The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-05-19

cases the way may be clear to do this.
In other eases u may not. when sud.
den and serious complications arise
| The teaching OF Christ inclines to ey-
oiution. not to sudden revolution. 1t
trusts to the gradual diffusion of light
| by Christian lives.
BY A READER AND HEARER.
Asa preface to this article the wri-
| ter earnestly asks his readers not
TO consider him an iconoclast ready
and anxious TO destroy all that Is
good in the religious life that is, nor
TO class him a ranting skeptic who
| sees little or no good in religion,
| Christian or non-christian.
| For every God of the imagination
| pictured to Natures children he ack-
nowledges a lasting debt; for every
| real prophet who has left to us a
spark Of Divine Truth he would rear
monument of love and admiration in
the memories of men.
Among thinking men and women to-
day the conviction Is rapidly growing
that the world needs more OF the
| Christianity OF Christ; less of the in
depreciation Of Christ and man-made
creeds.
| To many earnest thinkers after
truth this question presents itself:
| Why do not men and women flock TO
the standard of that greatest of Tea
cheers by the thousands yearly? After
a test of two thousand years why does
such vast percentage Of intelligent
| men and women refuse to accept Ills
teachings? Must it be said that the
average mortal intentionally passes by
what is for his own best good? Is II
true that men and women with open
eyes deliberately throw aside that
which is for their own best welfare
both in this world and in the world &c
come? Rather, is 1t not possible that
something is seriously wrong with the
Christianity of to-day? Is there no
some vital force, the presence Of
which would cause the spirit of the
Master to blossom in the hearts Of
the common multitude?
Let us look about us. We see on,
hundred representative business men
men whose daily lives tend to make
us purer in thought, more honest II
word, nobler in deed. ConScientiou
men these; ready to speak the kind
word, TO do the generous act. Accord
ing to the popular meaning of the
word they are not Christian.
Let us look again. We see another
hundred representative business men
These also are men whose daily live:
tend to make us purer, kinder, nobler
These too are conscientious, fair deal
ing men. According to the popular
meaning of the word they are denomi
mated Christians.
In our daily walks of life is there ;
mysterious something that uncon
scously and indelibly stamps one o
these a Christian, the other not? !
so. what is it, where is it?
What does Christian" mean
When man takes upon himself thu
yoke Of Christ and publicly pledges un
wavering support to His doctrine!
what significance is there in it? Are
we to understand it means slight mo
dification of ones ethical ideas? Is !
readjustment OF certain formalitie:
of life? Does 1t mean Evolution in thu
Christians conception Of what Jesus
would dO?" Are we to understand
that He would have member OF Hi!
body accept His teachings in part
True, every Christian, as we'll as ever!
man in this world. will and must be
come purer, nobler and more spiri
tual by AMI through Evolution, bu
Would the Savior say: Be careful
don't try all at once to do as you be
lieve would do" "The burden will
be heavy enough as IL Is. 10 SLOW
take a section Of my Cross at once.
"Evolute."
When the Savior said: Follow Me,
did He mean that His disciples SHOULD
do His will at any cost regardless o
material results? II the teachings o
the Galilean were right at the time h
taught them they are right now. j
His principles were practicable thei
they are surely practicable now. !
not practicable now they must as sure
ly have been false when they fell from
the lips Of the Master.
Let us picture to ourselves wha
stupendous results would follow "a
the night the day" II for one shor
year respectable majority OF tn
members of one influential body o
professed Chrisianst OF this city shoul
bind themselves together under tn
motto given In that noble book I'm III
Septs," and to the best of their ability
with all their human imperfections
|