Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-08-28
PUBLIC PRAYING.


ItisA sort Of fad with q good many
protested ministers Of the Gospel, VIXEN
they present themselves In the pulpit
on the Sabbath, to offer up special
prayers for the reclamation Of some
prominent individual who Is supposed
10 be punuiug a mistaken course, or
Tor some baossliiing porson,o or mem.
Dor who has been guilty Of immoral
conduct. A natural Inference IL that
a person thus prayed for Ia At once un.
defstood by the congregation u be
guilty or defrlicl In some moral par.
iiculaf.
A cate Involving ,hisimpllcatlon has
been taken Into court at Los Angeles,
In libel suit for 5000. Rev. J.
w. Csmpoell 10 pastor OF the
First Methodist Episcopal church
there, and has been doing a good deal
Of praying Of this Kind. II appears
that In the public library there IL a
French work by Riohepin, the im.
proper character Of which had escaped
the observation OF the examining con-.
milioc, which fact the pastor Ascer.
tanned. Miss IosA l.. Kelso IL librAT.
Ian, and holds prominent place In
educational circles. On SUNDAY, the
loih instant, Mr. Campbell prayed be.
fore his congregation, using tho fol.
lowing langusg,i 30 Lord, vouchaafo
thy saving grace ~ the librarian OF the
Los Angeles city library, aud cleanse
her Of all sin, aud make hor u woE,an
worthy Of her Office"
OF course Miss Kolso dil not like
that, for every body understood that
she was accused by the pastor Of belng
sinful woman And unworthy VI
the place she held, unless by saving
grace she was raised TO "a better moral
oondition. bhe was not member Of
Mr.. Campbelps church, was not n
French scholar and could not read the
book In question 10 a,osrtaiu thc pAtur,
VI its contents, aud was not empowered
10 exercise any censorship over tn,
books admitted to the library. Further
the minister was notified the Friday
previous to the oooaaion referred TO thai
no blame could DO attached to Mis-,
kelso In this Premises; yet In tho face
Of his knowledge Of tue facts he said
he hsd resolved ~ deliver his prayer
and did 90.
Upon the showing made by
the minister's own statement, n
would teen that the lady has gosC
cause ior proceeding against him. liz
admitted her Innocence OF responsible
ny Tor any wrong that may have ex
listed, ami yet pefslstpd la presenting
hoT btiore - public meeting Ia tn,
attitude Of sinful woman 90 far TO
moved from proper moral slandln,
that she needed special public prayer
10 her behalL Not only was his actor
: In this regard unchristiAnliEe an,
libelous, but II was an act Of sAcrlleg,
. In prssumiug TO present before IN,
Almighty that which on lie face was
T false statement.
The whole business Of dealing that
way with cases Of the kind referred b.
even where parties are guilty OF the
accu,ation made, Ia AL outrage upoI
} refinement aud dcoency, AMI one IL
which no person inspired by Chris
tian spirit will engage. Publio prayen
may refer with proprlety to matter
that belong 10 this public, and to tn,
b speoisl interests Of the congregation
generally, In the way Of Thanksgiving
ana pleadings Tor Divine favor; but
when they are MAZE tue vehicle Of
slanderous accusations or Of calling
attention TO naussating and repulsiv,
crimes which no true Christian desire
to dwell upon In his worship, they ar,
n sacnlege md a mockery. Pfaying
> should DO dceon, Ia lis expressions
anu breathe h0It, faith, charity aud
reverence In all H. ultoanaes.