The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-07
TO oHURoB MEMBERS.
BY ZEKE JOHNSON.
No. 2.

Does Christianity pay! It does, even
from a selfish standpoint. Church houses
and missionaries to the heather are not the
only products of Christianity. 1t is not
possible to treat this subject exhauttively in
the limits of these letters, but we will take
a ha'ty view of some important facts:
The morality. at least, Of our civilization
Is the product of Christianity. Greece
Rome and other ancient peoples were highly
civilized in letters and art, bit their
morality was very deficient. Remove all
the benefits flowing TO US from Christianity,
directly ana indirectly, and we would suffer
beyond reparation. There are about CT, 900
preachers in this country, sustained by
Christianity, and who will estimate their
value to the government in dssuading men
from vice and to virtues Every preacher,
if he is what he should be, is peacemaker.
One earnest preacher, faithfully at work in
city, is worth more TO the peace of the
community than five policemen. The best
investment any community can make is
churches; the next best is schools. If you
doubt what say try it. Take two COM
munities having equal natural advantages.
let one have good churches and past rs and
the other none, and ask the price Of real
estate in each. Look at the vast
sums Of money in educational institutions,
hospitals, asylums. put there by Christian
people. AT present he Baptist denomiDa-
ton alone has over $25, 000,0 900 in
vested in education in this country.
Do you say that the state would
build educational institutions il there were
no churchesg Then will you tell us Of q
single uuchristian or heather state that
ever built aSylums aud hospitals for its I'M
foTtunates or schools for its ignorant! No
such state has been established. Then these
institutions are the product of Christianity
directly if established by religious denomi-
nation, indirectly If established by the state.
Tn en- consider the power of Christianity as
exerted through the religious press. Who
can estimate the good influence wrought
upon all classes of society by the books,
papers, periodicals., leaflets, tracts of the
various religious sects. Besides all THE
what is the effect of Christlauity upon our
laws through its power to shape
public sentiment and secure legislations |
recently saw a statement that the expense
of conducting missionary operations in GER
tain of the South Sea islands had been
S3,OOOO0O in fifty years, while Americas
trade with the same people for the same pc
| Rod had bee1 S5O,000,000. Now suppose all
the agencies for good, direct and indirect,
were removed; that all that Christianity
has done and is now doing for mankind
could be instantly blotted out and the hu-
man family placed just where the world
would be but for Christianity, and what
would be the condition of the world?
Africa, China, are partial answers to the
question, though not complete; for all ma
tons, more or less, have been influenced by
Christian civilization.
Christianity does pay, as nothing else
pays, If this is true then what follows2
| Why, that it should be supported, not by
taxation or by establishing one or all sects
as state religion, but by the voluntary Of
| feriugs of those who realize its benefits and
those benefited by it. Pastors should be
| literally and amply sus' aimed, churches
should be well built and furnished, rel gious
literature literally supplied to the young,
the missionary spirit encouraged and its
operations extended aud all the agencies of
Christianity used to their utmost capacity
Who is to do this! Church members. You,
as a member of Christ's kingdom, belong to
Christ, and your duty Is to do his COM
mands. Do you do itl
How do you sustain your pastor? Do you
say that you give this or that to him,
thus representing him as a paupera Does
church committee have to beg you for
subscription and then beg you to pay it? If
80, you are very sorry church member, and
ought to improve. Do the colleges aud
schools beg you in vain for help? Do you
give to hospitals. homes, asylums and other
institutions built by the contributions of
Christian people? If not your religion is
not helping mankind nor glorifving God
If you refuse the duty, what will you do
vita the privileged What about the honesty
of man who e1j VS. all the benefits and
privileges of Christianity and refuses to
their debts; you owe Christianity a debt
nav it