The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-01

! tive against the doctrine of eternal damnation
| from which, she said, the country is but slowly
recovering; belief which showed its best re
suits in the inquistion.
Up to this time we have expanded almost
wholly in a material and intellectual sense
There is a grander expansion than either OF
these. Wealth and knowledge have brought
us power, but we lack wisdom To materia
prosperity and intellectual requirements there
must be added moral purity, and then we shall
get wisdom. Everybody appears to live as
though this life were all there is of life, and
that to get from it the most physical enjoyment
We're the grand thing to be attained. Wealth
has been made almost the sole aim of living,
to a better end; as the means by which to accu-
mulate an immense capital with which to be-
gin life in the next and higher stage of exis-
tence; and he or she lives best on earth who
does the most for humanity
In this view, what are protesting Christians
the churches-doing for the general good to-
day? What good can come from preaching
without practice, since, though they may be
able to say, "All of these have kept from my
youth up" Christ, when he shall come will
say to them: Go sell all thou hath and give
to the poor, and come and follow me-" What
clergyman in this city dare stand in his pulpit
Sunday after Sunday and insist upon such
practice? or what one dare to insist that his
church should have all things in common? or
what one dare to eat with publicans and sin
denim thee" Or which one of the people dare
go to her poor, enslaved and suffering sisters
and take them to her heart and home? or be
the good Samaritan?
tell you, my friends, beware lest those whom
you scorn to know be before you with Christ,
who knows the heart 1t is not what you pre-
tend that shall make you Christian, but what
you do, and If you do right though the world
curse you, yet shall you lay up treasures in
Heaven thereby. Therefore, 1 say that the
hrtSf Jfxyn dow Co. Tho
following of Christ, nor the practiceof His pre-
cepts. True religion will not shut itself up in
any church away from humanity; it will not
stand idly by and see the people suffer from any
misery whatever. 1t is its sphere is to cure all
ills, whether moral, social or political. There
are no distinctions in humanity Everything
to be truly good and grand, whether it be in
politics, society or religion must be truly moral,
and to be truly moral is to live the Golden Rule.
Therefore, it is foolish for the Christian to
say, 81 have nothing to do with politics,
Christian. 1t is the bonden duty of every
Christian to support that political party which
bases itself upon human rights; and if there is
no such party existing, then to go about to con-
struct one. 1t is too late in the century for
Justice of the Supreme Court of the United
States to be a political thief and trickster as
politician, while he issues call asking that
the people inject God into the Constitution.
Such consummate hypocrisy is an outrage upon
the intelligence of the nineteenth century; and
it will meet its just reward.
If they would take the precipts of Christ
and build a new constitution upon them, no
body would object; but to be asked to recog-
nlze God whom these people have themselves
fashioned and set up, who hath not even hui
man sense OF justice, is quite different thing,
and one to which this people will not submit. l
could point out to you why this attempts made
just at this time, but l rather prefer to point
out how this and all other attempts to put fet-
tiers upon the people must be avoided, and how
to break the letters by which they are already
CALLED. 4 ...t.
Permitme to ask what practical good arises from
the peoples coming together and merely pass
ing set of resolutions. You may pass resolu-
tions with whereases and therefores mile long,
and what will be the result unless they are
made practical use of. Now precisely in that
way should you judge of resolutions for politi-
cal reform. We have had resolutions long
enough. We now ueed working model which
will secure freedom, equality and justice to the
smallest OF our brothers and sisters. Anything
less than this is no longer worthy to be consid-
cred political reform; and that is not only po-
litical reform, but it is also the best application
possible of the precepts of Jesus Christ, and
therefore the best Christianity, the best relig-
ion, since to its creed every human being who
is not supremacy selfish can subscribe
In conclusion let me urge every soul who de-
sires to be truly Christian to no longer separate
Christianity from politics, but to make it the
base upon which to build the future political
StTuCIure INSJedu OF an amendment TO the Con-
stitution, which these hypocrites desire, recog-
nizing God who is simply the Father of them
selves, and Christ of whom they are the self
appointed representatives, give us new Con-
stitution, recognizing the human rights of the
people to govern themselves, of which they can
not be robbed under any pretext whatever and
my word for it, humanity will not be slow to
render due homage to their God. Let that Con-
stitution give place to every branch of reform,
while it shall not SO much as initiate against
the rights of a single individual in the whole
world-and we are large enough to begin to say
the whole world-and to think of and prepare
the way for the time when all nations, kindred
and tongues shall be united in a universal gov
eminent, and the Constitution of the United
States of the world be the supreme law
Around this as a new departure let all reform
ers rally, and, with grand impulse and gen
the great political revolution, after the accom-
plishment of which the nations shall have cause
to learn war no more. .i. FL