The record-union., 1896-01-25

creased activity OF the church, we have
at least a reasonable refutation of the
idea that the church is becoming cor
rupt and powerless. If the faith of the
church had become practically dead,
we should expect to find evidence of
corrupt life and of a disappearance of
the spirit of self-sacrif1ce. Tt is nat
ural for the people to be selfish; it is
natural in the absence of a religious
reason for devotion to the cause of
Christianity to expect that less money
as well as less personal effort should
be given to the church Philanthropy
apart from religious motive, would
hardly plan so extensive e. spiritual
work among the heather of other lands
and among the neglected people of our
own. We should expect a rapid falling
off of contributions to this and other
causes. We know that such is not the
fact, and what we know of Christianity
in the United States harmonizes entirely
with the natural inferences we draw
from the statistical tables. They are
evidences of progress, and it is our
firm conviction that the church is not
only stronger to-day in numbers, but
has more spiritual vigor and more zeal
for the spread Of the gospel"
1T is not enough says the New York
Evangelist Pres) ito say that the
call to prayer is a wholesome pause, a
steadying rest. That may be true, but
it is not all the truth. The rallying of
our human forces by stopping the rush
for a moment is not enough to secure US
against disaster. Even the unities Of
purpose, the consensus Of sentiment
which brings all mental and moral pow
ers to one focus, do not make us sure
that the best thing is IN our mind. or the
wisest course before us, or the happiest
issue assured. Whole nations have gone
wrong together with great deliberation.
There is too much uncertainty in all
human councils, the elements of dis
agreement and of contentious di-
vergence are so many and SO difficult to
control; we must look beyond ourselves
at our best and in our soberest wisdom
to find true wisdom and absolute right.
I'll these are with God, and given freely
to them that rightly seek. There is
every reason to rejoice in the union of
men who pray. But the union is not the
cause, only the condition of the highest
good. We go to ask God for something,
not merely to take counsel with our
selves, not simply to create a delibera-
tive or a devout spirit The church sim
Ply cries to God because there is need of
Him now; we pray because we have
come to the end of our resources of wis
dem and strength. We believe in God
therefore we do not plunge into the
ahysses of despair. We have hope in
God. therefore we rejoice always and
believe in the good times that are surely
coming"
"The Sunday laws have no more ref
erence to religion than the criminal
code or police regulations have" says
the Living Church P Ed of Chicago
They are no more in the interest of
Christians than of others. They pre-
scribe no religious duty, they do not pre-
tend to enforce any religious observa-
ance, they do not recommend any re-
lgious dogma. The Sunday laws do not
appeal to religion for their sanction, nor
claim to be based upon religious prin-
ciples, Christian, Mohammedan, or
Pagan. They do not recognize Ply
mouth Rock or Joe Smith; Jew, Turk or
Infidel; and it is a piece of gratuitous
impertinence to charge upon Christians
the monopoly of one-seventh of the
time. Where do they find it in the
statutes that Christians have an ex-
elusive benefit from the day of restq or
that these laws are enacted in the in
terest Of Christians? It is true that
Christians use the privileges accorded
by these laws, and are interested to
maintain them. So do others, and so
might many more if they would But
the laws do not compel any one to do
what he does not please to do. Every
man does as he pleases on Sundays as
well as on every other day of the week,
provided he does not in any way inter-
fere with the rights of others. The Sun
day law claims no divine right more
than any other law. It enforces no
system of religion or recognition of re-
ligion. 1t is simply a public provision
for the public good and nine-tenths of
the people recognize it as public good;
hence they have rights in it,"
1.-THE most conspicuously essential
thing about a good rich man." says the
Advance" (Cong.) of Chicago, lis that
his money is converted into gospel.
Neither himself nor his possessions are
his own; he is consciously a steward.
His wealth. be it much or little, is ad-
ministered in the interest of man. The
wants of the poor have encumbered his
estates and he is constantly planning
to pay his debts. Stewardship is the
solution of our problems of rich and
poor, capital and labor, the wise and the
unwise, and not some pagan device to
oppress or annihilate the poor nor
some communistic scheme to scale pos
sessions down to a dead level, by which
the souls of men would become equally
dead. And this is no hardship-except
to avarice. What we ourselves are to
become depends in large measure on the
use we shall make Of the poor. If COM
merce treats the poor as utilities, it be-
comes hard and dehumanized; if culture
treats the poor with contempt, it be-
comes narrow, selfish and punctiliously
coarse; a ministry that does not min
lister to the poor is leavened with the
leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees
Wealth broadens, strengthens and puri-
fies when it is consecrated; culture dig
nifies in proportion to its lowliness, and
its hight is measured by the breadth of
its sympathies The Son of Man
came not to be ninistered unto but to
minister .