The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-24

II Is no longer charity. There Is no longer
charity, either in Christian sense or in
the sense of Jurisprudence, for IL separates
itself from the fountain OF its own crea-
tion.
"My learned friend has referred with
propricty TO one of the commands OF tho
Decalogue; but there is another. first
commandment, ana that Is precept OF
religion, and IL Is in subordination 70
this that the moral precepts of the Deca-
loRue arc proclaimed. This first great
commandment teaches man that there IS
one. and only one, great first cause-one,
and only one proper object of human
worship. This is the great, tho ever
fresh, the ever-tlowlng fountain Of all
revealed truth. Without it, human life
Is u desert of no known termination on
any side, but shut III on all sides by n
dark and impenetrable horizon. Without
the light Of this truth, man knows moth
ing Of his origin and nothing of his end.
And when tho DecalOguo was delivered
% the Jews, with this great announce
ment aud command at its head what
said the inspired law-River? That 1t
should DO kept from children? That 10
should be reserved as u communication
ilt only Tor mature ageY Far far other
wise. And these words, which I com
mand thee this day, shall he In thy heart.
And thou shalt teach them diligently
unto thy children. and shall talk Of them
when thou sittest in thy house, and
when thou walkest by the way, when
thou liest &c wn and when thou riseth up.
There is another authority still more
imposing and awful Whom little chill
drCn wero brought into the presence of
tho son Of Gcd, His disciples promised 90
sond thom away, hut He said, Suffer lit.
Ito children To come unto Me-. Unto Me!
He did not send them FIRST for lessons in
morals to The schools Of the Pharisees, or
the unbelioving Sadducees; nor TO read
the procepts and lessons phylacteried on
the garments If the Jewish priesthood
He said nothing OF different crecds or
clashing ambitions; but he opened at once
TO the youthful mind the everlasting
fountain OF living waters, the only source
Of eternal truths. suffer little children
TO come unto Me-. And that injunction
Is Of perpetual obligation. II addresses
itself today with tho same oarnestness and
the same authority which attended ITS
first utterance TO tho Christian world. lt
Is Of force evCrwyhere and at all times.
It extends 10 the ends Of the earth, 10 viii
reach TO the end Of time, always and every
where sounding In the ears OF man with
an omphasis which 10 repetition can
weaken. and with an authority which
nothing can supercedo: suffer little chill
drcn TO come unto Me
And not only my hoart and my iudg-
ment, my belief and my conscience in
struct me that this great precept should
De- obeyed but the idea is 80 sacred, the
solemn thoughts connected with 10 so
crowd upon me- II Is so utterly at variance
with this system Of philosophical morality
which We have heard advocated that |
stand and speak here i'm fear of being
influenced by my feelings to- exceed tho
proper line OF my professional duty. Go
thy way, at this time, is tho language of
philosophical morality. and Will send for
thee at "A more convenient Sclson. This is
the language of Mr.. Girard in his Will
In this there is neither religion nor rca-
son.
1.-The truth Is that those who really
value Christianity and believe i'm its inn
portance not only To tho spiritual welfare
of man, but to the safety and prosperity
Of human society, rejoice that in its
revelations and Its teachings there Is so
much which mounts above controversy
and stands on universal acknowledge
mont. While many things about IL are
disputed or arc dark, they still plainly soc
its foundation and its main pillars, and
thoy behold In 10 sacred structure rising
up TO the heavens. They wish It's general
principles aud all its great truths to bc
spread over tho whole earth. But those
who do not value Christianity, nor believe
in its importance 10 society or individuals,
cayil about sects and schiSins and ring
monotonous changes upon the shallow and
SD often refutcd objections founded on
alleged variety OF discordant cIocdS aud
clashinR doctrines
NO religion t.ll he Is eighteen What
would bo the condition of all our families,
oi all our children, il religious fathers
and mothers were TO teach their sons and
daughters no religious tenets till they
were cightoeuY WHAT would become of
their morals, their characters, their purity
Of heart and life, their hope Tor time and
eternitvy What would become of all those
al. 80 Ion
love and Christian feeling that now rem
der our young man and young maidcns
like comely plants growing up by n
strenmlct sidc-tho Rracos and the grace
of opening manhood, OF hlossoming
wOmanhoody What would become Of So
ciety itsolfy How could IL oxist? And
is that 60 be considered "a charity which
strikes 40 tho root of all this. which sub
verts all the excellence and the charms of
social lifey
'lhoro h nothing that wo look for
with more certainty than this general
principle that Christianity Is part Of tho
law OF the land. Everything declares IT,
The massive cathedral OF tho Catholic; ;
tho Episcopal church. with its lefty spire
pointing heavenward; the PLATA tomplc
of the Quaker, the log church of the
hardy piDneor Of tho Wilderness the me-
mcntoes and memorials around and about
us; the conseor0ted gravoyards, their
OmbstOnoS ana CplthpbS, tnelf slicDt
vaults, their mouldering contents-ali at
test il. The dead Prove IL as we'll rs tho
living. Tho generations that arc gone
before speak 60 IL and pronounce IL from
the tomb. We feel IL. All, all proclaim
that Christianity general, tolerant Chris
tianity, Christianity independent of sects
and parties, that Christianity TO which
the sword and the fagot arc unknown
general. tolerant Christianity Is the law
of tho land. Henry L. Stoddard.