New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-14
Tile HE4RT OF TIE CREkDN.

There is much In the current ne anu thought
Of Ia. churches that must have tendency 10
discourage the sincere believer I'm the teachings
Of Christ For as yet many of those teachings
ar. only inperfpctly understood and Inadequate
IL carried ont In practice so much. indeed, j.
admitted hy all candid Christians or every
name. however sangulne they may DE- N To the
ultimate triumph Of The ideas for winch 'hrs-
tinnliy stands christianity ~ a human organ
Ism FOR u has Is human as well rs iis avn"
Side subject 10 all the ylclssitudrS 10 when
other human organisms are subject. Its prlh-
ciples are misunderstood, oftcntimcs distorted,
and sometimes even utterly subY"rt"d. Men
give b their allegiance In many cases from nm
worthy motives. or az least without That over
mastering enthusiasm for an ideal righteous
ness and holiness that animated Christ ana Ills
Apostles The Church. in fact may be- likened
,o the Image referred 10 In the Book or Daniel
whose head was 81 fine gold. bur whose feet
We're ~ clay
Yet I'm NIL ihi, there i no cau~" for discourage
mrut For, first 81 all, Christianity must grow
according 10 the laws and methods of all human
growth. which are FAR from being uniform ana
progressive And second. II. as the Apostle
saws. love is the fulfilling Of the law. and there
fore the true Hover and frutagc ~ Christs re-
ugIon. then Christianity to-day Is reaching
higher plane than il ever reached before. for II
i coming To understand better than II ever did
before the tremendous meanings and impllca-
tons Of love Love your enemies" said the
saviour an Impossible counsel OF perfection II
taken in It's bare lit"ra sense; yet in Us spirit
II +, AT work In the world to-day smoothing the
rough places ~ human passion. laying low the
l.. linz nm hn
valleys ~ human abasemcnt and degradation
or II we take that other utterance, "lnasmuch
"as We have done IL unto one OF the least OF
these my brethren. We have done 1t unto me,
do we not nj once realize how powerfully that
idea Is moulding the thought and the conduct
to-day Of all who profess and call themselves
Chris,iansi
Take as n familiar illustration the life and
career Of MonsIgnor James Nugeni OF Liver
pool. England now visiting In this country.
| For many years he has been known IA the
apostle To the outcast Of whatever creed or ma
tionaty; and his dlvinely inspired love for his
| brothers In degradation has earned for him the
generation OF all who know him. Processing n
! form Of Christianity against which there Is n
widespread prejudice in England, he has so
made the image Of Christ visible In his life that
not .hc most hidebound Protestant would gain
say his essential Chrsllkcness In the eyes Of
such n man there are no human beings too de
graded 10 be lifted up into the Christ life; none
so hardened as to be deaf to the appeals Of
Christian love and sympathy. Even criminals.
perhaps the least hopeful product OF modern
civilization. ARE ALL" says Father Nugent, 1.-THE
creatures of God They are a very large type
"of humanity in which there is more good than
| "ev We find, in tracing the history OF Grim
finals that they had chiefly sprung from what
you may call the neglected classes The chill
"drcn have been thrown upon the streets they
"have had drunken or profligate parents. and
Through neglect became criminals. But In all
"of the criminal classes there Is some good. In
the boys and girls in the gutter you have tai
"cnt which would ut them for any position. II
"it were only properly cultivated"
This is the attitude that modern Christianity
Is more and more coming to hold toward wrong
and evil of every sort. An inextlnguishable
love for men and women. and an abiding belief
in the possibility Of saving and resculng every
one of Them Is the nineteenth century exegess
of Chrlsts Gospel. And 1t Is making Christian
liy. in spite of all It's mistakes and shortcom-
ngs a power I'm the world such as 1t never was
before.