The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-10-12
Mlsrrllanruus.
Fashionable Religion.

We take the following article from the
Estate Of Maine" newspapers. We nre.
sumo it was written by John Neal:
"Why should not religion be fashiona
BILE e?-piety the distinguishing character
istic Of a well-bred mani Is there any
thing which our Father requires of us
calculated to lower us in the estimation O
Others to unfit us for the duties, or the
pleasures of life? May we not enjoy Hi.
gifts all the more, if we observe his laws
Think of this, my young friend. Think
of this, my aged friend.
We are to despise the world. But
how!-in what way! By undervaluenp
Gods gifts by stopping our ears, and
sealing our eyes, against the revelations
of his love2 No, indeed. Next to oye,.-
valuing the world, underwriting it must
be, and if we are to judge him by his
works and providences and teachings.
will be, most offensive and affrontinc to
him, as the "author of every good and
perfect gift" Is he not reader to give us
even spiritual gifts than any earthly par
rents are to give good gifts to their chill
dren?
What he requires Of us, therefore, is
neither to over-value nor to under-valus
the world. If we undervalue it, we dis
honor hlm-if we overvalue it, ourselves.
But he would have us value it Alright
We are to let it go for all it is worth
and no more. If we do this, however
much We may prize it, we shall not grieve
nor offend our most mercful Father nor
be the more unwilling to exchange the
world and all its glories and allurements
for something we knosO to be better
Having just idea OF the worth of all
things below but enables us to Judge the
better ut their value in comparison with
what he tells us cannot be valued.
That there is such thing as a fashion,
dote religion may as well bo acknowledge
Cd hrst as last. Everywhere It is to be
found-among the great and the fashion,
aoie' and the well-bred, and the rich and
the powerful; and for the present there
seems To 5e no help for il, unless God in
ms great mercy should choose to call
them forth by his judgments, and ship
wreck them on summer sea, or in some
other way bring them 10 sense of their
helplessness and sinfulness.
But there is vast difference between
fashionable religion and making relip-
ion fashionable. What we would have Is
not conformity to the fashion of the day
even in matters Of religion, lest flor the
same reason that you are Roman Catho-
iies here, and Unitarian there, Episcopa-
hans one day and Presbyterians another
according to the fashion Of the neighbor
hood where you live) you might become a
Jew, or Musselman, ifyour lot were cast
among the Rothschilds and Goldschmidts
or among the dwelIers Of the Alhan,bra
but a fixed and settled belief attended
by correspondent action, that no man de-
serves to be thought we'll bred Who Is not
really and truly Christian---while every
man, however humble or poor or unedu-
Gated, f there be no guile in him, and he
y really and truly christian. so far as we
are permitted to judge, by his meekness,
ane ,owi'ness and patience and kindness
ana love, Is jwellbred man---o7 in other
words, gentleman.
Leg such characteristics a. are supposed
20 distinguish the true follower. Of Ghy;st
become isshionabls--and whv sbould tbsv
not land We shall have asw tvpe IL
humanity, towering over the hes5s of
themulbtnde everywhere.like Sau, an,or,,
the princes and prophets ofIsrael. or,
sds Se"ssewseH ard ehyist;an gertyepos.en