Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-02-07

surroundings for the hest enjoyment Of
bodily life, is the offspring for the indi-
yidual and especially the masses Of men,
Of superior intellectually. fhe po-
sition Of each is much modified BY the
attainments Of the population at large.
and we confess to an enlarged eoncep-
ton Of that to which society may yet
arrive
Simple aud evident as are these
truths, no governors have observed, or
acted in accordance with them. Up to
our own, at least, and the time Of the
United States, no king, emperor or
president; no statesmen, legislators or
thinkers, have ever understood their
mighty significance. No church has
ever given full force, or had enlarged
conception Of the destined operation Of
christianity; none itsonly etFectual meth-
Cd Of propagation, or its designated con
sequences in their utmost latitude. Yet
though we doubted the propriety Of class
ing him among ordinary thinkers, Christ
was the frat who fully eomprehended
these fundamental truths. He original
ed them II Is the truth By which he
makes Us free II is that for which He
died. The authorities Of the favored
systems, and classes Of that age, were
wise in their generation" foresaw their
danger; the danger Of al exclusiyeness
Of bis principles, aud killed him. Bat
even Christianity has been incompetent,
with all its divine sanction and aid, for
the salvation Of man, and the complete
overthrow of old habits aud systems.
and the various impediments to intel
leetnality, happiness and holiness -
Those spurious vicegereuts and other
imagi nary peculiar disciples, who have
added 10, taken from and obstruete6 the
free course Of his word, are liable to tho
damnation with which St John threat.
ems them,
Christian missionaries have gone out
to the "hea,heu aud idoiators, with the
means and appliances Of cultivated so
eieties, and lived thus among them as
superior beings Mysteries we're preach
ed which the population could not see
affected them; obIigingIy and conde.
seendingly they were told that all men
were brethren, bat the people did not
forget that brothers are not obliging and
never condescend. They we're told how
they should live ia beautiful content,
whereas Christianity markedly teaches
how to aspire % all directions, and how
to attain the summit OF their aspirations
II teaches how to live TO the most ad-
vantage and in the best style the life
that now is, and not merely TO prepare
for that which is to come IL teaches,
also, the why and how to live humbly In
high positions, aud with, or as in the
presence, and under the eye Of God. II
does not counsel any one man to walk
humbly toward any other man. The
heather listen with curiosity, but gener-
ally without interest, 10 mysteries, a sim
ilariry to which many Of them have
been familiar With, and to which they
asoribe no virtue as affecting them, and
we cannot gainsay them.
! Missionaries must go out among the
heathen, and reside among them as
brethren indeed, if they earnestly wish tC
effect any good. Let them discard al
the conveniences of cultivation, retain
ing only the means and reality of men
tai superiority, and demonstrate hov
with the small means possessed by th'
body Of the people a more comfortable
and in every way admirable possibilit,
of living may be initiated; and how o!
the means within the reach of every ont
the eonveniences and common desirabil
ities of their existence may be increased
even in their poor position. The mis-
sion doing chiefly its own work and il
the eyes of all. We doubt not, that thu
acting, they would meet with q generous
Success; be loved and revered and lis
tened to with enthusiasm and profit
We dare them to try and then truthful,
deny our argument We know th'
nature of men too well to doub
the issue. So long as the presen
method is followed, the exponents Q
, Christianity will be regarded by tn
/ heather as cheats, and liars; as preach
ers of mysterious nothings 1t has beer
said that no mission ever converted a
unchris,iAn population; but we infe
that the scandal can be proved false,
the missionaries would demsaR then
selves to their work.
, We consider the Bible the best-tb
only book that excites continued aetivit
of the minds of men > and therefore th
{ most paissant of the agents of the mean
, of grace. Schools are essential Th
Spirit-if there is a Spirit, which som
4 donbs-eannot act on vacancy, on q
n empty mind. 1t must have ideas to az
$ through, and in proportion to their qua
q ity and number will be its influence an
d power. Educate, We say again, educa.'
j and it is uuquestionable men viii u
d be baptissd, not only with water, bJ
IT also as with spirit Of unquenehabl
Z, are; and IS has been our purpose to d
Il scribe, Christianity will yet "ovsrcom