Middletown transcript., 1894-09-08

many ladders by which the people
climb to the upper regions. The foot
of each ladder is on the ground, while
the other end rests firmly against the
Throne. When we die we shall leave
the ladders behind, because they will
have achieved their purpose and we
can have no further use for 4hem.
The path by which you reach the
top of a mountain is of no conse-
quence whatever, and if your neigh
Dor chooses to get there in some other
way you are very ungracious if you
denounce him for exercising his own
judgement instead of following
yours. His brains belong to him and
your brains belong to you. You may
do as you please and he may do as he
please. If his eyes are fixed on the
summit, and he is doing what he can
to attain it, God will certainly regard
him with favor and you should do no
less. The bigot can see only one way
and that is his own way. He lacks
very important element of character
because he isn't large enough to un-
derstand that different temperaments
require different incentives and that
what is good for one may pos
sibly be bad for another.
There is altogether too little charity
in the world for those who do not find
it easy to see things just as we see
them. There are thousand ways to
do pretty nearly everything that is
worth doing, and one way is as good
as another. To call this man hereto
because he has his individual method
of solving the puzzle of life and that
man orthodox because he happens to
think as you do is both unwise and
unchristian.
If you have we'll developed soul
you can worship in any church that |
was ever built, or you can worship |
without any church at all. He Is a
poor kind of a creature who is so pre-
JUDGED thar he can't find words with
which to tell the Lord how grateful
he is whether he sits in Quaker
meeting house or a Catholic cathe-
dral.
1t is not the building but the idea
which it represents that is important. I
1t is of no consequence whatever that
the clergyman wears a surplice or
does not wear one; that the service is
characterized by pomp and ceremony
Or conducted without these auxili-
aries; that the edifice is the exponent
ot ecclesiastical architecture or only
/ barn in the back woods. If you get
he idea, you get all you need and all
you can ask for. If you are smitten
with remorse because your record has
olots and smutches on it, the mere
'obes Of the priest who thus smites
7ou will count for nothing; and if you
esolve to lead life Of integrity the
preacher has accomplished the task
which the Lold Almighty gave him,
whether he is a Methodist or a Bap-
ist.
The object of the Church is not to
make man a sectarian, but to make
lin loyal to the truth. At least that
hould be it's object, and if it achieves
hat object, the fact that it belongs to
his or that or the other denomination
not worth second thought.
You should believe in something,
nd that something should furnish
ou with noble impulses, with charity
'r your fellow men, with pity for the
ntortunate and with a desire to do
IL that lies in your power to make
mis- old world better because you
ave lived in it. That much of a
reed is absolutely necessary, and
hen you have that mnch you want
o more. 1t will give you work i
nough to keep you busy until death !
nocks at the door and sends you
ord that you are wanted some '
here. !
A few convictions hammered out Of
our own sense of dependence and
le consciousness of your daily need to n
watch over and guided by the in 9
isible Beings who "walk the earth t
9th when we wake and when we n
eep'' will serve you better than all .
le theology that was ever printed in
ooks.
If you think that one sect serves s.
our purpose better than any other L
in it by all means, but be careful d
lat you don't worship the ladder up a
hich you climb instead Of the hea- i
IN against which the upper end of II
lie ladder rests. And, above all don't V
iticise your neighbor because he is
ade of different stuff and chooses to L
1t to heaven in some other way. If Y
lat neighbor is an honorable man t.
I'D is doing the best his circumstances d
low give him your good wishes even :,
he goes to some other church than il
our own. And if he prefers to say L
8 prayers at home or in the woods le
in any other temples of God still W
We him a helping hand and not in
lit him because he cannot think as "
,u do or insult the Almighty be- Il
use He made that man to do just as
, is doing. sc
You cannot prescribe diet that shall G
, equally. beneficial to all. When C.
,u spread your banquet allow each o
lest to take what suits him. That ;,
the only true hospitality. If a II
an has any religion at all don't ask ie iH
m what kind it is and sneer at him II
cause it is not not your kind, but 2
grateful because he and you are V