The sun., 1903-04-01
Christianity and Philanthropy.

To TIE EDITOR or THE SUS-Su: The
recent speech Of Capt Mahan commented
upon editoriaIly in THE SUN OF yesterday.
is notew orthy contribution to the discussion
of the very grave question: Is vital religion
on the decline, and II so. why2 Naturally
and properly. the first step is to agree upon
definitions. and here. at the outset. as shown
In your editorial. there is u wide divergence
of opinion, aud what seems singular at first
sight is that the laynan. Capt. Mahan, for
example, takes the exalted spiritual view.
while the clergy. as quoted by you. incline to
the material side.
Whichever side one takes, the fact Of the
discussion itself IL encouraging. and the more
divergent the views OF those speaking with
authority the better. because II shows that
the matter has been deeply pondered by
earnest and conscientious men In all its bear
ings and from all points OF view. All this.
I say, Is encouraging, for there can be no
decline In thing that eXcites so much interest
and brings out so much vigorous talk. moth
ing dies out that is greatly talked about.
II is silence and apathy that kill
Capt. Mahan's argument. In which. II mis-
take not. he was at least partly sustained by
DR. Mcconnell. was that the two great COM
mandments OF love to God and to our neigh
Dor have been in these latter days inverted.
so that our duty to man comes first instead
Of occupying the second place given to II by
the Founder OF our religion. SO much so
that II the discharge OF this duty be the test
and proof OF our Christianity. an infdel might
qualify as a Christian. On the other hand.
it might be asserted with at least equal force
that emphasizing our duty to God alone and
neglecting that Of love to our neishbor tends
to monasticism rs its logical limit. When q
man falls under the spell of an over exalted
spirituality the monastic life seems the only
fitting one for the eNpression OF his aspiratonsi i
AsaneIample of the other extreme we are told
that when Howard was asked whether his
devotion to phisnthropic work was not
leading him to neglect his own soul he re-
piled that he had no time to consider whether
he had soul or no; In this connection read
"Abou Ben Adhem,"
I think the two Commandments. first to
love God and then TO love our neiphbor.
should he taken the one a. the coroiary OF
the other, and not As two separate and dis
tinct injunctions. vigorous. healthy senti-
mpnt demands some mode OF expression.
and II IL hard to see how love TO God can be
expressed in any other practical way than in
doing good to our neighbor, y Is the sole
description OF the last judgment The prophet
Micah tells u. that all the lord requires Of
a man is that he should do justly. love mercy
and walk humby with his God. 81. lanes
the fatherless and widows In their amiction
and keepinv ones self unspotted from the
world He adds show me thy faith without
my works" Your columns could easily be
filled with other similar texts.
There seems to be only one point to he
settled Can truly Sye "Sd nerve n.
without being hrst inspired by love to his
Maker II we leave OF theori,ing and study
facts I think we will be convinced that the
tovethrr, and that IL is from the churches
that the best benevolent work springs. and
that the activity Of any church In humani-
tartan work !. the measure OF its spirituality.
nj F1h a.