Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-20
THE TRUE MINISTER.
ReY. DR.. Hawthorne breaches a Strong
Sermon on This Subject.
HE REPLIES TO HIS CRITICS.
The Talented Minister Speaks f'ain-
Nv About Those Who Have Gen.
surcd IIim-Thc New woman ana
BicycIr-Riding.

sermon al the First Baptist church sun
day morning and IL was heard and en-
loved by "A congregation limited only by
HE capacity OF the commodious building.
Despite the August weather and the alb
scnce from the city of many people the
.hurch was densoly crowded. many stood
throughout the entire service, and seve-
al hundred had 70 be turned away Dr
Iawthcrne was in good voice ana preach
"a with his characteristic Vigor and fear
lcssnoss He touched upon the new
Woman and female bicycle riding. ana
Briefly bus pointedly Paid his respects to
hose who have so harshly criticised him
attacking these fads.
DUTY or THE MINISTER
DR.. Hawthorne took for his text H.
Timothy. w. .: Preach the word' De
instant. i'm season out Of sea"on; reprove'
rebu.c. oxhort. with all lone-suherins
md doctrine. for the time will come when
they will not endure sound doctrine.
I'VE have come To- time, br' law
thorne began. when the world neeDs 70
lie taught AGAIN the character and fhhc-
fiols OF the Gospel ministry. The ave
rage man in this age of scn-secklns
ana sensuous pleasure has The most er-
-oraous and icrohlc conceptions OF the
authority. responsibilities ana daueS oil
the exalted Office of The dNine-colh-
missioncl preacher Of the GOSPEL ne
.-e,s his ideas. rot from the Word OF
God but from men whose every heart
lnrcb is cnmity 90 that Word. There
4 rot pcNtira' dcm2gOeuc, nor
rsIn0rscless cemhl e.. nor a keeper OF
low dive. nor silly woman. nor a riot
inc Sensualist .n an tho land VINO viii
not attempt 10 define the obligations OF
church. and TO prescribe a code ol Gun
fcs FOR a minister az Jesus Ch'lf'.
There are even church members who
viii 30 TO n subsidized newspaper. or 70
q literary buG0o1, or 20 beer-sucAing
and vice-brecding social lepcr for iGcas
aipon this subject. Feeble must be the
influence ana fruitlces the EFFORTS u Gods
servants in this sacred C.ii-e until men
recognize the true source Cf their oU-
.Eority. and understood and appreciate
III real principles which should regulate
their official conduct. Ignorance upon
these subjects has bogotten a barbaric
and disgracefcl irrevcrence for religion
and religious teachers among all unrc-
generate classes Of our people. Ar
little literary Upstart. any empty-headed
S1Clety-ludc. and any i1-year-old SRI
who aspires 10 be mannish. feels AT liberty
L. make sport Of religion. 10 paint intc-
cent pictures Of sacred tnngs and 10
hUrl blasphcmous epithCts q; the men
Who are honestly enleavoring 20 save the
unthiuking throns from hopeless decTa-
dalton in this lif- and remedy s. anguish
f. the life TO come.
81 come before YOU to-day to outline
ihe character. authority. functions. and
Obligations Of the true minister OF Jesus
Christ. ! fear that what 1 SHAH say VIII
not be heard beyond the precincts Of his
courregaton. but / trust that those who
a. hear me will believe me To be sincere.
AMI appreciate my humble effort 20 en-
tighten their minds uDon great subject
ard 10 bring them into sympathy with
Gods thoughts. purposes, and plans
= CHRISTIAN IN REALITY.
Or Hawthorne spoke OF the true min
:stcr OF the Gospel as aChristian-a Chris
tian IA reality as well as 10y profession. a
reconeIate. forgiven. and saved man-whO
knows the grace Of orr Lord Jesus Christ
Iy actual personal experience. In the seq
ond place h. asserted that the true minis
Ter Is divinciy called 20 his work The
true basis Of tn ministerial vocation is
not the fable Of prelatical succession n
ecclesiastical reproduction by corporate
church authority. The man who enters
the ministry with no higher authority
than an ccclesia5tcal court is an inter-
loper whom God VII. not recognize. The
selection Of the ministry * the hsh and
sacred prerogatiye Of Heaven only. The
recognition OF the Church and the lmpOsi-
ton Of minsi rial hands are bat lateral
Gn1 incidental THINGS. In = limited sense
all regenerate men ana women have
.icht T. preach Christ anity. as far as they
are competent But every intelligent read
pr OF the Bible must admit thar God has
provided for an order II men VINO shall
devote themselves wholly 70 this work.
lis spirit chOos g and anoints men for an
Office which " has named the living MIN
istry." Priest md prophet under the old
dispensat0n were Givinely commissioned
and the apostles understood their commits
sion TO b. divine.
1t must De- apparent to every thoughtful
reader of the Bible" said the speaker
"that all true ministers OF Jesus Christ
are dlvincly appointed. and that so far as
they are obedient 10 the terms OF their
commission they are the oraclcs Of Coo.
The people who receive them receive Him
by whom they are sent. The people who
respect them respect the divine Christ IN
whose naIae they speak. And the people
who discredit and traiuce them ding in
eult into the very face of the divine ma
iasty whose viii they proclaim"
The speaker declared that the true min
lster Is loyal u Gods revealed will. lie
believes in the infallbility of the Bible.
snd unhcsitaunriy repudlates every doc
lrine and practice that is not supported
BY its teachings
TO ONE OF TWO CLASSES.
Coming to the fourth branch Of his ser
mon which was. perhaps. the most in
tcresting part Of the able discourse, D.
Hawthorne said: THE true minister, in
making his applications OF the doctrines
OF the Bible. VIII deal with every man
according 10 his real character. The
world OF mankind is divided into two
great cause.-the children OF light and
the children Of daTkness-the children Of
God and the children Of Satan. There Is
no third class Every human being in
the wide world is the subject Of one or
the other two kingdOms-thC kingdom OF
God or the kingdom Of Satan These two
grand divisions OF the human family are
distinct from each other in character and
destiny. and the faithful minister OF
Christ viii emphasize these distinctions
If the preacher has not the courage 10
do his duty in this respect his ministry
viii be fruitful only Of evil. and the CON
fusion OF chaos VIII gather around his
pulpit. LOOK into the Bible and see how
clearly II defines the minister's duty at
This point. Take heed that We put a diff
ference between the holy and the unholy.
the clean and the unclean.' Those that
Sin. rebuke before all Comfort my peo-
pie but show Jerusalem her abomnation
The Leyitical priesthood was finally con-
cenned and repudiated as utterly un-
worthy Of their sacred Office. because they
put no difference between the holy and
the unholy and between the clean and
the unclcan. That those unfaithful priests
have their SUCCESSORS IN the Christian
ministry 81 our time admits 90 no dispute
Not unfrequenily read or hear sermons
In which the rrfarner seems n accItrne