The New York herald., 1871-03-27
Manly Christianity,

There is nothing of which the world stands
in greater need to-day than q manly type o
Christianity. We have too much of the apollo,
getic, polished disettante style of preaching and
practice, and too little Of the bold fearless and
manly style. Wealth, ease and fashion and
freedom from persecution have produced q
stunted and effeminate Christianity, which ID
barely able to maintain itself against tho in.
sdious infdelities and scepticisms of the age;
and unless we can have something healthier,
stronger and better the progress and civiliza-
tion Of the race must stand still or make very
slow advances. We want, and must have, q
type of Christianity which in the face OF dan
ger and surrounded by open or concealed enc
mics can stand as a rock, unshaken and Sc
cure. We want, and must have, type Of
Christian manliness in the pulpit and In the
pew which shall not be afraid to call the Scribes
and Pharisees of our generation hypocrites
and whited sepulchres; that can take scourgs
of cords and drive out of the Christian temples
Of the land, and especially of this city, the
traders in politics, religion and morals who
have made, or are trying to make, the Lords
house den of thieves. In one-half the
churches of our city the wealth, and not the
moral purity of life or the Christian experience,
is the ladder by which men attain to eminent
position in the Church. And the doctrine and
preaching must conform in great measure to
the lives and character of the men thus elevated.
And if ministers shall so far forget themselves
as to utter severe truths against sins and
sinners, as we have sometimes heard them,
they don't proceed very far until they have let
their congregations know that they are not
the persons meant. These are the men who
enter the ministry as they would enter any
other profession, and not from that high sense
Of duty inspired by the Holy Spirit and an
intense love for the souls of men. Who can
conceive of Paul and Peter and Stephen, OF
Huss and Wyckliffe and Knox, of Wesley and
Whitfield and spurgeon by the cut of their
coats or the trim of their hair OF by the salary,
large or small, which they received
as ministers or pastors? They might
have been little of stature, deformed,
ugly and uncouth In manner and appearance,
but they did grand and noble work for God
and humanity, and the Church and the world
to-day measure them only by the Godward
standard. They were manly men doing manly
work for Jesus, and their monuments stand
prominently forth in all the earth. And who
can doubt that God has set those men and
others like them all along the pathway of the
ages, to show to the world what is the true
type of Christian manliness. We remain
stunted and tiny because we do not initiate
the higher standards. Our models are too
little and too mean, they stand on too low
plane and we cannot rise above them. But il
the kingdoms of this world are ever to become
the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ
it must be by means of manly Christianity.
The Lord Jesus Christ called and ordained
men to preach His Gospel, not because Of their
superior power of speech or glibness OF
tongue, but because the promulgation of His
truth demands manly vigor, robust thought
and uncompronising fidelity to Himself and to
His message. go and speak unto them all
the words Of this life which command thee;
be not dismayed at their faces, lest confound
thee before them; be not afraid of their faces
for l am with thee to deliver thee, saith the
Lord" This is the command and authority OF
God to His prophets and apostles and His
ministers in ell ages, and the world knows
very little about any other, save those who
have ''counted not their lives dear unto them"
that they might bear this message Of truth
and salvation to the ends of the earth Had
Jesus Christ designed to place women in the
pulv,it ua iox,
faithful and true in Jerusalem eighteen hun
dred years ago as in London or New York to.
day; and we may add, also, that there are
as good women here and now as there were
then and there, and they are doing nobls
work in their way for the Master.
We find that in the spiritual and Church life,
as in domestic and social life, there are two
kinds of work, an outside and an inside, =
manly and vigorous work and womanly,
tender and gentle work-a work Of the head
and work of the heart; and neither can
usurp the place Of the other nor perform each
others work SO well. The sword of the Spirit
requires manly arm to WELD it, and manly
brow must wear the helmet of salvation
and firm hand grasp the shield
Of faith, else the principalities and
powers, and the spiritual wckedaesses in
high places against which the Church
of Christ has to contend, will surely
conquer. But who can watch over the sick
and wounded in this strife, smooth the pillows
and comfort the hearts of the dying, noursh
and support the weary and heavy laden, and
inspire hope and faith and courage in the
fainting ones and those who are ready to
perish, like woman? This is woman's true
mission, and right grandly are thousands OF
them to-day throughout Christendom doing
this work. But it is just as true in spiritual
as in physical conflicts that the fighting
,.,,at ho dana bxr xaox, bold o.oo..a AL