The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1894-04-06

APPLIED CHRISTIANITY.

APPLIED CHRISTIANITY.
The Topic of the UniO,. Fast Dav Service
- Rev Mr Parry on the Negro, Mr.. hay
on the Unemployed and Mr.. " axwell on
the >luma Mr. HOugh's Idea of Tt m per
ance and Prohibition.
The town hail was about half filed for the
Union Fast Dav service today. which was in
point OF thought and hearty union Of spirit
one OF the best We ever had here. The service
was led by Rev. Mr., Leavltt who smoke
| earnestly and th0ughtfully on "Corrupt P0li-
ties for his topic.
Rev Hal d. Maxwell with "The Sums" as
his branch of the topic regarded "Appled
Chri.tianily''in In Its simplest Interpretation as
Inc bringing of the spirit OF Jesus If Nazareth
into immediate contact with our modern life,
| and this spirit stands In two 10 d relation TO
social ann Industrial problems. and works
through two different channels In Its apprt
catiOn for their solution. Christ emphasized
the two forces. love and law. Christianity
must also work through these forces In the
renovating and purifying OF that disordered
social condi ion which l. found In all our larger
ct nters nf popuajon, commonly denOmtnated
The Sums" The spirit OF love is finding
expression today In the estsbli hing OF what
are known az institutional churches and COL
lege settlements IN the very heart of the most
degraded distlicts and the results which are
following are commendable and promising.
Bul while afiir ming the beauty. the un.elf h.
ness md the efhc ICY of this manner OF practi.
c.ly manife.ting the divine spirit, may we
not feel justified 10 suggesting that the Chris
tian church has q larger field of action In the
educ ,tiny OF that pu ,lic sentiment which
shall compel the creation and enforcement of
laws reguIative OF proner tenement house
system, of the liquor tratfi ;. of the gambling
dens and of the kindred evils; and 10 this r-
spect the Christian churches of Brsttleboro
have mission 10 discharge just "a truly 81
40 the tnconstituted churchts of Boston or
New York.
Rev. G. Q Day, discussing "The Unem-
plOved" said: "Taking Christianity IN It's
wider sense. the Christian civil z.tIon of his
land has had unusual opportunity for apply
ing Its highest principles during the past win
ter. NObly las the need of the mpoy ed
been met In city and country. In two re-
,narkable articles Albert Shaw has su,nma'-
lied the reports of relief Efforts made 10 25
l. adirg cities, from New York at the bott"m
to indianapolis at the Top OF the scale of FL
cheney. The whole movement shows the
courage, the resourcefuness, the nInvanrv
OF our life But the storm has revealed low
er depths. The whole question OF the cOodi.
tion OF labor under democratic form of gov
rrnment baS been opened. Opposed to each
nther are he nationallsts with their principle
that ''nstOnaIism Ia economic democracy on
the one hand and the ort OdoX economists
ike Prof Sumner who defend the place Of
the capitalist under the Intense industrial or
yan'zaton Of today. Between these comes
"Chr-lian Socialism, - as economics KIDD Of
wateret nati0nalism; a. reeenerat've spirit
able to do much. Here Is the patient; what
can we do for him: Throw abou h'm iu
proved conditions, stop waste, simplify He
reform bent Violence, supply help ul insti u
lions. But, aiso,-keep striking at tn.
ce tral disease. This IA tough old worli"
said Prof Sumner. Then maze It gentler.
kinder, more unselfsb. Chris ian'za its heart,
and The life will grow to better up,. Cure
the fountain besd of motive. and the work.
will follow. Like the engineering Of the Ch-
cagO water wOrk>--gO ,wn and open up the
clean pure depths Of nobler living; and then
health will flow into the whole industrial
holy. To do his deep an quiet work is
precisely the business of Christianity"
Rv A j. Hnugh di-cnursed on "Thp
l. qn1r Question" SAYING "Strong drink Ia be
Haira0ss OF this age Between the Christi
IKE form of T. importance and that of the ron
bsr, the drink iiend, the naion Is making i's
.h1ice. Onr DESTROYS, the other builds up
license the rnbber. some say. Vermont ma
" s.lle things she has never set done bu'
r'vers will dry up and her mouH'nins 10 lew
, ed hs fore high iirence becomss . fact under
Ter n g Two powers guide the state ayains,
mis- toe Lsw and Public opinion. 1t needs
he ueited, harmonious action of both to keep !
be Robber out We mu-t not bring down
he law to the level OF public opinion but |
eek TO bring public opinion up to the law.
This is the work of tne church In all her |
branches, all good citIzans cooperating with |
er. Tnt question appeals to manhood and
'atriotIsm. to sell interest. and IA has. ID or
be claims OF the higher law of God. The
e,gn OF the robb-r Is past and the years i'm
nediately before us will witnfs. the ben, ii
INT rule Of temperance through all these
tates.
Rv Mr.. Parry spoke on the Negro
'roblem. saying: 'Most of those
rho have made any careful study
T the difficulties growing out OF this
egrU question have come to recognize the
act that applied Christianity presents thu
uly solution to this great and grave problem
ma, be col Ii iently assumed from present
the negro will alSsvs remain
America; TO large extent he will prot
bly, be fixture In the locality 10 which hp
'as left ~hrn be was emsncipated. All Al
mp to induce m to migrate have thus ia
e. aholt We. The tendency OF the race ia
ward sggre gstion, ana there comes from
IFS tendency many of the difficulties that
,nfront Us as we attempt to soive the prob
m. The situation Is so peculiar that the
atesman. philosopher, scholar and phia, .
lropist. find themselves confronting . prot ,
m without precedent and one that presents
ore serious and complex elements than any
ith which Christian nation has ever had c
deal. There are depths and still lower | !
'pths before the p'ummet touches bottom.
be tso prominent theories that are advuuc- {
IN the discussion OF the problem. are, lst, t
ut no two races as unlike as The blacks and d
mites ev. have lived or can live together on s
e plane of perft ct civil equality; thereto ore, q
me argue that 9TH. negro must go," while Z
hers insist on Withholding from him his civil e
,hts. The second theory Is that. alt hnugh Il
story presents no illustration where two q
ch di..imilar races have ever lived together Il
th equal civil rights. yet history hsa never e
ade tine experiment under the same condi. b
ms. and that since we have Christianity rs I,
e great solvent the problem can and will be G.
tisfact0rily solved. C
One thing that complicates this question to ii
my OF us, II the diver.e and OfteD cOn1u ed
Counts we have OF the condition of the ne
, in the south. Eut Notwithstanding these
hficttDg and confusing reports / think it
u ne found to be true. thai, under the II nj.
re Of applied Christianity. no race in snv @
Q has ever made SO great advancement IN II
same le, 9Th Of time. A single gem ratinn \
3 not yet passed since they became free,
q the rerults achieved in that :,
,e have been rs encouraging as they have ~
sn unexpected. As whole The Negro has y
ldicated the wisdom of his emancipstiOn ~
J even of bis nfr franchisement. But while
has made euch progress as indicates the le
s.ibiIty of q great development for him 10 IN
, future, It is also true that the Negroes fi(
sent, Is o mass. an ofjecf of very grave X
,ceru 10 pa'riot. They are fearfully handi "
)ped 10 their comDt titiou with their white b
Low cit'z. The whites. with an inher- q
civilization Of thousand years, have In p
ir hands the accumulated wealth of those or