Other Articles
The Dying Wish
A little Sunday school girl, when dying, wished for her mother to put no roses round her head in the coffin, and on being asked why not, said, “Because Christ’s head was crowned with thorns!” – This beautiful thought has been versified by James Montgomery Esq.
‘Mamma’ a little maiden said,
Almost with her expiring sigh,
‘Put no sweet roses round my head,
When in my coffin-dress I lie,
‘Why not, my dear,’ the mother cried,
‘What flowers so well a corpse adorns?’
‘Mamma,’ the innocent replied,
‘They crowned our Savior’s head with thorns.’
As is the Priest
Sermon by the Sabbath Labor Christians
The priests are always thought to be good enough. Time was, and is, when the deacons were considered as little inferior to the priest, and still believed to be but little lower than the angels. To be good as a deacon was enough for the most scrupulous. The priest now-a-days is the model for the people. If the priest lives in great style, surely the people ought to, who support him. If the priests do not let their servants eat or drink, or sit with them, then it is right in the people. It is well enough to preach the equality of the gospel on Sundays, but to practice it on week days is another thing quite different. How would you know the Minster’s daughter from the house girl, if both should sit at the same pew at church, and go in and out at the same door? The house girl is often the most intelligent and “good looking.” There must be a distmention kept up, and since nature has not been partial in her girst, on account of circumstances, the priests can establish on that will be recognized by the church, and who does not belong to the church that would be thought respectable?
What has been taught by the priests for the last century? Heaven has been held out to them as a place, rather than a state. Their ambition and avarice has been appealed to, instead of their intellect and moral sensibility. They have been urged by the hope of Heaven, and the fears of ell, to yield submission to the gospel, and give liberally to the support of the same. What, we ask, have been their examples – for to them we must look for their real opinions. “Actions do not lie,” words too often do.
Men declare their love to their flock – they so often love them to real want. How much has been collected to send the gospel to the heathen in Hindoostan and other heathen lands through the influence of the priests. when their main object was to get rid of the overplus of pious drones, who are swarming about our large towns and cities.
If the priests resort to such a course of self-protection, why should not the people? If men are set up as examples, why should not society follow them? Can we expect men to be wiser than their teachers, or better than their ministers? Certainly not. The minister banishes his hired girl to the kitchen with the rest of the furniture, of which she is a part. She is not allowed a seat with the family at the fireside or the table. They go farther than this. At the house of God where human beings should be known only as christians, and not as masters and servants, this christian example is found. The hired men and women, good and pious though they may be, are not permitted to take a seat with the master. What a noble, heavenly exhibition of christianity! Who would not be led to glorify a God whose worship and service should give such examples of meekness and humility to the world? There could be no infidels in the world without a Voltaire, or a Paine, or an Owen, one would be led to believe by the sermons, but should you look for evidence of the goodness of religion among their every day’s practice, you would need no stronger reasons to make you exclaim with disgust, that the religion of which we hear so much by way of praise is a humbug; a good hobby to get a fat living.
We may be called severe, infidel even, but if we take the christian’s Bible as a guide, we are justified in judging men by their works, and no one blest with as much observation as we have, who keep all days alike holy, can fail to see the truth of this sermon, delivered by order of the church religion of the city.
We saw, in closing, we believe in the popular church created, viz: “The golden eagle, the silver dollar and the copper cent,” and no one has any right to [bred] us as infidels Amen.
Sermon next week before the Infidels out of the churches. Text – “Keep cool.”
A Biblical Exchange
For the Girls to Read. – A young gentlemen happened to sit at a church in a pew adjoining one in which sat a young lady for whom he conceived a violent passion, and was desirous of entering into courtship on the spot. – But the place not suiting a formal declaration, the exigency of the case suggested the following plan: -
He marked the text and handed the Bible to her, 2nd Epistle to John, 5th verse:
‘And now, I bessech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we have from the beginning, that we love one another.’
