The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-06-01
TN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD
Folk Are Thinking About and
Religious News From
Elsewhere

; the particular object of James's let
ter. He IS moved to write SO strongly
as he does because of the offences OF
Christians themselves.
The NeW Gift OF Tongues.
Certain psychic manifestations il
India, Los Angeles, cn0 elsewhere
have attracted Widespread attention
because they profess to be a recur-
renee Of the apostolic gift of tongues
is not half SO important to the mating
one at all times, and the Investigation
Of it is filled With difficulties. One
thing is clear. however. and that is
hat the gift of the ability to speak
in Ongue it not half so
important to the progress of the King
dom of Heaven as the gift of ton
que which speak gentle, kindly, com-
forting. brotherly words.
The church can probably get along
without a new baptism of "tongues;'
but both the church and the world
sorely need more of the sort of SIM
pie, helpful speech which fell from
the lips of Jesus, and which every
where marks the character of the
Quaker's thee and thy" set him
apart as a member Of the Society of
Friends, and his plain speech is re-
freshing amidst the e~Ntrayagant bah
bling Of our time: but more than that
it needs the distinguishing singular
III otioullS, the speech Oh CHRISTIANS
needs the quality Of restraint and hui
mility and sympathy, which make all
hearers think of the gentle Master
whose words the COMMON people heard
gladly.
"Say So."
Certain mCnastic orders have en-
Joined the rule of silence F%iguratively
speaking. they have cut out the on
CUES of their members. This is q COW
ardly way Of attempting to avoid the
sins OF the tongue. The tongue was
given for use, and rightly employed, it
is a minister Of blessing. Without the
use of speech. which is the most dis
tinctive mark Of mankind as compared
with the lower animals Of creation,
the fullest expression Of the mind is
impossible. The love light in the eyes
needs translation into word. The no.
bic resolution that burns in the heart
must find n~tterance in word or deed.
or both. The special truth Of which
every person is custodian must be de-
iivered through the lips.
\ man seems to be at his nObleSt
when he is employing his tongue to
inspire. instruct, and lead his fellow
men. All the modern devices of print
ing n biography and the phono-
graph cannot eliminate the work of
the platform speaker. Only a few
days G an official of New York city
who had been Widel criticised ap-
peared In a public meeting to make a
statement concerning his public rec
ord. At first he was Missed and boot
ed. but such is the power Of speech
that before the evening was over the
flfteen hundred men and women pres
ent voted to give an evening wholly
to hearing him explain his actions.
Ihat sort OF thing has happened times
without number in the history of pub
lie speaking. Citizens demand that
their candidates for nffoa arroa. 10
tore them in person as witnesses on
the stand, and with their own voice
express their purpose and platforms.
As such a trifle as the upsetting of
a lantern by a COW burned down Chi
cage, so a small, idle word has ruined
great financial Institutions and pre-
panicS in Which many lives
nave been lost. On the other hand the
true. the timely, the careful, and the
considerate word is one of Gods best
gencle for Ieveling up human So
ciety.