The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-05-05

Galatians ", 90 TO 90, "But the fruit O
the spirit is love, Joy, peace, long.suiFer-
Ing, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness
temperance; against such there Is no law
And they that are Christ's have crucifeC
the flesh with the affections and lusts. l
we live In the spirit let US also walk il
the spirit. Let US not be DESTROYS Of
vainglory, provoking one another, envy
Ing one another"
WHY cuRsT1ANTTY HAS MADE SUCH SLOW
PROGRESS.
From this passage mean to ask and
answer the question, Why Is 1t that
Christianity has made such slow progress
In this world? 1t Is O question worthy
oil our consideration. What was the
power thatJesus himself manifested; what
was the seCret9 lie was q Jew, the most
sbhorred nation Of antiquity; he never
separatedihlmself from the manners and
customs Of his people; he worshipped in
their synagogues and IN their temples; he
never wrote line nor word oil theolo-
gy philosophy; he never was ordained
never took upon him any official rela-
ton 10 mankind any more than 10 hill
own people; there Is not single thing in
all his speeches as recorded by bis disci-
pies that looked like organization. More
than that, there can be nothing-thcre il
not In the conception Of man anything
80 absurd as the contrast between the
teachings Of Christ In respect TO Chris
uan lie and tho enormous pompous or
ganization Of Christian churches which
pretend to derive their authority from
him. And the question Is one OF profound
Importance. What is the secret Of thi!
parsonage who appeared so many hun
dred years agQS He was not master oil
his system; he did not organize a sect
he wrote nothing. What was his power
1t was simply the power Of q higher
type OF manhood than had ever
been known In the world be
fore, It carries with it also by INFER
ence the reduction that there Is more
power in tho simple disclosure oil devine
lie than In any other source whatsoever.
1t was the manifestation oil meekness and
gentleness and sympathy and patience
and seli,denial and truthiulnesS and love.
ableness and lOvingness with such
strength and manliness as leave his per.
sonal character above all that ever lived
on the face Of the earth and the simple
exhibition in his life and teachings as
they are recorded by others. The simple
exhibition OF tho personal character, Of
the Lord Jesus Christ Is the secret moral
power from that day 10 this in the world.
From this high conception Of manhood Is
derived or derlVable the higher conception
Of Gods character, since the only glass
that will bring down to us our knowledge
OF God is the glass Of our own personal
experience. Outside Of our own personal
experience there Is no knowing anything
The real force oeChrlstianity TO day IA he
example Of those men who arc living as
Christ lived. It Is not in the church 81
church organizations, but in tho sense o
individual excellencies, II there is any
power worth preserving 1t Is tho unor-
ganized living force Of men, sanctifled
inspired, lifted up by the power oil God
and the real power historically has beer
the same.
THE INFLUENCE OF CHURCH ORGANIZE
TONS, 70
CHURCH organizations have exerteC
great power In the world, but dom
think you will find that they have exert
Cd as much influence for good as for harm
Organized Christianity has been the poor
cot part Of religion. ltwould have sunk
long ago II there had been no other
power. It has not been the church tha'
has preserved religions; Il has been religion
that has preserved the church. Il ha,
not been the priesthood that has nreSery.
cd the latty; 1t has been the examnle nj
the humble lives in the lAity that has pre-
served the priesthood. Here are Church
Cs with archbIshops and cardinals and
other eminent men and saints dowr
through the ages full Of all manner o
things, dropping from the root or spring
Ing up from tho ground, cold as Ice, eS
cept that now and then q holy woman
CASTS light through them and make
them all attractive. Christianity ha
msde but little progress. Look over tn
world and SEQ the condition OF the ma
IONS alter nearly two thousand years O
GSInrisllantty. Where are they today
rs true there has been a great deal done
put compared 10 what was 10 be done
now very little. Why has Il been 4
Slowf First, because those that set for i,
ward Christianity In the world adon,eS ,
coerctve conscience, announced tbe Ar,
tthosity Of men in Gods name, attemnte,
IN religion that which was attempted 4