Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-07-08
SUNDAY READING.

alike; no TWO countries In the SdIne gem
Grafton are alike. In fact there are
striking differences in localities not
very remote from each other. Tastes
and customs change. That which
pleases one is disagreeable to another
Everybody knows this, yet it is the
hardest thing in the world to get men
reconciled to the fact. People whose
youth was spent under the prevalence
of certain styles and manners, depre-
cate change of any kind as the correct
thing. They may get little Oft per-
sonally, but the customs which colered
their grandmother's apron strings are
the good old customs. We have plenty
of people who have no sympathy with
the varying fancies or even improve
ments of the generation which is crowd
ing them off the stage. They disbelieve
in, disapprove of, and imagine all man.
ner of evil about new customs, whether
originating at home or imported. This
is the nature of things, and it fits as
close into religion as it does into Ordin-
ary affairs. Religious life and social
life are interviewer. If people are in
earnest their religious life will be
affected by the spirit which animates
them in other things. The age, as we
call it, the thinking and the planning
and the doing has to do with the relig-
ion of it. 1t is the spark which holds
the life, the body that holds the great
soul of movement. The religion has to
do with the age. Each must recognize
the other. One cannot ignore the other.
While religion has its duty to perform
ness, wickedness, brightness and vigOr
which 60 to make up the age, all these
things and a thousand more affect the
religion. Tone it down, make it fit, to
fit itself to what it has to contend with.
The rigorous cast iron forms of Puritan
ism, pressed according to the terms Of
the Connecticut Blue Laws, not only
will not work now, but all agree that they
were not very grand success. A relig-
ion which becomes law instead Of obey
ing law and helping people to be better,
is not the thing at all. They who were
children twenty or thirty years ago will
remember the holy horror with which
their fathers looked upon the organ as
the "deviPs belluses," and the distrust
manifested towards the Introduction Of
stained glass windows, the symbol OF
the cross or even flowers i'll the church.
It was simply human nature to have
and to exhibit such distrust. 1t was
public sentiment making public morals.
Prevalent notions commanding popular
taste. They who favored Improvements
expected and encountered opposition.
They succeeded because they were
working in the line of the age which
was advancing to higher culture End
improved taste. What took place in
the past must also take place in this
and the next generation. Thinking
people admit this and conform them
selves accordingly. Every advance,
though it be according to law and the
principles of taste and the impulse of
truer improvement and higher devo-
ton, will be looked upon with distrust
by many we'll meaning people. Because
people keep their religion in grooves,is
the idea of advancement or improve
ment in religious matters met with just
such objection. People who are in as
we'll as people outside look at it as an
old thing. They are just like parents
who never get it through their heads
that their children are grown. Men
who oppose Christianity oppose it as a
fossilated thing of decayed age, and
the Christians accept the fossil theory.
We want nowadays live Christianity
to meet live issues. If there is any
thing in it, and there can't be any
doubt about it, 1t will walk right
up to the front. 1t ought o,or 1t has to
or fall out of rank. The Christianity
which came from the life of that man
-