The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-05-23

l'"'f '''ahF' WY hi' iNN hlNNifhN "
Withstand them. as good soldiers Of the
cruss.
Such patience men may well dcridc.
II Is the ncgalion of the gospels crown
ing nature Of forbcarance. which. while
willing for the Truths sake TO submit
90 personal injury without murmur.
in no sense allows weak submission to
injustice. when 10y aggressive move.
ment the right might be made victori.
/ Gus.
Add then TO the sagacity Of this age.
in detecting religious shams, the call Of
the age for force of character in the
multiplied activities of the times, and
the fact that Christianity has produced
| men able to meet and manage affairs,
and on the whole not only to survive,
but to be the controlling power, proves
the sort of disclpleship now formed by
faith in the Son of God.
/ Christianity would have gone down
/ long ago il the old idea of keeping
/ piety out of active life had prevailed.
| 1t would have declined ages ago, il the
distinction had not been given up be-
| tween religion as seen in sacrificial GER
monies and theories, and religion as a
part of all good things, secular and
ceremonial.
The old idea of sancity i'm the rear
Office of the priesthood nearly killed
out the life of the churches. The
schools that taught feeble devotion at
the altar in place of service at the
market, the forum and the capitol,
nearly destroyed the spirit of true wor-
ship.
God be praised that men have dis
covered in the spirit of duty Gods idea
of human nature as it should be: con-
trolled by benevolence towards men
and exalted by patient acceptance of
the Fathers will
Christian manhood now recognizes
its sphere in trade and in politics as
well as in the ministrations of the
church. 1t sees in commerce Gods in
strument for the salvation of the world.
and it is bringing forward men to
meet all the exigencies that scientific
progress may discover; it shows itself
able to make all these advancing forces
tributary to the spread of the gospel.
The principles of Christianity have
not changed. They never will change.
They were fixed once for all on i'm.
perishable foundations when Christ APP
peared, and yet the voice that speaks
in the spirit of this advanced Christian
age is not altogether false.
A nice ear detects living force in its
commands, by which Christ's kingdom
may be strengthened; all truly pious
souls accept it; all bold hearts make
use of it in carrying onward the banner
of the cross.
Once more the progress of Christi
anity must be towards a more perfect
type of humanity, because true spiritu-
atty depends upon such a develop
ment.
All comparison of the present with the
past proves that the average disciple of
to-day, under this cultivation of CHS.
tian manhood is more spiritual than the
average disciple of the past.
1t is sometimes said that the church is
growing worldly" and undoubtedly
many soldiers of the cross are wretch
edly demoralized in such near con-
tiguity to the hosts of sin, as is con-
nected with the present occupation by
tl,a chprnh of hnotila M ma o This ic a
part of the price the church pays for the
! possession of the promised land. But
to say that the church of to-day as a
J whole is suffering from contact with
! the drowning, struggling masses that
encircle it is simply to denounce the
ways of Providence and to question the
( historical variety of the churchs pro-
5 gress to the present time.
= The mass of Christian disciples who
, lived in the early centuries, in order to
: get rid of contamination. had to sepa-
t rate themselves more or less COM
pletely from the world. But it CAV
; them a weaker spiritual life. A
g sickly pretension grew up instead
of a robust and sturdy religion.
There were plenty of martyrs in
1 those days, but the broader and more
e active fields of Christian benefcence
were unoccupied. Later on Christ's fol-
e lowers have entered into fuller posses.
sion. and have not only cultivated the
: external gifts OF religion well but have
grown spiritually stout and stalwart il
q the work.
s Expansion OF mind, spirituality of am
a bition, freedom in opinion and speech
: breadth OF soul, largeness of Christian
: charity, with a higher reverence fol
8 solid truth and truer heart worship o
I Jehovah-these are some OF the results
OF the churchs mingling freely with al
s men, and bringing their religion
y out of its Businesses and priestly strong
y holds into immediate contact with al
human wants, human doubts, human
e frailties and human fears.
s. When think OF Luther, and Calvin
g and Knox denying freedom OF opinion
1t among different seets of the Protestan
: body-the very right, in its essence, 10
ls which they had fought the Romisl
s. hierarchy thank God for the modern
Re duty that has worked out the redemp
3, ton of humanity from the old slavery
is thank God for evidences Of CROWN
l. manhood in the church, that it is restiv
under narrow interpretations OF tn
g gospel and under unnatural restriction
he OF the human powers; that it demand
n the same common sense in religion tina
s. it finds in other affairs; that it can us