Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-09-30

hfH NfAN ~ Oh I'll
couragement h cid out 10 the few con
vefts made at the late revival meeting,
held In this city. They could nnmt
their own minister, and chose IN,
society With which they would bt
co nnected; thus simply consigninp
converts 70 n condition Of recognized
disngreornent In church standing and
fellowship.
Asa class Of men, Il 10 pitiable to
know they are not what they should
be. We 10 not always find them re.
presenting In their lives the life OF
their Master-the meek and lowly
Jesup. Too many OF them are edu.
Gated o. other professionals nro-for
the Nero purpose Of obtaining good
living by their services. The minis.
teriai circle has not power TO claim It's
ranks from the infamy and criminal
disgrnce which 30 frequently appear In
the public Journals, aud which serve
TO make Christianity a hiss and a bye.
word with the observing mass Of the
people. There are too many among
them who are n willing 10 send peo.
pie TO hell ma to heaven, should they
happen 10 disagree with them ms 10 the
way and mode Of getting there.
lt In q notorious fact that many Of
the Christian ministers are foremost
and unrelonting In their persecution
and misrepresentation OF other societies
as Christian ms themselves, when en-
gagged In religious controversy.
IL 10 no. beyond recollection that a
young man in this Christian nation
had faith enough In God when con-
vefted TO religion, to ask OF Him which
OF the many churches he should Join,
and when he received answer, and
proclaimed II 10 the world, that ne was
TO Join none OF them NJ being the
Church OF Christ, n storm OF persecu.
tion arose from these pious, religious
leaders that never ceased while he
lived, aud the few who showed favor
to the young man and beiriended him,
were made sharers with him Of tue
same demoniac hate.
This was In our land OF religious
liberty, where no law interiered with
u mau's faith In God, and where no
court was supposed TO tell men how or
what they should worship.
Some ten years since, the crimes
committed In one year by m iulstors,
and published In the public papers,
were gathered by one man to the num-
Der OF 20l, and these were presumed to
be- not One.tenth Of the actual number
pefpeiraied by the Christian clergy OF
our nation. These crimes were COM
mitted by s02 preachers, who were
convicted In the courts and their cases
published. This possibly may be the
reason why tho rev. gentleman Of this
city makes reference to the courts
being competent to decide upon the
Christianity Of the nation bearing such
fruits u Righteousness, in which II Il
alleged that the clergy, ns class, com.
init more crime ia proportion to num-
bers than any other.
Other iustar 'us may be considered;
such, for instance, as mn Internal
fratricldal wRrl1f years duration--the
despoillng Of nearly one.third Of the
nation by robbery, and by expanding
millions Of money In the noble Chris
tian work of destroying hundreds OF
thousands OF lives anu leaving millions
OF Borrowing wives, children and
friends whose cries have assembled 10
heaven while mourning their loss.
Then there Il the naughty pride and
arrogance that rcigns supreme through.
out the land In the midst Of illuence,
while the despisod, neglected, starving
poor are eking out n miserable exist.
ence with none TO pity, and TO whom
death would bca welcome relief. All
these, with the daily crimes committed
which are enough To "make the
angels wecp''-mlght DO pu, Ia the
scales and weighed In contrast with |
our nations excellence, and then let |
that God, who will not look upon sin |
with any degree OF allowance, instead |
OF thu nation's court, decide by the |
standard OF Righteousness upon the ma.
toms Christianity.
While this revolving condition OF
things exhibits n vast amount OF
hypocrisy and downright wicKedness,
we know the nation has "A vast mum.
Der Of dovout worshippers who revet.
ence God ana recognize the mission OF |
Jesus Christ In It's true significance 90
far ns their knowledge enables them to
the truth rs through Him
revealed. These may be- considered "a
the salt Of the earth, by virtue OF whose
Influence many may be saved.
Courts may by investigation know
something about mems crimes, but
their knowledge Of mems faith and
religion is too tritllng TO pass a reliable
Judgment that viii secure the endorse
ment OF Christ 10 their decision.
Christianity IL not a matter Of mass
10 be- determined by
but is individual property,
the value OF which can only be appre.
ciated by its TossessOr. s. w. II.