Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/810

796 church is not statistically spectacular, but sacramental in spirit, “As unto the Lord and not unto men.”

It is useless, however, to shut one’s eyes to the fact that so long as the church remains the richest in material resources of the voluntary forces of social uplift, and so long as, in virtue of what she does, the state exempts her from taxation, every member of the state has the right to ask whether the service she renders is equal to the favor shown. Among friends of the church it is only, therefore, the advocate, fortunately rare in America, of her divine right to favor from the state who will not point out the modes in which she may so improve her social services as to leave her tax-exemption favor unquestioned now and unchangeable in years to come.

It is such an attempt that is made in the present article. Originated by the Holy One from one of the least cities of Judah, commissioned in Palestine’s largest city, her literature christened with the names of the ancient world’s greatest cities and city, her social ideal a city let down from heaven, the church has opportunity to take the primacy, beyond all question, in altruistic movements, by the institution of a coöperative parish system in cities.

The Federation of Churches and Christian Workers in New York City recently completed its second house-to-house inquiry into social and religious conditions in New York. The canvass embraced 4,800 families. One object, in the tabulation of the material gathered, was to ascertain the economy and efficiency of religiously cultural work as at present carried on in cities. It must be allowed that the showing made by the church is unsatisfactory.

The assessed valuation of church property in the ward in which the canvass was carried on, in 1896, was $4,240,000; the assessed valuation of school property in the same area, $1,993,000. Twice as much church property as school property, including parochial schools, was exempt from taxation.

Among the children from eight to sixteen years of age, however, in that portion of the city, there are only 638