The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1910-04-01
.SHORB LOOKS At
LAYMAN MOVEMENT

If a mother had six children, and
of the six, she should bestow all her
love upon one. giving him all the good
things at her command, making him
the recipient oil all her secrets, Civ
ine him of her confidence solely, we
would instantly and without heSita-
ton, say that this mother was partial
and uniust. Being 9 mother,
with mothers weakness and her
liability to err, we could in a measure
overlook her faults. But what can we
saw when this sin OF omission and
commission is laid, not at the door
of frail man, but at the heart of the
infinitely just and wise and all low
ing God? Can God be partial?
Can he love one OF his children more
than another that he should make
the one the recipient of all his love
and his confidence and Danish all the
others from his sight and away from
his love, his sympathy and his halp?.
Strange as it may seem, such is the
logic of the situation as applied to
the missionary movement and 1t was
most forcibly brought out to our at
tention by the recent meeting Of
what was termed the Layman's Mis-
3ionary movement that recently held
three-dayj' session at Boise. And
50 man is called in TO cure in 4 meas
url this fragrant and ineXcusable
oversight OF the great God, sending the
word t. tha remote and uttermoSt
corners of the earth, that the will of
God and rumor of his love may be
known in all the earth. This is the
idea oil the missionary movement, Us
main incentive. Incidentally it opens
up hospitals, schools and spreads the
beauties and blessings OF civilization,
and which is really its only excuse.
1t seems that in the work Of substi-
tuting one superstition for anot icr that
tho generality Of mankind did MOI take
an enthusiastic interest, and those eI1
havc an interest in this matter noting
the lacadaisical attitude proceeded to
get up what they termed the Llyman'5
Movement. From the name
one would infer that the initiative was
tho laymans, that it was a spontan-
ious awakening of the lay mind to
endeavor, an irresistible i'm
pulse from those who sit in the pews
to do something for the spread Of
Christ's kingdom. Had this been true
it would have meant much-it would
have been a startling wonderful
thing and the world would have set
up to take notice. But it wasn't any
such thing. Rather it was the preach
er's endeavor to induce the layman to
take an interest in missions. 1t was
to have been a demonstration and at
the same time a bate to tease the lay
man into the missionary field. And
the preachers have been boosting the
thing for all there was in it, and the
layman did not enthuse worth men
tionine.
The average man does not care
much about the heathen-he doesn't
take very much interest in proselyt-
ing to Christianity, and he gives mon
ey to this purpose reluctantly and in
scant amounts. He is inclined to in
difference whether the people in India
and China and the East worship at /
the shrine of Krishna, Budiha or
Christ. He sees THO world divided /
among several great religions. and
each great religion divided into many
sects, and he attains to the opinion .
that is very correct that all the |
world is and has been seeknC God,
and that back oil Buddha, krishna
and Christ. who at most were mere
ly inspired mems that Beng com
ple> wonderful and inscrutable-
called Goa. And along with this idea
there comes another that God is in no
particular place-tha' he is just as
near his children in the office, behind
the pillow, in the store, in the heart Of
the city, over in India, China and the
Orient, on tho trackless plains, in
fact, everywhere that man is, there is
also God. And then he says; ! love
my father and he loves me. No one
has taught me this beautiful, this
wonderful thing. The feeling grows
in our heartG spontaneously. This
being true, why need | pay someone
to tell me what | should already
know, or tell someone else something
that he knows. The love for God and
Gods love for us is either natural or
it is unnatural. Ii it is natural it
will be like our breathing, like the
pulsation OF the heart, and it will
rise in our heart-in anybody's heart
-irresistbly and spontaneously. If
it is unnatural-if it must be smaared
on like butter on our bread. or paint
on our houses-it, like our hat or