The herald., 1897-11-01
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Commerce, Not Conscience, Doth
Make Cowards of Us All

Yesterday morning for his sermon in
the First Presbyterian church, the Rev.
Burt Estes Howard took the Parable
of the Sower," Mathew Xiii:5-9 for his
text, and after outlining the four con-
ditions represented therein, the super
! ficial the hardened, the pre-occupied
and the good soil, Mr.. Howard said in
part:
This presentation of the situation is
not a complacent review of the fixed
conditions, nor is it a cold blooded an
alysis of character with view toward
scientific classification. The parable
has a practical meaning, a meaning in
tensely ethical.
THE root idea of the Christian relig-
ion is redemption, which means simply
not the act of being saved from hell, nor
of attaining heaven, but the conform
ing of all things to their perfect type;
and the process is elimination of that
which is imperfect and hurtful, and the
addition of that which is perfect and
helpful.
This bit of the Masters teaching was
not in reality a study in sowing, but a
study in soils. 1t is study of compara-
tive conditions-not with view to eX-
planning why the seed doesn't grow, so
much as with a view to pointing out
what needs to be done in order to make
unproductive soil productive. The gist
of the parable is not summons to scat
ter seed on all sides irrespective of the
nature of the soil, it is call to certain
work that must be done before the seed
is sown.
THE church has largely lost sight of
this part of the process. The prodigal
waste of men and money and time by
Christian workers in the past has been
appalling. There is no special virtue
in the mere scattering of seed; indeed,
it may be regarded as a sign of poor
Judgment and needless waste to SOW on
the rocks and amid the thorns. There
is an immense amount of work to be
done before the situation is ripe for
moral instruction. Jesus healed the
sick before he preached to them.
''One reason why more positive work
is not done in the most needy parts of
this city is that these parts are so re-
mote from US that we fail to appreciate
the bearing of the conditions there on
our own life. We think the problems
of the Eighth ward arc not our prob
lens, cOnulllOnS lndt are prevalent
there affect us only by sufferance, only
as we move out of our apathy and ig-
norance, and voluntarily assume re-
sponsibilty and take up a labor that
is not ours by right. But city is a
unit, and no other ward can say to
the Eighth: 1 have no need of thee.'
Yet one we'll defined case of yellow
fever or small pox in Little Paris will
cause a shiver to run up the spine of
Adams and Figueroa street.
"And there is still another reason why
a more positive work is not done, and it
is a reason that most of us are unwil-
ling to admit. Many and many a man
deprecates the saloons and dives that
nfest the city, but he dare not express
his genuine sentiments for fear his
business will suffer. Many an evil stalks
our streets and thrusts it's foul presence
into the social and political life of this
city that men despise and abominate,
but will not denounce because the
monster has votes at it's command-and
buys goods. Thus not conscience but
commerce doth make towards of us
ALL"