The record-union., 1897-02-21

One heSitateS upon the brink of ex-
preston concerning Gods thoughts or
his omnipotence," observes the North
western Christian Advocate" (Meth)
of Chicago, and one Shrinks when
saying, however reverently. that God
could not have created man constituted
otherwise as to his will than he did
create him. One is not able to conceive
how God could have created man fet-
tered in the exercise of moral choice,
and yet have endowed him with at
tributes. privileges, and just safeguards
of a responsible moral agent. Dogma
fists, with good intellects and perhaps
greater egotiSms, have insisted that
God is responsible for mundane evil
and humane sin. They declare that he
must have foreseen all the risks in
moral free agency. the dire disaster in
actual sin, ard all the present result
ing perpleXities in efforts to unrayel
the problenl-and therefore that God
assumed responsibility when, as Crea-
tor of the world and of man, he let
all these perilous tendencies loose, as
from Pandora's box. That asserted
divine responsibility for evil has no
more just basis than has the humanity
passimtstic and heartless heather the
DRY that every man has made himself
responsible for his own sad share of
this morally complicated world of evil
by his own unavertable fate of being
born into it.
Those to whose lot it falls to seek and
administer aims are charged with
grave responsibility" remarks the New
York "Churchman" P. Ed. They must
have an eye to the vital interests of the
giver as we'll as those of the recipient.
In his zeal for the cause in hand, the
aims seeker can easily forget that he
has any duty beyond that of securing
funds sufficient to meet the require
ments of the situation, whereas it is his
concern not only that men should give,
but also that they should give in the
right spirit. Constant dunning and i'm
portuning may fill the treasury vaults
to repletion, but leave the donors to go
away with characters unbenefted and,
it may be, even seriously impaired. The
Christian conception of this subject
most certainly demands scrupulous eau
ton in this matter. The church is to
seek for aims such as will leave bless
ing in the hands of him who gives as
we'll as confer blessing on the life of
him who receives. The mere act of
giving cannot bring about this twofold
result. Perhaps it can do the latter, but
the former depends wholly upon mo-
tives; and the training of motives is
the business, almost the first business,
Of Christianity"
Waste is none the less waste because
it puts money in circulation" says the
New York Outlook" Whether money
is given or squandered, the same amount
remains in circulation, and the same
amount of labor is employed. Wealth
is truly wealth only when it supplies ra
tional want and the duty to spend only
upon rational wantS-whether material
or esthetic or spiritual-is one that
rests upon US all, no matter how small
may be our incomes. Philanthrophy has
generally expressed itself in gifts, be-
cause through these wealth had been
made to minister to the largest amount
and the highest forms of want. But the
well-to-do, who have not given, but
have invested, rank higher as public
servants than those who have sQuan-
dered; for their money has Immediately
employed as much labor, and the result
ing capital has gone on through the fu-
ture serving society as well as yielding
further income to its poSsessors, and
taxes to the public treasury. The wealth
that is Squandered in miniStering to ir-
rational wants is worse than lost-it is
wasted"