The daily state chronicle., 1890-12-07
CHRIST APPLAUDED AND THE
CHURCH KISSED.

The great problem that confronts the
preachers and publicists of to day is how
to carry the gospel to the masses of man
kind In the days when the religion OF
the blessed Jesus was first proclaimed,
the common people heard him gladly.
1t was the toiling poor who were his
earliest disciples, and the first martyrs
were from the ranks of the humble and
the poor. There was no problem then
of how to reach the masses. They saw
in the new gospel justice to them
that had been forever denied to them by
the ruling classes. They saw hope for
time and eternity for them in the new
gospel, and they accepted His message
and His teachings, and tried to bring
their lives into harmony with the noble
precepts of the gospel of light and JUS
tice and purity.
There has been a great change in the
years that have followed. The accept
ance of the gospel by the educated and
rich brought its blessings into all condi-
tions of life. Accepted in the spirit "we
are brethren" it is for the uplifting and
bringing together of oil classes and con-
ditions of men. But christianity in it's
purity will not live or thrive unless its
adherents believe in and practice the
doctrine of the brotherhood of men, and
the equality of all the sons of Adam.
In most of the cities the poor people
do not attend church. 1t Is the fashion
able and the well-to.do who take the
best seats in the Christian synagogues,
and say to the poor ''stand thou there. {"
AS consequence in many homes of the
working people an indifference as to
Christianity has come to bring dullness
and coldness where spiritual light and
warmth ought to glow. In others, there
has como skepticlsm and unbelef
among the laboring people which has
caused them to reject Christianity as il
is presented to them and to despise its
churchers and its ministers. A recent
writer in the North American Review
gives this incident in the life of BENZ
TILLRTT, young English labor leader
He was speaking to an immense
crowd of workingmen, many of then
Socialists. He spoke to them about tn,
Christian church, and the people hissed
bis allusion to the church, showing that
they hated it and its pretense of help
ing to lift them up. Then he be
gan to talk about his Divine Master. H,
spoke Of what the Man of Naz areth sale
when he was upon earth; he told then
what the Man of Nazareth did when b.
dwelt among men; and he added wha
he believed the Nan of Nazareth would
do to workingmen and dock laborer
were he here to-day. He grew more an,
more earnest as he spoke of the right
eousness and sympathy and unselfish
ness and love Of the Man of Nazareth
AT last Socialist cried out: Lets Civ
three cheers for that Man of Nazareth
He is the best man of whom we hav
ever heard!' And Immediately thou
sands of hats and caps were uplifted
and thousands of voices joined IN ring
lag cheers for the Man of Nazareth.
Kisses for the church, and hurrall
for Christ, "the Man of Nazareth" i
almost the same breath was strang
spectacle.
1t would not bs fair to argue from thi
that the church has repudiated the Cos
pei Of Christ, or that all it's ministers an
members are false to their professions
Far from it. But this incident teaches th
needed lesson that religi' consists nc
in splendid structures, eloquent sermon
trained singers, and an outward exh
bit of the highest culture, but in doin
good to all men and exhibiting the pra
tical gospel that all men are brethren
that all are equal in this world as we
as in His sight.
That is the lesson the church has tt
often failed to teach. 1t has too ofte
bowed down to wealth, position or i
fuence. 1t has too often had code
morals for men that was more lax tht
that for women, and Q code of rules f
the rich that was soft and luxurious, al
for the poor one that was hard and full
thorns. People of rank and wealth ar
influence have too often sought to pe
form their duties to their poorer bret
rem by proxy. and seemed to think that
money contribution was as valuable
warm grasp Of the hand. Chapels (
the poor and churches for the rich ha
made an estrangement, and those W
have most of worldly goods have t
often regarded themselves AS made
superior clay to their poorer and m
pious neighbors. Sectarianism has r
riot and retarded the growth of II
Christianity.
In the great labor problems and d