The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-03-23


INDIANA Brookston.-Ou parish
is in prosperous condition. We have
services each Sunday, morning and even
ing, and an interesting Sabbath school.
The other churches in the town are be-
coming very friendly. The pastor of the
Methodist Episcopal church has both
assisted Rev. James Houghton, our pas
tor, in his pulpit and invited him into
the Methodist pulpit. We shall expect
an increase in membership during the
year.
WISCONSIN, Racine Rev. A. @.
Grier, pastor Of the Church of the Good
Shepherd. in Racine. preached last Sun
day morning from the text: Execute
the judgment of truth and peace in your
gates" He is reported as saying that
Christ shall yet reign in custom and law.
not ecclesiastical but spiritual; not in
form but in fact; not in substance but in
essence. We believe that only the golden
rule can bring about the golden age.
So long as ministers confined their
attention to things pertaining only to
heaven no one objected to their theme,
but when they began to give attention
to the things of earth, it aroused great
indignation. Ministers are not supposed
to know anything about the things OF
earth, and when they preach upon the
duties Of citizenship they are mixing re-
ligion and politics. II religion and poll
tics will not mix, there is something
wrong with one or both of them. But
the idea of religion taught by Christ
was to make men better here and now.
So religion and politics must be mixed;
but it must not be partisan politics, nor
ecclesiastical religion.
What is the condition that confronts
us? After overcoming foreign foes and
traitors within our country we are in
danger of being wrecked upon the rock
of political corruption; we see ourselves
the worst municipality governed country
in the world; we have the dirtiest
streets, the foulest police system, the
poorest handling of all problems except
fire of any great nation; public Office is
no longer a public trust; it is but a
public ETY. out of which to feed the
swine of our population. We see our
officers, who are sworn to aid in prevent
ing crime, it's abettors and protectors,
until the only difference between the
officer and the prisoner, many times, is
that one is an apprehended criminal
and the other is not.
Who is to blame? The gambler, the
thug, the saloon keeper? No; the fault
belongs to the indifference of the better
element of society. Business and pro-
fessional men have come 10 feel that
they have no time for affairs of govern
ment and they have left these things to
the professional politicians, and to this
class has been handed over the peace,
prosperity and happiness of this nation.
What is the remedy? An awakened
public conscience; there are enough
good men and true to effect this reform
when once they have been aroused. The
clergy, the press, all reformers have a
work to do in rousing them. How will
this awakened interest manifest itself?
At the primaries, during the campaign,
at the polls.
Some pretend to see in this movement
a movement for the advancement of
church interest, or an A. P. A. move
ment, or republican, or a democratic,
or prohibition, or populist move
ment, but thoughtful, honest men know
better. 1t is movement for all good
people everywhere. in the interests of
no party or society except society in
general. 1t is Christian movement, a
move toward higher manhood upon
this earth. step toward the ideal of the
Master.