The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-05-08
ftfl
RELIGION vs.. BUSINESS
&C. c. REDGRAVE.)

Faith in God enhances our etfi-
cheney in business and renders our
success therein more probable than
1t would otherwise be. We do not
say that goodness is the chief quail
itication for public business and en-
p!oyment. A diploma from a bust
ness college is better introduction
to q banker or merchant than would
be a certificate Of church member
ship without it. The ability to pray
is supplemental not substitutional.
Sanctitied intelligence is better than
sanctited ignorance. Prayer meet
ing enthusiasm is poor substitute
for the culinary art. Cool cooking
AMI good praying are divinely APP
pointed handmaidens. What Goa
hath Joined let no man put asunder.
Badly-baked bottom pie crusts send
more people to premature grave
than an unkindly providence. In
sanitation erects more tombstones
than divine .lisp.easure. Convention
snellbinders please not God when
they neglect the home to secure The
applause OF the platform. Religion
with business is the IDEAL. happy
are they and more likely OF Sue
cess who combine them, but il one
only be forthcoming then business
aptitude with common honesty is
preferable to being "dle'ful good but
not the least bit smart"
Religion alone will not make
Duke of Wellington Of the man who
is not the possessor, in embryo, OF
the military genius of that great
commander. Piety that wou.
keep man on his knees the greater
pant of his life time would not pro-
.idce a tactician equal to George
Washington. whose boyhoo1, by the
way, shamed the lie, and whose
manhood exalted Christlikeness. Re-
ligiou alone will no more do this
than education alone will create
genius or produce a Mozart among
musicians. q Milton among poets,
Lee among generals, Lincoln
among presidents, q Gladstone
among statesmen, a Sturgeon among
preachers or a Greeley among edi-
tors On the other hand the absence
OF piety will not rob man of ma
lures legacies, RaphaePs pictures,
men will admire while the worla
stands, yet he was guilty Of illicit re-
lati0nships. He was an artist, not
Christian, his business was paint
ing, not religion. Napoleon, despite
his lack of Christlike character, had
few peers. perhaps no supsriors In
splendid talents and administrative
ability. From the Bible standpoint
we might Justly arraign the late
Robert lngersol for his blatant in
fidelity. But you could not laugh
down. you could not preach down.
his legal knowledge. his mental
acumen, his far-famed rhetorical
ability. II religion does not argue
giant intellect, neither does ire
ligion imply mental imbecility. 1t
would be no discredit to the cause
Of religion In Lakeland should its
most active Christian men prove to
be but fifth-rate business men; and
to Intelligent discerning minds it
adds nothing to the prestige OF
agDosticism to cite the splendid nat
ural gifts and mental equipment OF
a Huxley or Tyndal. A splendid
preacher In the pulpit might be Il
splendid laughing stock upon the
political rOstrum-he generally is,
his folly Is in dabbling. Religion
gives morals, not brains; heart
goodness, not heal greatness; &C
but does not create men
tai prowess. Yet while not creative
in its functions, it will enhance and
give increase, its presence imparts
be lost.
10 no CINCIN N A'll-I NllJISVIIl.E