Year: 1879

ness, even though that business derives


its profits, indirectly if not directly, re-


motely if not mediately, from the sale oi


whisky. 1t is an open secret that the


pulpit in some cases is under bonds to


keep the peace in regard to certain sins


that put money into the pockets of its


wealthy communicates.


We speak of these things with no de-
gree of pleasure; nor are they presented
as in any sense an Offset to the palpable
want of conscience and courage on the
part of the press. 1t is not great while
ago that at%meeting of the Press Club
of New York, a speech was made by one
of the members-himself the managin G
editor of New York daily-in which he
is reported to have said that he was paid
one hundred and twenty-five dollars per
week for suppressing the truth; and he
went so far as to say that no one of the
members present dare write his honest
convictions, and that if he did, no editor
would dare to print it. This is to be re-
ceived, perhaps, with some grains of al
lowance; but that the press have to a
large extent been saying:what't the people
want said rather than what they ought
to be told, is too palpable to be called in
question.


The same is true of the pulpit Joseph
Cook talked straight at, the mark on the
temperance question down at Boston the
other day, and in concluding said: II
have no church, you say, and can say
these things with impunity. If had a
church and could not say them with i'm
punity, l should not have church long
l had rather be penniless than spaniel"
Does anybody believe that Joseph Cook,
himself a staunch friend and supporter of
the church, would have felt called upon
to say such thing as that but for the
fact that the impression had gone abroad
that the pulpit had been cowed into
silence upon this question?


1t isn't much Of a cross to bear nova
days to be Christian, in the common
acception of the term. Even the man
who stands behind the bar selling whisky
puts up that claim for himself and
thinks, no doubt, that he is thereby en-
titled to the greater consideration. When
the question comes to US from the pulpit,
who is on the Lords side?" he is the
first one to respond. There is too much
generalizing in the pulpit. The man who
sells whisky doesn't care how much the
minister talks temperance in general
way. He is ready to do tiat himself.
1t is when the pulpit tells what it means
to be on the Lords side-and that the
man who receives, either in rents or ra-
tions of rum, any of the proceeds of this
accursed traffic is a pretender and hyp-
ocrite. that the blows hurt and the vic
Tins howl. The Hon. Henry Wilson
once said that what the people of Massa-
chusetts, the great masses, cannot pray
God for, cannot go on the statute books
of this State and stay there. 1t may be
also said that whatever law the Christian
people of this State earnestly pray for
can be put upon the statute book and
enforced: The same is true of this city.
Why, we have it upon reliable authority
a majority Of our voters We regret to
be compelled to add that it isn't very
much to the credit of our churches.


There has been a general tendency in
years past to draw dividing line between
that which is secular and that which is
religious, and the church has allowed
herself to be driven off nearly all fields
where her ministrations are most needed,
until the Gospel precepts are no longer,
or in small measure, made applicable to
any Of the business affairs of life. No
one, either saint or sinner, has any conf
dence in the man who puts on long
face and prays that intemperance may be
banished from the land and then goes
out and by his vote puts the most notori-
Gus drunkard-maker in the community
into conspicuous and influential official
position. And yet it would hardly be
thought matter for church censure. If
only Sunday and the weekly prayer meet
ings are given to the service of the Lord,
all the remaining days and nights of the
week may be given to Satan without
question But we shall be told that a
man has a right to vote as he pleases.
Yes, precisely the same moral right that
he has to swear as he pleases, or steal as
he pleases.


1t is time that it was thoroughly under
stood-time that the church taught that
no man can serve two Masters,-that
character cannot be built up and made
beautiful and Christlike on one side, and
yet be dwarfed and deformed and devil
ish on the other; that no man can con
pray for reform, and consort
with gambleIs and drunkards,- no
man can build up a Christian character
by mere profession and attendance on
the church service, while out in the jost-
ling crowd and in the sterner conflicts of
life he everywhere acts and talks like
sinner.


God never substitutes Divine power for
human effort. A religion that doesn't
prevent man from giving short weight,
or using short yard stick, or voting for
unfit men for Office, or making his neigh
Dor drunken, or from receiving any of
the profits of the man who does,-in
short, religion that doesn't make man
and uprig ght t,straig ghtforward
and manly in all the relations of life,
secular as well as religious, isn't worth
rush. And the pulpit has need to enforce
that lesson until hypocrites either repent
or get out of the church. A church COM
posed of a dozen devoted, conscientious,
honest, Christian men and women, whose
lives correspond with their professions, is
q far more potent power for Christ than
whole legions of pretenders.


Let no one suppose that we seek to
disparage the church. But for her heroic
endeayors and saving influences we should
have relapsed into barbarism long ago
We have a high appreciation also of the
services of the noble men who have stood
in her pulpits and many of whom have
shed bitter tears over the evil influences
and tendencies that we have pointed out.
But the fact remains, nevertheless. More
conscience and courage is wanted in both
press and pulpit. But we think we can
safely assure our friends who occupy the
sacred desk, that in any measure of re-
form that they undertake, that when the
battle is set, side by side with the bravest
of their number will be found good
many editors doing battle valiantly as
they, and ready to bid them God speed.


N. Y. Times.l