The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-30
Looomor1vEs nEFoRE plnLHs.
Rev. J. J. Lauier's Sermon at st. Peul's
Church Yesterday Morning.

Rev. J. J. Lanier's Sermon at st. Peul's
Church Yesterday Morning.
Rev. J. J. Lanier preached an instructive
and practical sermon at st. Paul's church
yesterday morning on the subject OF
Locomotives Before Bibles" His text
was taken from the parable of the sower 4,
who went forth to SOW and some Of whose
seeds fell by the wayside and some upon
stony places, and some among thorns. and
some into good ground and brought forth :,
some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold and
some thirtyfold.
Mr. Lanier took the position that the
sowing Of the seed or preaching the gospel
was not the only thing necessary In religious
work. It was necessary that the ground be
ready to receive it, in other words, that the
people 20 whom It was preached must first
be brought to a sufficient state Of civiliza-
ton 70 be able 70 comprehend It.
MIR. Lanier illustrated this by the history
OF the spread Of the Christian religion. The
country bordering the Mediterranean sea
upon all sides, he said, was at the time OF
Christ the most highly civilized portion Of
the world. Its inhabitants had been for
centuries subjected TO the civilizin0 infiu-
ences Of Rome and Greece. Material civiIi-
cation had reached high state of develop
meut and the arts, sciences and literature
OF Rome and Greece were at their zenith.
The Jewish religion was also we'll known
In this territory or great portion of IL.
In such a territory as this. he said, where
the people had been so well prepared by
their civilization to receive II, the Christian
religion spread throughout the whole of the
then civilized world In 100 years 1t did not
spread to any extent in this time among the
barbarous. races Of Northern Europe or the
heather races Of India, and it was
600 years before the Christian religion
had spread over the greater portion of Eu-
rope. The history OF religion aud the
history OF civilization had since been
synonymous, be said. Where one went the
other followed
mr. Lanler's idea was that, as q rule,
civilization 70 a certain degree preceded re-
ligion and prepared the ground for it.
Mr.. Lanier then brought his comparison
down to the present day. The eastern sea-
BOARD OF this country has, he said, a very
hlgh state or material and intellectual civil
iZation. IL is interseoted with railway and
telegraph lines, giving rapid transportation
from one point to another and rapid
Information OF happenings in all portions Of
the world. It is filled with schools and COL
leRes, and with newspapers by the thousands.
The religious DEVELOPMENT OF this section,
ne held, is equal to its material and intel
lectual development. The churches are
abreast OF the railroads and colleges.
Further west ward, as the country is less
developed and IN the mountainous sections
where ignorance prevails, religion, he held,
Ia graded according to the state of civiliza-
ton.
Mr.. Lanier's theory was that the railroad
and the steam engine, the type of the mate
rial civilization OF the day, must penetrate
those western and mountain wids before
the people Of those sections could be pre-
pared for the high state OF religion en- loved
by their brethren of more highly civilized
sections.
Mr.. Lanier held the same to be true OF
heather countries, where he said the Chris
tian religion would follow the introduction
of Christian civilization.
MIR. Lanier said in conclusion that the
only way to maintain civilization Is to
Christianize its business, its schools and
everything pertaining to it.