Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-18
THE PREACHERS
And the YeIlOw-Fever EDidemic-The
Arguments of the Runaways and
their Friends VIII Not Dot
is Injuring the Cause OF
the Church.
The Pastors Place is not Only in the
Pulpit WheretO he has been Called,
but by the Bedside OF his Dying
People, by the Side Of the
Widow and the Orphan.

EDITORS APPEAL see that In several pa
pers there are articles on the relation OF min
isters to epidemlcs. l think 1t would be bet
ter to narrow the question to the real issue;
the relation of pastors to epidemics. | think
it is true that most of the correspondents on
this subject are inexperienced, never having
been in real yellow-fever cpidemics. Some
things affirmed sound strangely to those who
have borne the heat and the burden OF the
day. For instance that a minister Is re-
duced to a mere nurse, and that any hire
ling can do as well as he can. This
is wonderful to me! My experience Is that
| in the matter of nursing, the Intelligence
and sympathy of a pastor IS worth to the
| sick and their families more than forty
nurses. There are not assemblies of congre-
cations epidemics, but there is no want of
opportunities for preaching. Jesus preached
to one woman at the well IN Samarla, and
He wept with two sisters at the grave of
Lazarus. There are hourly openings in the
time of pestilence for following the Savior
| in this work. / am sure | never had much
reason to believe that l accomplished SO much
| work, effective gospel cork, In the same
length of time as during the fever of 1878.
| II ono wanted congregation the camps Joe
| Williams and Wright we're open every day
| with six or eight hundred people to the herald
| of the cross 1t is great mistake to hold
| that there is no place TOR Clergyman S
| Special Work IN SuCu anu tL4Ilb iCA Ch4o
| reason he may go away. Then, for the pas
| tors own flock there is no one IN the world
| so much needed If his people ever need
| him IL is IN time of trouble. Nothing so
| quiets and encourages the SICK as the
| presence eff a trusted and loved pastor.
| It is not true that all the members of a
church go away, and that on this account the
| pastor may flee also. We cannot depopuiate
a city in this country. To do so you need a
government that can make provision for all
the people elsewhere, and then possessing
power to compel all to leave,
while the government protects the prop
erty or burns it up. Russia can do this, out
the United States cannot, except partially.
The colored population, and many others,
will not leave the city. If the pastors focks
left here, how is it that the churches have re-
ported from ten to fifty of their members VIC
tins of yellow-fever? The special charities
sent to ministers who remained enabled them
to keep their members and those OF absentee
pastors also from burial in the potters- field,
and to support or send to their friends many
widows and orphans during the present WIN
ter Had ali left this work could not have
been done. The outside world did not COM
NIT their charities to the absent pastors, but
to those who remained with the afflicted of
the city. There is no fixed rule in the mat
tcr of minister leaving. These are minis
tiers who are not pastors; they are
editors, business men or teachers; they can
tors, as where family Is IN such condItl On
that they cannot remain, and the husband IS
obliged to be with them The general rule,
however, Is that pastors must remain soitb
their people in epidenicS. This should be
considered In becoming a pastor If the
Master would not shun the cross, nor the
apostles martyrdonl for the cause OF chris
tianity, their followers should not run from
danger. To do so results 10 great loss of in
| fuence and respect. They are representa-
tives Of religion. and when they flee the cause
of Christ suffers We preach much about |
our protection under God, and the blessed |
ness of heaven. Let not our conduct defeat |
our teaching. On all sides let there be CHAR |
ity, so that we may walk together in peace |
and helpfulness. Let not those who re-
manned be too severe On those who went |
away. The latter thought they were doing |
right. They toiled to great WEAKNESS, and |
''-'''' "'-' '--'''- VI '''''' anu PisroR.
YeIIOw-Fever and Preachers.
EDITORS APPEAL, for one, am not sat
isfed with the defense of preachers who fly
from epidemics, made in your paper by Rev.
Mr.. Barksdale and his indorser, SHELBY"
1 am not willing for their views of minlste-
rial duty In such emergencies to become the
general sentiment of the church The yell
low-fever may at )me future time visit our
country again, and our holy religion may be
called on to show the light Of It's lovely
shadow of the scourge. Hence | protest
against the idea becoming common, that
pastor may leave stricken people with no
better excuses than tnOse apologists have
given. | object to their idea that the matter
of leaving must be left entirely to the con-
science of the preacher. This might do if
his conscience was properly imbued with the
spirit and faith OF christianity, and fully
guided by the word OF God. But in preach
ers, as in other men, it is possible for con-
science to become too pliable for a rule of
moral action. Of course, conscience must
have much to do IN such cases, and each
individual case Is to be decided on
its own merits. Pastors have |
left Memphis when yellow-fever was here,
when no rIght-minded man, WHO knew the
whole case, could blame them. Others have
left when the case, perhaps, was different |
A Methodist pastor, good man and true, in
feeble health, left IN 1867 at the earnest en-
treaty and advice of another pastor who re-
manned and labored through the scourge. :
Another left in 1873. the condition of whose
family made it his duty to leave. But Mr.. ,
Barksdale errs IN thinking that preachers |
can do no good In visiting yellow-fever pa
tients, and that the sick never desire such /
visits. l have visited hundreds of cases, and
have positive knowledge to the contrary. 1t ,
is true that some doctors object to preachers
talking to and praying with their patients.
1t is also true that some doctors don't care to
have preachers talk much about religion any
where. But there are other doctors who
have no such objections. There are many
cases where n preacher can do no good, and :
there are times in the progress of nearly
every case In which the utmost quiet should
be had. Every sensible pastor, and the most
OF them are sensible, knows when to speak
and when to be silent. As a general rule
the preacher has but little hope OF saving a |
man with the yellow fever, whose life up to
the time has been spent IN utter disregard
of religion; but among the many who .
are not religious there are those whose | ,
thoughts and inclinations have been
drifting in that direction, and with little
help and encouragement may be brought to ,
a knowledge of God IN pardon and peace.
Tho minister may not know vino these are, | ,
but among the many he finds some such, | ,
here and there, and is made to feel that he is
In the line of duty marked out by his Lord | !
and Master, and who himself event about ,
doing good, and commanded his ministers
to visit the sick. Moreover, while the :
preacher may not benefit the dying man, his
visit and kind words may do much good to :
the stricken family. Hence, the flight and
absence of most of his church members is |
not of itself sufficient reason for the preacher
to fly. Better die on the field among the
fallen, than to hear the Lord say in the final :
day: 81 was sick and you were away" But ,
it has been said that it was the duty of the
preacher to save his life, and that he has nc :
right to sacrifice himself by remaining. If !
this be so, then men OF revered memory, ,
such as Drs. Bowm n, Davis, Slater, Rose =
dieth." Our Lord said: 'He that will save !
his lite shall lose it. GUILFORD JONES.
The Kansas Imposition. '
ST- LGz1A, March ia large number of f
negroes nave recently arrived here from Z a