The Forrest City times., 1892-05-20
Gbc forrest Gitp Glmrs.
 LANDVOlCT & VADAKIN. Editors ancl Publishers.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON. MAY 20. tss..
ICommunieated.i "Proselytlng."


 We do not use the word proselyte as used in the bible to designate the con yerts to the Jewish religion, but in the sense of prDselyting by influencing in- disiduals to leave one Christian de- nomination and unite with a different one. It is T fact that almost the en- tire membership of the evangelical churches are satisfied with their church relationship. and, aS a rule. would live and die in the church to which they be- long unless influenced by some one to leave it. it is right and proper for ministers of the gospel and Christian people to endeavor to persuade men and women to become religious, but to strive to unsettle and diSsatisfy members of another church in order to influence them to u1ite with theirs is unfair and uBcbristain. X holy zeal manifested in disseminating religious truths and in the advancement of Christ's Kingdom is cOmmendable i'll both pastor and people, but to under take tn upbuild and maintain the church by means of proseiytlng Is T shame, dishonoring to God and con temptable to all honest, fair minded people. Certain rules of courtesy and ciyility belong to, and ought to be practiced in, the various professions and vacations of life, and should con- trol all men in their social intercourse with each other. So, also, there are certain ministerial courtesieS and ec- clesiastical rules that ought to govern and control ministers and churches Of different denominations. Every pas tor of a church naturally and right fully delights and reioices in the pros perity of the denomination to which he belongs. but no genuine true Christian could thus rejoice where his prosperity was some one else's loss, or when the of his church was rein forced as a result of willful and inten- tional proseiyting or ecclesiastieai sheep stealing. There are many ways by which d minister of the gospel might be guilty of the abominable and hateful prae. tice of proselyting. For instance he could, by special effort, succeed i'll winning the confidence and friendship of any who for or without just cause might dislike their own pastor or were not in harmonious relationship with the church to which they belong be- cause of some real or imaginary wrong done them, and taking ad Ivan tage of this he might influence them to lay aside their predjudices and ani- mostIties and make friends with pas tor and church. No, but to join him and his church. Or he could take ad- vantage of his brother pastors failure or inability to visit some of his flock as often as they think he ought and by constant and repeated visitation and he might succeed in pre- vailing op them to leave their church and join his. The legitimate work and religious labors of pastor are among the people and within the homes of the membership of the church to which he belongs and is called or sent to labor with, and whenever he habit ually visits the homes of some other pastor and labors among the flock of d different fold from that of his own it is breach of ministerial courtesy and is never done fer the love of souls or the glory of God, but from an evil de- sign and for the unchristian purpose of proselyting. We have not conversed with the ministers to know if the above in whole or in part applies to Forrest City. Every true man whether a Christian or not would regret to know that it did.