Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-01-11
PrETY.

alvzed, the same as all other matters
pertaining to human happiness or mis-
We cannot have too much light on
any subject, and all theories, religious,
political or otherwise, which will not
stand the test of honest, impartial in
vestigation, should be laid aside as of
no further practical use. Our reason
ing powers and faculties were given US
by an All-wise Providence, to be ex-
ercised freely for our moral, men
tai or physical good, and surely we
should sin against Him in the rejection
Of His benefceucc, did we blindly re-
fuse to make use Of them. God gives
us light, that we may not walk in dark
ness, and therefore cannot justify those
who sinfully remain in the obscurity of
wilful blindness.
Our mind reverts back a few years to
the bright Sabbsths Of the past, when
the sweet church bells rang out clear on
the pure morning air, their holy sound
striking a responsive chord within many
q pious soul, and calling on all worship
pers Of the Most High to como to the
meeting houses and join in praise to
Him the great Father. Issuing forth
from the old homestead, we see the
parents 60 arm in arm, while the child
rem follow behind, hand in hand. Grand
father, too, is along, with his high, stiff.
collored, brass-buttoned, long-tailed,
blue coat, rufle shirt and big bell
crowaed hat, q rig he never wears ex-
ccpt on Sundays, and always feels
uneasy in. What IN air Of sauctity
reigned within that old church oven
the wiudow-casiugs and the big chan
delier seemed holy, and the huge red
tassels around the pulpit looked pecu-
liarly sacred. The preliminary singing,
reading Of tho scriptures and praying
being gone through with as usual, next
came the sermon. This was invariably
we'll listened to by mother, quite atten-
lively by father, not at all BY the chill
dreu, who, meanwhile, amused them
selves with little bits Of dried orange
peel or cloves, with which they were
carefully provided, or curiously contem-
plated the people in the adjoining pews,
while old grandfather settled himself
back in his big collar and went to sleep
as usual, like a dear old soul that he
was.
The old grandfathers Of tho present
day 60 to sleep in church, mother and
father listen, the children play, the
minister breaches, and prayer and sing
ing go on the Same as in the past, but
there is not the same style Of interest
manifested in religious matters that
there was then, nor the Same implicit
belief in whatever the minister said.
Sermons now are all carefully thought
upon, and subjected to a mental assay.
People do not now take it for granted
that everything uttered from the pulpit
must infallibly be true. They think
freely for themselves, receiving only
those teachings as true which are
founded on common sense and the plain.
" revealed doctrines Of tho great Bible
Of Nature.
True piety is becoming more and
moro understood aud appreciated, and
that religion which has for its founda-
ton charity towards all, teaching love,
peace and good will to those with US
and around US, true duty to parents,
and towards each other, and above oil,
unlimited, untrammelled, intellectual,
progressive enlightenment is fast be-
coming prevalent over all others. It is
a religion which claims noac of the
thousand and one different sects Of the
world, but partakes of whatever there
is good in them all. W. are all Gods
children, all belonging to His great
family, and all equally objects Of his
fatherly, impartial care. Who shall
selErighteously presume to say, we
alone are the favored Of God; wo, and
only those who believe aud act as we
do" Surely such cannot realize that
there is ''no sect in Heaven" and when
they promulgate the idea that "death is
an atonement for siu," they forget that
they themselves must, in that case, be
exactly as great sinners as the rest of
the world, for all alike die when their
time comes, and sinners live as long as
saints. All animals have to die, sin or
no sin.