The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-01-06
TWO POINTS or VIEW.
THE TEST OF TRUE !RELIGION-
\ NEW OCCASIONS AND DUTIES. +
Herbert s. Bigelow. of Vine Street
Church, Cincinnati. Ohio. Gives
Us an Interesting Sermon.

The. Vine Street congregational
church, with which the first ten
years of my professional life have
been spent, and of which I am still
pastor, was organized in 1881, as an
ant1-slavery congregation.
Until ten years ago this church
was not unlike other Cincinnati
churches, except that it was especial
~ venerated by those who knew it's
past because of it's courageous leader
snip In the anti-slavery cause.
IN the last ten years this church
mas experienced revolution: 1t has
come to take an extreme interest in
what it believes to be another anti
slavery movement, and this interest
has over-shadowed the doctrinal and
theological tenets and interests which
were shared by it's founders three
quarters of a century ago.
There are one million, seven hum
dred thousand of the nations chill
dren under school age, wearing their
little lives away in the mines and
factories. This, too, is slavery. This
church says in effect to those seeking
membership: 1--WE do not ask you
what peculiar view you hold about
God, or what you think of the nature
OF Jesus. What do you think of these
little children? Do you pity them?
Will you help to free them? This
is the test of true religion today"
The message of this church to the
world is: 'The vice, the crime, the
misery for which poverty is respon-
sible-these are the penalties men
suffer for the violation of Gods laws
Our first duty is to give men hope
and opportunity. This is social
problem. 1t is an economic problem.
1t Is not directly reached by the COS
pei of Individual salvation which the
church breaches. 1t comes of ignor-
ance of economic forces, social laws
which inhere in the nature of things
and which we disregard to our cost.
Cruel slavery yet remains. Does
your heart rebel against it? Would
you know the cause of it? Would
you gladly do something to stop it?
Then come with US. Theological
differences are insignificant. Let us
strive to learn to do justice here,
not only individually but socially
also, assured that the love of our
fellowman and the genuine desire to
mitigate his misery is the only test
the Christian church can make with
out departing from the spirit of it's
founder"
Those whose minds have not
awakened to the hatefulness of our
social conditions ;those who do not
see that the poverty of today, like the
plaques of former times, is due to
ignorance; those who have not con-
ce1ved the freedom and happiness
that would certainly result from the
social recognition of the great law
which Henry George, the Newton Of
political science pointed out to the
world; it is inevitable that such peo-
PIE should misunderstood the atti-
tude OF this church and that some
even should regard with bitterness
what they look upon as a. misuse of
church with a splendid past and a
generous endowment. That Is one
point of view which I can UNDER
stand if not approve.
The other point of view is ex-
pressed in recent letter from a
prominent and respected citizen of
cincinnati, who is not member of
the church.
The following excerpt is of interest
because in its appreciation it links the
old with the new and has respect for
both:
Il beg you will take it in good
part II l say a word about the old
Vine street church. I have known
1t for more than sixty years. I fire.
quented it some in my boyhood. Il
Venerate 1t an dwish to endorse and
encourage it and yourself. I have
heard Rev. Mr.. Boynton pray in it's
pulpit, I dare say half a hund red
times, and never that he did not
entreat-"O that the shores of
Ethiopia may be lifted up!" It was
indeed the cradle Of liberty in the
west, the 'Faneuil Hall of the Queen
City. 1t is perhaps more so now
than ever before. If I understand it's
theology now, man may be re-
ce1Ved, whatever are his intellectual
convictions, provided he live the
good life That is the church for
me. I venture to prophesy that it is
the faith and the church of the fu-