The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-23
IN HIGH STEEpLE CHURCH.
Continued from page L.

members connected with that churc
| almost from it's organization; occupying
high social and business positions, q
progressive euchor party was given
and advertised in tho society columns. "
How such publications grieved the bes {
people in tho church, how they brought
the blush OF shame to tho face of the
pastor; how they wletted the appstite
OF tho young; how Christ Jesus was
\ wounded in the house Of his friends
the paper did not tell.
These cases are cited for illustration
\ and to avoid vague generalizing. But
they are not so raro as to excite rem ark,
and II any should identify the brothren
here used as 'object lossons," let them
consider that tho society editor" has
given immeasurably more publicity to
their social affairs than these pages will
give. They were pleased to read the
CON plimentary references to their
elegant entertainments" in the big
daily; they should not in the least
resent this anonymous reference to
their worldly ways. Nor will they un.
less some preacher shows them this
article; men of thcir sort do not on in
hundred of them-read the Quarterly
Review; or to much profit, oven their
conference paper. They cannot; worldly
Methodists have neither time nor taste
nor faculty for religious reading, and
are fast ceasing to know or to care what
Methodism is.
such things and doings as are men
TONED above have become so common
Ii the cities and in that rank, according
to tho worlds gauges, as our yerv
strongest and best societies that, how.
ever mt ch they pain, they NJ longer
surprise those who lovo and honor the ir
church, as we'll as respect and keep their
own solemn vows.
Tho pastor did nothing with these
we'll to do people so fagrantly violating
the laws OF their church, so heartlessly
dishonoring it before the world, SO On.
sciencelessly repudating their own most
sacred obligations.
In this particular church why has not
the pastor taken action to vindicato the
law he also is under VOWS to obey? The
honor OF his church suffers grievous
hurt; tho law is openly. defiantly, osten-
tatiously broken. The pastor knows
these things, and he mprehends their
significance. Ho knows that these for.
oidden indulgences arc blood poison,
fretting. spreading leprosy in the bod y
OF his church. He is a religious man
and sincere Methodist; he has not for.
gotten has own ordination VOWS, nor has
his presiding elder. Why then has
oSuA"B occh CORRESPONDING that mas
mad announcement? Because the pas.
tor could not do nything; he is help
less; tied hands and feet
He and his predecessors, for many
years following the same policy, have,
to all intents and purposes, surrendered
the church to governing body that
neither knows nor loves the Methodist
doctrine and discipline" What is true
OF this particular church, here used 10
illustration, is true of many churche
similarly related to city society"
OF one thing VIC may be sure, no gov.
eminent, civil, military, educational. or
ecclesiastical, ever does, or can, enforce
law beyond the opinions, sentiments
and habits of tho official staff" AS to
the principal here stated there can be
neither dispute nor doubt.
Consider now tho state of things. as
to Methodist discipline, in High Steeple
Church, strong in members, money
and social innuence-in the fore
front of all churches in Fair City A
local journal recently spoke OF it as
this powerful church" AS
matter of fact High Steeple is
governed by It's board of Stewards
composed of thirty picked men, gentle.
mon ALL selected, most of them, on
financial, business and social considcra
llohSi one Or tHO for diplomatic
reasons-their supposed 'innuence with
the appointing power" A few of thom-
relics of tho old regime-a ION the
board because they have always been
on. If disposed, now and then, to be
troublesome about "the old paths" and
such like Methodist antiquities, they
are tolerated, laughed at, or run over,
according to the mood of the majority
with the whip hand
Strict justice should be done in this
account of things. The dominant ma.
loritysis not opposed to discipline: upon
occasion they will enforce it with
prompt and remorseless rigor. If somc
members should com nit felony or DO
some disgraceful and utterly ignomin-
ious thing, condemned and scorned By
fashionable society itself, We will see a
fne expression OF loyalty to the church.
The board will rally to tho pastor and
by him, through thick and thin, to the
"uttermost last ditch" The official
staff is always easily equal to enforcing
discipline against evils they are them
selves above doing.
BY Whatsort of e yolution have we come
to this? We do not need microscopes
to find the answer. The moral bacilli
that have destroyed the discipline and
impaired to the point Of chronic in
validism the spiritual constitution of
High Steeple are big enough to be seen
by the naked eye.
Tho discipline, which is Methodist
law and not some "old fogy's" within,
provides method for creating the Official
staff. Paragraph rs, book of Discipline,
page 81, gives us the composition OF the
quarterly confere nee, the highest court
and governing power in the local church.
Ihero was time when thoss specifically
charged with tho spiritual interests OF
the church were in control Local