Church Debt

It is admitted that few churches, except the Boman Catholic, have beeu reoently constructed in Boston without incurriug liabilitiea f ar f rom justifiable ; and that these have proved to be enormous upon the oongregations, restrictting all holy influences, and too often causing ili-feeling bet ween the pastor and people. When these vaBt and elegant struotures are built and the debt incurred, the necessity folio ws that they raust be crowded with rich people, who oan buy pewa at great prices, pay high taxes, and give largely towards the liquidation oi' the debt. Henee the neoessity tor a pastor wno can draw ! The pulpit is put upou the aame standing as the stage of a theatre, and whether actor or preaoher, hu is the best man who eau in the quickest time and the more continuously draw his houae ! This wretched habit (t'or it seems to have beoome such in large cities) of getting into debt seems to stand by itself among the uprighteous things of the world, whioh is perinitted to increase without suitable reprehensión. A merchant, a bank or any publio institution gets into debt and must iminediately fail. A poor man or woman goes beyond his or her means and meuts the consequencea in public disdain or odium. But churohes are perinitted to be built, and. to linger on unaer a íoaa oí aoui and unfulfilled promises to pay. We do not see any heeded warning taken trom previous precedent. In tact, incuuibents of parishes, even allow them so to be built, knowing all the time how far the exoess of expenditure will exoeed the meang of payiuent. Where is the clergyman who will have the courage to say to any building committee, " Gentlemen, I will preach to you if you will build the church without a debt. lt you go one cent beyond your meuus 1