Year: 1878

, the earth. Such great changes come no
in day, nor in year; but the seeds o
) this harvest of death are being sown il
| the public mind and the first fruits are
} already apparent.


J Standing in the presence of such tend
encies, and contemplating even the re
motest possibilities of such sad results


aye, with society already trembling to its
center-we may we'll ask: What shall be


done, or what can be done?


The problem is both social and relg


ious, and hence must receive the most


earnest attention of both the state and


the Church.


The state, being the organized and ex


pressed will and authority of the people


must be in fact what in this country il


processes to be-a government for the


people, and not for the rulers. And, as


intelligence increases, whatever may be


the form of any government, in any land


1t must come to such principles And


as such, the state must be just and i'm


partial, and must not discriminate in fa


vor of any class Any suspicion even oi


unfairness must, in the nature of the case


givr rise to discomfort and trouble. The


governments of the earth should take


warning, and hasten to reform any unjust


legislation. And then the state must


look to a greater purity of men in public


places, and broader love of country and


humanity. and less of mere party and the
| spoils of Office. 1t is impossible for the


state to command the love and confidence


of the people unless it is wise and Just,


and fill its places of trust and honor with


men of character and integrity. The


people are right in many of their COM


plants and just in many of their demands
and | wish the great moral element in


this land would rise up and swear by the


power of the ballot that none but good


men shall ever hold any Office, from that


of the justice of the peace to the Presi-
dents chair. And then the state must
make its authority felt and respected
Public men must be held to stricter ac-
count and made do their duty; and the
authority and dignity of law must be
more faithfully maintained, or republi-
can government must prove o failure
Let US now inquire what shall the
Church do. By the Church l mean not
one sect nor another, not Romanism nor
| Professionalism, but the great body of
those who are believers in God and in q
future life and who are striving to con-
serve the principles of Christianity in the
world. And l think never were those
more mistaken than now who think that
the Church has had its day of usefulness
and must become a thing of the past. The
Church as promoter of simple sectarian-
ism or Of useful and unreasonable dogmas
may indeed pass away; but the Church as
the great conserver of moral ideas, and
principles, and sentiments has its great
est work to do. With all its faults Ro-
manism saved civilization to the world in
the Dark Ages. And the Church now,
Roman and Protestant. must have a large
share in the work of saving civilization in
the nineteenth century.


The Church cannot do its work by at
tempting to suppress learning or inquiry.
1t must encourage both The great de-
bate must 60 on. The hope of the world
is in greater, and not in less intelligence.
And the Church should stand for the
simple truth and for rational faith. 1t
is in getting back upon great prinpicles
and facts that the Church shall appear
before the world as Intellectually strong.
When the Church takes stand for God
and humanity, and makes its plea for the
great principles of religion, then it is
unansw werable. And it is to this that the
Church must come at last. 1t is, indeed,
sad sight in these days, when such
powerful blows are being dealt at the
heart of all religion, to see the churches
divided and often wasting their time and
strength in almost useless debates over
matter of scarcely any practical value
The interests of religion and society at
large call for broader catholicity and
deeper charity.


The Church needs to be more deeply
imbued with the spirit of Jesus Christ
and to show more of the strength and
beauty of his life. There never was a
time when society needed more the pow
er of Christian character than now. Oh
Of
these times of unbelief and weakness and
public declension in morals, Christian
men would only stand up with the pa
tience and faith and strength of Job, and |
Abraham, and Daniel, and Saul. What
an unanswerable argument it would be to
infdelity. Our age wants to see more |
and more what religion is not in theory |
alone, but in practical life and in its trans
forming power upon character. The |
Christian world wants to feel more deep |
ly the power of its own great truths and |
principles and to live more in the spirit |
of devotion and selfsacrifcing love for |
others. And look to see these gracious
results more and more, as time goes on.
God is leading his children to see the |
need of these things, and out of trial and
loss he will bring forth more beautiful |
lives.



dark and stormy and yet l am filled |
with strength and hope. l know that |
God reigns, and look for such an influx
of bis presence and power upon our earth |
as shall calm the tempests and dispel the
darkness. | do not look for such per-
sonal or literal coming of Christ as many
do but l do look for his spiritual pres
ence in such mighty measure as shall con-
vince the world that there is such thing
as spirit and that there is a future life
The greatest argument for spirit is the
presence and power of spirit. The great
est argument for God is God himself; the
imminence of God in all nature and life
and in the souls of men. And he has
set watchmen upon the walls of Jerusa-
lem who shall never hold their peace
There has never been time in our world |
were not heard. Over all the bloody |
manity has been heard. Along the vast |
ing track of despotism the cry of liberty |
has been heard. In the darkest hours of
infidelity the cry of truth has been heard. |
And they shall never hold their peace
The millions of voices that cry out from
affairs of prayer cannot be hushed. The
faithful wives and mothers who watch
over cradles and cry out against intem
perance and impurity will never hold
their peace. Patriots will not hold their
peace. Philanthropists will not hold
their peace. The ministers of God will
not hold their peace. The voice of God
in man cannot be hushed, and truth and
right shall win at last.