Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-09
Pioneer 0ttumwa Banker Says the World
is Continually Growing Worse In
stead of Better.

do" in church matters, but if l can
succeed in being fully understood as
to my meaning in what do say,
shall have accomplished my purpose.
Christ teaches most explicitly, that
there are but two kingdoms that hui
mainly has to deal with-the kingdom
of God, and the kingdom of Satan.
THAT the kingdom of God, is within
the kingdom of God is not within you,
the kingdom of Satan occupies this
commanding position. The one en-
braces all the truth. all the good, all
the perfection, all the unselfishness,
all love and happiness, that has bless
ed humanity since the fall of man.
That the kingdom of Satan is the op-
posite-a perversion of the good, a
make-believe, a counterfeit, falsity,
and 'liar from the beginning" and
the father of lies" as Christ says of
it. This Satanic kingdom is made up
principally of selfishness, the basis of
all sin which has afflicted and made
humanity mourn from the beginning.
1t was the selfish want of more than
was mete. that put our first parents
ouo VI 1IlO SdluCl1 dAu SlO0Su LllS SdICS
to mans first estate.
Whether animal creation fell at the
time that man lost his high estate, or
not, we do not know; but all animal
creations are now bent on accomplish
ing the two great objects for which all
living animals strive-"to eat and to
escape being eaten 1t seems that
man. through the selfishness of the
commercialism of the age, is to be
compelled to take up the trail of the
animal creation, and also lives only
ito eat and to escape being eaten"
To the question as to What shall
we do" think we should get back
to the true principles of Christianity,
to truth and unselfishness, Love God
with all your heart. mind and strength
and your neighbor as yourself and to
do to others as you would have others
do to, you" which Christ says, is all
of the law and the prophets.
For nineteen hundred years, the peo-
pie have been wrestling with the say
ings of Christ and His apostles, in re-
gard to tho establishment of Christ's
church. with creeds, dogmas, and cere-
monies, they have formed churches
and sects almost innumerable. They
have said. 10! here and 10! there, but
Christ says "Lo! the Kingdom of
Heaven is within you!'
would not appear as critic of the
church to chide or belittle church
work. The church has done vast good
to humanity. Dark indeed, would be
our lot and prospect of maintaining our
civilization without church work. Yet
with all this. it must be admitted that
the church does not make the impress
sion on the world that it should, and
the question recurs again and again,
What shall we do?"
st. Paul says to the church, Come
We out from the world, the flesh and
the devil. and be ye separate. Let
your light shine" Is not this light get
ting rather dim, so that it is getting
rather difficult to tell which is church
and which is world?
But we are told that the world is
getting better-that we have our
churches. Sunday schools, hospitals,
etc. 1t is the tendency of human ma
ture to let, what we think, well
enough alone.
l would not be pessimist, / am an
optimist. 1 know there is sunshine,
health and happiness in optimism.
But am not of that order of optimists
that says there are no human woes
that we need to look after, that call is
right so far" as was said by the man
who fell from the roof of a twenty
story sky-scraper, and was heard to
remark, as he passed each floor, "All
| is right so far" What he remarked
when he struck the cobble stone pave
ment is not recorded. But l think we
better not try conclusions in our OBJ
timism with the inevitable cobble
stones, if we fail to check our fall by
the means of the supports as taught
lis by Christ.
Much of Our Wanted progress in
religion and morality is only skyscrap-
ing religion, mere Babel building" but
not such Babel that will build tow
er about which an unifying of the race
and Redeemer for fallen humanity
can be had.
The Macedonian cry, "Come over
and help us" has been heard ever since
the days of the apostles. OF late, ii
has been more beseeching and pathet
| ic, but for all these years, this cry has
fallen on dull ears of surrounding
| christian nations" No love of thu
neighhor, was found in all this time
Selfishness controlled all and all
passed by on the other side"
The American nation has beer
Christian from the beginning. Lately
it has become world power. The
firing of a gun was recently heard ir
| the Turkish dominions, the word wen