Mockery in Prayer

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 7, 1873

Mockery in Prayer.

THE most eloquent prayer “ever addressed to a Boston audience” has become historical and proverbial. It has its fit successor, is even eclipsed by the following recent utterance before the Massachusetts House of Representatives, by the Rev. W. H. Cudworth, chaplain of that body. It is said to have been “inspired” by a railroad bill then under discussion. It certainly lacked inspiration of any higher kind. We quote:

All Thy works praise thee, Architect Divine, in all places of thy dominion. We rejoice before thee to-day, that, although fire and water mingled produce antagonism, from that antagonism we derive power and progress most promotive of human welfare; and we pray, amid the fire and water of opposing convictions touching a great common interest under consideration, that the throttle valve of circumstances may start a power among us which shall force the driving wheel of opportunity along the broad highway of human good, until that grand democratic terminus is reached—the greatest good of the greatest number. Amen!—Cincinnati Gazette.

No wonder that among so many prayers made to order, also some poor ones are turned out; the factory of itself is not very perfect, and must be repeatedly oiled; how should it turn out perfect productions all the time? The fact is, that all those prayers are superfluous, useless, and in many instances hypocritical. We cannot see the use of it, or the right of any State to pay for chaplains.—Exchange.