CARNAL AND SPIRITUAL WEAPONS.
At a meeting of scientists and inventors Hiram S. Maxim, in the course of an off hand speech, remarked that the best machine for introducing commerce in the odd corners of the universe was the Maxim gun. He said that a missionary had once told him that he had had great trouble in introducing religion into savage races, and suggested that perhaps a Maxim gun would be a good thing to spread religion as well as commerce. Mr. Maxim replied, “My friend, you are quite right; get a Maxim gun, and the savages will never find any fault with your religion; they will take it ‘holus bolus.’” That was a witty turn, but nothing more. Force that bends the will without changing the hearts will never make any people truly religious. Christianity tried it, and did the world more harm than good. It was an evil day when Constantine began his conquest for Christ. The world groans until this time under the results. Christian methods were well expressed by St. Paul: “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” The Maxim gun may subjugate a people, but the less missionaries have to do with Maxim guns or the things that they stand for, the better.—N. Y. Christian Advocate.