The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-12-30

Rev. DIR. Charles II. Parkhurst, In his
Christmas sermon In the Madison square
Presbyterian Chnroh In Manhattan. sun
dsy, delivered a remsrkabls sermon on
the war OF the British In South Afrioa
and Of the Americans In the Phiiippines.
saying In parts
al shall take very particular palms TO
hold myself inside the provinces that ls-
longs 20 me rs preacher OF the gospel
rs . man, / mean, whose duty is 10 de-
clare the mind and spirit Of Jesus Christ
There are q great many elements involved
Ia such question that the svsTaEe lay
man has better facilities for reaohios .
safe conclusion upon than the average
clergyman, and / am Of the opinion tnat
the pulpit Is more and more impAiring
its influences by undertaking 10 handle
matters touching which u has no dis-
tinct message from the gospel or from the
Holy spirit so far - relates 10 The
economic elements NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. In
our war upon the Philippins natives or
the English war upon the boers-i
should Ia very glad 10 take lessons from
you. You could probably tell me ten
things where could tell you only one. j
should Judge that the conviction rather
widely prevails that as n people Ne snail
make money out of the Pniilppiurs. and
there Is no doubt that England antici'
patss a bonanza In south Africa. But
all OF that Ia for you 20 decide upon, not
for the pulpit. Then. too, It Is claimed
rather generally, 1 should judge, 10 lie
for the Interest OF the Philippine natives
that IL, for those of them who surviys-
to be subjugated TO our authority rather
than to te left TO be nreyed upon By them
selves or by other Iasions And as for
England. there are probably very lew VI
English blood who do not consider that
the overthrow OF those two Dutch repub-
lies Il Indispensable TO the diffusion OF
civilization. Over that matter, TOO, the
pulpit has no special jurisdiotion. un-
dou btedIy, this pulpit Is bound b be In
terested In civilization. The onlT point
there IL that the pulpit has no means
other than you laymen have for faying
whether this or that eXpedient VIII pro-
mote civilization"
After closing thst line with references
to India, he prace rded TO say;
'ibut when all thoss matters are pot
one side, and we come to the ground
that IL distinctly my province Ne repre-
sentative Of Jesus Christ. then do not
Yield to you, and i am going TO say to
you, without any 'huts' or wheteso-
eyers, that to promote civilization ~
the uss OF swords aud artillery Is false 20
the word, example and life Of Jesus
Christ and of all his apostles, ana alien
to the entire genius OF Christianity. IL
you say to that that there ara places In
the world where Christianity fas spiung
up as an attergrowth OF the military con
quest-undoubtedly; but that does mot
alter anything SO lar as it relates 20 TN
point / have Just made. lt does not re-
iisye filthy soil that flowers grow out OF
1t. God Is all the time doing that thing.
IL was indispens sable to our Lords mis-
sion that Judas should bstray him, but
that didn't help Judas any. Or. you
may claim that the powder aud shot
method Of extending civilization Is more
feasible works with crater promptness.
A Krupp gun does quick execution; q
missionary and q Bible are slow. do
not dispute that. am not here TO claim
that Christianity is, on the whole. fsasi-
BILE. Thousands Of ministers Fave prao-
tically been oonfessing to the world these
last twelve months thst Christ's way Of
when Paul said that the weapons OF our
warfare ara not oarnal he stated u princi-
pie that he would have recanted II be had
lived longer and known more. Perhaps
they ara right-at least, l am not here 10
say they are not right. ! should be sorry
to have to conclude that the gospel 10 In
adequate without RuDpowder 60 support
ft, and when do conclude that 1 shall
stop preaching out of respect-at least, l
shall stop calling myself preacher Of
the gospel.
$50, my friends. you cannot go away
and say that have argued against the
English slaughtt ring the Beers or our
slaugh tering the natives Of the Philip
pines. No more can you charge me with
having claimed that shot and shell are not
a necessary auxiliary TO the doctrine of
the Cross as means of quickening men
that ars az slow as the Boers. or rs u
means of demonstrating ores lures that
are as savage as the Philippine natives. l
have claimed nothing Of the scri. l have
simply cropped all questions OF gold and
diamonds and comu err ,iai psrIuisitss.
OF which l know little, ard have stated
to you the mind OF Jesus Christ, Of whic h
do know something Now, you can
ipn6 "a d. at mind and remote civilization
BY killing-wbioh may be- this best way
-or you can adopt that mind and pro-
mote civilization by making alite, which
Is the only gospel way