Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-10-15


Last evening at the Third Presbyter-
ian church, Rev. r. r. Bigger delivered
the second of his course OF sermons
upon the subject What is the church
doing for the working people?" and
his remarks were appreciably received
by the congregation. One of the feat
ures of the service was the music rem
dered by the choir of sixteen voices I'M
der the direction of Prof. T. Leweiiyn
! Williams.
The minister spoke in part as fol-
lows:
Before we proceed any further let
us understand clearly what we mean
by the church There are some very
wrong views on this point. Prof. John
NJ. Tyler says some people would mako
it a social club, the bond of union De
tween it's members being their common
grade of wealth, social position and in
tellectual attainments. l can imagine
a far better club than one formNS -
this principle. But it is difficult Tor
me to imagine a worse counterfeit of
a church.
1.-TWO objects only are in view-wor-
ship and work. The work that is done
is among men and for the help of hu-
manity, and, of course, the glory of
God never being lost sight of. Now, this
work for men is sociological, whatever
else you may call it. 1t is done in the
name of Christ, and in accordance with
the teachings of the Bible. 1t is, there
fore, almost impossible to speak of
Christianity without bringing the
church into view, and vice versa, for
outside of the pale Of the church where
is Christianity worth speaking of? And
though you may name good people who
are not church members, yet they are
nominally church people, being chill
dren of the church and having their
church preference. l have discussed
this point at some length that we may
see the utter folly of those persons who
talk of believing in Christianity, but
who do not believe in 'ehurehanity.'
Therefore, in the discussion to show
what Christianity has done for the la
boring people, is equivalent to telling
what the church has done. Christianity
is particularly the religion for the la
boring man. Jesus Himself worked
at the carpenters bench before He
| entered on his
Public Ministry,
and his enemies sneered at Him, saying
is this not the carpenters SOM His
great wok was among the common peo-
pie. The scriptures say that the com
mon people heard Him gladly His in
vitation to the laboring classes for all
time is Come unto me all We that la
Dor, and are heavy laden Along with
his respect for those who labor, Christ
likewise paid great respect to the poor.
I'm the first place we are prone to
think only of the material side of life,
and ask what material help has the
church given the laboring people? That
the church has given material help, I
will show later on, but after all, mater
ial things are not supreme in import
ance. There are mental and moral
needs, to say nothing of spiritual needs,
which are of greater value to us than
dollars and cents. / hope that l shall
not be understood as saying that We
are not to give great attention to the
temporal needs of our fellow men. Not
at all. But there are blessings derived
from the church teaching Christianity
which cannot be computed in currency.
Everything else being equal, what
workingman would be willing to live
surrounded by MohanAmedans or Bud
lists rather than among Christians?
What increase of wages would induce
him to exchange the wholesome inf1u-
ences of the Christian church for the
superstitious, cruel, polygamous influ-
ences of heathenism OF the cold, de-
spairing doctrines of atheism and inf
deity? How would he like to have his
family left to the mercy of such de-
basing influences? In Christendom the
laboring mans daughter may be edu-
Gated in the same school with the mill
~lionaireis daughter, or with the daugh-
ter Of a United States Senator. Under
the regime of Mohammed or Confucius
she must be consigned either to slavery
or the harem. In infidel France che
would be taught the licentious doc
trines of free love, instead of virtue and
chastity. Anywhere on earth outside of
the church's influence .Ae poor mans
son must remain poor; he has no
SAoA1NS " lASS, IL awful Wa1iS vi SdSI
surround him.
Few of us realize what Christian
sentiment has zone to make the con-
dition of the laboringmen such, that
laborers from all over the world de-
sire to live
In ChristendOm
rather than in heathendom. Sentiment
is the power back Of all benevolent and
charitable work. And back of that SEN
timent stands the church, which by its
persistent preaching and teaching the
truth has made this glorious, fruitful
sentiment. Suddenly Danish this senti-
ment and who "a imagine the awful
condition into which those who are de-
pendent upon wages would be thrown
in a few years. With all of our Carts
tan sentiment affairs are bad enough,
but how deplorable would be the out
look for the laborer. If u public con-
science should be left to the teachings
of selfishness, of materialism, and of
| afhHiSn, To 80 no - - ra,x 49,