The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1893-05-10
An Honest Man.


xiii, 10.
A life of honesty is the best illustra-
ton of religion. That religion is to be
preferred which is capable of producing
an upright life, for the proof of the truth
of religion is to be found in the way it
works, not in the way it talks.
A man may have forty creeds to his
back, like so many suits of clothes, but
unless he leads clean life he will have
a very warm and unpleasant time in the
future.
You may pray all day Sunday, but if
you sand your sugar on Monday the sand
ed sugar and not the prayers will settle
your fate.
When religion gets such strong hold of
a man that it makes him honest in a
horse trade, or in selling goods by sam
pie, and insures the delivery of goods that
are something like the sample, you
needn't stop to inquire whether the
Athanasian or the Nicene creed is behind
it, for you want it for yourself and you
want it at the earliest possible moment.
The difficulty with the Church is that
it takes so much time to make men be.
lieve right that there is no time left in
which to persuade them to live right.
A bad life enveloped in sound ortho-
dox cread is good deal like a tottering
ruin covered with ivy and honeysuckle.
1t looks well from the outside, and you
get fine impression so long as you fail
to investigate, but the moment you cross
the threshold and get on the inside you
see what a wretched humbug it is.
1t is that sort of honeysuckle living
which disgusts the common sense of the
populace and originates half of the severe
criticisms against religion.
This is fatal mistake, of course, for
moments thought will show that religion
and hypocrisy are by no means inter
changeable terms.
A first class pagan whose word is as
good as his bond and who disdains to al
low his honor to become besmeared by
sharp practices is better citizen and has
better chance for heaven than the
Christian OF many professions who must
be chased into court in order to compel
him to keep his contract.
1t may be pretty bad world, but
preachers can never alter its complexion
by teaching their people what to believe.
When they begin to tell them that the
difference between heaven and hell is
the difference between an honest and
dishonest life, they will fill their pews
and there will be settees in the aisles.
Heresy hunting may be pleasant ia
naticism, but hunting the evils OF society
and running them to earth would be
much more profitable business.
A learned discussion of free will and
"fore-knowledge absolute" may serve to
exhibit scholarship, but practical de-
bate on how to alleviate the miseries of
poverty, shut up evil resorts and make
the city morally healthy would attract
the attention and command the respect
of the entire community.
II the Church could once see the neces-
sity OF taking up that kind OF work, the
indifference of the people would change
to enthusiasm.
Pope said very loosely that ian honest
mans the noblest work OF God" II was
misstatement and can be accepted only
on the ground OF poetic license. A man
must make himself honest and he will
never become so-God furnishes the OPP
portunity, but nothing more.
There is more uprightness now than
ever before, but the supply is not equal
TO the demand. We need il in public Of
flee and in private life; on Wall street,
and on Broadway; in politics, in the
Church.
A sturdily honest man is the finest
type Of human being that exists on the
earth, and so far as his future is concern
ed he is entirely safe. The keeper OF the
Golden Gate will give him generous
and hearty welcome 10 the best joys that
are stored up in heaven. York
Herald.