Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-16
UNCHRISTIAN PRIDE.

Let nothing be done through strife or vain
glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem
others better than philippians
u:3.
Pride is great hindrance to the Christian
church. Phariseeism is as prevalent to-day
as it was in the time of Christ. The 81 am
holier than thou'' idea permeates church cir
cles and raises en- impenetrable wall forbid
ding approach as effectually as did the great
Chinese wall that made the people of that
nation so exclusive for centuries. Ex-
clusiveness finds it's chief devotees in the
church. In each of these societies there are
sets that form society of their own, and all
the rest of the world is as rigid
ly excluded as if they were not members of
the human family. In these sets the first
lesson taught is the doctrine of the Pharisee.
and each member is bound as by an oath to
maintain the "quG(ty'' of the society. The
"upper tens'' look down with contempt upon
the middle and the fourth estate-turn up
their noses scornfully when they approach,
and only tolerate them when there is work
to do, to which they dislike to stoop. Then
their condescension is even more intolerable
than their arrogance at other times, and
many are driven wholly away from the
church rather than tamely submit to either.
We have yet to sec protesting Christian
who esteemed his brother better than him
self. Each is striving to attain the chief
seat at the feast, and is jealous and envious
if any other person gets there ahead of him.
They quarrel among each other-seek to de-
grade their brethren for their own advance
ment-and if they succeed in obtaining en-
1nence in the councils of the church become
as vainglorious as the peacock. The osten-
tatious pride of the average church members
the plying manner in which they allude to
those not of their number the commisera-
ton which they waste on their superiors in
intellect and true morality would be disgust
ing if it was not so ridiculous.
But the ostentatious pride of the church
members has more pernicious effect upon
the cause of religion than they have an idea of.
When one man or class Of men have the idea
that they are better than the common run of
mortals, and make a public display of that
notion, they are very apt to provoke criti-
cism and lead to an inquiry as to what basis
they rest their claims upon.
AS consequence the private
lives of the Pharisees receive a closer
scrutiny than they otherwise would. The
| result is obvious. AS church members are
falllble like others mortals-and in manv in
stances more so-it is perfectly natural that
their faults should be brought to the surface.
Uniustly these faults are attributed to the
religion they profess, while they should be
attributed to the want of that religion. No
amount of divine grace can make some men
truly good, and these are generally the men
who make the loudest professions of excep-
tlonal virtue and force themselves to the
front seats in the tabernacle. They render
themselves more vulnerable by their pro-
LESSONS than they would be if they profess
ed nothing.
We do not regard the humility enioined
by the bible as an abdication of ones man
hood or dignity. No man who correctly in
terprets the words of Jesus or his disciples
can place such construction upon the in
functions. No men who ever lived were
more meek than they. nor were any more
dignifed and manly in the truest sense of
the word. But the disciples of to- day pos
sess little of the humility that characterized
them, and as consequence less of their dig
nifty. A man can take pride in his GOOD
name, pride in his religion, pride in his
family and social relations without commit
ting sin. It is that false pride which vaunts
itself in the face of the world that the savior
rebuked and his apostles condemned. It is
that strife which leads to the sacrifice Of
others interests and others feelings
Tor ones own aggrandizement that
brings SO much disgrace upon the
church. The priest in his robes gives the
lie IN his demeanor to the words of humility
with which his prayer is fashioned, and the
hait-bowed heads of the congregation indi-
cate little of the true humility that should
characterize the followers of him who was