The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-08-31

/, Christ. had upon the national life? OF
course / assume that the religion of the
holy scriptures is the true religion; inf
nitely purer and better than any other
religion the world has ever known. This
assumption is based upon what this re-
!sion has done for nations.
The old pagan civilizations were mighty
in many things; perhaps superior to modern
Christian Civilization In much. Egypt, AS
| syria, Babylon. Persia-ail taught their
lessons. but they brought us no nearer to
the knowledge of holy God.
Doctor Lord well says: In art. in liter
| AZURE. In philosophy. In laws, In the mecha-
| Of nature. in military strength. in aesthetic
| culture. the Greeks and the Romans were
| our equals. Yet all of this splendid eX.
terror was deception. 1t is sad picture OF
| oppression, injustice, crime and wretched-
| ness. which I have now to present And
then he proceeds to lay bare the moral de-
| osophy and Intellectual culture have never
been equaled. What has true religion done
! for national life?
TT has revolutionized the national. moral
standards by giving to the nations proper
object of worship In other words. it has
given to the nations, a knowledge OF the
olent God, who is our father. and who
! cannot endure moral corruption. 1t has
put in the national horizon such supreme
being. TO whom an account must be rem
dered. Well did Daniel Webster say: The
NEST important thought / ever had is the
thought Of my personal accountability to
Cod
Compare this revelation in its results
with the polytheism of the most enlisht-
ened Pagan nations or with the strange
Compare the moral standard of Great Brit
ain. Germany and the United States with
those of Greece and Rome. What the true
thus be made manifest.
But the religion. of Christ has done much
that might makes right. How the naS
Sood as sa ase seen the Weaker
says that the siege of Troy lasted ten years
and eight months and tina, $1,000 Grecians
and 10000 Trojans were killed. At the tax
dren were slain. Caesar killed q million.
At the siege. of Jerusalem 5000 persisted:
Who can estimate the victims of Napoleon?
Now. under the influence Of the, true re,
ligion: arbitration is becoming. the fixed
principle Of the nations. ssara
..1'he influence OF true religion upon the
of active charity. Every hospital. asylum,
retreat and refuge is living monument to
the influence Ef the rsgiGn Of Christ It is
Divine Healer should adorn the Johns
Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Ne is the
This influence IS shown i in the t transfor
, nation Of modern. pagan nations. Perhaps
the lowest order Of c.yil IL; yet dIseoy.
low. brutal inhuman. man-eating people
| have been re-created by the religion Of the
! Bible. And there is now q type of charac--
ter in the Fiji Islands that compares ia
yorably with the best types in the most en-
lightened Christian nations. An English
Earl. who was sceptic. was travelling in
the Fiji Inslands. He said to man: You
are great chief and ought not to believe
in the old book called the Bible and in the
story Of Jesus Christ taught you by the mis-
sionaries We have learned better. The
chiefs eyes flashed as he replied: DO you
see that great stone over there? On that
stone We crushed the heads of our victims.
Do you sec that native oven over yonder?
for our great feasts. Now II 1t had not
been for that old book called the bible and
tbs great love of Jesus Christ. which has
| leave this spot. but you would be killed and
We would be feastinE upon your body. You
have reason to thank God for the Bible and
| for the story of Jesus Christ"