The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-07-24
WE MUST WORK AS WELL AS PRAY.

We MUST WORK as WELL AS PRAY.
To THE EDITOR OF TIM NEW NORTHWEST;
In your article last week on prayer
and the crusade, you take the. ground
that prayer itself is Ineffective, except
as it is followed up and supported by all
other instruments that we may lay hold
Of; in other words, there is no use to
pray and leave the result with God; we
must agitate and work, hit hard blows
and do everything else in our power, as
well as pray.
CromwelPs formula, "Trust in God
and keep your powder dry" states this
truth in the most sententious and forei
ble manner in which it ever was pre-
sented. No army will ever win vic
tory by prayer alone, nor by trusting in
God; if the soldiers, besides attending to
their devotions, don't keep their powder
dry, they will be slaughtered on the day
of battle by those who know how to
use physical means to gain physical
ends.
Canting theologians, tied up by hu-
man creeds and cunningly-devised IA
bles, for which the Bible gives no real
authority, mislead the mass of mankind
as to the true use and nature of prayer.
Almighty God (Iet us speak with awe,
is never moved by prayer, is never
swerved from His purposes, which are
rthe fixed laws of the universe, by petit
tions sent up to Him by His creatures,
however importunate those petitions
may be. The chief use of prayer is to
bring the person who offers it, or the
person who hears it, into harmony with
the divine will. To state it somewhat
differently, prayer exerts its influence
and power upon the creature, andSnot at
all upon the Creator.
The universe is under the government
of law. Never are those laws varied OF
suspended. If We desire to accomplish
anything, we must work in conformity
with them. TO produce physical re-
suits we must employ physical agen-
cies. So long as the opponents Of the
liquor traffic confine their efforts to
prayer, and neglect the human mean;
that offer for its suppression, the advO-
Gates OF the traffic will laugh them &c
scorn.
Two centuries ago at Amsterdam
there was Jew named Spinoza, who
published a book which he called
"Tractatus Theologieo-Politicus." Ii
this work the author undertook to show
that the people, misled by their religion!
teachers, misunderstood their Bible. Il
does not say what they imagine it t
say. What is necessary. is to accept th'
real teaching of the Bible, and not thii
false phantom, the babblement of pa
tristic theology. 1 have referred Il
Spinoza for the purpose of quoting ;
single passage from his work. He says
"God directs nature according as III,
universal lars Of nature, but not accord
ing as The particular tdlcs Of human ma
ture require; and so God has regard, no
Of The human race only, but Of eHtir,
nature"
Here in five lines is more philosophy
and true religion than can be found in
barrel of sectarian sermons. For true
religion need not be utterly at varianc,
with common sense. "God directs ma,
ture according to universal laws
When human beings want to accom-
plish things they must use the means
for the end. Prayer is good to softer
the heart and to help forward in indi
vidual moral growth; but without th,
aid Of carnal weapons it never introduces
reform in the body polite. Prayer
often inspires the soldier with courage
but the battle is decided by gunpowder
and If the soldier hasn't kept his powder
dry, his enemy who, perhaps, prayl
less, but doesn't forget to look to hii
ammunition, carries the day.
Spinoza was mathematical by hi'
brethren, whose narrow minds couldn'
comprehend the great truth he taught
But the world now knows he was right
So John Bunyan was imprisoned FOL
non-conformity to the Church of Eng
land. But freedom of conscience hai
made such progress that Bunyan now
has statue; and a great dignitary o
the Church of England appears on tn,
occasion TO pronounce Bunyan mora
hero and to extol his matchless services
for true religious freedom.
How many in these times, rs evel
heretofore, protesting themselves wise
become fools! st. Paul knew them
There are typical forms of error whicl
seem never to die. ss-
Portland, July 10, 1874.