Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-20

q, 1902
from the church. And to prove now
the brethren of the coast
fulfil their vows, have only to point
to the fact that at a recent exainlna
ton In which 100 Of the brethren TOOK
part, they one and all, in reply to
question asking them to show the truth
of Christ's miracles, answered that
they were an invention, an absurd fairy
tale!
The second object for which the So
ciety is constituted is for the uphold
ing of its members supposed rights.
II n master be too severe he has at
once to reckon with the F. d. l.. 9.
Again, If the food allotted to the boys
be in their opinion not of sufficient
quality the r. d. L. C. step in to mend
matters. A favorite method is to abb
stain from food altogether, with the
effect that on returning to their homes
they are in such state of weakness
and ill-health that the parents Insist
upon an alteration of diet.
The society is controlled by three
so-called "chiefs" who have their
headquarters in Paris. The head
chief. who is practically a despot. is
unknown to all the 100000 members,
save the second chief. Thru this Sec
ond chief he issues his DEGREES, and no
one else is even cogniZant of his name.
All that the other members know, is
that he is boy like themselves. His
term of office expires at the end Of his
school life, just as the membership OF
each one of the brethren ceases when
he leaves the tutors hands. The
three head chiefs APPOINT three loca.
chiefs for each town. These arrange
meetings, collect subscriptions, and
generally control the local affairs Of the
society, but they are directly RESPONSE
BILE to the headquarters staff in Paris.
All the meetings are held in absolute
secrecy, and generally in the open air.
while sentries are posted in every d.
rection to give warning of the approach
of some curious cleric. Often not
word is spoken, but propositions. state
ments, or commands are written down
and passed from hand to hand. The
meetings are held frequently and are
attended by the full local
strength of the society, for absence,
unless a good excuse is forthcoming,
means prompt punishment. The sub
scription to the society is ten francs
year. Fer this each member Is enti-
tied to relief to the extent of thirty
francs provided that he can show to
the satisfaction Of the local chiefs that
he is absolutely destitute of money.
Pure Religion.
pure religion and undef1led before
God and the Father is this, To visit the
fatherless and widows in their attiic-
ton, and to keep himself inspected
from the world
We find these words in James 4:27. It
seems plain enough statement and
one requiring but little explanation. But
in this world of many religious sects
and hundreds OF different religious or
CARNATIONS it would seem as tho here
agree upon Certainly all Of our sec
tartan religious bodies need pure re-
ligion, and what a little thing is re-
CURED of the members of each sect!
But somehow since the day when
James wrote these words other essen
tails have been added to the pure re-
ligion." Different forms of baptism, for
instance, seem necessary in some
churches. Doctrines, formulated since
the days of Christ, now are part and
parcel of pure religion" Within the
past year men have been dropped from
church membership because they could
not fully subscribe to the particular
creed of that church, and yet all of the
evidence obtainable was that these ex-
PEELED members visited the widows
and the fatherless in their affection,
and kept themselves unspotted from
the world"
And word on these visits in afflic-
ton. Church members the world over
have Z an instructive feeling of fear
towards secret societies. Amany- times
expressed sentiment is that secret socie-
ties lessen churchmembership. They
Gather to themselves many members
who ought to be in church, where
their usefulness could have larger
field. And the phenomenal growth of
all these secret benevolent organiza-
tions is easily traced to the fact that
they practice what James preached.
They not only visit the children and
widows in their affection, but their vis-
its are practical and result in doing
what James clearly implied. Their
visits are helpful. If they give the wild
cws and children consolation and adj
vice, they also give food and raiment
when needed. Are our churches doing
al, they should in this line OF practical
visits? Are they doing it collectively
or as individuals to the extent that was
advised by the referred-to writer?
Once more: How many Of us keep
"unspotted from the world?" Not free
from spots-the world can see and
point out. But free from spots we
know are on US, altho not visible. How
many of us keep the business spots off
our characters? The worldly business
spots. Some of US f1nd certain spots
clipging to us very much as do the
worldly ones find. Far 1t is from the
writer to claimnhe has pure religion, to
exclaim that he visits the widows and
children in their affection, or to parade
his unspotted character, but If he at
tempts the better part of all this, is 1t
pharasaical for him to ask, "Dou you
enjoy pure religion? Do you visit
the fatherless and widows in their af-
Fiction? Do you keep yourself un-
spotted from the world?"
Y Xxx
A Communication.
Mr.. Editor-Allow me to speak a few
" ords in favor of Chamberlain's Cough