The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-04-21

humanitarian love for the degraded and
| Ignorant, as well as the nobler prin-
clple OF unselfish service, summons
every true man to benevolent interest in
his fellowmen. Wealth has not yet
learned, but we trust is fast learning, its
mission. We, as clergymen, are under
no more obligation to preach the gospel
than any other Christians in Portland.
Our divine call relates to the form of
ministry, not to the ministry itself. The
man of business is as truly called of
| God as the student of theology. The
Kingdom of Satan can never be over
thrown until this simple and fundamen-
tai principle becomes permanent fac
torsn the life of every disciple of Christ,
until it enters into the very fibre of his
being. The millionaire has fifty times
as much obligation to the world as the
average minister simply because he has
fifty times as much power at his COM
mand. Resources, whether material OF
| spiritual constitute ones power for
ministry The fact that they are mater
ial instead of spiritual doesl not relieve
one, one iota, from obligation, else all
might shirk responsibility and leave suf-
fering humanity to itself, by. going into
| business and money-making.
/ LII. hODGElf ". MdUldCh VI l.
phia, once preached sermon on pro-
portionate giving. One of the wealthiest
men in the congregation, and in the en-
tire city for that matter, said to him af-
ter his service: Doctor, you preach
ana impracticable gospel. How could
man of my wealth deny
himself in giving? My income is such
that could give the whole of the $50, 900
you ask for education, and not feel it. l
could give the $150,000 the church asks
for foreign missions, and the 5000, 900
| for domestic missions and not touch my
| capital. | could run the entire Episco-
pal church and still add to my capital
year by year" The Doctor replied, "you
have made a startling confession, you
have immense power for doing good,
with this power comes immense respon-
sibility. Resolve before God that you
will never add another dollar to your
fortune, continue in business and work
with your usual wisdom and energy and
| devote your vast earnings to the cause of
redeeming your fellowmen. Would this,
together with less luxurious living, be
self denial?" Most assuredly," was the
reply. rs it not practicable? Il pre-
sumo SO" he again answered, yet evaded
! further inquiry and commitment. But
the question cannot be evaded. Every
interest of our country demands its solu-
ton.
The redemption of our cities calls for
a brave use of wealth. There are more
heather in New York and Brooklyn
| than in a dozen states west of the Mis-
souri, river. The man in New York or
Portland whose business blocks are
bounded on the rear by an alley,
has money and moral obligations to
that alley. The brains and capital
| of city must use their craftsmanship in
relation to the government and morals
of that city, as we'll as in the manage
ment of trusts and syndicates No power
under heaven can save the masses until
men of property and social power take
hold of the problem, as they take hold of
any aggressive enterprise. They can and
| must devise the means of redemption.
1t may not be in the way of General
Booths great industrial scheme in Lon
don; 1t may not be through university
settlements or any of the institutions of
modern education or reform, but the
problem will speedily be solved when the
better classes give themselves to the
/ task.
Ultimate civilization will not lavish
money on the outer man; or if on the
outer man only for the redemption and
refinement of the spiritual. This will
not limit or abridge science or practical
industry, but greatly stimulate both.
The best economics, the best finance, the
| best government, the best material civil
4 cation il all it's forms are included in
Christ's command, ''Seek first the King
dom of God.n The world has not yet
come to understand or operate the prac-
| tical PHILOSOPHERS of the gospel, any
more than present discoveries reveal the
latent possibilities of electricity. The
redemption and supremacy of the spirit
ual in man mean the complete subjec-
ton of the material universe
| to his sovereignty and use.
3. The third method of solving the
problem of our cities is religious, and
religion viewed as (a) applied Christian
ity and as (b) standard of life.
| a. Christianity is both executive and
experimental; both scheme of redemp-
ton and state of redemption; both a
working power,-an aggressive spiritual
activity; and life, personal and social.
! Legislation only deals with life on it's
| surface and with results instead of
causes. Religion touches the springs of
! life and deals with causes that it may de-
| termine results. Legislation puts men
| in prison; religion keeps them out and
makes prisons unnecessary.
The church of the future must inaugu-
rate reform atal the sources of human
| life and human institutions.
1t must explore, with vigorous and
unsparing search, into the depraved and
| dissolute abodes where infancy learns
the lessons that pollute and ruin it's life,
| where childhood becomes criminal,
where manhood decays amid physical and
moral putrescence.
1t must separate children from parents
or guardians whose custody renders them
unfit to become useful members of So
ciety. In a word, it must purge
the fountains of social life in
city and country. This means of
course a new phase of applied
Christianity; it means expense, personal
effort, statesmanlike study and untiring
patience and conservation. But this is
the work Gods people are called upon
to do, and every follower of Christ must
dedicate himself, his property and his
capacity for planning and executing, to
the cause of human redemption. AL
though religion goes deeper than law,
| Christians rY,i1st 500 tn IL that 1axuS ara