Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-06-21
A LESSON FOR SUNDAY.
One Cause of Venaiity and General
Corruption.

Corruption.
The disclosure, during the last few
years, of the venality of our public
men, and the prevalence of corruption
in civil affairs, is astounding to all
thinking men. The press is filled with
the disclosures and denunciation of
crime. To discover the cause, and APP
ply remedy, is the great problem
that all true men are trying to work
out. There are a thousand secondary
causes in view, which are generally
accepted as the true cause.-the great
desire for wealth and freedom, the
freedom and comfort which wealth
affords for natural enjoyment. The
homage which is paid to position and
wealth is, in the estimation of the
worldly mind, a sufficient reason to
obtain wealth at any price. This
with the fact that the great moral
tone with regard to all business trans
actionss has been wonderfully weak
ened, so that the sharp practice, and
keen competition, by which one man
enriches himself, and forestalls and
ruins his neighbor, by the advantage
of his weakness, are excused, and the
successful man is called fortunate and
is an object of imitation and envy. In
this respect there is too little difference
between the church and the world. 1t
is true there are some noble excep-
tons both in the church and in the
world; but there are as many excep-
tions in one as the other. There is a
cause for this moral defect, which
must be discovered before it can be
remedied. Superficial thinkers never
examine beneath the surface for d
cause, and their remedies are eX-
ternally applied. Such men would
cure all this moral malady by
acts of Congress and Legislatures.
We would inform such men that the
cause of this moral corruption lies too
deep to be healed by external applica-
tions. Are not the doctrines and teach
ings of the churches upon the nature
and use of religion one cause of this
venality and corruption ?
We know that what we have said
will astonish many good church peo-
pie, and on their account we are sorry
to be compelled to say it; neyerthe-
less, it is true The Bible itself is all
right, and teaches the grandest code
of morals the world has ever seen. 1t
teaches us to be pure in our conduct,
honest in our dealings, and unselfish
in our claims upon our fellow-men.
But the doctrinesof the churches urges
this course of conduct. because it will
better our prospects for happiness in
the next world. BY them religion is
regarded only as means of getting to
Heaven when we die, and not as the
means Of bringing Heaven down to
earth. 1t looks entirely to the future,
not to the present. We have heard
ministers declare that they have de-
sired affection here, SO that they might
claim to be Gods favorites, and some
of the churches have instituted sys-
tenn of bodily Affections in order to
enhance their prospects for Heaven.
To such people there can be no Heaven
on earth, and they do not expect any.
With them, religion is supposed to
consist more in what we believe than
in what we do. Their religion, being
emotional, subsidies in feeling, but
does not impel to useful acts. They
are taught shat good works contribute
nothing to salvation, but that We
should rather regard good works with
suspicion, lest we should come to rely
upon them for salvation. The practi.
cal effect of this teaching is, "There is
nothing to be gained by good, honest,
faithful conduct am to believe my
self to heaven" And Mr.. Wesley
taught: at is a wholesome doctrine
and full of comfort, that we are saved
by faith alone, without work. The
same is taught in oil the churches,
No matter what the mans life is, if
his faith is all right, he is saved.
Let the churches teach that religion
is not a feeling or belief, but that it
is the product of purpose, thought and
action. These are the three factors of
religion, and in the degree that either
! of these is deficient, there is failure of
| the true product. Neither is religion
q means of providing for the future at
the expense of the present; but like
mamma it will not keep over another
| day. 1t is for help and comfort every
day, and to be enjoyed it must be
brought down into all the daily affairs
Vi ltie-HoG la+u w III thc iutuIc' ~
concerns our relations to men as much
as our relations to the Lord, and is
work as we'll as worship-that no one
can enter Heaven except in the degree
that heavenly principles enters into
daily life. Then will the people cease
to delude themselves with the vain
hope of getting to Heaven by thought
or belief alone.
The only effectual way to purify po-
litical life and Danish corruption is to
make the teachings of the church pure,
This is the fountain that must be puri.
fled if we are to have pure stream ol
morals flow through the land.
La Cronica says: /" BishopT. Amat
of Monterey and Los Angeles, and the
Rev. Fathers Peter Sastre and Jose