The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-06-25
THE TRUE SPIRIT.

HunureuS Oh people OF tnlS great
city attend church IN Sunday Invrn-
ing-thousands never do. In view of
the stately structures erected, and
thousands of dollars annually expent
ed to secure the attendance and at
tention of the latter number, the fact
just stated is worthy of consideration
the churches at heart. Evidently
there is something wrong; for If, az
scientists tell us, "Man is Worship
ing Being" and that the object of his
veneration depends upon the charac-
ter of his education, then the labors
of the church, during all the centur-
les that have passed, should have re-
suited m ore largely. For hundreds
of years Christianity has ostensibly
followed the command of Christ, "Go
and teach all nations" and yet, to-
day. if the theory of the church be
true, a large majority of the people
have not been properly taught. Not
only have we skeptics, scoffers and
intidels in the world, but there is re-
spectacle showing of the heathens,
Buddhists, ,Mohanmedansa and bloody
Turks. whose religious ceremonies are
as devotedly observed, and more
numerously upheld than in the year
one. Not only are there thieves,
murderers, perjurers, defaulters. con-
sprators and ade lturcrs extant, but
there are citizens, who consider the
church SOFT of nondescript, fit only
for women, or men of emotional
natures.
The questions naturally recur,
where is the fault? and what the rem
edy? Speaking IN behalf of the
earnest, upright Christians, whose
lives are the embodiment of their
teachings, half the fault lies with the
church itself. The first mistake is
from the pastorate, who place the
fodder too high, the next is with the
members, who, although the pastor
dwells eloquently all day Sunday up
on holiness, during the week forget
to meet the skeptic as an honest
thinker, entitled to his own opinions,
and to treat their neIghbors as them
selves. The next wrong Is the tardi-
ness of the church in self-puiification
In New York, last week, an usher
and deacon ofa large and fashionable
church was arrested for forgery and
an effort to cheat his creditors out of
their dues. One witness was saloon
keeper who testified that the deacon
was regular visitor to his place, and
that he was church member. On
being asked how he knew the accused
was connected with the church, he
replied: Il have seen him at the
head of Sunday school professions;
had no other means of knowing"
Alas! too many Christians can never
be recognized as such until caught
leading a religious demonstration of
some kind, in which there is publicity
to be gained. A man may keep his
mouth shut, and yet exhibit his
Christianity everywhere. 1t is not
necessary to button-hole fellow
creature and deliver lecture on 1.-THE
Trinity" in order TO show him that
you are Christian, but there Is a
nobility of character, II purity of life,
sweetness of temper, kind and
fnrni VIM ahurifu that frnnrly thu
Christian man and cover multitude
of sins.
The theory that II isnot always best to
tell the truth is line of policy straight
from the devil himself. 1t Is hest to
look facts squarely in the face, ac-
cept the situation and apply the rene
dy. The very life Of the church de-
! pends upon its purity, and its growth