Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-07-13
geligioms department.
WHO HELP THE POOR


the other evening, whether a poor
wretch arriving in a village without
a dollar in his pocket would inquire
the way to Presbyterian deacon's
house; and they greeted the sally
with immense applause. He was
trying to get off a smart satire upon
the meanness of orthodox Christians,
as contrasted with the generosity of
infdels; but he missed his aim.
Everybody knows that ministers and
other well-known Christian people are
the first to be besieged by beggars.
! have frequently said TO these per-
sons, Why do you come here? Why
do you always go to ministers
houses? The invariable answer is
that they think they will be more
likely to receive sympathy and help
there than elsewhere. We might re-
tort the question of the jolly lecturer
and ask whether poor stranger was
ever known to inquire where the in
| fidels of the town lived, or whether a
| person in any SORROW was ever known
to seek out an inidel to afford him
comfort. Will the man who goes
about ridiculing Christianity tell his
audience the next time be lectures
where they can find an infdel hospi-
tai, or refuge of any kind for power
ty or distress, OF any society compos-
ed of infdels which seeks out and
relieves the suffering, in this country
or in any other on the face of he
earth Is there an infdel organiza-
ton that is doing anything even to
spread sound learning and civilization
in any part of the world? There are
societies that operate In merely
humanitarian sphere, outside of
Christianity, but not in opposition to
it, and they are doing good; they
are rejecting upon suffering men the
glancing rays of the Christian reIig-
ion. But we have yet to learn of the
| existence of the first institution
founded on the tenets of infdelity,
which even pretend to seek the well
fare of mankind. Christianity is the
only organized power in the world
that processes to combat, and aims
to destroy all evil, and to secure the
true and complete triumph of all
that is good. The church of Christ
is to-day the only visible, organized
agency of pure, unselfsh benevolence
and the prominent form in which
that agency appears is the work of
Christian missions throughout the
world. All schemes for colonial
ton by political governments or cor
porations have worldly and selfish
objects In view. The ships that car
ry our missionaries abroad were not
built for that purpose, nor do they
go on voyages. for purely benevolent
objects, except in emergencies to
carry provisions TO starving COM
munity or to rescue a crew of Arctic
adventures. Our vessels go to
bring "gold and silver and precious
stones, and ivory, and apes, and
peacocks,' to minister to our com.
) fort, luxury and pride. The first
vessel built and launched in this
country for purely benevolent pur.
: pose was the "Mornlng STAR" whose
, white wings sped over the eastern
, seas with the gospel message. II
the Golden Age shall ever come when
) crime and suffering, ignorance and
superstition, poverty and oppression
shall cease throughout the world, il
will not be by the influence of infde
lecturers, but by the teachings OF
that Book which the French infdel
Diderot, secretly taught his little
daughter, because, as he confessed
e to his friends when rallied about it
she could give her no better lessons.
-Christidn Intelligencer.