The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-24
SCOPE OF THE MINISTRY.
TOPICS OF THE DAY MAY BE
TREATED FROM A MORAL
STANDPOINT.


TheOIOgians and Ministers Quoted
on the subiect-The Gospel Wri-
tiers and Christ Himself Preached
on Up-to-Date Subjects.
Rev. A. NJ Williams preached at Wes-
ley Monumental church last night on THE
Scope Of the Gospel Ministry
There was a large congregation present
and the discourse was an interesting one
from the fact that fl was suggested by
some statements that have been made
with regard TO recent sermons Of Mr..
Williams. in which he dealt with local
public affairs from a religious and moral
standpoint
Some have criticized, and others have
applauded the sermons. Rev. Mr.. Will
hams has always considered that min
lister should have a reason, and a good
reason. for whatever he does, and as
some might not understand the motives
which prompted such discourses. he made
a statement Of the minister's views Of the
situation His text was from II Timothy.
II, Is: Rightly dividing the work Of
Truth" In substance, he said:
What shall I preach about? is a Ques-
ton a preacher has to answer several
times a week. II he is a thinking man,
he has long ago formed some theory on
which he conducts his pulpit and has rea-
sons for it,
Many laymen have not so thoroughly
studied the question and are apt to have
crude opinions. 1t is. therefore, worth
while for the theory and reasons Of the
pulpit to be put before the pew.
There are some things on which we
all must agree. One of these 1 lay down
tonight. Party politics has no place in
the pulpit. OF one thing I am convinced,
the exercise Of the voting power is a sa-
cred trust to be used only for the public
good. II, therefore, 1 preach against
bribery, the paying Of the taxes OF voters,
the using Of the public works and office 10
reward party workers or voters, the use
of private business to coerce voters, the
discrimination against men because Of
racial or religious opinion. / become a
base man indeed, if l use my pulpit to
advance any personal, fractional or party
interest.
''On the other hand the pulpit should
not be cowed by the fear of being called
political When the evil is clear, the
grounds for its condemnation sound. the
consciousness of motive upright, the pull
pit should speak out regardless of mis-
conception or misrepresentation.
This leads US TO the general principle
which should govern the ministry in the
topics used. Anything affecting the wei
fare of man, looked at from a moral or
religious standpoint, is legitimate 20 the
pulpit. Religion is the right relation of
person TO God and man, expressing it.
self in action. The teacher of religion
therefore, must declare all the right
relations and seek to induce men to adopt
them and live in them. A persons rela-
ri
part OF this category, and therefore, a
proper theme for religious exhortation
The preacher must use his best judg-
Inent as to when he should with these
topics, Paul taught Timothy to be "in-
slant IN season and out of season" in the
discharge Of his duty.
The best time to teach is when the
mind IS alive and the occurrences of our
ually We Indicate this. The advantage of
using The topics of the time in religious
instruction are three fold.
II IS concrete teaching and the mind
t 49, .IIher hoiu OF present tangible
things than the distant or abstract.
The mind is aliYe, the ears hear. the
hearJ reels, and there is greater probable
Ivy OF forming character The iron only
takes new shape when IL is red hot, and
the character is formed when the soul
CLOVIS with interest.
The issue is present and has to be met.
Before It has come and after it has gone
Is not the logical time for treatment Men
come to hear discussions of moral oues-
tions pending, when they would be absent
II lity were merely speculative.
"On this principle and for these reasons
nave dealt with current themes in my
ministry. man should be independent
IN MS course, but if he is justified by the
opinions and customs of the best he Will
be gratified.
II present you. therefore, with the opin-
ions of the great leaders of our English
Phillips Brooks, after declaring that It
was absolutely right that the pulpit should
be heard from more often concerning the
ON rfVselNr 49,.
clefy, 1mpurity and RIGHTEOUSNESS, politi-
cal corruption and misrule, says: ~ be-
lleve no powerful pulpit ever held aloof
from the moral life of the community it
lived IN, as the practice of many preachers,
ana the theory of some would make our
pulpit separate itself and confine its mes
sage 70 what are falsely Disseminated as
spiritual things"
:" DR.. John Hall, the great conservative
New York Presbyterian, discussing the
topics that would be suggested in pasto-
raj visiting, says: There are signs of loose
morals IN the community. The seventh or
the tenth commandment he will not sluI.
over; in fact it would be strange if he did
And every pastor will find that a certain
life is infused into sermons that have a
fitness of this kind
=" 'Dr. X. w. Dale brought from Birming-
nam, England. TO tell the divinity students
OF Yale. the secret of his success tells
them: I'm your pastoral preaching YOU
ought not to omit to illustrate the law of
Christ in relation to public duty 1t is our
constant prayer that Gods will may be
Oll ear III even tiS II Is QOne IN heaven. .
our preaching should be definitely directed
TO securing the fulnllment of this PRAYER
We fail if we merely induce men to accept
right creed. We fail if we do nothing
more than create religious sentiment, and
stimulate religious emotion We also fail
if the authority of Christ is excluded from
any province of human life.
The charge was made several years
ago that the southern pulpit had proven
a failure because 1t neglected to declare
against current evil and failed to lead the
way of reform. But the charge is false
The old preachers of the south were a
terror to evil doors.
AS Methodists we think much of John
Wesley ran over a volume or two of
his sermons and found sermons that We're
in those days up-to-date. One was on ma
tlonal sins and miseries and the other on
The. Reformation of Manners The top
les dealt with in this last are Sunday
DESPERATION, Sunday tipping, gambling
and the brothel Wesley believed in or
ganization and this sermon was to a so
ciety organized to see that law was en-
forced. In IT he discussed the necessity
TOT such a society because the officers of
the law failed to do their duty.
The final appeal Of all Christians is
to the Holy Scriptures. This old book
has the germ of all moral teachings
There we see God calling faithful minis