The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-05-05


belonging to our day, which should rebuke
ostentatlon and pretention, and promote
a simple, honest goodwill IN our assocIa-
tons with our fellow beings. One of the en-
phatic Utteranees Of the revealed book is that
God Is no respecter Of persons. Now, l Will adj
NIT that a politician or one devoted to a profess
sion or business must be a TespectOr of persons
and watchful Of and complaisant to the inhu-
euces that will subserve his cause or promote
mis- interests, bat the followers OF the Lamb Of
God should 10 the thus watching and trimming;
they should not cal! il their carriages upon Davies
and let Lazarus wait upon them Ike a tramp
seeking charity. When such discrimination is
made and the status of the church member is
marked and graded in a social way by the
amount of his subscription, then we have little
better than = stock company organization,
which, being formed and made up with cstenta-
tioaS subscriptions like advertising patronage,
may be truly recognized as organized in6delity.
On the other hand there are q multitude of Organi-
cations and enterprises not claiming to be under
any religious organization which yet may be
recognized as pre-eminently the fruits of genu-
inc faith. The American Revolution, prompted
by O Paine and shaped and defined by a Jeffer-
son, was 50 little in sympathy with any ecclesl-
astlcal organization or influence that 1t might
be termed by some an organized infdellty, al
though in fact a supreme organization based on
the faith of man in man and upon the prinei-
Piles Of eternal right and justice between men. Be-
nevcleDce and goodwill among men, apart from
any ecclesiastical organization have led TO the
lOIlR3Ilol OF llu4liluttS tt 4uuucHAANl SoSASNASS
for the promotion of mutual welfare. They
ought not to have uad would not have an exist
encc If Christian churches fully illustrated the
faith they profess. Can We imagine the orguGi-
Zltion of a temperance society IN Galllee
or anywhere ia Palestine while Jealous
and self denying disciples were faithfully preach
ing the glad tidings of redemption ? And what
would have been thought by the disciples of
Christ when the enthusiasm and faith Of human
iCy in a truuscendaEt cause led men to hold all
thirG7 in common and go on their way rejoicing
what would have been .A0C9ht / repeat-if
Peter and Paul had joined some benevolent
Jewish society in order to supplement the work
of Christ's mission ? There would have been
recognized Il lack of faith, and Peter and Paul
could never have performed miracles while seek
ing instrumentalities and associations to help
strengthen their social position and to promote
the influence OF their creed. There was a rich
man in Philadelphia, named Stephen Girard, a
weakly millionaire, who devoted his accumu-
lated riches to the construction of the noblest
edifce as a temple OF knowledge, in the CONT
nent of America. He had Il clause ins 0rted in
his will that the trustees of his estate who
should rear this splendid monument of learn
ing should never allow a minister of any Christ
ian church to enter its portals, and there is to
be seen at this day inscribed on a tablet in the
vestibule Of this exquisite marble palace of
knowledge an injunction of the donor and
founder of the beautiful building that no Christ
ian clergyman shall enter there. 1t is sad to
think that there should be such an inscription
set up in a Christian city. In my reading I
learn that Mr.. Girard was q most just and
benevolent man. He was, it is true, strict and
close in his dealings; he believed in the French
proverb, that no economy is too small for one
who would live largely or literally; but at times
he surprised those, who were deserving of con-
sideration, with his generosity and munifcence.
A faithful clerk who had served him for many
years was anxious to do a little business
for himself, and he applied 10 his wealthy
employer for a small loan as a start. He
was met with a peremptory "No," and told
to go and learn a trade. The clerk appreciating
the char cter of his remarkable employer, went
into a cooper shop. After a time he could make
a neat and excellent keg ami barrel. He placed
a couple of these upon a wheelbarIow, and rolled
them into the presence of his late employer,
Offering them for sale and soliciting an order.
He received for his keg and barrel a cheque for
$780, 600, and III time became a rich nan. Girard
had a thorough Christian spirit, such as is set
forth in the Gospels, in his relations to his
f~ellow-men. Then why should he build a palace
and set up an inscription craven ii marble that
no Christian clergyman should be permitted to
enter there ? He must have been seriously dis
gusted with them in some way. He must have
had forced upon his attention hollow and windy
pretensiors IN the pulpit, put forth for mere
effect. He must have witnessed a great deal of
social toadyism, discriminating between rich
and poor he must have observed a good deal of
ostentation of charity, and, perhaps, was
scandalized by the animosities, jealousies and
narrow-mindedness of sectarian Christianity in
its professors and teachers, and consequently he
must have regarded Christian churches generally
as pretentious social clubs and organizations of
infdelity. He proved his faith by his works.
Mrs. NEGUs.