Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-08
SUNDAY THOUGHTS
ON
MORALS 4sR MANNERS
BY A CLERGYMAN.
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPArcz.l
Several churches in this vicinity have
recently installed new pastors. A word to
he Sc churches regarding their duties to
these pastors will have the merit of time
illness.
For one thing, let the minister boss the
job. There must be head to everything
Who else is so well fitted to lead and control
in church affairs as the minister? Who else
knows the situation so well, and is in such
intimate touch with the parish?
As in politics, there are always plenty of
patriots willing to serve their country-for a
consideration, SO in the church there are
men who for the consideration of prominence
and influence will plot and pull wires to get
into parochial office. If such men get in, get
them out. If they are out, keep them
out. Nothing kills church SO surely in
q self-respecting and intelligent community as
the reputation Of being carried in some lay
mans vest pocket. Let the minister be cap
tain on his own quarterback. He is responsi-
BILE before God and man. Therefore give him
power. Responsibility without power is dan
responsibility. Then hold him responsible. II
he does not level up to the responsibility. the
brotherhood can with a good conscience invite
him to step down and out.
I'VE urge the church to cooperate with the
pastor. Cooperation is the open secret of sue
cessful work. Cruel to put on the back of one
camel the load intended for the whole caravan.
The epltaph OF many a minister might well be
this: Murdered by the idleness and indiffer-
ence Of the parish" Lay hold with him. This
will make work easy, inspiring, successful.
Hello there, lazy church membersi lend
hand.
'Tis the duty of the church to defend the
PASTORS reputation This is the medium of his
influence. If this is gone what is left7 And it is
as delicate as a woman's-a breath is sometimes
fatal. There are in every church whisperers
and backblters: men. who when any SIAN
der begins to circulate, shrug the shoul-
wiser than they are; women who cough under
the handkerchief-and other women. who
without any malicious purpose, do endless mis-
chief by gossiping, whose tongue is hung as a
pivot and runs at both ends. Nor are women
the only offenders in the way Of gossip. There
are men whose tongues are so long that they
must be measured with yardstick. More
over, what mischief could gossipers do If it
were not for the gossip hearers? According to
an old writer, both these classes ought to be
hanged-the one by the tongue and the other
by the ear. There is one text which needs to
be frequently preached on nowadays, viz: "AI
liars shall have their part in the lake which
burneth with fire and birthstone" If this be
true, then Satan viii have to lay in an extra
Surely, a Christian church should be as
charitable as the common law is; and this holds
a man to be innocent until he is proved to be
guilty. A PASTORS reputation is the special
charge of his people. They should defend it
as long as it is defensible.
A church should show the fruits of preach
ing in Christian life. What does q minister
preach for? To save men and women-to build
characterize make noble manhood and woman
hood.
What makes a church, Not = magnificent
edifice casually mortgaged); not crowd of
hearers; not a five thousand dollar choir; not
gifted preacher. These are, at best, mere ac-
cessories. No,men and women-self-sacr1ficing
noble living; these make church, There is in
the community prejudice against the church
which has no piety Even worldly people feel
that church should love and exemplify r1gh-
teousness. Is this impression mistaken
If church is attached to its pastor let it say
so. There are some husbands who never speak
well of their wives until they are sainted
There are some wives who seldom refer to their
husband until they come to speak of them as
''the late lamented." So some churches make
point of not manifesting the affection they
really feel-until the pastor goes away. II
would never have left my late CHARGE" said
pastor had imagined my people loved me as
they showed they did when resigned"
George Eliot makes ''Mrs. Poyer" say in Addnp
Bede: Its poor work allays settin' the
dead above the liYin'. We shall all on us be
dead sometime, reckon; and 1t 'ud be better If
folks 'ud make much on US beforehand, instid
o. begInnin when we're gone. It's but little
good you'll do waterin' the last years crop"
This remark of Mrs. Poyser" is respectfully
commended to all congregations.