The Religion of Morals.
By Churchman
It ought to be understood better than it seems to be on all sides, that religion is nothing if it does not concern moral conduct. Ritual, order, dogmatic teaching—everything is vain and lost unless the man is changed and made better in all that concerns the duties and relationships of life. Morals, indeed, are not religion—though, in the higher and better sense, it is impossible to distinguish between the two even in thought—but morals are an essential part of religion. Morals concern right-thinking and right-doing in the manifold every-day relations and employments. What is truthful, just, honest, right in principle, whether in speech or action, in buying or selling, and in the whole ordering of life—that is what is meant by the religion of morals. It means that religion is largely made up of morals, by as much as a life of right-doing chiefly consists in what men rightly think, do, and say in all common and ordinary affairs. This saying, doing, and thinking the right thing is not a matter of discretion, but a matter of obligation. More than that, it is a religious obligation. It is to be done because it is right, as for that reason, also, it is commanded of God. It is as right and obligatory as prayer or worship, or anything else which God commands. The whole thing, indeed, is summed up in the Lord's prayer, and the ten commandments, as everything is gathered up in the twofold but essentially one requirement, to love God and one's neighbor. This religion of morals, as the world looks at the matter, is chiefly the test of religion. "Those who profess and call themselves Christians" are almost wholly judged by the standard of moral conduct. The church is, by the world, judged in the same way. So, too, is the Christian religion. So, also, is its Founder. It is true he is acknowledged to have kept the whole law, not offending in one point, but his example, his teaching, and his church are conceived to be a success, and only so in proportion as they bring about a right way of acting and dealing between man and man.