The Portland daily press., 1886-01-04
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN THE soUrnrn'

i-DtN%AllON IN lie PONAhA
STATES.
Rev. DIR. j. c. Hartzell of Cincinnati, Ohio,
one OF the corresponding secretaries of the
educational work of the Methodist Episcopal
Church in the South, spent yesterday in our
city. The Doctor spoke in Pine Street
Church in the afternoon and in the Congress
Street Church at night, presenting to each
audience different phases of the great work
he represents.
The Methodist Episcopal Church has gath
cred into its fold over 100000 communicates,
representing a population of fully 100000
in the Southern States since the war. The
great mass of these are poor financially and
Intellectually. Fully one half of them are
negroes with all the effects of $50 years of
slavery cursing them in body, soul and intel
leet. This vast mass now in this church in
the South is related to othermasses equally
needy among both races to which the church
must CO. The Methodist Episcopal Church
has built over 5000 new churches in the
South since the war The Freedmen's Aid
Society which DR.. HartZell represents has in
charge the work OF educating preachers and
teachers for the pulpits and schools of the
South. In 10 years it has spent over 81, ,50O,-
COO, and had under its training nearly 100,-
600 young men and women. A large number
Of institutions are now in successful opera
ton, lnsWhlch are over 5000 students.
The magnitude and Importance of this ed
ucational work cannot be oyerestimated. 1t
Is patriotic work and every lover of his
country should be interested in and help it.
1t is philanthropic work. Slavery which
was a national sin cursed millions Of the
white as well as colored people and the
Christian philanthropic efforts Of the whole
nation finds here field. The Christian
teacher and minister must be the chief fac
tOrg the solution of fna nrOblnIn N
America. We now have 100000 of negroes
in the United StaleS. They are one-eighth
Of our population. Columbia is an octoroon.
The negro masses are mostly in a single sec
tion of the South In a few years ten
Southern States will have more negroes than
whites. What tremendous power is this con
centrated in the hands of a mass of people
only yesterday in slavery?
DR.. Hartzell gave many Illustrations of the
success of the work he represents. The best
Southern people who at first opposed the
work now approve it and the South itself
is committed to the work of negro education.
He gave an encouraging view of how the
people are helping themselves in building
churches, supporting their pastors and help
ing to educate themselves. The Society de-
pends for its support a. On the people
themselves in the South who are taught and
expected to do all they can for themselves.
(2.) On gifts of individuals who give amounts
according to their means and interest in the
work; one man has given over $4,000, many
have given smaller amounts. 3D. But chief
ly the reliance is upon the regular annual
collections from the churches. Last year
$143,000 We're received and spent
Collections were taken in the three church
es yesterday, largely in advance OF what had
been given before.
wILLIsToN CHURCH
Rev. G. d. Barrows, d. D., of San Francis
co, Cal, preached yesterday morning to a
congregation that filed Williston church.
The following abstract gives but faint
idea Of the finished and scholarly address
whicn was listened to intently from the
commencement to the close;
DR.. Barrows took his text from Corinthians
Is, II; Subject, "Some forgotten factors in
the equation of Christian Manliness" After
an introduction to his theme in which he re-
ferred to the necessity of manliness in all re-
lationships of earth, DR.. Barrows proceed
ed to state as his first point the fact that
doubling without SHINING is possible. The
propensity of the human mind is to try to
solve problems OF faith which renders it self
evident that on the border land of faith,
doubt may exist without being blameworthy.
To distinguish truth from falsehood and er-
ror from superstition freedom for the mind
to properly sift that one from the other must
be granted An opinion that is new is not
necessarily on that account wrong or phil0-
sOphical Evidence that is not procurable
may occasion doubt. The evidence may not
be wanting as matter of fact, but not avail
able. Christ led his disciples through doubt
We plead for the thought which will give
the church progress and to secure the best
service of intellect and hears the church
must he charitable and helpful to the honest
doubter and lead him gently, instead Of de-
nouncing all doubt as sin and all honest hes
itancy as unbelief This latter position is
not the attitude for the church to occupy to-
day.
Secondly, stagnation in thought and action
by reason of doubt is guilty condition.
Ones own character is always elevated by
the thought of what he may become. The
tests and rivalries of life are guage by
which to measure progress. The back-water
of stream is the result not of barriers in
front of it but of weakness in the beginning
of it. The increasing mastery of man over
all impedimentS arises from q profOunder
knowledge, not of the impediments, but Of
the force needed to c0unterbalance their re-
sistance. In religious things, an individual
should not stagnate in the presence Of Oppo-
sing forces or be content to drift with the
stream. He should come to settled view Of
general principles of truth and then move
forward. We are not to stand forever IN
calculating posture, but to feel that God
counts for something in human affairs and
that he enters into our life to share in us the
better purpose that lies beyond our doubling
and that he is cooperating with us for our
fuller usefulness.
Lastly the terminal personality or person.
al terminus Of all growth is factor in
Christian manliness Dr. Barrows elabora-
ted this point as he did the preceding ones
in logical and convincing way He insist
ed that, not by arguments, but by a subtle
| personal influence, Christianity had ad-
| Vaneed and that God had not loaded the
! finite with the whole of the infinite. This
| were to cripple the finite and the human. We
| learn like children. God has not revealed all
| His truths to anybody. He teaches us
| personal Christ and from childish appre-
| hension leads men into manhood and to a
maturer faith Truth stands or falls in the
person of Christ. Under the inspiration of
that personal Christ the best of one is de-
veloped and the worst repressed.
DIR. Barrows closed with strong argument
for a correct study of and firm belief in the
scriptures and an appeal for well-grounded
hope in Christ.