Year: 1879

against him, while Tate killed an opposition
witness. The cases are very parallel save
the respective position of the victims. In
diana is everlastingly disgraced by such a
verdict.


PROFESSION AND PRACTICE.


They cruelty to themselves the son Of God
afresh, and put him to an open shame.-HE-
BREWS WIG.


When the apostle penned these words he
had in mind those protesting followers of
Christ who had but poor conception of
their duty. They had been once enlightened
and had tasted of the heavenly gift, but had
grown careless of their duty to God, reckless
of their relations to their fellow men, and
thus had grieved the spirit of deity, and
crucifed the son of God afresh. and put him
to an open shame. How many of those who
to-day call themselves followers of Christ de-
serve that name? How many modern Chris
tians are such in reality, and live up to his
teachings, thus avoiding the accusations con-
tanned in the passage we have quoted? A
man now joins the church for the financial
advantage membership in such an organi-
zation confers. When he goes to settle in q
new community he looks about him first to
discover which church is the most
fashionable, and which contains
the greater number of men desir-
able for business or social acquaintances
The question of which contains the greatest
amount of piety-of true Christianity
never enters into his calculations. When he
is received into the fold he humbly sub
scribes to the creed, whatever it may be, and
then proceeds to look about him and to cul-
tivate the acquaintances he esteems to be
most desirable in a business point of view.
Perhaps he is regular in his attendance upon
the ordinances of the church, but in his
daily walk and conversation he betrays no
symptoms of the possession of religious
principle. He is ready to drive sharp bar
gains with his brethren of the church or
anybody else, and only makes of religion an
prospects. Such men cruelty the son of
God afresh and put him to an open shame.
They do not deserve to be reckoned as Chris
tians, yet they seem to be in great majority
in the church to-day.


Women, too. who compose large MAORI
ty of the church membership, are no less
venal than the men in their choice of church
affiliations. They are, in certain sense,
more religiously inclined, but this may be
due to the fact that they are shut out by So
cial custom from some of the avenues of
enjoyment that are open to man. Yet they
use the same discrimination in selecting their
ciates do. They choose the most fashion
able church, where dress is the presiding de-
ity and jewels reckoned as of more potency
in the work of salvation than the blood OF
him who died upon Calvary. They seek to
find society that shall be congenial, cult
waited, refined. To be sure such things are
desirable, yet they do not compensate for the
sacrifice of the broad principles of true reli-
gion that ennoble humanity, and when
these are esteemed more highly than the
qualities which make women womanly, they
become debasing. They cruelty the son OF
! God afresh and put him to an open shame
The church to-day is full of hypocrisy, de-
ceit and all that makes human nature repul
sive to those with the true instincts of man
hood and womanhood. The vices that exist
there are perhaps more prominent than those
that exist outside, for the reason the profes.
sions to exceptional purity in the church are
more conspicuous, and that therefore the
faults that are betrayed attract more atten.
| ton. It should, therefore, be the aim OF
those who hold the cause of religion in es.
teem to endeavor to eradicate these faults
and make of the church what it was intended
to be-a congregation of those who seek tc
attain to that condition where tie welfare ol
mankind here and hereafter is the prime
motive of action. Religion nowadays il
too much matter of business. The spir
ituality of the church is neglected for it.
temporal interests. To be rich and fashion
able is the acme of the ambition of tn


modern church, and to attain that ambition


all else is overlooked. Men are admitted t,


membership though it is known that thei


only qualification is long purse; women ar


received at the communion table simply be


cause they dress in the height of fashion


This is not the religion that was taught from


the mount, nor that enforced from Calvar


or by the apostles who dedicated their live


to its PRONUNCIATION. There is nothing il


common between the two systems. Unles


the church shall arouse and purge itself Q


the elements that are constantly bringing


into disgrace, it must be content to take


place in the rear of civilization, and surren


der to some other agency the duty of leadin


mankind forward. It must be true to il
professions and true to the cause of huma


progress. Already its influence is on th
wane, and the press and the stage are usurk
ing its mission of educating the peopl
Both agencies are potent, and both are fol
midable rivals of the pulpit, yet we fear thu
+ neither can fully supply the place of fir,
and conscientious pulpit. Yet they are ia.
increasing in influence, and threaten to di
, tance the pulpit as public educators.
therefore behooves the pulpit to look we'll
its laurels, for some day it may come to pa


that it will find itself cast aside as of I
further use to humanity.


SOME OF OUR NEEDS.