New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-20
willing to pay "ten dollars for reserved
2" seat and daily lunch"

willing to pay ten dollars for q reserved
"seat and daily lunch"
Other times, very properly, bring other man
ners. But we shall be disappointed il tho
"leading topics of Christian thought do not
prove to be the same with those which agi-
tated the minds and hearts of that first trem-
bling band of disciples more than they have
been for many centuries in the interval. But
two ideas filled the thoughts of that first con-
ference, the Christ who had just been taken
from them, and how they could make Him
known TO the world After a little while the
chief object of the members of the Christian
Church, whether we call it Roman, Greek, Pres
byterian, or EpiscOpalian, would seem to have
been individual salvation. Each man appeared to
face God alone, with the terrible question,
GLOW am to be saved n Prayers by rote,
fasting and Negotiations, works of supererOga-
ton, the whole cOnventual system of isoia-
ton, the Puritan f-negation, doctrine of cleo
ton, the fiery appeals Of the Methodist, the
entire drift and current of religious teaching
have been to show to each man burning
hell below him and bewildering heaven above.
and to bid him save himself. SO far has this
been carried that benevolence and good works
are too often urged upon us as an evidence
of our own piety to God rather than for the
sake of our brother. Some of the more AFRO
CANT and narrower sects proceed upon tho
identical prayer of Constants drowning man,
Great God l don't trouble thee about all
these other shipwrecked fellows. Save mel"
Christ it will be remembered, said nothing to
his disciples about their own souls. he showed
them God and their neighbor. The fields were
white unto the harvest They were not to SIT
at home picking notes or beams cut OF thoir
own eyes, but to go out and reap, cure the
sick, visit the prisons, bring the Gospel to the
poor.
Now, while individual Christians have obeyed
this Injunction, it is a lamentable fact that the
Church as a corporate body has not been the
Leader in the world which she should have
been of charitable, liberal feeling, or humani-
tartan efforts. For ages she blocked up all
advance in invention, science, or learning
which would have lifted men to higher levels
She was a tyrant, whether wearing tiara OF
inter, the Cavaliers flowing curls or the
Covenanters' cropped hair. She was drunk with
the blood of those who differed with her in opin-
ion. Even here, and in this nineteenth century.
she was slow to preach temperance and huggod
slavery long to her bosom. But better days
are dawning. From inward light or outside
pressure the ordinary sect is forced to lay
aside much of its old time bigOtry and bitter
ness in dogmatism, and betake itself to its
long neglected work, the loving, humble,
hearty help of its needy brother. While Ne
see such hopeful signs as the late union In
the Presbyterian Church, or as in Philadelphia
last week, the Quaker and jew praising God
together while they build a hospital, we are
encouraged to hope that the Evangelical ALI
ance win find the leading topics of Christian
" thought" at last to be God and Humanity.