New-York tribune., 1905-04-10
MORE TIEWS OF GIFT.
What the High Priests Did 7oith
Tainted Money of Judas.
, the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir OF all silly discussions ever carried on in the
public prints that which concerns the gift by John
u. Rockefeller to the American Mission Board is
the slliest. Rockefeller having as is said gained
that 100000 through deceit and dishonest prac-
tees, il Is therefore falsely assumed that tn.
moral tor immoraD quality of his acts has passed
into his dollars and that those dollars are tainted
with corruption. and if now employed for purposes
OF good those purposes viii miscarry and the re-
suit viii be only evil 1t is utterly absurd. So
far from being justified in refusal of them, the
American Board will be most seriously to blame
IL II does not accept them for use IN it's work;
for it is the bounden duty Of every upright man.
acting either for himself for Others to recover
as he has ability and opportunity. all money and
property of any kind from wrong and evil uses
and put it 10 good uses. The money gained by
dishonesty is not itself therefore dishonest either
in its nature influence when used as an agent
for promotion Of virtue or religion
We have solution very clearly made of this
question which many appear to regard as a deep
problem. in the parable of the unjust steward
duke xvi 1-13) The rich landlord though he was
great loser from the unjust acts Of his steward
yet commended the rascal because he had done
wisely" for himself And then our Lord went on
to say, in effect: See how this steward a son Of
this world, looked out for himself and made sure
that for the rest of his life he would have COM
Portable and easy living, such could not be
earned by digging or begging. He used the unright-
eous mammon in a dishonest way, but you the sons
Of light. to use that mammon in a righteous and
unselhsh way, in a way that will make friends for
you as long as you are in this life"
This the teaching of Jesus as TO the use of
money OF possessions called unrghteous raammon
because ii has been generally in all ages Of the
world employed in unrlghteous uses).
But here it may be said to Just consider how
bad will be the influence of such teaching and ex-
ample; you make distinction between right and
wrong between honesty and dishonesty; Won on
courage the gambler the liquor seller the thief in
their by thus JredJng them to all vOr.lc
affairs the same level with those of upright
Christian life" To which / answer, speaking In tie
name Of all good men and women: My dear sir.
nave not been making these distinctions ever since
Christianity had name? If l may represent that
Christianity for the moment. have l not nled the
land with churches and ministers? Can any gam
bier other wicked man go wrong and know
the right way OF life II he Is at all inclined know
IL? The churches open to them all. the word OF
righteousness may be heard; he has only to step
inside"
If all gifts must be closely scrutnized to find out
whether they are tainted then in the early rec
ords OF the Church there is to be found a serious
sin Of omission the part Of the Apostles MANY
were possesSoTs Of houses and lands among that
multitude Of heart and one soul (Acts iV 30 81:
they sold them and brought the prices OF them Ia
be distributed by the Apostles according as every
man had need II would be assuming altogether
too much TO say that none OF those lands houses
had been tainted IN their requirement previous
10 the conversion of their owners who thus offered
tion Of any inquiry instituted by the Apostles re-
gardinS the origin of the gifts, whether they came
from honest dishonest transactions: they set no
standard Of GanCtihCation for these gifts and our
mOralists OF this present time must deem them 10
have been very blameworthy according TO the test
attempted to be established.
Yet there Is example in the New Testament
OF the rejection OF money for holy" purposes. and