Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-14
DISOBEDIENCB TO THE Law.

DISOBEDIENCE TO THE Law.
They profess that they know God but In
works they deny him, being abominable. and
disobedient, and unto every good work repro
bate.-TITUS I: l6.
1t is very evident from the text quoted
that the Apostle Paul had the same Difficult
ties to contend with in his time that sincere
workers in the cause of Christianity to-day
enco inter. Human nature is the same in all
ages and in all chimes, and where We have
right to look for exceptional goodness we
very often find only hypocrisy and deceit.
A few of those who have the interest of re-
ligion sincerely at heart object to the point
ing out of the derelictions of those who bring
dishonor upon the church by their conduct,
and accuse those who do so with hostility to
godliness and desire to overturn
the entire fabric of religion. But
they misconceive not only the motives OF the
critics but the result of the criticisms. No
mortals were ever more severe in their de-
nunciations of hypocrisy and evil doing
among those who professed immaculateness
than were the founder of Christianity and
his chosen apostles. The denunciations OF
the Scribes and Pharisees pronounced by
Christ stand alone in literature as monu-
ments Of comprehensive invective from
which no word can be deducted or to which
no word can be added by the greatest master
of language. Paul, the apostle of the Cen
tiles, was equally fearless in his denuncia-
tons as those who offended, whether they
were the professed followers of Christ or
among the unregsnerates. His epistles to
the churches abound in warnings against
false doctrine, hypocrisy and all manner OF
unfaithfulness, and he does not hesitate to
give utterance to words of admonition and
reproof wherever they appear to be needed.
The church of to-day, while having greater
light than that which Immediately succeeded
the Christian era, is in no whit better. 1t is
given over to the worship of strange gods
and to the development of some of the
worst social traits that disgrace the age.
There is no yillainy that does not seek to
make cloak of the church. The church is
not to blame for this unless it knowingly
gives its consent to such an employment of
its garments. It is too often the case, how
ever, that such use is made Of the organi-
cation with the full knowledge of the MEM
bers. In such cases the church is RESPONSE
BILE and cannot escape whatever of blame at
taches to the conduct of those who seek shell
ter under its cover.
The church should not be made city of
refuge for those who desire to prey upon So
ciety without danger of punishment. 1t
was organized with the intent of making it
community of men and women with the
same aims in life, the same aspirations to
holiness, the same desire to do unto others
as they would others should do by them.
1t has degenerated, however, into q simple
social organization in which godliness is the
last requirement asked for. If man oc-
cupies a good social position, no matter
what his character or habits may be, he can
obtain an easy entrance into the church. If
he is wealthy the doors of the sanctuary are
thrown wide open and he is besought to ally
himself with the presumed saints. In
neither case are any questions asked. The
social standing, the wealth and the influence
of the person is regarded as an Offset for lack
of piety.
Though protesting to know God and his
purposes, the majority of church MEM
bers pay diligent worship at the shrine of
Mammon. They disobey the injunction pro-
mulgated by the founder of Christianity and
are unto every good work reprobate. They
worship God with their lips, while their
hearts are far from him, paying diligent
court to the golden calf, or the social ele
ment in the organization.
The church must purge itself of many of
the elements that now bring reproach upon
it. Its greatest task will be to drive out the
fashionable and wealthy members who use
religion merely as cloak to cover up their
excuses and their deliberate misdemeanors.
Such members are the main stay of the
church in financial point of view, and it
may cost great effort to the several organi-
cations to turn them out. But desperate
diseases require desperate remedies, and
though the operation may be painful the
results will fully compensate. for all the pain
that may be inflicted. Pure religion and
undefled will be greatly benefited by a
judicious wedding out of those elements that
have for so long been source of obloquy to
the cause.
CHICAGO, MILW'KEE & ST. PAUL r. X.