Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-04
THE WORSHIP oFMAmMoN.

THE WORSHIP OF M4MMON.
Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but
that which is good.-III. JOHN IL.
In this world there are many temptations
to evil and few inducements to righteous
life. On every side We see men whose lives
are vicious prospecting in this worlds goods
while others who are striving to live In &C
cordance with the divine law are living IN
penury and want. When David declared
that he had not seen the righteous forsaken,
or his seed begging bread, his experience
must have been exceedingly limited or else
the condition of society has changed vastly
since his days, for at the present time any
man who keeps his eyes open can see in
Vulnerable instances of the kind. 1t seems
to have become the rule that the ungodly
flourish, while those who seek to follow the
teachings of scripture are permitted to SUI
fer all the ailments incident to poverty.
For this condition the church is largely re-
sponsible. The ministers who preach the
gospel to the poor at the rate of from three
to ten thousand dollars year are also re-
sponslble to certain extent. The church
not only harbors but courts the utilization of
men whose only qualification for church
membership is the possession of wealth.
The moral character of the applicant has no
weight if it is counterbalanced by goodly
supply of ducats. A man may be a usurer,
libertine or politician, and yet his society
is welcomed in the church and he is given a
foremost place in all deliberations of the con-
gregation. A poor man, no matter what his
qualifications may be, is received seemingly
under protest. His credentials from the
church he formerly belonged to are scanned
with the utmost care, and if he is finally &C
copied it is only with reluctance.
The fact that encouragement is given to
the rich and immoral to join the chnrch is
prominent before the public the fact that
the poor and godlY are often excluded for nc
apparent reason but their poverty is conclu-
sive Of. the fact that worldly possessions are
regarded as of more value than Christian
principles. The clergy seem to agree with
the popular thought On such themes, and pay
court to the rich and neglect the poor. In
this worldly age the clergy seem to be
more concerned about their salary than
about the spiritual welfare of the people IN
der their charge. They pander to the preju-
dices of those upon whom they mainly de-
pend for their subsistence, and fail to rebuke
tho manifold transgressions of those select
few while they hurlr 1.-THE denunciations of the
decaiogue against the less conspicuous mem
bers of their focks.
The cause of transgression on the part of
the clergy is simple and easily understood.
1t is the love of social position and ease.
Without large salaries there would be danger
that the preachers who now adorn our pull
pits would be obliged to work for what they
obtain. AS it is, they have an easy routine.
Pastoral calls are always pleasant, as the pas
tor has the choice of the household he in
vades. If the society is not congenial in any
particular place, he can make his calls brief;
if pleasant, he can extend them. He has a
days work in seven to prepare a couple of
sermons for the Sabbath, and there are none
present to decide whether he breaches an old
sermon or a new one. He can quote from
the books he reads, and there are none to de-
tect him in his plagiarism. But still he
complains of hard work and insists that his
congregation shall give him leave of absence
for a month or two during the summer,
and those whose weaknesses he has con-
cealed or condoned are only too ready to
grant the release.
The preacher of the period is a singular
being if we estimate him from the typical
preacher of the scriptures. He is man of
the world, and takes good care that the inter
ests of No. l are cared for. When he re-
ceives a call from another church it invaria-
bly, happens that the salary offered is larger
than that which ne is receiving. He loves
refined society so devotedly that he spends
the greater part of his time in the homes of
the wealthy, and has but moment to ex-
change few words with those whose cir
cumstances preclude them from contributing
large amount to his support. He is gener-
ally in delicate health, and about the time
the fashionable season is at its height he is
attacked with a bronchial affection
that necessitates his retirement from the
pulpit for a month or two that
he may recuperate at some seaside resort.
When he doesn't feel like writing fresh
sermon or when his "barr'' of old ones gives
out, he delivers, "by request of many mem
bers of the congregation" a discourse that
has probably had score of appearances.
AS whole the preachers of the gospel
are not imbued with the spirit that should
characterize an expounder of religious truth.
They worship the golden calf most obsequi-
Ously, and thus bring reproach upon the
cause which they assume to advocate. More
go dliness and less worldliness seems to be
one of the crying necessities of the times as
far as the pulpit is concerned.
Smashed Up $4,000 Worth.
An action for $4,000 damages was COM