The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1880-05-12
Letter from J. Rusl.in.
BnANrwoop. Sd Senteml

BRANTwooD, Sd September.
DEAR Mr.. MADISON: have been very
long before trying Ia say so much as word
about the sixth clause of the Pater; for when
ever began thinking of it l was stopped by
the sorrowful sense of the hopeless task you
poor clergymen had nowadays in recommend
ing and teaching people to love their enemies,
when their whole energies were already de-
voted to swindling their friends.
But, in any days, past or pow, the clause is
one of such difficulty, that. to understand it.
means almost to know the love CT God which
passeth knowledge.
But, at all events, it is surely the pastors
duty to prevent his flock from misunderstand-
ing it; and above all things to keep them from
supposing that Gods forgiveness is to be had
simply for the asking by those who "willfully
sin after they have received the knowledge
of the truth"
There is one very simple lesson also, need
ed especially by people in circumstances of
happy life, which l have never heard fully
enforced by the pulpit, and which is usually
the more lost sight of, because the fine and in
accurate word "trespasses is so often used
instead of the simple and accurate one "debts."
Among people well educated and happily
circumstanced it may easily chance that long
periods of their lives pass without any such
conscious sin as could, on any discovery or
memory of it, make them cry out, in truth and
in pain, 81 have sinned against the Lord"
But scarcely an hour of their happy days can
pass over them without leaving-were their
hearts open-some evidence written there that
they have left undone the things that they
ought to have done," and giving them bitterer
and heavier cause to cry, and cry again-for
ever, in the pure words of their Masters
prayer, "Dimitte nobis debta nostra"
In connection with the more accurate trans
lation of "debts rather than "trespasses, :"
it would surely be we'll to keep constantly in
the mind of coniplacent and inoffensive con-
gregations that in Christ's own prophecy of
the manner of the last judgment, the condem-
nation is pronounced only on the sins of omis-
sion: was hungry and ye gave me no meat 4"
But, whenever the manner of sin, by offense
or defect, which the preacher fears in his peo-
pie, surely he has of late been wholly remiss
in compelling their definite recognition of it,
in its several and personal particulars. Moth
ing in the various inconsistency of human ma
tire is more grotesque than its willingness to
be taxed with any quantity of sins it the gross,
and its resentment at the insinuation of
having committed the smallest parcel of them
in detail. And the English Liturgy, evidently
drawn up with the amiable intention of making
religion as pleasant as possible, to a people
DESTROYS of saving their souls with no great
degree of personal inconvenience, is perhaps
in no point more unwholesomely lenient than
in its concession to the popular conviction
that We may obtain the present advantage,
and escape the future punishment, of any sort
of iniquity, by dexterously concealing the man.
ner of it from man, and triumphantly confess
ing the quantity of it to God.
Finally, whatever the advantages and de-
cencies Of form of prayer, and how wide sc
ever the scope given to its collected passages
it cannot be at one and the same time fitted
for the of body of well-taught and expert.
enced Christians, such as should join the ser.
vices of church nineteen centuries old-anC
adapted to the needs of the timid sinner whit
has that day first entered its porch, or of tht
remorseful publican who has only recently
become sensible of his call to a pew.
And surely our clergy need not be surprised
at the daily increasing distrust in the public
minds of the efficacy of prayer, after having
so long insisted on their offering supplication
at least every Sunday morning at clever
! o'clock, that the rest of their lives hereafter
might be pure and holy, leaving them con-
scious all the while that they would be SINH
| larly required to inform the Lord next week
at the same hour, that there was no healtl
| in them! -
Among the much-rebuked follies and abuse
of g. Ritualism," none that have heard of ar
indeed so dangerously and darkly Ritual
as this piece of authorized mockery of tn
most solemn act of human life, and only en-
trance of eternal life-Repentance.
Believe me, dear Mr.. Madison,
Ever faithfully and respectfully yours,
J. RUsKIN.