St. Paul daily globe., 1894-01-15
STRONG SERMON.
DIR. Samuel G. Smith Discusses q
Current Topic.


Current Topic.
"Philanthropy and Character''-Gal.
vi, 9-10.-"And let us not be weary in
well-dolng. for IN one season we shall
reap if we faint not.
$50, then. as we have opportunity let
US work that which is good towards all
men. and especially toward them that
are of the household of the faith"
Tie pressure of special need has
wakened extraordinary interest in all
matters pertaining to charity. The
newspapers and periodicals have teemed
with class of literature which was
formerly the property OF specialists.
The problems which are emphasized
now are not new to the world as practi-
cal issues, though much of novelty in
the way of solution of them is offered.
The crest of this wave Of philanthropy
will be reached at the deepest depres-
sion of the financial crisis. And when
that crisis is past, and the generous
wave has subSided, we will be still left
our problem, and the patient and per-
sistent workers who toll through the
years will have to ask themselves what
effect has the winter of 1874 finally had
upon the needy classes.
In order to set before you with some
| clearness the situation, let me call your
attention to the two opposing theories
| as to the treatment of those who are in
need. What may be fairly called the
| secular and the scientific spirit teaches
the doctrine of 1ndividualism. 1t says
| improvident marriages cannot be cured
| by open handed giving. but quite the
| contrary, by the suffering of women
| and children. So nature. by its penal
| ties, tends to cure vice aud to create
virtue and strength if people would
only have sense enough to let nature
alone. In other words, the law of the
| survival of the fitteSt has produced man,
the noble survivor OF conflict, and the
survival Of the fttest in the field of
human action and achievement will
finally perfect man, if the law be not
hindered or thwarted. On the other
hand, the humanitarian asserts the kim
ship of the whole human family. He
says that what belongs to many must,
if need require, belong to each. You
must therefore feed the hungry and
clothe the naked. 1t may be seen that
the one view represents science and the
other religion. Science comes to speak
with the authority of common sense
religion comes to plead with the author
ity Of love.
1t may be we'll to consider how these
two principles have affected the world
historically. The theory of the sur.
vival of the titteSt had full sway among
the great pagan civilizations. There
was neither almshouSe nor public hos.
| pital nor asylum. 1t must be confessed
that socially the result was, from many
points of view, most admirable. The
constant tendency was to create bet
ter and still better race of men. The
deformed and defective made to care
for themselves quite generally perish
Sometimes they were killed outright.
The tendency of men to love beauty
and of women to love strength became
increasingly efficient until the race
was we'll bred. The physical per.
fection Of the Greeks has probably
never been equaled. Moreover, certain
great virtues such as personal courage
self-reliance and endurance, were car
ried to high state of development
Notwithstanding many imperfections il
the structure of society, and at some
points low state of morals, there was
a beauty and dignity about the pagan
world which has vanished from the
earth. Into this pagan world there was
born the Christian faith. Men hungeret
after God; they were ready to exchange
courage for self-sacrifice. self-reliance
for sympathy, and physical endurance
for spiritual purity. The Gospel con
quered and paganism went down. As
soon as Christianity had organized Itself
into an Institution it began to
carry out with lavish hand the
teaching of Jesus with respect to q
ministry to the poor. For generations
charity was synonymous with almsgiv-
ing: for the care of the insane, the
teaching of detectives, and the princi
pies of prison reform all are compare
lively modern. What was the result oi
the indiscriminate giving at the doors ol
great cathedrals to all the hungry who
might apply? 1t was largely a de
bauching of the self-respect and 6