The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-20
studied in the ligh. OF the fruit which it has

been producing
SO am ready to take another step In this
study and affirm that the moral advancement OF
this world has been in proportion to the light
which Its Inhabitants have received from the
gospel OF Christ Jesus. And wish you to bear
carefully III mind the form of statement here,
| IL IL the moral advancement of this world OF
which we speak. This should be carefully
borne in mind. because there are those who
nave stood very high in the sciences of certain
Kinds, but were very low in their morals. There
10 not necessarily any connection between the
pnysical sciences and morality. man may
rise 20 the highest point In the physical sciences
and be a. low morally as the most degraded
| Hottentot There are unmistakabls proofs OF
| this fact And We should bear this fact In
mind, that We may the more clearly under
| stand our theme. 1t is not scientific advance
| ment that we are now discussing, but moral
| advancement Nations have been known. al
Wen AZ individuals, to rise to lofty position AZ
| 70 their intellectual attainments, while at the
same time they were living on the lowest moral
plane But it Is the characteristic OF the
christian religion that IL offers the means by
| which to lift the whole man Godward. When
| IL has led him to the front rank q scientist
wnen he rises to his full capacity as an insei-
| lectual being, he will also stand upright and
| noble morally. Then what has this Gospei been
doing to lift this race, to lead it out in great
moral reforms to correct all its social and moral
| evils? This is a just Interrogation. 1t suggests
| the proper line of study for him who is going
| to make a correct decision in regard to the
| merits Of this book. But 1t is not referred to
| here with any thought that all that it has done
! In this direction can ever be uttered by human
| speech. 1t will be long after the judgment
books are opened that this can be fully known.
| But as to the question OF what has been the in
| huence OF the Bible upon the moral and social
reforms of the world, let US invoke a few facts
from history.
| Let US do this with the full knowledge that
| tae Gospel has not had very extended oppor-
! tunity to show what it can do We must re-
| member that the Gospel has not been in the
| world 1000 years yet; and that 1t came into
! world which had been without the Gospel for
| 1900 years. We could fairly ask you to wait
| 1000 years more before asking q comparison OF
| the world with a Gospel in it with world
which had no Gospel in 1t. And if We should
make that fair demand at your hands, what
| think you, will be the results of the onward
march of this Gospel for 1000 years more, IL We
| are to judge from the 1900 years now drawing
| to close? God could afford to give satan 1900
| years the start and then come out infinitely
| ahead of him in the race. In bringing some OF
| the facts of this swift march of Gospel bene-
ficence before US let US begin with what is true
| culture
| This the world did not have when the Gospel
made its advent among u.s. And we need now
| to be careful in using this term because OF its
Delng much misunderstood. A noted German
| scholar lately said:
"No word is so mischievously misunderstood
! and misapplied this high-sounding watch
word of our time-culture." The Gospel is hav-
ing one OF its most desperate battles to fight at
| the very door OF our educational thought True
| culture consists of real refinement OF mind and
| spirit Professor Christlieb says: Couture in
the highest sense of the word, is nothing more
| than reversion to the divine image"
And this same author makes these state
ments, which are well worthy of consideration
here: "If from German music painting, archi-
| lecture, sculpture, and from the most import
| ant branches of German science We take away
that which owes its origin to the influence OF
! Christian ideas, we shall soon find that we have
| deprived them of their BEST most spiritual,
| most ideal elements, which most tend to educa-
| ton and elevation; and We shall immedi-
| ately recognize the impossbility of
| any such separation, just because Christianity
| Is most intimately intertwined with our whole
culture" And in speaking for his own nation
| he declares that they owe their energies, their
| assiduity in labor to the Gospel of Christ. And
| that the same is true of their views of right and
| order. give you this statement bearing upon
| the subject in hand. He says: ION what are
founded the views which we entertain at the
! present day to marriage and the family life?
| What is it that has aided the female sex in at
| tanning the free and dignifed position which it
| assumes among us? What is it that has taught
| us to treat children as If they were little
| 'majesties? 1t was and is the influence OF the
| Gospel, which teaches the equality of all men
! before God, and pays regard to every individual
| man on account Of the divine image In him
| and his own eternal destiny
| The idea which this world had OF man before
/ the Gospel came needed a reformation. The
| whole thought OF this world touching human
| life needed to be revOlutionized. Four thou
| sand years without the Gospel did not aid in
1 n +v., It 49,
| life The greatest Greek philosopher taught
| that only part of the race were possessed OF
| immortal souls And IL will not be needful to
/ pause here to recall the sad fact that when the
| Gospel came it found the highest civilization
| which had grown up without the Gospel killing
| their aged and helpless; Staying their infirm
children and having little regard for life or lib
| erty. 1t was at this point that the Gospel made
| one of its most decided and efnost needed re-
| forms.
We look over the land now, and in less than
| half the time that the world was without the
| Gospel the lands where its influence has gone
| are dotted with benevolent institutions like the
! stars of the sky. Thus has the thought OF hu-
| man life undergone n complete revolution
| From this the laws of the civilized world have
| also undergone great moral revolution. A
| century ago husband might sell his wife as a
slave.
Slavery existed throughout the world Hun
| gary numbered nine millions of slaves. Aus
| tr;an, Prussian and Russian peassntry were
mostly slaves or serfs in low condition. For
| the first seven years of this century English
ships carried annually across the Atlantic 1000
! slaves one-half of whom persisted in crossing
| the water or soon after landing. Today the flag
| of the save-owner floats over no land except
| that which the Gospel has not entered. And
Just here want to revert to a statement that Is
| often made touching the dark ages. Those who
| do OF regard the truth. or who have been mis-
led tell us that Christians committed the great
| est crimes of the whole world. They will tell
you that Christians stood in the way of progress,
| and burned men at the stake. They charge all
! the work of the dark ages upon the church.
/ Docs not this show fearful degree of human
| perversity7 What were the dark ages? Ages
| In which the Bible was shut up / call your at
tenton to the fact that there is nothing candid or
fair about calling those the fruit OF the Cos
pei W hen that book was sealed volume. Sup
| pose that there were some persons calling them
| selves a church who burned people at the stake
| and killed them in ali conceivable ways il
/ those same people doing this Al unen-
| Hghtenei people; people who had first shut
| up the light OF the Scriptures. This is what
| brought on the dark ages. And this same thing
/ would bring dark ages again If Satan could i'm
| prison the Gospel And you should remember
! that those people who gave their lives at the
| fires of persecution were the people who did
| have the Bible. And those who loved the Cos
| rel and fought and suffered unto death for it
| till al last il emerged from its hiding place
were the poop lie who brought to us this great
! day of light which We are now enjoying. And
/ there should be said another thing here. You
! are accustomed 10 hearing much said in our day
against the Puritans Now that the best ele-
Inents in this land are respectfully asking that