Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-16
FRUITS OF CHRISTIANITY,

ling metropolis of the Northwest.
FRUITS OF CHRISTIANITY.
Ye shall know them by their fruits. -1ArrHEw
VII: Is.
We often hear the question asked by
those outside the church, if clergymen real
ly believe the doctrines they preach, and
church members what they hear. When
asked the question themselves, they are w.
ciferous in their declarations of an implicit
belief in all that is spoken, and q doubt ex-
pressed is regarded as ar imputation upon
| their honesty and vigorously resented. But
there is gauge more infallible than that of
words, by which we can determine the sim
cerity or insincerity Of processing Christians,
and that gauge is their daily conduct in all
relations of life, especially those of reli-
gious character. A close inspection of the
lives of those who profess to be followers of
Christ does not, it must be confessed, inspire
great confidence in the verify of religion or
of the belief of those within tho church in
the truth of the teachings OF the bible, or
what they profess to believe those teachings
are.
For the most part church members claim
that man who neglects or refuses to accept
the doctrine of the atonement is certain to
live an eternity of pain and anguish. Yet
how many of them illustrate that belief by
earnest effort to save those of their acquaint-
ances who are perishing before their eyes?
When men are in physical danger there are
always scores Of their fellows eager to ex-
tend them helping hand to drag them from
the raging pillows or from burning build
ing. He who would, in such an emergency,
stand supinely by would merit and receive
the contempt of every man and woman in
the world as heartless wretch or an arrant
coward. But the majority of mankind, &C.
cording to the teachings of the pulpit, are
in far greater danger than that of bodily
destruction-in danger of suffering forever
in place of exquisite torture. And yet no
effort is put forth to rescue them from their
impending doom. To be sure, places are
established where at stated intervals sinners
are informed Of how they can fee from the
wrath to come, but this is mere hollow
mockery. It is equivalent to telling man
como on shore In the course of day or two,
when deliverance will be offered him.
Again, the churches are inaccessible to the
majority of mankind. They are for the
most part mere social organizations, where
one or two sets of society congregate each
week for an interchange of gossip or to
listen to an essay from we'll paid preacher
who neither knows nor cares as to the con-
dition of the people outside of his own par
ticular flock. There is no effort made, ex-
cept, perhaps, spasmodically, to do any mis-
sionary work among those who are living in
sin, and as consequence the church is al
most without influence in most large COM
munities.
We conclude from this state of facts that
but few of the protesting Christians really
believe the doctrines they teach or are taught.
If they were sincere they could not be SO in
different to the eternal welfare of those with
whom they daily associate. It is terrible
thing to have the consciousness that near
AAh0 >AO1A AAACAA ID vi CAAO AlSO IOhu W I'LL
eternity of suffering and remolse, and if
really and fully appreciated would lead to
unceasing effort for his salvation.
Another reason why We conclude that very
many protesting Christians are not sincere
in their belief is the fact that their conduct
does not comport with their professions.
You can detect little difference between them
and those who profess nothing. They are
as sharp and shrewd at making bargains as
any, and as ready to overreaeh in trade.
Their language is hppant, and sometimes
vulgar and approaching the profane. They
do not indicate by any word or act that they
are Christians, and were it not for the fact
that We see them at church on tho Sabbath
and occasionally st the weekly prayer and
conference meetings, We would be in entire
ignorance of the fact that they owed any
allegiance whatever to the cause of religion.
The fact is to be deplored that the fruits
of protesting Christians do not inspire re- !
spect for them or for the cause they assume
to serve. We do not lay the blame at the
door of Christianity itself, for We are con-
WINGED that no being is nearer to saint
than a consistent and sincere Christian.
But religion has come to be of only second
airy consideration adjunct to society and
an aid to social ambition, an aid to business
advancement, and perhaps, on rare occa-
sions, a cloak for deliberate rasca!ity. The
few who labor earnestly for the cause in a
humble capacity are lost sight of among the
mass of those who use religion only as an
instrument to an end, and that end not one
which commends itself to tho appreciation
of TIE world.
Let protesting Christians show their faith
by their works, and cavillers will be deprived
of cause for their sneers. But as long as the
predominating quality of church goers and
church members is selfshness-as long as
they refuse to do whatever lies in their
power for the reclamation of those who are
still in the bonds of iniquity-their sincerity
will continue to be doubted, and, what is
far worse, the cause they profess will suffer
maligning and misrepresentation. Consist
ency, earnestness and zeal will redeem the |
church from the disrepute into which it has |
fallen, and, to certain extent, justly.