The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1895-09-12
A SCORCHING
. SERMON
Against the Lu1ury-Living, Hire.
ling Ministry Of the Day-A
Brave Methodist Preacher
AND NOW HE WILL BE TRIED

AND NOW He WILL BE TRIED
For ..UaministsrinI onducs''-Ths DiGni
tarie- and "Upperdom" Of the Church.
WINGED Under the Lssh-And sunmos-
ed Him Before Cosfsrspcs-Tsiiisg TSuth
Kile- the Devil.
REV Passmore, Of Denver. who has been
preaching some sermons which made the
Republicans of Colorado very uncomforts-
bic, has been cited 70 appear for trial Tor
''unsinisteriai conduct" The truth and
the gospel are two things that some
people do not care TO hear"
The above is a paragraph going the
rounds Of the press. The reason why
Mr.. Passmore is charged with "unmin-
isterial conduct" proves on investiga-
tion To be very interesting. 1t will
especially interest some Democratic
editors in North Carolina--if they will
read il.
Mr.. Passmore Is member OF the
Colorado conference, Of the M. II
church. He recently preached q SER
mon In which he gave the 4hireling
ministry" a terrific lashing; but he
spoke the living truth as it IL. 1t
proved To be too hot for the dignitaries
and "upperdom" Of the church, hence
his citation for the trial.
Let it be borne i'm mind now that
this fearful scourging does not come
from an anarchist" or "labor agitatOr"
or "allianceman" but from q clergy
man-one who is recognized where
ever he is known AS a conscientious,
brave and noble. mana practical Chris
tian.
Here is his sermon in part:
TEXT.
Il have set thee a watGhman unto the
house of Israel."-Ezekiel 1877
Feed my sheep."--John 2l:l5:T.
Mr.. Passmore said: "Watchmen
are men who are appointed to look out
for danger, and when they see it to
give the alarm and warn the people.
shepherds are men who are to look
after sheep-all the sheep and all the
interests of the sheep.
"Studying the ministry of our church
from the standpoint of the above Scrip
ture, am impressed with the fact that
the greatest failure of the age 10 the
ministry. find the ministry in our
church, rs class, the most worldly,
UNFAITHFUL AND COwARDLY
that has ever been. The church Is
worldly, formal and inspiritual, and
has lost its power for good; yet the
church is on as high a plane as her
leaders.
"When ! look over the age l see
crime of every description and viO-
lence on the increase, murder, lynch
ing, suicide, adultery, drunkenness,
gambling, defalcatiOns, divorces, the
oppression Of the poor, political cor
ruption, the outraging of w0manhOOd
and girlhood; ina word the passions
of men-the worst, most Internal and
devilish-are running riot. l an con-
strained to stop and ask what our
ministers who are supposed to be the
opposers of all sin, are doing?
am sorry to say that find them,
EVEN TO OUR BISHOPS,
throwing their influence i'm favor of
all these sins and crimes. 1t is a sad
state for the church, and q gloomy
condition for the country, when the
ministry, and the corrupt and crimi-
nal classes are working hand in hand,
and walking side by side, as the
preac hers, saloon men and other cor
rupt and vile classes are doing.
The time has come when every true
minister of the Methodist Episcopal
church, from our bishops down, must
take u stand
sQUARELY ON COPS WORD
for justice, purity and truth. 1t is
enough to make night and sin them
selves blush to see how the ministry
including our bishops, are pandering
to the world, and unfolding crime
and criminals.
From the sermons coming from our
pulpits to-day it would seem rs il our
leading preachers had not the faintest
idea of the nature of the divine mis-
sion to which they claim to have been
called, The prophets, Christ and the
apostles were the true ministers Of
Bible history, and they
ARE TO BE OUR PATTERNS
in subjects, manner and methods.
Ii the Bible teaches any
thing on the subject Of the min
istery, it teaches that those who
go to the world with this message of
salvation are to give up the world, it's
wealth, its honor, it's care, its glory and
be wholly cOnsecrated to the welfare
of mankind. The true, the loyal, he
courageous Waterman warns against
all danger. The good shepherd looks
after all the interests of the lambs and
sheep. 1t was the great unwashed
multitude of which Jesus, behOlding in
pity and compassion said: "They are
as sheep without u shepherd" The
average n-pleasing sermons of to-
day on some etfete subject of the past
or some irrelevant subject of the far
away future, will no more
FEED AND SATISFY HUMANITY
than they will the sheep. When Jesus
said, "feed my lambs-feed my Sheep
he meant that his shepherds should
take particular care in looking after
the interests of humanity rs the shep-
herds care for their sheep: not look
ing after the rich and strong and ia
vored ones, and neglecting the DOOR
and weak, and sick and dying. It ID
not expected that shepherds will aid
wild beasts to destroy their iiocks, but
our spiritual shepherds are aiding the
saloons, and gamblers to DESTROY their
hocks. When thu history of the min
istry of to-day is written it will read
strangely, and sound more like the
DOING OF PAGAN PRIESTS
than of the Methodist ministry. There
is nothing in the world 50 powerful
and effective as consecrated, sancti-
fled spiritual, live and COURAGEOUS null
pit. On the other hand, there is moth
ing so pale, so cumbersome, so weak, so
. lifeless, so contemplate, SO useiess
and cowardly, as u man serving, time
serving, money seeking ministry. A
ministry that is 50 far lost to the spir-
it of the Master, it can
PREACH TO PLEASE THE RICH
and the corrupt who are violating every
law of God and desecrating every sac
red right of man, is in . condition
that should arouse q sleeping church
and slumbering age. Just as the
preachers stood for the divine right OF
N In ha Aox 4f =.