The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-12
Rev. Mr.. Webb Discusses Culture
From Which Religious Ideas
Are Excluded.
Increasing Interest in the Temper
auce Revival Conducted
by Col Woodford.
His Earnest Eloquence Induces Many
People to Sign the Total Alb
stinence Pledge.

Rev. MIR. Webb, OF the Episcopal churcn.
preached an interesting sermon yesterday
morning from the text, "And Gallo cared
ornone of these things'-Acts xviii.17.
Gallo is the type of class. We know
more of him than this brief reference in the
acts Of the apostle shows. Hewas man Of
culture; but it was of the kind from which
tho recognition Of religious ideas ia
excluded. OF such culture he exhibits
both the best results and the most common
defects. Let us look into these defects.
Is it not in the first place essentially sell
nowadays the influence of religion to some
extent enters. How can one wholly escape
from being touched by the great thoughts
of religions of immortality, of the work
and love of Christ, of human accounta-
bility. Yet az factors in their plan of life
some persons giys such o IDEAS no posi- positive v
achieve great deal. Where will you put
the limit to the graces of mind and man.
ner which man by assiduous care may
cultivate? He may store his memory
richly with knowledge and learn to bring
it out skillfully in q way that will tell to his
own advantages; his judgment may be
nicely, his taste trained until it becomes
irreproachable. With a mastery gained by
no easy schooling he may stand behind his
emotions, and, with consummate TACT con-
troll them absolutely. But suppose it all
ends with this! Is it not right to ask con-
corning any pursuit Or requirement: What
item the sum Of human wretchedness2 Does
it honor God, and is it making the world
one particle better? Some men live ex-
clusively for themselves, but none the less
are they exclusively selfish when they do
SO. Ones own person is too small point
in the universe for all the influence and re-
suits of his labor to converge upon. And
if, while one's knowledge enlarges-of art,
Il the 0o world " knows low "" Is devotee e1
his svmpathies narrow, where is
the value of his culture7 D'Israeli's de-
scription of Horace Walpole may be count
ed also sweeping generalization: HE
was so imbued with the petty elegancies of
society, that every impression of grandeur
in the human character was deadened in
the breast of the polished cynic." How in
evitsble this deadening of the sensibillties
is when God is forgotten and all pursuits
ton. You are selfish even in your religion,
if you think your mission on earth will be
fulfilled il you only secure at last your own
salvation. In what is she man of rich cul-
ture different from the miser, if his acquisi-
tions never minister in any way to the COM
1OTG OF llxUllE up VI 6UCA dS Ou1lSU CHu0 10
save! You do not call this kind of people
Phsrisees and hypocrites, for they make no
pretence of piety. But their mistake is the
same. Recall the Savior's denunciation and
see how it applies: Woe unto you, scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites! for .ye make
ter, but within they are full of extortion
and excess. Woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! for We are like unto
whited sepulchres, which indeed appear
beautiful outwardly, but are within full of
dead mems bones and of all uncleanness."
souls the sharpest sting of such denuncia-
ton ought to pierce-the people of soft
manners but hard hearts, who love beauti-
full things, hut cherish hateful feelings,
and revel in the pathos of fiction, but feel
no movements of pity for the sorrow of the
your observation shown that neither refine
ment of manner nor grace of person nor
culture of intellect is a certain guarantee of
a humane disposition of an honest life?
The higher the civilization the more decep-
tive the appearances. And is it not true
may smile and smile and be villain?''
Contrasting the lives of these two men
here confronting one another, another de-
feet appears. st. Paul and Gallo represent
these opposite lives of training. For Gal
lilo it was enough when he heard the accu-
sation against the apostle: This fellow
to the law He stops the accused
tmpatiently dismisses the case. Out
of contempt or indifference he overlooks the
tumult which took place around the judg-
ment seat. It is a matter of no moment
what becomes of the offender or of his doc
again to the selfshness of his amiable
character He cares nothing for these
words and "names," nor for the man whe
uttered them nor for the people who heard
them. His culture, as such culture always
does, cut him off completely from the COM
way to his fastidious tastes. st. Paul, on
the contrary, like his master, spent his.life
for those with whom he had nothing in
common but soul, like theirs, immortal.
But the soul is an element with which
worldly culture does not deal. And the en-
thusiasm of humanity is phase of expert
osive. A we'll known resident of Deptford
once replied to Mr.. Bradlaagh, who had
just lectured there, in these words: 81 have
been out often between the hours
of midnight and daybreak, search
ing. for poor friendless lads, with
Jour Boys Home; and have visited some Of
the largest lodging houses in London, and
have seen the Scripture reader engaged in
his work for God, and a. have walked
through the streets have seen the female
missionary dealing with those of her own
sex who had fallen and seeking to save
them from life of misery. But never
have seen anyone out at these hours ready
land willing to afford even temporal help to
those in need, but Christians who were inn
|pelled by the faith and love of Christi
Was not the claim justly made? The
culture which does not aim after the
matchless pattern of the worlds Great
Ideal is repelled from such aggressive work;
and labors like these are undertaken not
lin the name of society, nor in the name of
law, nor in the name Of social science, nor
i'm the name of philosophy, but in the name
of Christ.
To test like that of Gollio's, Plate be-
fore him was called. He sat in judgment
pver question of words and names and
Jewish law. In fear of the pressing con-
eequences of his crimes. he fears at least
before the acts; he stands irresolute, though
be utters at last the unjust decree. The
guilty Felix trembled when this same Paul
reasoned before him of Righteousness, tenn
perance and Judgment to come. And
Agrippa, obnoxious to his subjects, ex-
planned: almost thou persuadest ne to