Year: 1871

stcs of the Christian religion is that it looks
after and cares for the two extremes of life
infancy and old age-with an affection un-
paralleled by any other system of belief 1t
smooths and prepares the way for the helpless
babe to grow up into strong and healthy man
hood and womanhood, and then, when the
wsrk of life is done, whether it be well or i'll
done, the closing days are made as comfort
able and happy as they may be, the grave is
opened and the body is gently and tenderly
deposited in the earth, there to await the
sounding of the last trumpet. But before
Christianity came into the world individuals,
cities and States then existing made and had
provision for the care of the aged and for the
young to limited extent; and heather ma
lions at this day have some such provision in
their political or social economy. But any
one familiar with the subject will readily per
ceive that there is nothing in all the Earth,
outside of Christendom, that can compare
with what the Gospel has provided. There
are always to be found in every community
two classes of poor people-namely, Christians





as the Church is neither commanded nor ex-
pected to care for any save those of its own
household of faith the other class must be
cared for by the State. But the State is not
always able or always willing to undertake
this work, and under republican
form of government like ours, perhaps,
it is best that it should not attempt it. The
Church then, or benevolent societies auxili-
ary to it, undertake this work, and the State,
as a matter of right and justice, is bound to
do through the Church and its auxiliaries
that which equity and the law of Christian
love demands that it should do were there
no such organizations in existence. The
simple fact that Church or Christian asso-
citation undertakes to care for the poor and
the aged does not absolve any State from its
obligations to aid or wholly to do this thing.
1t belongs to the State to do this, first and last
and always.


Christian land and in this city, in connection
with our different Church organizations. A
few years ago the Baptists, following the ex-
ample of their brethren of other denomina-
tions, organized society to look after their
aged and infirm coreligionists. Some of the
members of this society-believing, doubtless,
that their work belonged as much to the city
and the State as it did to themselves-applied
to the municipal authorities for grant of
land in the upper part of the city whereon
to erect a Home for the aged; whereupon
there arose a terrible hue and cry. It was
an outrage on Christianity to ask or to accept
such a gift. 1t was perversion of city
property from its legitimate and constitutional
uses. 1t was an attempt to destroy our
religious freedom, and 50 on. Prolonged dis
cussions were held and .labored arguments
were made to prove that this grant was bribe
to silence Professionalism so that the lions 8
share might be given to the Roman Catholic
Church. But why must Protestants be 50
jealous of Catholics? and why should the
State or city refuse to give support to one
denomination more than another? There is
no complaint made that the authorities have
ever refused TO grant Protestant sect what



and if the Protestants ask for one thousand
and the Catholics for one million dollars and
both get what they ask the city or the State
is hardly to be blamed for the difference.
''Didst not thou agree with me for penny p
said the Saviour to a class of grumblers of His
day when they objected that they did not get
as much as their neighbors s'Did not you get
what you asked? Take that thine is and
go thy way" This rebuke would be timely
now, when the Lords vineyard laberers are
quarelling with the city and State, not because
they don't get all they ask for, but because
they don't get as much as their fellow laborers.
But after the protracted discussions in the
Baptist Society common sense won the
day and prevailed over blind bigotry and
ignorant prejudice and ''the bribe" was ac-
cepted.


And now what of It? As we have already
intimated, neither the city nor the State can
rightfully establish denominational Institutions
among us-for that would be a subversion of
our religious ard republican Institutions
it may and it must do its duty fairly and i'm
partially to ALL The great objection to this
Baptist bribe is, as we understand it, that it
will form a pretext for larger grants 10 the
Romanists, and not that the city does wrong in
giving away a rod of land or dollar of money
for benevolent and Christian purposes. The
State is presumably Christian as well as the
Church, and the obligations of the Gospel rest
upon it in its corporate capacity just as they
do upon the individuals who compose it. 1t
must bear others burdens if it wonld fulfil the
law of Christ. And we are glad that the city
and the State recognize their obligations in
this regard and are ready to assume the re-
sponsibility and to do their duty to the poor
and the aged and the helpless within their
borders; and we are glad also that the Bap-
tist Home for the Aged Society has not, through
any false notions of duty and propriety,
oh frop, acooutip0 ho nifv,c offoriu0 Tho