Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-12-20
The Presbyterian and DR.. Parkhurst

A resolution was introduced into the
meeting of the New York Presbytery
on Monday to appoint a committee to
prepare a minute recognizing ''the re-
form work carried on by DR.. Park
hurst" 1t was presented by layman,
an elder in the Presbyterian Church,
and was intended to supply the omis-
sion OF the Presbytery to express for
NAL approval of DR.. Parkhurst's pro-
ceedings. The resolution was not
adopted, but was laid on the plea OF
the lateness of the hour, and accord
ingly it will come up for discussion at
the January meeting of the Presbytery.
Really it was thus disposed of be-
cause of objection to its consideration
expressed by the Rev. Mr.. Mullally.
on the ground that DR.. Parkhurst's
enterprise and it's methods could not
properly be recognized by the Presby-
terry as belonging to his function as a
minister of the Gospel, in which char
acter alone that body could regard him.
If any members of the Presbytery de-
sire to declare their approval of DR..
Parkhurst's course as citizen, Mr..
Mutually said, let them hold meet
ing by themselves as citizens for that
purpose; but he contended that it was
a subject which did not come within
the rightful province of the Presbytery
officially.
This was a very sound objection.
DR.. Parkhurst as President of the So
cicty for the Prevention of Vice is one
man, and as Presbyterian minister
he is another. 1t is mere accident
that he is Presbyterian and minis
ter of the Gospel so far as concerns
the public enterprise in which he was
engaged in the other capacity. He
was not chosen to succeed the Rev.
DR.. Howard Crosby as the head of that
body, simply because he is also Pres
byterian minister belonging to the
New York Presbytery, but simply as
an individual who was selected as de-
slrable forthe post. He was picked
out as he might have been selected for
President of a social club or an asso-
citation of Alpine climbers.
1t was not necessary for him to be a
Presbyterian minister in order to visit
houses of ill fame to find out the vile
ness and shamelessness of them. To
get into them on such an errand he
had to disguise himself and pretend to
be an old reprobate from the West.
If he had gone to them as a minister
of the Gospel, it would not have been
as detective and a companion of de-
tectives, but as merciful messenger
carrying the consultations and admon-
itions of religion to the depraved and
dying. In such a pure and holy ca
pacity priests, ministers, and sisters of
the Church can enter any place, no
matter how vile, consistently with the
professions and obediently to the obli-
cations of their religious Office. But,
as Mr.. Mullally said, ..when DR..
Parkhurst visited the places which he
wished to suppress, he was not acting
by any commission as q minister of
Christ" He was proceeding solely
and incongrously in a purely civil and
secular capacity as a volunteer detec-
tive. He was performing police
function and not discharging :. duty
belonging to his Office as Christian
minister, but one wholly irreconcilable
with it. Christ sat and ate with pub
| licans and sinners, and the ministers
| of Christ are properly exercising the
duties of their commission when they
carry His Gospel to the lowest and the
| vilest; but they are not discharging
them when they go down into this
pitch of depravity for the sake of de-
tecting its existence, and arrayiug
against it the forces of the earthly law.
They cannot do evil because they think
! good may come of it.