Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-06-10
Vol. XXI. Whole No. 1868. No.23.

tne IOTIu Ol pullOSOpUy. lue OtHeT WAS
the demand for a religion in the form of a
visible power. "Give me clear accurate
ideas, proved principles, something to
know" cried the Greek, "Give me some
thing to look at, a religion whose evidence
is sign. whose essence is a sacrament"
answered the jew. The one is the voice
of the understanding the other the voice of
sense. they are irreconclably opposed,
and therefore in separately united. like
double stars of polar opposities. Where
ever you hear the shout of one, you catch
the antiphon of the other. They each eX-
press a real want, exaggerated into mis-
taken wish, and therefore they are peren-
NAL. They part the modern world between
them, as they did Paul's. We know them
as science and sacramentarianism Front
ing these twin tendencies, the rationalism
and the ritualism OF his days, Paul con-
structed his duty as an Evangelist to be
what? 10 try to shape his ministry so as
satisfy them2 By no means. To try to
shape it SO as to confute them, then? Not
that either. But to speak out boldly his
positive truth. He knew that his passage
would at first sight seem to fly wide of the
mark, and that people would say This
talk is far apart from the thoughts that
interest men now. The preacher signaly
fails in addressing himself to the age" 10
the cry for wisdom be offered Person aud
and weak man hanging on it. Could
anything be more conspiCuouSly wanting
in adaptation? Well there is as true "ad-
aptation" in rowing against or athwart the
stream as IN going with 1t; and unless this
aye has got rid of the one-sidedness which
has always hitherto affected the current
beliefs of period, perhaps the truest al
aptation of Il message to its wants. is to
bring into prominence what il overlooks,
and to emphasize the proclamation of
what IL does not believe.
Aud Paul was confident that his message
really met, while il appeared utterly to IL
more, or even to contradict, both the demi-
nant tendencies, SO far as they were egiti-
: mate. IL went deeper down into mems
wants than they did, for it spoke first to
the conscience and the heart. Therefore,
in its wider sweep, it included those also,
aud Just because it at first brushed them
aSd" it really responded to them. In this
i unSpcculative historical Gospel lie the
germs of a nobler wisdom than that which
! blossomed and decayed amid the olives
groves of AttiCa and in this cross of weak
. ness the energies OF mightier power than
that which OF old wrought signs and Won
ders amid the hills iOf Judea. The Jews
require a sign, the Greeks seek after Wis
dom; we preach Christ crucified, unto the
jews stumbling block, and unto the
, tFctkN IOOIl>ihe>s; out 10 them which are
called both Jews and Greeks, Christ the
power OF God, and the wisdom of Cod"
= such is the example which venture 10
present a the model for our bearing In the
i4ce of existing opinions. We must seek
y to understand the times, to bring ourselves
: 80 far into correspondence with them aS to
/ be kcenly sensitive of their tone. and aware
: Of their attitude. We shall never have
f; power with men unless We can hing our
:. selves into their position, and show that,
, il We do not speak as they desire, it is not
: because we 10 not know what they want or
: what they are thinking about. There /,
: no need to be perpetuaIly talking about
; modern thought. but there is need to be
e fully conscious of this great storm that is
r laundering over Christendom"
l. We must seek TO recogHize uhut is true
II lsgit,mnts in hs demands and postum OF our
Il antagonists. Do not let US be forever
= speaking of our scientific spirit a. If il
r were an evil demon. Do not let us play
II into the hands OF any iwho would tain per
:, suade the cultivated mind Of England that
> 1t must make IT. choice between science.
r and religion. In it, most distinguished
i "Nponeuts, there j. reverence for facts a
Il patient labor IN its pursuit an unSeltish de-
Il vOton TO it, service. which we shall all ad-
r admire, and not a few OF Us would be i'm
>. proved by copying. And, however it de-
= ndnd for ccrtitude may have been misiu-
c tcrpretcd by some OF its votaries. through
) 4 most unscientihc limitation of the sources
OF knowledge and the basis OF belief that
y abuse should not hinder u from recogniz-
e ing the cry for light, as 1.-THE cry that God
Y himself has taught.
h Their We should take all these voices Is
' q CnH ~ the more earnest uncO1.troUerSll{
: Ir"rtImHttoH of orr grept message. Per
= hap> am speaking from personal tempera-
: mcnt, and generaliZing merely from nv
: OWN incapacIty and di,inclination, when
{ venture TO express grave doubt as to
/ whether controversial preaching ever does
D much gool. For one thing, very large
I proportion of our hearers are very Slightly
| affected by movements OF opinion interest
: ln% 10 more highly-cutivate minds. For
[ another thing. the pulpit is not the place
nor II may venture TO say it without Of
. fence, seeing that | include myself anon"
: the number-are many preachers the men
to deal thoroughly with the problems OF
modern thought, and superficial treatment
, only aggrayates the evil. Il have heard
/. the hampton Lectures for thirty wears"
: sad a >agacious University official, and
4 thank God. am a Christian still | am
afraid good deal OF controversial preach
lng does more harm to the truth it tries
TO defend than to the errors it aSslils For
, another thing, the constant reference TO
E errors gives them importance, and imposes
on the lmaginations of .the hearer, whilst
{ also 1t creates sympathy with the subjects
OF these lncessant attacks. Again, there is
\ absolutely no connection between being
I forced by stress OF .argument to accept the
true doctrine of the Cross of Christ and
Oelng led As sinful man to put my trust
A in him as my Savior Rather the whole
I point OF view aul attitude of mind must be
. altered before the eager disputant becomes
. the earnest evangelist. and 1.-THE convinced
# listener passes into the penitent disciple
A ou may shiver TO pieces all intellectual
i defences, but the garrison still gathers un-
, subdued into the central citadel of the
t heart. You cannot take it by batteries of
n argument. Another power alone will make
, the nag fGtter down. Faith is an act of
the will as well as OF the understanding
' Therefore. not logic, but the exhibition of
. Christ in his love and power evokes it,
, An brethren, we are often so busy in
: proving the gospel, that we forget to
p preach II 80 anxious to get at mems hearts
: through their understanding, that all our
: time and strength are spent in hewing tn 9
t passage, and none left to impel the gospel
! through H. | think Christ's Cross NAV be
: trusted 10 stand firm without our STAYS and
Delleve that, II We would schooner try to
V prop It with argumen,t t and oftener point
il to 1t with the herLld's cry. Behold the
e Lamb OF God which taketh away the sin o f
/ the world, we should oftener see men
ii drawn unto it.
WAGES AND LIVING Now AND THEN
; An old gentleman writes to the Man
chester n. II. Mirror that, with verv
few exceptions, these are the best tunes
q for mill operatives that we have had for
C twenty years. When | came here, sixteen
j. years ago, | was employed as a clerk in
S the factory. The wages then paid to men
were from G5 cents to 81 per day; to bows
Twelve or fifteen years old, from 80 to Is
cents per day; female help was paid from
g 20 to AZ cents per day, and we'll educated