She returned the book pointed to Ruth 2nd 10th
‘Why should I find grace in thine eyes, that though shouldst take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?’ –
He again returned it, pointing to the third of John, 13th verse –
“I have many things to write, but I will not with pen and ink write unto thee – but I trust I shall shortly see thee and then we shall speak face to face.”
They were united in marriage soon after.
Capital Punishment
(excerpt)
Life is to be held sacred unless we have the clearest proof of the necessity, the duty of taking it. In the evidence adduced, there must be no doubt; for a doubt of the duty of taking life is a certainty against taking it – as our own laws admit, in regard to the evidence of guilt. Where is that absolute proof that the life of the criminal must be snatched from him? Do you say the law of the self-defence, give the right. I reply; Christianity limits the right of self-defence. It forbids your doing some things even to save life. You may not deny Christ, you may not disobey one of his commands, to save any number of lives , He that will (thus) save his life shall lose it.’ I deny that the law of self-defence extends so far as to permit a violation of the Law, - ‘Thou shall not kill.’ As well might we claim the right to violate the law, ‘Thou shall not commit adultery,’ because, as in the case of Joseph, a refusal to commit the crime would involve us in danger. But this is not the cause of self-defence. We have over-come our enemy, and the question now is, ‘how shall we treat a conquered foe?”
We can restrain him and save society from wrong without taking his life. We may be the means of his conversion and reform, if we will spare his life, and surround him with the kindly influence of Christian love.
The Death Penalty prevents his reform. Do you say he is to depraved to be reformed. It was said so of the drunkard a few years ago. How can we limit God’s grace? David and Paul are illustrious examples, and his mercy can save the chief of sinners. Many illustrations do we have of the power of love and compassion to melt the hardest heart. The lives of Howard, William Penn, Elizabeth Fry, Isaac T. Hooper, Miss Dix, and Captain Pillsbury of the Connecticut State Prison, are full of such proofs of the omnipotence of Love. I urge it as a strong objection to the Gallows that the criminal can be saved and made a good man, a blessing to society, an apostle of virtue and truth.
The Gallows not only robs humanity but robs God of souls that might be garnered into his service. Is it necessary to prevent crime? Look at the history of public executions. They are the hot beds of crime. – Governments are rapidly discovering their demoralizing tendency and abolishing their publicity, and appropriately hiding from the public view, that deed of darkness which kills the defenceless criminal. Rhode Island has done it. Is that act good in its influence on society which you must hide from the sight of the community lest it corrupt them! Did Jesus used to conceal his deeds of love? Are we afraid to have men witness an act of Christian benevolence? No! This hiding the execution from the public eye is a strong argument against its influence on society. The private execution is known, however, and many an imagination will look upon all the horrible particulars of the deed, and perhaps it works no less mischief than if it had been open to the outward eye. Depraved men flock around the Gallows, to witness its slaughter. They love it as they love their cock fights and horse races . The death penalty hardens the public heart, sets an example of life taking before the bad, which they are too liable to copy, and thus cheapens human life.
…
The precept to Noah is not certainly a command. Christianity teaches to reform the sinner, not to kill – to love
—By C.M.B.
Love is the bond
The sum and substance of all true religion, is that love which regards all men as brethren.
Religion Without Humanity
Religion without humanity, is a body without a soul.
Christian Nations
If Christian nations were nations of Christians, they would not make war
The Present Life
It is an error, though but few are guilty of it, to suppose that all religion lies in minding only the life to come and disregarding all things in the present life.
Ivory Statue of Christ
The Ivory Statue of Christ will continue on exhibition at Wentworth’s Hall during this week, day and evening, including the 4th. We advise all lovers of the beautiful in art, and all Christians believing in the sweet ministry of symbols, to spend at least one hour with this statute of the Nazarene.
Christian Benevolence
Paying a rich minister on hundred-dollars to attend the funeral services of a relative, and the poor sexton one dollar for toiling the bell.
