The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-12-24

zeal, inflamed by rhetoric, producing
spasmodic emotions, coercing sometimes
large contributions, but never sustain
ing patient, enduring work. l. was not
the motive which supported Paul in his
missionary labor and selt-sacrifice. 1t is
not the motive which inspires and sus-
t2lns missionaries in the field to-day. 1t
IS not the motive which the Bible brings
to bear upon men in urging them to mis-
sonary endeavor. The motive for mis-
sions is drawn from the love, not from
the wrath, Of God. Paganism is super
stltlon-that IS, it is religion founded on
fear Christianity is religion founded on
love. The message of the Christian
church is the message of Paul to the
Athenians-W HON We worship without
knowing Him, Him declare l unto you.
The pagan lives under the shadow Of q
great dread. The power of his priesthood
rests upon this dread. The object of his
piIgrimages, penances, prayers. sacri-
ices, IS TO appease the wrath of the gods.
The message of Christianity is the mes
sage OF the angels 10 the frightened shep-
herds, of the Christ to the trembling
disciples, OF the resurrection messengers
to the terrified Women-Fear not 1t is
the declaration that God is love, that his
mercy endureth forever. 1t is a message
that supplants fear with hope. and the
slaves trembling service with the sons
joyful service Of love. The calm assump-
ton that the larger hope will cut the
nerve of missions is an ASSUMPTION that
does violence alike to Scripture. to his
tory, to human nature and TO present OBJ
servation."
The following lay opinion Of the Spree
incident IS from the Boston Transcript:
Mr.. MOody's old friend and o-worller,
Mr.. Bliss, was lost III the terrible rail-
road disaster al AstabluIa, yet lie prac-
tlcally prayed as well as Mr.. Moody on
the Spree. The wisdom of the Almighty
had been impaired in some slight creative
and preventive degree To the men who
invented water-tight compartments. And
prayer at sea or on land in times of ter
rlble stress IS less an evidence Of any
mans ability to work upon the Divine
Power by special pleading than an evil
dence OF all mems perpetual dependence
intensely recognized at such Il time Even
a man as gifted III prayer as ID. 5. Moody
should give the larger laws Of the Ruler
OF the Universe a little more humble
praise and the efficacy of evangelistic
praying a little less. ON the whole, Cen
eral Towards intuition that the passen-
gers would all be saved was a good deal
more like the simple faith enioined upon
the children OF the Kingdom"
Speaking of certain recent occurrences
IN the Roman Catholic Church, the New
York Independent says: "Now, such ex-
hibitiOns of discussions in the Roman
Catholic Church will appear to some a
sign Of weakness. They do not so appear
to us. They are a sign of life and indie
pendence which Will give the church
greater purity and strength. is breath
ing freer air than it ever breathed in the
Old World. 1t demands more liberty for
its members than they have yet enjoyed
in this country. 1t is better for priests
and people to proclaim their liberty with
some sputter and noise than to live in a
condition Of servile pOmp and splendid
vassaiage. The last Baltimore Council
put some added protection around priests
and people. One Of Archbishop Satollfs
missions to this country is to strengthen
these safeguards. The next Baltimore
Council will doubtless do more to
strengthen the priests against the Bishops
and the people against the priests. All
these contentious, which seem SO factious
to the careless observer, are but signs of
healthy vigOr. They indicate the interest
which the people have in their church
and their desire to make it more useful
and more popular. If the Catholic
Church has life. it is expected to show
some of those signs of life which living
organizations exhibit. There must lie
differences Of view and constant develop
ment."