Telegram-herald., 1890-12-18
THOUGHTS OF A mlsIsrEa
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l0ar correspondent. M. Gibson, an
entire stranger 10 me, ~ the way,
utters some strange things IL year lssus
OF December IS. lie o0abts the wls
dom Of the clergy having an "0ficisi'
eonneoEoa with the suggested move
ment, ana proposes that & shall be .
municipal movement, win the mayor
u be high priest, the aldermen apostles
and the city treasury as the source az
revenue. Intellectual pigmies must
stand aside and intellectual giants
must be called from some scientific
BFobdignsg, and the Lllilputian masses
must st and hear the giants roar.
4 very nice scheme, forsooth, but Mid
and impfactieAble IA the extreme.
Anything that ssyors of Church and
State Is repugnsnt 10 our American
ideas, and the religious" education OF
the people AT public expense ls out VI
the question IA this country.
But Mr.. Gibson misreads history when
be makes the ludiscTimlnate charge
against the church which be Gays "has
made the most wreIched history known
TO man" lt Is true the church j.
charged with some hideOus things III
history, but those crimes of history
were the result OF the very alliance
With the State, which Mr.. Gibson pro-
poses. The church got 50 mixed up
with the secular arm that 10 Was ifn-
possible 10 distinguish between the two.
The Pope acted the potentate, the mon
arch was subject 10 the priest.
The church had 10 accept ali the
credit for the crimes committed
during this alliance. Then, again, in
dividual popes and prelates, trained in
that school. did some very atTocious
things; both, nevertheless, somehow.
even during tie darkest ages, the real
church was in the van OF learning. in
accumulaunC libraries, prombung edu-
cation, and maintaining worship beside
sundry other benefits 10 men. But Mr.
Gibson Will find that no preacher will
even sQuint toward a renewal of an
alliance, which would make the church
again respons bic for the crimes OF
politicians, be they priestly or secular
politicians.
Mr.. Gibson seems TO be entirely "off"
IN his idea that the ministers are asked
or asking whether this mass meeting Is
held or not. The idea of reaching the
masses for their religious good Is pure
ly a Christian idea. Ii has been dis
cussed in conventions and cOnvocatlons
for years. 1t is a hackneyed subject.
The preachers try TO reach the masses.
and in a measure do reach them. II
anybody can do any better, let him try
1t on. There is fine opportunity for
some intellectual giant" 10 immortal
iZe himself III that way. 1t is puz-
zle to the preachers why those who
are disposed to prod them do not
get hold of the problem and solve IT. As
a matter OF fact the masses have been
reached. They swarm TO hear Moody,
and Jones, and others. Still there
remains residuum of the unreached.
Bot the only ones that do reach them,
for the purpose of impartlng religious
and moral instruction thus far, are the
preachers. Occasionally, for q single
brilliant effort, some free-tongued
free thinker comes along and
has crowd; both for steady
instruction and appeal to the moral
instincts the preachers have carried the
palm.
Most of the preachers stand ready to
change places with the laity, when the
laity wants TO. Come on and take
hand, brethren of the laity, "reach the
masses" Every preacher in the city
Will be delighted, If the problem be
solved. Preachers are men, brethren
with brethren. They are hard worked
class, putting in more hours OF down
right hard drudgery than some other
classes. Their time IS not limited
to "elght hours" nor "ten hours"
nor TO SIX days IN the week.
They are as anxious 10 save
men by science, philosophy, charity,
theaters, balls, lectures, etc, providing
they can be saved by such means; but
knowing what they do of such expert
ments IN the past, and how utterly
abortive they have been. they do not
want to be everlastlngly experimenting.
Therefore they lean 10 the methods
that have certainly saved many, until
they discover the sure, swift and in
fallible method, by which all can be
saved. | fear, however. there is a
"'toggle JOINT" in the methods of some
of the "cranks,"
Thank God for the new National crv
not "God save the King" but "God
save the masses" Thank God for the
idea of tins special project. We pre-
sumo the preachers of salvation"
stand ready, every one of them. TO fall
into line, when it shall appear that it is
not an experiment. It is not good
geneTalsbip, however, to leave the fort
tor the open field, unless there Is pros
pect of q victory. We must keep the
citadel intact. The churches are the
base Of supplies, and the drill ground
for the troops. Yours truly.
JoHN Verify.
Grand Ranfde Dccou1hor 16