The record-union., 1895-04-22

appear to the advantage of the better and
to the disadvantage of the evil element,
! just as dark spot shows with greater
effect on light background. The re-
J verse is also true.
There is also something in the develop
ment of psychological forces in society
! that is almost inexplicable, but never
theless true, that by as much as virtue
and goodness are developed in one ele-
ment of human life, by so much is the
other element, or portion Of it, seen tC
take the opposite direction. The bad
/ man either envles and initiates the good
| man or he despises and abhors him and
| loathes his goodness, The good mans
! goodness either makes the bad man bet
ter at once, or it makes him deterioraJe
and desperate, This principle was clearly
! demonstrated in the life of Jesus Christ
when he lived on earth.
! When he came in contact with the peo-
pie they were either drawn to Him OF
else repelled. They either desired to join
! him IN His mission or cruelty Him in it.
1hls same thought is presented in a
certain irony in the Book OF Revelations,
where the divided elements of society are
! urged to pursue their respective tend
ency. HE that is unjust let him be un-
just still; and be which is filthy let HIM
| be hlthy still: and he that is righteous
let MIN be righteous still: and he that is
holy let him be holy stilP'-which does
not, as Is often interpreted, have refer
ence to completed and fixed condition
OF morality, or permanency of personal
character, attained at a given period of
lie, but does have reference most direct
to the profound law of retrogressiVe evo-
luton on the one hand and progressive
Christian evolution on the other hand.
There is a point, and for obvious reasons,
wherein the development of the good, the
continuity of social life breaks and parts
company with the bad, followed in the
wake by an ever-brOadening chasm,
which is impossible. If what have said
in reference 10 the relation of good and
evil in society as whole be true, then
follows, as the lesser is always included
in the greater circle. that as the leavened
mass cannot save the unleavened indi-
! vidual, 80 the regenerated church, as a
religious compact. and the sacred walls OF
the sanctuary have not the power to save
the sinful individual living within the
shadow of their influence,
Neither is the church responsible for
the unexpected and suddenly developed
diaboliCal spirit or deeds of its individ-
ual mem bers, no more than the eleven
Apostles of Christ were Responsible for
Judas Iscariot's treachery. No more; no
more, | repeat it.
I desire to emphasize this statement OF
.
fact that so many persons not i'll sympa-
thy with Christianity will take advantage
or the very unusual com mbination OF
place, circumstances and persons in this
church tragedy to denounce the Christian
church, and at the same time justify
themselves.
/ Upon these very unreasonable grounds,
which irreligious men have pre-empted
and persistently hold, one can see at a
glance what an immense injury this two
iold tr agedy will bring to the innocent
cause of Christianity, especially through
out this State. The church cannot be
held responsible for personal character,
nor for the vicious deeds Of individuals
associated with her organizations
It is absurd to hold any church or So
ciety responsible for the erratic and un-
natural deeds done by the DIR. Jekylls
and MT. Hydes that perchance may COM
pose part of the mem bership of either
There always have been, there are at
present, any mum Der of human, or semi
human, should say, parasites that make
1t their studlous life-work to feed upon a
class of society nobler and better than
themselves, whose goodness they are by
( nature and disposition too mean to emu
late, and who, when they have accom-
plished their selfish purposes of personal
imposition, loathe the objects that have
innocently fallen prey to their devilish
parasitical propensiJies.
1t Is at this point that the Christian
church so often suffers a severe, unjust
criticism. common sense turns into
fauatlcism, and sound reason gives place
to irrational and illogical conclusions.
They reason from single concrete
illustration to universal, abstract con-
clusiOn; take, an occasional incident for a
prevailing principle. Attempt to throw
this proposition into a logical sylIogism.
itr-
viz: The person who perpetrated the
Emmanuel Church tragedies was a hypo-
critic and a murderer.
But this person was protesting Chris
tian.
Therefore, all protesting Christians are
hypocrites and murderers. The PROPOSE
. ton, on its face Is as absurd as the propo-
sition would be that the lesser always in
cludes the greater circle.
When viii people begin to use little
common sense, and not persIstently fol-
low blind aud insane prejudices?
Look, for example: The people in the
Mission in San Francisco had to be re-
strained by police force from burning
down the ill-fated Emmanuel BaDtisr
Church. What pagan foIIy And | dare
say, judging from other things which
have happened recently in that crinsn-
OpOlis, that had the murders in question
happened in a Roman Catholic Church
there would not have been police power
in San Francisco sufficient 10 have pre-
served it from utter demolition.
Brethren, let us follow the road of
charity and Christian tOleration Let our
Christianity be worth something to us in
the hour of calamity, when the keen,
eagle eye OF thoughtful, critical world is
looking directly upon us.
Let us be reasonable, cOnsiderate and
slow, where it is necessary to condemn
I III I'D 4. Il 80. :.
we unjustly involve other innocent par
( ties.
( 2 Again, from the speakers theory OF
these two horrible murders we NAV learn
the lesson of the immense danger which
lies hid often in progressive siu-and all
SHINING is progressive. From all the evil
dence obtainable, it is my opinion that
the base villain who took the life of the
young ladies in the church building did
not start out TO commit murder 1t was
not even pTemeditated as a possible ne
cessity for self-prOtectiOn from detection.
Other thoughts and passions filed the
/ mind, and the fiendish task was under
taken with an expectation of certain sur
/ render, victory and post criminal silence.
But. contrary to expectations, the iudg-
meut was wrong, the plans did not in any
sense carry; therefore murder and secre-
ton Of the bodies were resorted to to pre-
venL exposure and punishment for the
crimes.
Not many men start out to be desperate
characters. Not many on beginning their
career take TO the broad, direct road to
their destruction with studied purpose to
go to ruin. Precipitation in mortal sins
ana unutterable crimes are not brought
about IN this way. Such is the human
consultation that it reYolts at first at any
such consequences. Thus that very
Psychological condition of man which
presuppose protection and prevention
from crime and iniquity becomes the un-
conscious means of defeating it's own end.