The Newtown bee., 1891-11-27
A Psychological Study.

A Psychological Study.
What doth it profit, by brethren, though a
man say he hath faith and have not works?
Can faith save him p st. James, III, IA.
Rev Harrison w. George, who has been
convicted of manslaughter, undertook
very difficult task. He tried to persuade
the jury that he was at one and the same
time very guilty man and a very worthy
Christian gentleman.
That is to say, he confessed to the COM
mission of one of the gravest crimes in
the calendar, but suggested that, since
God had forgiven him, it would be wrong
for his fellow men to condemn him. We
can better understand his position, per-
haps, if we accept the theory of Mr. Fiero,
his lawyer, that Mr. George is psychology
ically a 'monstrosity.''
The words we have quoted from st.
James afford US the true standard of
moral excellence. The apostle init
mates that believing and doing are
equally necessary and that faith and
works can't be divorced without injury to
both.
Mr. Georges first blunder was allow
ing himself to differ with the apostle on
this subject. He seems to think that, if
man has faith, it is not necessary to
pay mnch attention to the kind Of life he
leads. He told Lottie Townsend that he
was sorry for having ruined her and pro-
posed that they should both 60 down on
their lznanc anG 70 ha II
calls that repentance, then declares in
ex cathedra tones that he is 'tsaved
through the purchased redemption and
even goes so far as to express willing
ness to forgive those enemies who
thought it their duty to expose his
crime.
We should be very sorry to have such
loose notions about pure and undefiled
religion prevail to any extent. The COM
mon sense statement of St. James far
outweighs the sickly sentimentalism of
= Mr. George. The former gives us doc
trine based on the common sense of man
kind and the latter simply furnishes us
with fire escape which is delusion and
a snare. St. James tells us that heaven
is won by faith which reflects itself in
noble life, Or which produces a noble
life, but Mr. George thinks that when you
are caught in the act, if you say you are
sorry, you do all that can be reasonably
required and should be promptly acquit-
ted. We are not versed in theologic lore,
but in our: humble judgment when such
men with such vagaries stand at the bar
of justice in the other world they will be
been seriously faulty.
1t is possible that infidelity may smack
its lips over the fall of clergyman and
with biting sarcasm generalize concern
ing the whole class. That would be en-
inently unfair and illogical. There are
black sheep in every flock, but the flock
is not therefore black. The clergy exer-
else an elevating influence on every COM
munity and they illustrate the doctrines
they teach by unselfish lives. They are
a large hearted class, quick in their SYM
pathies, tender of conscience and sturdy
defenders of whatever is honest and of
good report. The masses of the people
very properly repose great confidence in
their pastors. Men are naturally relig-
ious and have respect for religious insti-
buttons. No matter how corrupt a man
may be, he always expects at some time
Or other to turn over new leaf and earn
the right to go to heaven. And it is q
curious fact that such men agree with
st. James and do not agree with Rev Mr.
George. That is to say, they don't ex-
pect to say 81 believe" and on the
strength Of that faith be saved, but they
intend to correct their lives, reform their
habits and do such deeds as prove that
they are out of the old ways and in the
new way.
The clergy ought to lay greater stress
on upright living as the only means Of
proving that faith is worth having. And
they ought to tell their people more en-
phatically that, unless in the next world
a man can show some good deeds as evil
dence of his faith, he needn't expect to
have very agreeable time.-GNew York
Sunday Herald.