The San Francisco call., 1897-03-15
BISHOP GEORGE W. CLINTON.

tural. but if to you all the world is huge
football field and all the men and women
in it are merely players, then your love OF
play is malign passion which you cher
ish at the peril OF your own undoing.
President Jordan has much to say about
religious insanity, but not word about
football insanity, which would be far
more timely topic. The feverish, all
absorb bing excitement, which, during the
football season, paralyzes the higher
activities of our young men is fast making
once innocent amusement an evil that
will have to be stunned like opium
smoking or whisky-drlnKing. Amusement
has its place. Keep it in its place. Keep
it your servant and it will bless you. Let
it become master and it will curse you. 1t
is like medicine. TaKen in right guam
tity, it is healthful tonic. Too much OF
it is deadly poison.
Returning to Paul, he did condemn
some contests in particular. To the
Christians at Corinth, he writes:
Whether. therefore, ye eat or drink, or
whatsoever ye do, do ali to the glory of
God" And to the Christians at Colosse
in the same strain, he writes: 'Whatso-
ever ye do in word or in deed, do all in
the name of the Lord Jesus" Badger
batting, bear fights, bull fights, cock fights,
dog tights, man fghts-can you witness
these things to the glory of God and in the
name OF the Lord Jesus? II you can, you
must either have very queer conscience
or very queer Lord Jesus.
Amusements of all sorts may be put
into three categories: First, those which
are forever right, and in these all Chris
tians OF every name can engage without
harm and it may be with profit; second,
those which are forever wrong, and in
these no Christian can engage without
harm and loss; and third, those which
q ~ dol ho tohl hlo sd vEav. horyo Iar1
about anything don't do it. He that
doubteth is damned if he doubts" It
may be right for some one else, but wrong
for you because you have doubt about it.
In which category shall we place prize
fighting? shall neither insult your in.
telligence nor your piety by discussing
the question before you. 1t is not in de-
batable territory at all. There is not a
man whose opinion on moral questions is
worth bean who does not condemn
pugilism as utterly brutal. degrading, dis
gustlng, diabolical; the most diabolical
OF all diabolical sports upon which all the
dlabolical passions of human nature feed
and grow fat "The manly art they call
It. No, it is the brute's art, the art OF
self-defense. 1t is the devil own.
Here is Paurs infallible test for the
coming prize-fght: Get down on your
knees when none but God is near and
pray this prayer If you can: "Oh, God,
am going to see the prize-fght in Nevada
next Wednesday for thy glory and in the
name OF the Lord Jesus" Would you,
you'd l, would any man dare to insult
God by offering such hypocritical prayer
as tbat2 l wonder how many praying
men will go to see the disgusting exhibi-
tion next Wednesdav--two brutes, yea,
worse than brutes, doing their best, or
their worst, to kill one another.
Poor little Nevadal The only State in
the American Union that is willing to be
infamous. Poor poverty-stricken Ne
vada, its products for the most part al
kali. sagebrush and iackass rabbitsl Poor.
purchasable Nevada-carried in the vest
pockets OF the highest bidders Poor, de-
cadent Nevada! What pity it was ever
admitted to Statehood. And what pity
that the Statehood cannot be taken away
from 1t because it consents to this infamy.
Poor, disappointed Nevada-the emblem
on its seal of State the rising sunl Blot it
out and put in instead the brawny fists