The American citizen., 1889-03-01

exclusion of nearly all other studies.
Those who are students of science,
think of nothing else aside from their
scientific notions. They look at ev
erything 6 either through philosophi-
cal or telescope glasses. Men who
are all the time busy with physical
facts and physical laws, very natur-
ally and almost unconsciously come
to assume that there are no facts but
physical facts and there are no laws
but physical laws; that what cannot
be weighed, measured, composed or
computed by instruments of physical
science cannot be known. Men hay
been so engrossed in thinking of mat
ter and force and their varied mani
festations, that they have become OBJ
livious to the facts and laws of the
Spiritual realm. Such are some of
the intellectual causes of sceptici sm
among our young people-tho educa-
ted especially. There are other reas-
ons and causes, moral rather than in
| tellectual, that are not less produc-
tive Of unbelief.
III. The increase of means and
luxuries. "At the zenith of their
civilization Races and Nations have
often been at the nadir of their faith.
Luxury and fashion make the heart
soft, eliminate and vulnerable. With
many races, "ages of the most ad-
vauced refinement have not infre-
quently been ages of the most open
unbelief.' "The love of money is
the root of all evil The tnirstlng
for wealth deafens the souls finer
sensibilities. Selfish pleasures make
society coarse and wicked. This was
true of Rome during Nero's reign
Entangled in complex interests
amused by incessant frivolities-
dancing, card-playing, theatre going
ard parties are instances); begulleo
by the dazzling troacheries Of refined
immoralities-for such ages, the hori
zon of life has dwindled into an eve
narrowing circle and amid the dus
and glare of material interests al
heaven. ward hopes, all God ward as
pirations have faded utterly away.
". Another potent cause OF scep
ticism among my people, is the de
plorable sectarian divisions of the col
ored churches and the jealousy anC
unchri8tian rivalry ex xisting amOni
the ministers. Nothing seems NOR
unreasonable than the multiplicahol
of 50 many denominations, differing
from one another about the most triv
, ial matters; producing in them tn
most miserable and the most con
temptible narrowness. In this pro
crossing age, they still fight (wlth
t war of words) over the amount of wa
r ter to be used in baptism; Whethe
one should stand or kneel in prayer
whether the churches shall cover
: themselves directly and democratical
ly or by delegated authority. "Thi
: splitting of the church into teebl
= fragments" destroys its efficienc
: and makes it a reproach in the eye
: of sensible people. A Congregation
alist who conld not worship with
Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopa
e Christian, or Baptist church rathe
than see two weak churches take tn
:, place of strong one, is not the kin
y of man God would have advance Iii
- kingdom.
e The multiplicity of colored Dapti
y churches in this city is disgrace
IS Christian civilization. 1t is a blot o
i cur religion to acknowledge that tt
'e A. NJ. E., the A NJ. Z, the c. n
n E. and the colored wing of the \
E. churches cannot consistent
IS unite, There is no very apparer
7t difference in either doctrine or 20
l. ernment of these Methodist churcl