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VOL. LXXXVI.
RICHMOND, NEW ORLEANS, ATLANTA, JANUARY
1 fiSCgJ i
24, 1917,; Afv z I
No. 2
Cbitorial JJoteS atib Comment
NON-CONFORMISTS are coming into
their own in England. * In the past it
was very rare to find any not identified with
the Church of England in any high political
office. Great changes have taken place during
the war. The United Presbyterian says: The
report of the religious affiliations of the new
British cabinet show that the Non-conformists
have prominence in it. The premier, Mr.
Lloyd George, is the first Non-conformist, in
actual membership with a Free Church, to be
prime minister. Mr. Asquith, the retir
ing premier, had left Congregationalism
for the Church of England long before he be
came premier. Mr. Lloyd George is a Camp
bellite Baptist. Air. Bonar Law, a son of the
Presbyterian manse, is a Wee Free Presby
terian. He gets his name "Bonar" from his
father 's admiration for Rev. Andrew Bonar,
well known Scotch clergyman. Mr. Arthur
Henderson is a Wesley an Methodist lay preach
er and a leader of the Brotherhood move
ment. Sir F. E. Smith was brought up in
Wesleyan Methodism. Austin Chamberlain
has family links with Unitarianism. The min
ister of munitions, Dr. Addison, is a Presby
terian. George Barnes, the . pension minister,
and one of the products of the labor move
ment, is a Congregationalist. The postmaster
general, Albert Holden Illing worth, is a Bap
tist. John Hodge, the minister of labor, is a
Wesleyan Methodist. Gordon He wart, the
solicitor-general, had early associations with
Congregationalism. Socirdly, as well as relig
iously, this summary signifies a great advance
in democracy.
+ + +
DISCONTENT is a very common fault. We
see it manifested in many lives. It ex
presses itself in fault-finding with one's circum
stances. There are sonie* people who never
seem to be content with anything. They com
plain of their work, though they are engaged
in work of their own choice. They are dissat
isfied with their employers or their employees ;
though in either case a change could be made,
if they really wished it. They are not satisfied
with their home, though they spend more time
in complaining that it is not what they want
it to be than they do in trying to make it what
they wish it to be. They are prone to complain
of their loved ones and friends and to mag
nify their shortcomings. Contentment is a
great virtue, and is a source of blessing to him
who possesses it and to all his friends and ac
quaintances. Lot a man, with God's help, do
that he can to make his circumstances the
best possible, and then be satisfied to get the
most possible comfort and pleasure out of his
condition, no matter what it is. The more he
does this, and the more optimistic he is, the
better will be his prospects for better things to
come.
COLOSSAL undertakings in fina ? are
common in these days and it is ^ *y
ing to see that great things can be done ?, e
Church. On March 1st of last year thi fo ?
testant Episcopal Church started a camj %
to raise by March 1st of this year a fun* "St V
five million dollars, for the purpose of j ^
viding a pension for ?11 retiring clergymen -
that Church. On New Year's day it was an
nounced that four millions had been raised,
and that there was every prospect of the suc
cess of the campaign.
e ??>tonebreafeer
By William Laurie Hill.
Along a rough and stony way ?
All stained with toil and grime,
A stalwart man hath day by day
Taking no note of time ?
Toiled on with stones and clay.
The boulders yield to muscle taught
To conquer nature's strength,
For years this toiling man hath wrought,
Heedless of the hour's length,
Nor higher labor sought.
Despise not him; just breaking stones
Upon the world's highway.
What though he never palace owns?
Or dwells in kingly way?
He fills each useful day.
This man of brawn, with strength and skill
Prepares the roads for men.
His ready hand, with pick and drill,
Knows where each stone a place should All,
To meet the critic's ken. ?
All honor to each son of toil ?
The bluejeans men wo meet ?
For they, true natives of the soil
Meet toil with ready feet;
Nor do they shun the moll.
Great men have wielded pick and spade ?
Guided affairs of State,
Built nations, great highways have made.
In deeds were truly great,
Of toll were not afraid.
It is the men of brain and skill,
That bless our world today.
Bid nature's forces do their will,
In most ingenious way,
All hail! to brain and skill.
Maxton, N. C.
A SUBSCRIBER in paying her own sub
scription sends in another, saying, "I en
joy your paper so much I want to send it out
to others that they may do the same. I cannot
do without it." If all of our subscribers would
make a similar effort to aid us in securing new
names for our mailing list, the problems of
high cost of paper and other expenses would
be easily solved. "We have not raised the sub
scription price and must depend upon new sub
scribers to meet the increased cost of produc
tion.
THE Church year is rapidly drawing to a
close. There is only a little over two
months of it left. It would be a fine thing if
the officers of the Church would take up at
once the apportionments which the Church
has been asked to raise, and see how many of
them have been completed. If the church is
behind in any, steps can be taken much more
easily and with much more hope of success
than can be done during the last week of
March. Then there will be such a comfortable
feeling for the church and the treasurer, if
he will see that all money put into his hands
is forwarded to the proper treasurers, so as
to reach them before the 31st of March. It
will be better to forward money just as fast
as it is received. And, oh ! how comfortable
the Executive Committees will feel, if all the
churches raised all of their apportionments
and sent them in promptly. Then would the
work of the Lord advance gloriously.
+ + +
CORPORATIONS have no souls,, it is often
said. Yet one of the striking facts that
have been brought out in the public press in
the last few weeks, is the large number of
corporations that have voluntarily recognized
that the high cost of living is bearing heavily
upon their employees, and have materially in
creased their wages or their salaries. This
shows that those who compose and control
corporations have souls that love justice. An
other fact that has struck us very forcibly is
the small number of pastors whose salaries are
reported to have been increased. We wonder
if the churches have given this matter careful
and just consideration. The pastor who is
paid the same amount that he received two
years ago, is really getting a much smaller
salary now than then, for it takes more dollars
to buy the necessities of life for himself and
his family now than it did then.
+ + +
CHRISTIAN UNITY still occupies the at
tention of many readers of the religious
papers of the day. A Avriter in one of these
papers asks the question, whether Christians
want unity, by which he evidently means
Church union, and answers his own question
by saying, "Yes, if they can have it their own
way." That seems to be about the true state
ment of the case, so far as most of those who
are advocating Church union are concerned.
We have not seen any proposition from any of
them to give up anything themselves. They
all want others to do the giving up. We have
never been able to sec how the spirit of unity
can be secured by union, if it does not al
ready exist in those whom it is desired to
bring into the union. If the' unity of spirit ex
ists, it will make very little difference about
union, for the Lord's work will be done, and
that is all that is expected by union.