The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-17

| H..
and lift up humanity, to make the con
| dition of life more tolerable and God'
goodness more evident to the humbles
man for whom Christ died. The genius
of the order, therefore, is Christianity
manifest not only in feeling good, bu
in doing good to His creatures here
Therefore, thought, the Alliance chaI
| lenged the active CcIntCnance and sup
| port of the church 4 vi its membership
In the place of ii, lowever, while th'
| membership of this order consists o
| sterling Christian ilan and women, J.
! had received little encouragement ant
positive opposition at the hands OF th(
| church in the prosecution of its work
| Surely the church does not yet compre
| bend its mission among men, 1t stands
to-day where it has always Stood-ol
| the side of human freedom. When Its
mission is comprehended, instead OF op
posing an organization of this character
| the men that crowd the altar Will crowd
into the Alliance also, | thank coo
that here and there even now the put
pit is beginning to realize the men must
live here as well as here after.
Divine service consists not in plous
feelings, long prayers and sanctlmonlous
countenances. You cannot come in con-
tact with the Infinite except through the
medium of the Infinite. You cannot
comprehend the Infinite God and Father
of us all save in the person OF Jesus
Christ nor can you render him accept
able service save by doing, in charity
way, service to His children here. Christ
is solicitious for our temporal welfare,
and this is the meaning of that early
morning question, when He, standing on
the shore, called to those who had
toiled all night and taken nothing. "
Children, have We any meat! "--Him-
self passed the stage of necessity, but
mindful still of our physical needs.
Pleading for humanity and fuller
comprehension and practice by the
church of the Masters second great law
so like unto the first, feeling that the
human race is now at one of the crucial
periods in its history when the founda
lions of the great deep are broken up,
believing that the church no more shapes
civil cation than civilization shapes the
church, and that the life of Christ, ''the
its fitness by the organization which
bears His name, would bless and satisfy
the long ngs and needs Of men both here
and hereafter, ventured the criticism
which seemed to be justified by past his
tory and current events. In the course
of my remarks | related the story OF
Abou Ben Aahem, the one thing that
Leigh Hunt wrote to live and bless us
through the ages AS illustrating the
temper of all | said, | desire to quote it
here:
"Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase)
AwolIe one night from dream of peace,
And saw within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich and like lily in bloom,
An angel writing in book of gold
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem
And to the presence in the room he said:
What writest thou? The vision raised its
And, with look made of all sweet accord
Answered: The names OF those VINO love
the Lord.
And is mine one?' said Abou. Nay, not So
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerily still, and said: j pray thee,
Write me as one who loves his felIow.men.
The angel wrote and vanished. The next
night
Tt came again. with a great widening light,
And showed the names of those whom the
love of God had blessed,
And 10. Ben Adhems name led all the rest
Such is the speech made at Cary. /
spoke in the presence of certainly six
ministers of the gospel, whom person
ally know. They uttered no structures
upon what | SAID. When | sat down q
Christian gentleman as prominent as any
in the audience, gave me his hand and
said: II want to thank you for that
speech. And in after conversation be
said; eff the church would get right,
these evil conditions would be revolu-
tionized in forty-eight hours"
The following Sunday morning the low
comments in the partisan press for par
tisan purposes began.
So far as I am informed, not one of
these journals has denied or attempted
to disprove the fruthfulness of the now
famous utterance. Of all those whose
calling might entifIe them first to speak,
and with some degree Of authority in
behalf of the church when it is ''as
sailed" not one has spoken. The pious
pastor of one of the largest churches IN
Que of Our largest cities, is reported to
nave S0lA w q LACnGPAP@A NOAANoENANANAA
''that he was not against the Alliance,
hut that such an uncalled for attack
upon the church called for the deepest
| censure."
| hardly think that those who heard
me felt that was making an attack upon
the church. This pastor was my person.
al friend, an old scbool-m mate of twenty
years ago. | Immediately wrote hin
that no amount of censure or abuse from
the church at first or second hand
through the partisan press would satisfy
thinking men of the falsity of what
said ] invited him by letter, as | had
previously done in person, 10 disprove
my declarations. After tn days he re
plies with renewed assurances of person
| al friendliuess, eminently satisfactory ir
their wa but he neither attempts tC
disproye, cor even denies, the truthful