Telegram-herald., 1890-11-10
rHK THOUGHTS OF a CRANK.


Il - noi pleasant - Wrlte uoon .
theme Ike thiS oae = almost surs -
make enemies hy Il, no matter Aow
carefully he may proeeea but 4 = soai
hears "a thinks Il hears ; Voice hida lng
Il Cry ALOUD ana spare no5, aad sseW
ny peopls tasig slas that soui shoula
AlsAys obey, Eerardless ~ the c0asa-
Qusnces 10 itssA. ] ase the phrAse
modern religious agencies boo4use 4
Is tie present rather than the la2sl. that
especially concerns as, Ii is dlshesrs-
ening, however, g remember that
Jesus. the Christ, faced ust such
condition as We do today, The teTribo
force OF has insecuve has echoed and
re-eOh0ed IA meas ears Al down the
ages. lie has often hcen called ''ghe
meek and loNly Jesus. when Ia fect
no man that ever lived displayed such
volcanoes Of wrath az be dad
whenever he turned via pity
ing eyes from ths uncnuEched
sinners of hls day a. the jewish
hlenaTsky. Where IA al literature c2n
YOU ma more scatnlng lmprecstions
than these. Woe unto sou, scTibtS
and PhArlsees, hypoorlIas. for ye COM
psss sea and land 90 make one prose
lyte; and when hs is become 80. se
make hlm tNDfold more a son of he'll
than yoursel sos' A Nrelgheo waste
Of time, money and energy, surely.
Again Woe unto you, scTibos ana
PhsTlsees, hyp0ertes, fof ye are Ike
unto Nhitud sepulchrcS, which OUT
wsrdls appear beautiful, bat inWardly
are full OF dead mems bones, Ana al al
uneleanuess. Even 50 ye also cut
wardly appear righteous unto men, buf
inwardiy We are iaA Of Hypocrisy and
inlQuiiy." "Ae serpeniE, ye offspring
of Sipers, how shall ye escape the iudg-
menf OF helly' Vide. Matt %. Is, -,
., So.
Isitany wonder that they rose up in
their wrath and hunted ham 20 the
death? Christ's theme was Tine ethi-
cal weakness of modern religious
agencies" but having the same theme,
! would not dare 10 use such lnvecuves
as these. Indeed, greatly doubt
whether Christ himself wac wise IN DO
ing 50. he did not succeed Ia reforming
the church. Has own wonderful career
Was brought % sudden and unumely
end; at least, it seems unnmely 10 as.
My object Is 10 AJAX calm, honest
considers ton Of the question. Have
We any adequate return for the vast
expenditure Of money, time and talent
by our various religious agencies, or
even semi-religlous agencies, of what
ever name or naturef Their Ultimate
object is 10 build up character, % nour-
ish'the virtues, and 10 suppress the Woes
OF mankind. DO they 90 it2 For ~
stance, our city erpends large amount
each year for educational purposes. but
If our boys and girls do not know anv
more at the end of the year than they
did at the beginning, 4 - very clear
that our money has been largely wasted.
So, If at the end o. years OF several
years OF religious effort, involving A
vast expenditure Of money, and time.
and energy, the church has nothing
tangible 10 show for II: Il can well ask
itself, what u the reasony OF course.
there are certain social and in
tellectual benefits following the
maintenance of The church machinery
which ia part yield some return on the
investment; but reader, II you are
member or supporter Of q church, did
you ever try 20 make up a balance
sheet and 10 carefully ascertain the
net returnY
Going 70 church is not an unmixed
good by any means. IL we could bgt
analyze the VARIOUS motives which
prompt men. and especially women. %
20 to church, and the actual moral re-
suit of the habit st the end q q certain
space of time, our hearts might sink
within us. The condition of a wornan's
bonnet or a mans coat lcveu though
they are members Of the church often
settles the question whether they 20 %
church or stsy at home; ss II the Gre
ator they profess 70 worship cared
about either coat or bonnet How
many true worshippers OF God would
there be IN the church II the motives
which are absolutely irrellgious were
absent?
Age after age the deacon" and the
"elder" have been the but; Of udicuis
and contempt. This would not have
been the case had there not been
some measure Of reason for u.
These men are usually selected Tor
their superior spiritual sttsnments.
They are usually men who have had
years of so-cslled religious culture; yet
Il not Infreouently happens tbst they
are the nSrrowctt. most purnacious,
conceIted, self-righteou. and intolersnt
members Of the congregation. They
NAV be pillars" but often they are
not bright and shining lights" Surely,
something 10 radically wrong when 4
man has been a member OF . church
for % year.. and has prayed and read
bis Bible, and AL that. and vet Il az OBJ
lect OF contempt, and Justly 20 among
those that are without How marV
churches have We known that did not
scruple % repudlste an honest debit
How many mIBiste - with white locks
have played the part Of Peter and
Judas1
Now, these few illustrations. thus
mildly stated, cfnphaslso our proposi-
ton that there . something radicsliv
wrong or weak IN our modern religions
agencies. There a 10 broad hne Of
demarkation between the men and
women in the church and uut ~
il, but there ought to be Il
e IDLE ~ tax about spiritual
culture without ethicsi ffuits
OF Of the value Of faith. when the man
who claims b. nave faith % in no vsv
superior " the mar who las no fsiih.
We have no business o. 20 behlud con-
duct A man q " he judged ~ as sc-
tons. II rel fioBs culture does not
produce virtuous actions "a % a. lxno-
minious failure
lr brief newspsper article one nee
esssT1ly must iesTe mnch unssid thst
ought r. 70 sac ui order - svoio Fris.
uu6erstand nF bet J would submit q. e
sasrchug q0sstun - every reader -
tns articls ~bo = . uleyrbrf of arv
church. Are you Any more hnnest "a
heart. sfy nor vf1tuour. yweft-fef.-