Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-04-18

such man cannot be content with mere
self-culture; the salt now is animated with
conscious desire and power for salvation
from corruption. As an instance of what
may be done by the labor of single active
christian, the preacher spoke of the work
OF the past two years in New York city, by
Mr.: Comstock, in the suppression Of the issue
OF obscene publications. And what field for
active effort there is in this city where the
rumshops within stone s throw of the courts
OF Justice, the offices of the police captain
ana the state and city attorneys, number
eighteen, are unmolested by any Of them; and
the places of worse resort are a number
astonishing to hear. Why are they unmo-
Tested? because public opinion does not sus-
tam the officers in the enforcement of law
nay, they say plainly their tenure of office
depends on their not enforcing it, This if
II were altogether true, is no justification
for neglect Of official duty but shall we
Christians confess powerlessness in the
matter, and own that those who undermine
society at 10 cents a glass have more in
huenee in society than we? That is not for
those to admit to whose enterprise and |
yIgor the city owes so much of its material |
prosperity. No, let the lives of Christian |
men be new verifcation of the truth of |
the text let the fact it states be proved |
anew in you let your moral sight be so |
clear, your Christian lives 50 pure, your ex-
amples 50 powerful, that you will really
arrest the forces that tend to corruption. |
he not salt that has lost its SAVIOR, but salt
to which is given the additional SAVIOR of |
conscious, wise, earnest warfare against
vice.
AT THE UNITARIAN CHURCH,
Rev. Mr.. Ware preached from Matthew VI,
Is: " Unto the Father, who is in Secret"
Remarking that our annual misnomer-our
spring holiday miscalled a fast, had re-
turned, he asked if it was not time to have
done with fasting, when we mean feasting.
His objection to Fast Day was deeper than
the fact that it was but an empty tradition.
The Masters word is against it when he
tells US not to appear unto men to fast.
To fast in earnest is not thing ofprescrip-
ton, but is condition of the individual
heart before God is not this the fast
that | approve, saith God, to undo the |
heavy burdens. to break every yoke, and to |
deal thy bread to the hungry?" And the
poet but paraphrases the prophet when he
says, " 10 starye thy SIM not bin,-that is to |
keep Lent. annual fast of proclama-
ton should be done away, because our Mas !
ter forbade it by word and example. He q
came eating and drinking, and His last Z
ordinance was His supper The preacher
nd not, however, propose to give at this !
time the reasons why Fast Day should not
be observed, beyond recording once more !
lls protest against 1t as relic of unchris- '
-an eceleslastIcism, but to take tins as a 2
suitable occasion 10 rebuke the tendency of y
IN Ia 1sTu l. /
that We give sin soft names. and permit D
guilty things to pass unchallenged, under
soft names. The Congressional euphemism y
0r swindling Is back pay" In CONNER i
nal circles 1t l. speculation - and cor 2
her. Ii has become our American shame .
hat sharp and smart have come among US \
20 mean INSCRIPTIONS and tricky. The p
'ourts still recognize drunkenness, but
)ur clerks and college boys call it bv
'otter name, and society calls man dis
lpated hundred times, where it gives
llm his true designation Of drlnkdrd or sot
{ Is not right TO call british appetites by
unny or gentle names - Free love " IS
Door exchange for adultery. TO the moral
ense. We praise our English Bible as a
ountain Of English undetled, but more
trustworthy is its wholesome plainness of 5
peech, which suffers no hypocrisy Of
,hrase. Names are but signs, indeed. but
hey grow into things. The tender phrase
# the Constitution for slaves, as persons
leld to service, helped to delay the down
all Of slavery. Thus misnomers become
powers ofeyil. The shams and pretences Of a
oclety are more dangerous than the open )
,erils. Let Us, then, stand in such candor
+ purpose a. shall rightly adjust names to L
hings and restore the true in place of the o.
al~e and let Us observe the true fast in
pirit. unto our father who is in secret o