430 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



opportunity of worship during Sunday and during the week, and 

 also therewith the greatly increased attention to the organization 

 of the Church for aggressive Christian work. Those who think 

 that the pulpit is everything in the public service naturally suppose 

 that with the decline of the pulpit Christianity declines, but those 

 who think that public worship is the essential thing in the Church 

 rejoice at the changes that are taking place, and hold that Chris- 

 tianity is advancing. They maintain that it is not so important for 

 the Church to gather large crowds to listen to the sermon as it 

 is for the church doors to be ever open, with frequent services for 

 the convenience and help of worshipers at any time, without re- 

 gard to whether they are few or many, assured that thereby a much 

 greater number of people are reached and benefited than by the 

 former limited methods. 



It is sometimes said that biblical criticism has undermined 

 faith in Holy Scripture, and that, therefore, many absent them- 

 selves from public worship. But there is no real evidence for it. 

 I doubt not that the opponents of biblical criticism drive many 

 people from their congregations, just as they do when they attack 

 the sure results of modern science, or expose their ignorance in the 

 discussion of political and economical questions in which they have 

 not been trained; but these people simply remove to other congre- 

 gations where they will not be offended by obscurantism and intol- 

 erance. Biblical criticism really makes the Bible more attractive 

 to the people, and its reading and exposition more interesting and 

 influential in the Church. 



A careful study of the situation makes it evident that the Chris- 

 tian religion is not declining in our land ; but it is passing through 

 a transition state, putting off antiquated dogTiias, customs, and 

 methods, and adapting itself to the modern world, and transferring 

 itself so as to better accomplish its work. In no age has Christian- 

 ity made more advance than in the century now drawing to a close. 



The Indiana of Bolivia are described by Sir Martin Conway as " an 

 exceedingly bigoted folk, retaining under a mask of Christianity their 

 ancient superstitions, little altered," and are kept in order by priestly 

 management rather than by force. Mr. Conway was seriously interfered 

 with by them in the prosecution of his researches because the nature of 

 his undertaking involved some outrage to their superstitions. They re- 

 gard the mountains above the level of habitation as part of the other 

 world, and holding, among other fancies, that a golden bull and a golden 

 cross planted by supernatural agency stood on the summit of one of 

 the peaks round the base of Mount Serata, thought that the object of 

 the explorer's expedition could be nothing else than to obtain posses- 

 sion of these priceless treasures. Hence they offered formidable oppo- 

 sition to him. 



