Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-05-16
The DUty of the Church

The unity of the Spirit-Ephesans, w., g.
We are all agreed that the Christian
Church is an indispensable factor of
our civilization. However critical we
may be of it's defects, we must needs
admit that it is the most conspicuous
and important element of human prog
ress.
1t has encouraged our aspirations.
defended a high standard of public and
private virtue, denounced the vices and
vicious tendencies of society, organized
thousand charities for the relief OF
the unfortunate, given comfort to the
sorrowing, strength to the tempted, res
ignation to the bereaved. 1t repres-
sents our noblest impulses, our loftiest
ambitions and those hopes which in
their upward fight are so daring that
they search for another life when the
resources of the present shall be eX-
hausted.
But the Church has of late years lost
part of it's old prestige. The world
has learned the lesson which it afore-
time taught and is looking either for
new truths or new application of an
Gent truths. Neither life nor religion
is quite the same thing that it was to
our fathers, for both life and religion
are more valuable. more significant
than they have ev er been. They should
therefore produce larger results and
furnish us with grander incentives.
The Church must recognize these facts
and fit itself to the crucial emergency
or it will fall into innocuous desuetude.
What is needed above everything else
is the unity of the spirit. There are
too many theological standards for an
age which takes no pleasure in theol-
ogy, and there is too much sectarian-
ism at time when men believe more
firmly in brotherly love than they have
done in any previous historic epoch.
The tendency is toward minimum of
creed and a maximum of charity. We
have more faith in an honest life than
in an acceptance of the Five Institutes
of Calvin, and would feel safer at the
Judgment bar of God with an honora-
BILE business record behind us than with
all the theological decisions of the
Nicene Council. There is extant no
reputation of Christianity, but ON the
other hand wide and deep loyalty to
the moral law as announced by Christ
1t is not an age of doubt, but it is a
thoughtful age. No men since the sun
shone on Eden have ever had a more
biting hunger or SO unquenchable a
thirst for Gods truth, both respecting
this life and the other, than now.
There is universal wish, therefore,
that the Church, which has been so
brave in times past, may take the lead
ership of the people, as Moses did, show
them the way through this desert of
hard work, and give them the promise
of green fields beyond the Jordan of
death.
Why should the Church allow itself
to be split into factions by theological
differences when every faction has the
same general purpose in view and all
are working for the same object? The
world asks for the bread of Christ, and
receives the stone of sectarianism in its
stead. 1t longs to hear of heaven, and
will listen with patient ears to the
proofs of Immortality, but it has no in
terest in the competition and rivalry
of sects, or in the dogmatic and doe
trinal side of religion.
If we could relegate all creeds to the
background, imprlsOn them withln the
limits of the students library, cause
them to be regarded as simply fruitful
subjects for investigation, but not nee
essary to the moral progress of the
community; if we could bring into the
foreground, as the only important mat
ter for consideration, the best way to
embody the Sermon on the Mount in
our laws and the love of God and love
of brother man in our public opinion,
the Church would really represent the
Christ and the revelations of the New
Testament would become startlingly
new and fresh to US. The clergy would
find thrilling topics IN our daily life
topics which would force from their
lips the eloquence of warning or praise.
Corruption would find in the pulpit its
unrelenting enemy and official honor
it's mightiest defence. Religion would
no longer be in the Clouds but would
walk the earth armed cap G-pGed to do
battle in the name Of God and man.
In an orchestra there may be forty or
fifty instruments, and they are all nee
essary to the production of effective
music.
Suppose the first and second violins,
instead of following the baton of the
leader, should enter into rivalry with
each other and play the score accord
ing to their personal preference, not
according to instructions; suppose the
cello and the bass viol should exercise
the same privilege; suppose the drums
and the comets and the flutes should
demand an equal right-what would
result? Not music, but intolerablY dis
cord. The capacity to render a sym
phony of Beethoven or Wagner is in
that orchestra, and if its members are
subject to the leader they will charm
and inspire the audience. But if each
one plays as he pleases the auditorium
will soon be emptied.
The smile is not too strong when ap-
piled to the Church. The different
sects are playing the same melody, and
the world is anxious to listen. But
each plays as he thinks best-the Pres
Ix,for in lax Tho oil IN,
another and the Baptist in another
Men hope for harmony and find only
discord. Little wonder that complaints
of Indifference are heard and churches
are empty.
If the clergy will forget everything
else and remember only this one thing
that men are hard pushed and need
help and comfort and good cheer
then creeds will be whistled down the
wind, sectarianism will be banished
and the world be all the better for it,
". Y. Herald.
One of the most striking facts brought
out in the New York Times exposure
of pension frauds is that the records of
the pension bureau show that there are
now more men drawing bounties from
the United States treasury than were
vember %. 1865. ."Without taking into
account" says the Times, "the zoo, 900
applicants who desire to be placed up
on what should be the roll of honor,
pensions are now being paid to nearly
1000 more persons than were engag-
ed in active service in the Union army
at any time during the war-notwith-
standing many hundreds of thousands
of Union veterans have died since the
war closed.n The total disbursements
for pensions from 1861 to 1898 amounts
to the enormous sum of $1,575, sos, 544-
AZ, or about one-half of the total cur
rent expenses of the great war of 1861
'65. Republics ought to be grateful,
but we don't believe they ought to be
impoverished by fraud and imposi-
tions.-I11der-App
Congressman Wise, who has been on
a visit to Richmond, expresses the
opinion that the Senate will pass the
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