Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-04
SUNDAY THOUGHTS
on
MORALS MANNERS
BY A CLERGYMAN.

WRITTEN FOR THE D1SPATCH.1
That Christianity has gained wonderfully
in numbers, wealth and influence is unde-
niable. Pessimism itself concedes so much,
but is bothered by the question as to
whether the outward gain has not been
made at cost of an inward loss. Those who
look on the dark side are never tired of say
ing we should judge by quality not guam
tity. They ask Gin tone which implies
that the answer must confirm their view),
Whether religion to-day has not lost in
grace and grip more than it has gained in
conquest and aggrandisement?
Well, this is question of fact, and must be
settled by an appeal to facts. Test it by an
examination of the average religious condi-
ton at two or three great periods of the past.
The apostolic age was one of great earnestness
and religious power. Yet in that age st. Paul
rebukes the church in Corinth Tone of the
most prominent and famous in the ancient
World) for offenses which are now committed
only in pot houses. 1t seems that the brethren
turned the holy communion into an occasion
Tor glurtony and drunkenness: zone is hungry,
and another is drunken" says the great apostle
and he adds: what have We not houses to
eat and drink in ? or despise We the Church of
God " The most frantic pessmist would not
venture to address such words to any church
now-the occasion has long since ceased.
The Puritan colony of Massachusetts, in 1890
is often cited as a model community. Ger
tainly..it was profoundly religious and after the
best type of that day. Yet it was so far from
accepting. or even conceiving, of truths which
are automatic in our times that its most hon.
ored and influential pastor, John Cotton wrote
this sentence, to which the whole world said
amen: 1T was federation that made the world
anti Christian. and the Church never took
harm by the punishment of heritics." Under
this dietum the ears of refractory Quakers
were clipped: and Roger Williams, a hero of
faith born 200 years too soon. was driven igno-
miniously out of Massachusetts because he set
his ideas of democracy and tolerarlon on two
Boston. Roger Williams himself was behind
rather than ahead of his generation some
points.
He refused, for instance. to unite with the
church in Boston because its members would
not make public declaration of their repent
ance for having commenced with the Church
OF ENGLAND before emigration" It was then
mooted question as to whether women were
commanded to appear at church veiled. Singu-
larly enough Williams, the radical, said yes
and the conservative Cotton said no. The his
Cotton handled the subject so convincingiy one
Sunday morning that the ladies cSme to church
in the afternoon unveiled.
Coming down to day within the memory of
people yet living, we hnd state-of things la
mentable enough; little or no interest in mis-
sions. home or foreign; bitter rivalry and jeal-
ousles Detween the denominations: no commu-
nifty of Christian feeling; an adhesion to creeds
at the exgense of practical piety, with narrow
ness and blgotry rampant.
No; knowledge of the past is the best anti
dote for complaint of the present. There is
enough now that is perplexing; not because
former times were so millennial, but because
the progress has been and is so slow
But bad as to-day is, yesterday was worse.
We have gained enough, not for satisfaction.
but for encouragement. On the ground of
what has been done the churches may well be
inspired TO greater effort. Let the watch words
be hope and zeal