Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-05-11
4 STYRRTNG Up NEEDED.


Il STIRRING Up NEEDED.
Awake to righteousness. and sin not; for
some have not the knowledge of God. 1speak
this to your shame.-I CORINTHIANS, xv:34.
The church needs to-day, more than it
needs anything else, vigorous stirring up.
1t has been dead or asleep for 10 these many
years, and by this time it stinketh with cor
ruption and immortality. False doctrines
have taken hold of the teachers and the
preachers; the pews are full of hypocrisy;
intolerance has usurped the place of Chris
tan charity, and what little genuine religion
remains has been doing for a quarter
of century. Religion is neither aggressive
nor progressive as it was intended to be.
The errors that have crept in have destroyed
its capacity for progress by making it too
ridiculous for sensible men to accept; the
lethargy that has taken hold of the church
membership precludes the possibility of ag
gressiveness. The church, especially in
America, has almost reached that stage which
Immediately precedes dissolution, and unless
an awakening takes place, and that right
speedily, it will die and be remembered only
| in tradition.
| Who and what is responsible for this state
of things? We answer, the so-called minis
ters of the gospel and the doctrines they
seek to inculcate. The dogmas of Calvin
ism, so 1epugnant to every humane impulse,
every system of reasoning and every attri-
butte of deity, have driven more men away
from the church, and done more to build up
the cause of ratiOnalism and infdelity than
any other doctrines in existence. How can
mother be Christian when she is told
that Christianity consigns her innocent babe
to an eternity of torment because of a
sin committed by our first parents
thousands of years ago? How can a hus
band be Christian when the church teaches
that in the future world he will be separated
from those he has loved and cared for all
through life for the sole reason that they do
not agree on points of abstract doctrine?
Yet the church adheres to Calvinisnl and
discards Christianity; accepts the teachings
of the prosecutor and murderer of those
who differed from him rather than the teach
ings of the meek and lowly Jesus, who never
did aught but good during his life.
There is also too lax a discipline in the
church in dealing with those who transgress
it's precepts. Men of VIGOROUSLY bad char
acter are retained in the fellowship of the
church and sip the wine and eat the bread of
the sacrament with the best of the members.
It is natural when person is once in
jured or defrauded by man claiming to be
Christian, to regard all church members as
of the same stamp. A dishonorable act
, committed by church member Injuries the
reputation of the whole organization, and
the offender ought to be vigorously dealt
with.
The lethargy that characterizes tue church,
5 however, is as dangerous to its existence as
are it's errors of doctrine and its inlmorali-
ties. There is great lack of energy every
where manifest. Men put on their religion
like cloak on Sunday morning, so to
church, and then take it off and lay it aside
" for seven days. There is no earnestness in
: the cause. Men do not go out and search
J. for those who are transgressirg the laws Of
D. God and urge them to enter upon a new
{, life. That would be too much trouble; sc
J. they simply attend the services of the Sab
o bath and doze the day away in idleness anc
q are thankful when it is over and another
II busy week begun. The thought Of religion
never enters their mind again till the church
bells awake them on the next Sabbath
Infdel though he is, Bob Ingersoll ha
e done more for the cause of religion in tn
- past three years than all the ministers of tn
:. gospel combined. He has done it indirectly
:. it is true, but he is nevertheless deserving o
~ credit for what he has done. He has appliet
a necessary prod to the clergy of the countr
- !. stirred them up with sharp stick, as
~ were-and caused them to do more studyin
and to examine more closely the doctrine
l., they have been teaching. By pointing on
-, =, the absurdities that have crept into tn
= various creeds, Ingersoll has caused tn
clergy to examine their pernicious efec
u and to seek to reform them. By attackin
:. their religion he has brought the clergy
- its defense, and shown them the necessit
~ for constant vigilance and activity and
20 thorough understanding of the doctrine
), they arc called upon to defend. He he
10 caused men to study who have never studio
-, before, for he has shown that the weapon
a. heretofore employed by the church fall harm
st less before his powerful logic and masterl
-. ridicule. It would be blessing to Il
n church if we had an Ingersoll in every con
IN munity who would keep the ministers ar
~, church members constantly stirred u
-. Then there might be hope that the churs
~. would regain its aggressiveness and its c
10, pacity for progress. But we fear the rot ar
~, rust has gained too much Roadway to (
~, stayed, and that the modern church will d
,os of pure inanity.
New York Dry Goods.
[eo NEW YORK. May 10
ING Trade quiet to-day, but there was very stro
undertone in the market for both cotton and woole
I'M, Brown and bleached cottons in steady demand
stocks unusually light in first hands and quiet.