Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-07-02

dream of agrarian schemes OF prop
erty distribution are deludcd, and look
10 the wrong source for relief from the
evils that exist in our body poll
tie. The highest ideal of q
nation Is not that all its citizens should
be in office, nor that every one should
possess the same amount of property, |
but that all enjoy equal political rights,
that all are educated, that all have |
something to do, and that all receive |
for their labor, reasonable wages.
In the moral government of the |
world the highest aim of religion
Is not to fill over with
vain decisions about an
imaginary world to come and terrify
them with the threat of eternal burn
ing; it is not to vex their minds with
superstitious ideas about an angry and
vindctive God, nor TO fill them with
| theological surmises about what may
or may not have been, and what may
or may not come to pass, but IL should
seek to render them happy and useful
| here in this world where they
are needed. 1t should seek
to purge out of mems
minds all selfishness, all fear. all de-
ceit, all ignorance and all higotry, not
by teaching them to rely upon the
sudden and supernatural washing
away of their evil by the gift of the
Holy Ghost; but by taking i'll its
place the good effects of benevolence,
faith, truthfulness knowledge, broth
erly love and tolerance of spirit. Faith
is an essential quality of hu.
man character, but it VIII
not save men from evil.
They must 'add to their faith
virtue, and to virtue knowledge, ana
to knowledge temperance, and to tenn
perance patience, and to patience
/, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly
kindness charity "Do that which is
rood. and thou shalt have praise of the
same" This was the idea taught by
Jesus, both in the precepts which he
gave and the example which he set
He taught men to be industrious, low
ing and tolerant. He eulogized those
who feed the hungry, visit the
. sick and clothe the naked, above
,, those who by faith east out devils and
, did wonderful works. He went about
, doing good, returning good for evil,
and comforting the distressed. In
other words, He sought to "overcome
evil with good" Now, word to ra-
tional reigionists. You see the evil OF
; orthodox credulism and superstition,
and you deplore it. But are you seek
. ing to overcome it by the practice OF
i good There is much good in the
churches, and the policy
, of liberalism should be to
, encourage that good, and whatever OF
! evil we find there point it out with
q candor but in a spirit of love, and offer
). them good in its stead. There is now
upon W. all an important era in the
, history of the world-a religious reYo-
! luton. Let us act wisely in the midst
. of it. so that there may be no unnec-
+ essary shock or Jar to the masses, but
= let it come peacefully. In the discus
;. sions that arise, there will
, be sharp contention and earnest
= honest differences of opinion, but If
, we all seek the good aud use it, we
will not be overcome by evil, but may
overcome the evil. AS ] see the con
f. ilict approaching nearer and nearer tt
r. the final struggle | feel the necessity
# of advocating tolerance and charity
:, There will he giants on both sides IN
q the search for the true, and they will
~ of necessity give hard blows, but lie
every one look out for the truth
Il and all will be well. ! know that thu
e evil of ignorance, bigotry and selfish
# ness is powerful and may be found oil
both Sides therefore the necessity To-
/. counseling both sides to be mot over
II come of evil, but overcome evil will
!, good"
q To be good and true and faithful il
a all the obligations of life, is the highes
h aim that is attainable here, and VIII
"a will deny that it is the surest way t
! insure the best possible advantage il
~ the world to come?