The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-05-11
e1SUNDAY TH0UGHTSDo
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MORHLSE MANNERS
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Fly A CLERGYMAN.


Drummond emphasizes the truth that
Christs mission was the reconstruction of
soci sty on the basis OF the golden rule. In
his first great book, Natural Law in the
Spiritual World" he discussed current
problems in theology and science. Now,
following the trend OF the times, he wan
ders off into sociology. This is, and
promises long to be. the question of ques-
TONS There is more dynamite In it than
In one of RavachoPs bombs, and more
forcite than in one of Most's harangues.
It's a singular fact. significant of the
slow progress OF ideas, that the inherant
rsdicaiism and revolutionary purposes OF
Christianity should have been so tardily
apprehended and realized, considering the
Zominal acceptance of its tenets through
out Christendom. The earlier Caesars did,
indeed, scent both heresy and treason in
II. But when the later Caesars adopted
the new faith they should seem to have
ignored the religious red republicanism
of the new creed, and TO have transformed
it into the prop OF imperislism-the most
remarkable uisdirection in history.
For there the radicalism and revolution
are. The commandments and practice of
Christ are in direct conflict with the
.ganization of society, past and present.
Before the one can be obeyed and the
other followed, the whole social fabric must
be reformed.
The aim of Christianity is the grandest
that can be conceived of-ths making
new heaven and a new earth founded upon
righteousness; the introduction of liberty,
comfort, beauty. peace into human life;
the transformation of the wilderness into
garden, budding and blossoming like the
rose; the evolution of the human out of
the animal and of the divine out of the
human; and the domestication of heaven
upon earth. What program How far
reaching and stupendous the changes it
contem plates
It is not the least among the wonders of
misconception and misinterpretation to
which Christianity has been subjected
that the church itself, the very society
founded by Jesus as the medium of his
gospel. should have failed so sadly to en-
body his spirit. Here, surely, we should
have expected TO find the kingdom of God
in miniature Where else might divine
model be looked for? Vain hopel The
church is full of worldliness, selfshness and
indifference TO outcrying human needs.
Its piety is routine. Its gospel is not the
gospel of Christ, but the gospel of Hum
drum. Its trinity, like the worlds, is the
gold eagle, the silver dollar and the cop
per cent Its creed is usage. Its psws are
rented and occupied. largely, by fashion.
1t is just as much la mode 70 carry a
prayer book on Sunday as it is to carry a
pocket book on Monday. Religion is too
much profession and too little practice
All this comes doubtless, from the diff
Guilty of realizing high ideals. Those of
Christianity are the highest of all Take
its ideal OF brotherhood. The ancients
had no such conception-never even ap-
proximated it. Their only idea of kind
ship was family. tribal, national-never
cosmopolitan. When the Nazarine dis
closed the twin truths of divine brother
hood and human brotherhood the dis
closure was so infinitely beyond men that
ages elapsed before the teaching material
lied. and only just now do we begin to
grasp it. The church has been a club, ex-
elusive rather than inclusive. Outside
distinctions have found place there as
elsewhere Christians at last begin to
understand that brotherhood means kin
There is possible MARY in every Magda-
len. possible Matthew in every publican
even this dawns upon the consciousness
OF believers. Our neighborhOOd does not
end just around the corner. but runs
north, south, east, west with human need
this fact has been discovered.
Another characteristic Christian ideal is
service. Freely We have received" says
Jesus, "freely give" and Paul said he was
debtor both to the Jew and the gentle.
There is laid upon every believer the obli-
CATION OF personal service. Instead Of saw
ing, when God calls, Here is my check
send some one else p the true Christian
responds, Here am l, send me-" Time,
talent, knowledge, money, opportunity
these are trusts and are TO be administered
for the glory of God and the relief of mans
estate. This is central tenet of Christ
ianity and one constantly illustrated by
yssus of Nazareth, who wrote about doing
good"
How far the world, how far the church
q from any adequate understanding and
observance of it. Some folks say Christ
ianity is outgrOwn-a back number.
Well, before we relegate it to the lumber
room or sell it as waste paper would it be
HofAnk WV ~ Wulb nbu bNC ~ lodliLo
q few of its distinctive ideals? Some other
folks think these contain the promises
and potency OF the millennium.
1t has been well said that it is only
among Christian nations that toll is
counted honorable. In Rome at the be-
ginning of the empire there were 10000
senators and knights and 900 900 slaves.
There was no middle class-no people in
our modern sense. The empire was par
eelled out between the throne and the
castle, the emperor and the mobiles. 1t
was almost as bad in Athens. Aristotle
said: ANY form of industry which re-
quireS physical strength is degrading to a
freeman"
But Christ was himself a workingman.
He wrote the magma charta OF Christian
ity with the hands OF carpenter. We
begin at last TO understand that labor is
honorable and that it is idleness that is
degrading. Who are the hypochondriacs?
Are they the toilers? We trow not. You
shall find them gentlemen and ladies' of
elegant leisure. Find a man who has
nothing to do and we will show you one
who, like Henry Nv has lost his stomach,
his pleasure and his Sleep"
Culture epelled with hi0 q IL avn