Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-06-10

the changed circumstances
and conditions of life, and what
is rank heresy to-day may be
strictly orthodox tomorrow
The roots of faith, truth and
principle are not changed, only
the form and application.
Christ and His Church will live
for all time and still be the same
Christ and the same Church. If
we were now brought face
to face with 10th or 18th century
customs and prejudices, we
would not know ourselves relig-
iously, still the same essence
existed then as now. If this age
could be confronted with the
25th century, we would rub our
eyes in Rip Van Wrinkle wonder
and amazement. The same
grounds of truth will then pre-
vail,-changed all the surround
ings.
But we started to discuss Low
er Criticism, not Higher. Mar
tinsburg is notorious for lower
criticism, with little room for
the higher flights of mind.
Who has not felt the effects of
random, indiscriminate criticism.
The human mind is a grinding
machine, and some of the raw
material that enters it is pro-
ductive of little good. Unlike
the mills of the gods, it grinds
exceedingly fast and the result
is accordingly. Well directed
criticism is good and spurs men
on to action But we fear much
of our criticism is selfish, the
result of disappointment or jeal-
ousy and not well directed. The
purse and the hand go together.
The mind and the stomach (di-
gestive organs) go together. If
one is out of order the other has
the same sympathetic disease.
If an honest confession is good
for the soul, we are willing to
admit that much of our criti-
cism has been more on the spur
of the moment than by mature
reflection in prudence or justice.
Happily if such criticism does
any harm it hurts the critic most.
We can point out evils better
than we can remedy them. AT
ter all public sentiment and the
law have all power on their side,
and if not properly exercised
and enforced, the people suffer
together. That alone awakens
them to their duty. Encourage
ment is far more needed than
criticism = sympathy and en-
enlargement in mind, body and
conscience; encouragement in
home-life; good will and
hopeful sentiment in public life
and business circles; courtesy
and cordiality in social life, and
above all consolation, exhorta-
ton and utilization in religious
life,-more appeals and less de-
nunciation; more example and
less abuse and cold water
douches on tender souls. We
believe Paul as a denouncer and
Pathfinder would never have
been heard of outside of his day.
But Paul the exhorter, the sym
pathizer, the encourager, the APP
pealer, he is still the great
christian forerunner wit h o u t
whom John the baptizer or Pc
ter the leader would have no
work to do. In too many of
our homes and churches there is
only room for one man, the
"boss." The rest are driven
some to evil company,-some to
hardness of heart, some to ha-
tired and Indifference and the
rest drag along in a tired spirit
ual life. Enlist the interest of
young and old by some pleasant
work to do, even if not done as a
master hand would do. But don't
drive men away by scolding and
denounncing. If you have no
bread bake some in the oven of
hot example but keep the stones
Tor yourself.
A mans mind and character al
ways show the food he lives on,
just as the face is the index of
the same. Nature makes some
exceptions of happy souls. but
the influences of home, school
and religion form the majority
of regulations on life's stage. In
material things, business, enter
prise and industry, the same con-
ditions produce the same results.
In every way Martinsburg needs
more help and less criticism. 1t
will not hurt us all to try a
change from Lower Criticism to