The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1890-09-01
RELATIONS OF MAN TO GOD
They Only Are Proper for Preachers
Sunday Discourses to Their People.
Secular Themes Are Out of Place in the Pulpit
Sermons at Various Churches-Meeting
Of the Sunday-SchoOl Workers.


NOT QUESTIONS FOR THE PULPIT.
Secular Discussions Are Out of Place in Sum
day Sermons
Rev. w. F. Taylor preached yesterday
forenoon at the First Presbyterian Church
to union congregation composed of the
members of that and of the First Baptist
churches. His subject was 1.-THE Relation
of Political and Social Questions to the
Pulpit" and he took as his text Luke, XII.
1914:
And one of the company said unto Him: "Mas-
ter, speak 10 my brother, that he divide HIS in
herltance with me-" And he said unto him.
man, VINO Eiade me judge or a diyider over
y0ul"
I'm one of our Middle States" said Mr.
Taylor, "two farmers quarreled over ques-
lions growing out of their poultry yards
They sought the decision of the court. The
case was tried In the lower court
and appealed. and finally was brought
before one of the Supreme Judges.
When the papers were handed to
him he threw them aside. exclaiming in
dignantly, This court doesn't sit to deter
mine the ownership of turkey You will
admire the wisdom and justice of this
decision. The answer did not argue any
want of sympathy with questions of Justice.
any Indifference to wrongs, but it showed
conclusiyely that the Judge rightly COM
pretended the work of the Supreme Court.
Christ, by his refusal, as shown in the
text came to do nobler and higher work
than to decide in petty matters of strife
and discord. And if rightly interpret the
spirit of the Christian church there are
certain questions between man and man
which have absolutely no place in the
Christian pulpit. Note the connection of
these words in this portion of the gospel
which has been proclaiming the father
hood of God. and yet Christ hesitates not
to say that he will not be in matters
pertaining to earth alone q judge
or dlvider. Have we not, in these words.
an indication of that which the pulpit may
not discuss? A suggestion that there are
matters which DO not call for ministers to
attempt to Judge? The work of the pulpit
Is distinct and definite. He came to decide
upon questions relating TO God and man in
their mutual relations; to declare to us the
fatherhood of God; to teach men to say our
Father which art In heaven. And the
truths of Gods fatherhood and the brother
hood of man are inseparable. We have,
from the teaching of Scripture, the theme
which the pulpit may proclaim. and we
shall be proclaimed. The world to-day
needs to hear that truth of the fatherhood
of God. All nations, In their earlier religious
history, have had some comprehension of
that fatherhood. This is shown in the
earlier history of Egypt and of Greece
In proportion as that truth was
lost, the nations declined. When men
ceased to believe and know that
they were children of one God then hands
were stretched forth in anger. That the
world NAV know of this love God has or
ganized His church and sent His ministers
into the world; not to decide in petty mat
ters of law and society. but to bring to the
world the influence of His love.
During the little more than year."
continued Mr. Taylor. that i have been
with you have been requested dozen OF
more times to preach on various social and
political questions, on civil-service reform.
on the labor question, on the right of work
lngmen, eight hours day and the wrong
in working more than eight hours. From
one of the theaters i received request to
give my opinion as to whether the stage
was not reformative force. l., for one,
will not admit that the pulpit Is to DO SUI
iike this If these persons will not
believe us when we preach the
fatherhood of God they would not believe
on labor and other questions. When
Wo look up anu oCO ooN do bho i0VAOA w y
see the brotherhood mirrored in the faces
of all men. Men will be to You what God
is to you. Br0therhOods have been formed
upon other bases than that of the Christian
religion. but there is no enduring foInda-
ton unless our brotherhood rests upon the
fatherhood of God. Our sympathies go
out for all other men. Christ said, Render
unto Caesar the things that are Caesar 8
and unto God the things that are Gods
So, too, Paul, unto whom came a man who
was an escaped slave. Did Paul make
that man free? He sent Onesimus back to
Philemon as q slave. but charged him dis
tinctly to receive HIM as brother. Paul
would not strike Oft the chains, but he
made Philemon burn with such love that
these chains were melted.
If in this city," said the preacher, in con-
clusion. there were but one hundred men,
not walking delegates. not social reformers.
but filled with the spirit of God, would not
strife be driven from us? To bring themes
into the pulpit other than those that belong
there would result in discord and evil If
other themes are brought in where 10 our
opportunity to hear of God and his love for
usl If had accepted the invitation offered
me more than quarter of my time would
have been given To themes that have no
place in the Christian pulpit, All social and
political questions undoubtedly should be
discussed from moral point of view, but
there is no need of bringing them into the
pulpit. They should not come before the
supreme court. Let MS insist that the
church be not burdened with matters per-
tanning to the relations of men in their sec
ular life To right the wrongs of this
earth let US first endeavor to right the
L L a l.