The representative., 1897-06-02
bright THOUGHTS.

We find in the last issue of the Com
ing Nation some gems of thought. The
Representative clips some of these for
it's readers:
The soldier was a higher being than
the savage, though he is the lowest
thing we have in modern civilization.
After centuries of experience the soldier
found that there were many forces in the
world which he could not conquer.
Canute and Xerxes both discovered that
the sea would not obey them. Earth
quakes, droughts, lightning, plaques,
storms, famine, comets and eclipses
were all beyond their power. Men de-
termined, therefore, to make a treaty Of
peace with Nature that great being
who could not be conquered by armies
They saw that lightning and earth
quakes killed many people, and they
came to the conclusion that Nature
wanted sacrifices and offerings and
prayers. Thus arose a new power in
the world--religion. All priesthoods,
CAul CuCS duu lucOlCSlcS dIOSC Ill IulS
way, and for centuries religion was the
highest and nobIest and most progress
i've influence that men knew. 1t told
men of a higher power than force, and
again and again the uplifted cross pro-
tected men from the uplifted sword. It
enabled men for the first time in Europe
to go from London to. Jerusalem and
back again without carrying a weapon
of defense.
When King Henry knelt barefooted
in the snow at Canossa and begged a
defenseless pope for forgiveness, the
age of war was ended forever. Hence
forth war is but the undesirable means
to an end, not, as it Used to be, the main
purpose of life.
The mightiest man in Europe 75O
years ago was a shabby, unarmed and
moneyless monk-St. Bernard of Clair
vaux. Kings and generals knelt in
reverence at his feet. Money in those
days had little or no influence mill
lonaire would have starved to death if
the pope had laid upon him the terrible
Interdict. An apostles home was
thought to be more valuable than a
city; a little splinter from the sacred
cross was worth all the gold OF India
Every peasant believed in the intrinsic
value of bones and relics and holy
shrines
E6pn tho ('lii.: )das - ~ ro1
result Of relic worship. Every crusade
was composed of 4 motley throng-a
combination Of COGey'5 army and CHI is
tian Endeavor. They were defeated
easily by the Saracens, their sacred
relics were thrown in bitches; ST Peters
skull was used by the Mahometans as
football, and even the sacred cross it.
self Was captured.
DandOla, the dOge of Venice, prac-
teal, hard headed business man, led q
crusade to Constantinople, not for rel
les, but for money, and it was the only
successful crusade. Those who opposed
Dandola's -roject were drowned in a
severe storm, and thus in 1904 Dandola
conquered the pope the age of religion
ended, and money replaced bones.
1t looks as though the ministers will
be the next class to suffer from the
effects of the competitive system The
People not receiving the full value of
their products cannot longer afford to
pay preachers. 1t is necessary to econ
omize in every possible way, and
through necessity, if not choice, thou
sands of congregations will take advan-
tage of the opportunity to replace their
minister with the machine 1t is re-
ported that body of New York capital
lists are preparing to furnish sermons
and music on cylinders-the sermons to
be preached by the phonograph. This
company will sell monographs to con-
gregations, and furnish weekly the best
and latest sermons from the most emil
nent divines The congregation will Of
course be able to easily save the whole
of the preachers salary, as the rent of