one regard it as a performance. So great a crowd did he draw that he packed his church twice over. In this connection, it may be pointed out that the modern theatre arose out of the biblical plays of the Middle Ages, and that the book of Job is itself a religious drama, and was acted as such last fall in the 48th St. Theatre, Manhattan, by Mr. Stuart Walker. Rev. Mr. Thorn appears next as St. Paul.

Presbyterians. Figures announced by Dr. Lewis S. Mudge, Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian General Assembly, show that the church has gained over 46,000 members through the last year, and has passed, for the first time, the 1,800,000 mark in total membership. The Presbyterians have 9.706 churches and 9,979 pastors. Their Sunday School membership is 300.000 less than their church membership. The government of the Presbyterian Church is much like the government of the United States. Alexander Hamilton, author of the Federalist, was a Presbyterian, and is supposed to have drawn some of his inspiration for his papers on government from the polity of his church.

Betting on the Wrong Test. Sweepstakes in horse racing, football and other sports have become so huge an interest in Great Britain that the Government has considered taxing all bets, and the Church of England’s Men’s Society, meeting in London, considered what might be done to stop the gambling evil. One cleric told the Society that some men in his parish bet on whether the vicar would preach on a text from the Old or the New Testament. No one thought of betting on the dark horse. They found the vicar preaching on the text Revision of the Prayer Book.

A Significant Conference. A fortnight ago was noted the reply which was made by the churches and synagogues of the country to Judge Gary’s homily on “Christianity and the twelve-hour day.” The first annual Catholic conference on industrial problems met at Marquette University, Milwaukee, on June 27, 28. Churchmen and women will meet high officials of the A. F. of L., other labor leaders and social workers. This is the first nation-wide effort of the Catholic Church in America to deal with labor problems in an organized way.

“History Is Bunk.” Mr. Henry Ford’s remark of four year’s ago about history has been duplicated this year by a remark about the Bible. In his John Burroughs’ Talks, Chapter 20, Clifton Johnson reports the great naturalist as follows: “One day I was telling him (Ford) what a great book I thought the Bible was —what noble literature; and he said: ‘ I haven’t read it much, but I tell you what I think—Emerson’s books and Thoreau’s and yours (Burroughs’) will be read after the Bible is forgotten.’ ” If Mr. Ford knew more history he might know that Bacon’s Novum Organum was also picked to outlive the Bible.

“Strength to Strength Oppose.” In TIME for April 21 appeared a notice of the forthcoming drive of Mormonism in the East, to celebrate the centenary of Brigham Young, founder of Mormonism. Westminster College, Salt Lake City, is the one Christian college in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nevada. None of the Catholic schools are of college grade, and the state universities are Mormon controlled. Westminster College is only a junior (2 year) college, but is now raising $750,000 to combat Mormonism in its own citadel. Of the desired amount $50,000, has been raised for Christian education, largely from the Presbyterian Church.

The other Christian organization fighting Mormonism is evangelistic and tractarian. It is the Utah Gospel Mission of Cleveland, Ohio, Rev-John R. Nutting, Secretary. This work was at first ignored by the Mormons who are now organizing rival meetings and rival drives.