Smyrna times., 1882-11-08
Are the Churches Practical.

some Of the arguments employed to
make good the proposition that Christ
ianity is a failure, took the ground that
there was no failure in Christianity,
but that there was failure in the .
churches. In the course Of his defense
of his assertion he made the point that .
"thc myriads OF the worlds workers .
listen in vain for some practical expo
sition of Christ's teachings from the
ecclesiastical organizations which will
touch the problems of the day" Is
the point we'll taken? Is it true that
the churches do not bring Christianity
to bear upon the burning questions Of
the living present?
There was once a holy man who
bore down upon Il hcinous crime so
forcibly that one who listened to him
was moved to fiery Indignation and
declared thai he who had committed
the sin mcritcd the scycrc,t punish
ment. And thcrcupon, instead of
dropping tn" matter and pronouncing
/ a bcncGiction. Nathan said unto
/ David, Thou art the man - There is
/ perhaps too little Of the drastic plain
/ spokcmnc>s OF Nathan in the churches
Of to-day. Ii was Macaulay's praise of
BUnyau that in the 'Pilgrim's Prog
res he gave to the abstract the inter
est Of the concrete. Bunyan succeeded
in performing 50 exceedingly difficult
a task by force Of his genius. The pull
pit Of to-day is constantly attempting
the task. but since the majority OF
ministers, like the majority of other
folks, are not Gcniuscs, the result is
not always successful. One of the
problems now before the world is in
temperance. How often does Il man
hear Il sermon aimed squarcly at the
evil? In some churches scmi-occas
ionally, i'll others never In many al
ecclesiastical organization rumseilel
can be regular member of the congre
Cation without running any danger o
+ hearing Nathan in the pulpit say t,
David in the pew, Thou art the man.
OF course all the churches steadily in
: culcatc obedience to the great com
5 mandmcnt, Love thy ncighbor a
t thyself, 50 that any man engaged in
1 disrcputable business has only TO re
! | 1,,,.n t1o. ,.,,,,ro,,l,,,oDt Il, ,,rnotioo !,
( his life to amend his ways But tn
: fact remains that fighting at shol
Y range is always more effective tha
|. fighting at long range, and that
!. hardened sinners are to be softencd
II would seem wiser 20 attack them wit
70 concrctcs rather than with abSract
l. Calling Il spade a spade is better tina
y calling il an agricultural instrumcn
!. Another problem of the day relates /
Y the publication of our politics. DO til
10 churches help 10 solve it? DO not ii
o. myriads of the worlds workers llstc
: in vain for some practical exhibition
N Christ teaching which will touch tn
To vital matter? In ninety-ninc church,
&C out Of one hundred the only attcmI
OF at such practical exposition is made
is the annual Thanksgiving sermo
if Now and then a political boss is see
ID in church. But how often has it fallC
on to a Boss to have his feelings laceratC
IN as he sat beneath some sacred desk
d. hearing its occupant protest again
pr the employment of Boss methods as
oh consistent with the divine command
he render unto Cesar the things that 4
,ir Caesars?
va The Master himself declared,
in came not to send peace but sword
he But how much of the preaching of
,ot day is suggestive Of the sword? HC
,c- much of it recalls Nathan when
bo smote David, or Paul when he ma
he Felix trcmblc? 1t is frequently s.
nd that minister has done his whole du
art when he has faithfully presented I
in- claims of the Gospel on men; that
m consequences are with the OmnipotC
IFS One who has declared that the wo
,cb is 70 be saved by the iooiishncss
ar preaching. But what is ii faithfully
ioh present the claims of the Gosp,
ris- There are many methods Of CONNER
in ing the truth. but obviously all of tn
of are not equally effective, and
see churches do well 20 inquire, as til
ate are at this moment enquiring, whetI
the it is not possible that il they chang
or modified their methods the ca
which tEcy have at heart would not
,,s;- the gamer. In the retrospect they I
int see where they committed Il griev
H.. mistake. The American Church c
- not take to itself the credit Of ON
.o,.s throwing the dreadful institution
,, slavery. It warrcd against injustice
;ck the abstract, but it declined to wiel
hnr sword calculated TO cut slavehOl
,rn- to the quick.
,oIo The preaching of the day does
r. lack cloquence, does not lack earn
80 ness, docs not lack scholarship, d
,,,1 not lacl, vigor But it does lack dir
, nc ness. boldncss, frankness. 1t would
'.y better calculated 10 arouse and quic
if it were less genteel.-N. !. Trib'
Chi The ticket-of. leave system is tC
her introduced at the Michigan State
that form School for girls at Adrian. c
,hief who have made good records will h
ould after be released on parole and all
sue ed to go out to service y portion
that their wages will be placed to I
evil credit, and if they behave well
ould will be discharged.
~ popularity of the Whining
WriUbtcy-illa oud OnSlOw Coast