Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-24
OBEY GOD, NOT MAN.
THIS SENTIMENT THE FOUNDATION
OF A TEMPERANCE SERMON.
The SALOON And THE REMEDY.
Rev. Mr.. Benuchnmp Closes HIS Sc
ries of Special Discourses-"''
Dunaway on Gosstping
Note. from the Churches.

"We ought to obey God rather thar
man" the answer Of the apostles to Ger
tain charges brought against them py .A'
| sanhedrim. formed the text from "n'e-
| Rev w. ID. Beauchamp preached his las
sermon In the series on Low anu I'D
Life in Richmond" Sunday night. |"a
racterizing the apostles as men Oh he''''
spirit and living at time when me-
| dared nrofess and confess their faith III
the Lord Jesus Christ, the preacher ue
clared that back OF every movement i''
| the ascendency of truth and righteous
ness, both in private and puphc We
| there must be the same spirit that am
mated Peter and the other aposues' ~
was a lamentable fact that there "ei'
few men in public life to-day VINO uare
say: 81 will obey God rather than man.
| Whatever is done 10 checkmate the III
fuence Of the saloon must have behind IL
| the determination of the early Christians
Mr.. Beauchamp referred to the WORN
of the Womans Christian Temperance
| Union, the various temperance societies.
and kindred organizations for the sup
preston Of the liquor traffic, and saio
while they were doing a good work they
were unable to cope successfully with the
power exercised by the saloon Inc
wholesale liquor men were combining ioi
the purpose of electing legislatures that
would enact laws beneficial to their busi-
ness the retail liquor men were organized
with the view Of devising means to IN
duce young men to become drinkers-to
take the place of older ones as the latter
died out.
DUTY OF THE CHURCH.
"Now," said the speaker. these are
facts. and the question is, How shall
the Church meet them?' We have laws
prohibiting the sale of liquor on Sun
day, but they are not enforced, ana
hence further laws would not bring
about the suppression of saloons so
long as they apparently controlled lesis-
lation The safest plan is for the peo-
pie to say this state OF things snail
not exist. They must separate thls
from every other question-it is not
political but purely social, problem-ahd
say by their ballots that they Will obey
God rather than man. The idea some
people have that the Church Is a clols-
ter is a false one; it is a relic of the
Middle Ages. The Church is militant
institution, invested with certain func-
lions and duties, and among them IS
that of fighting evil in every form.
Hence. 1t is exceedingly appropriate
that the Church should fight the saloon,
the greatest curse in the world to-day.
Mr.. Beauchamp said that the move
ment for the abolition of slavery IN
this country was inaugurated by an oo-
scure Methodist circuit-rider who de-
nounced slavery on every occasion as
sin before God So it was the duty OF
every Christian, every man, woman, ana
child who believed in the right TO hght
the saloon on moral grounds, because
the saloon before God is sin. 1t is a
fight for civic righteousness-nothlhg
moro nor less" The speaker referred
sarcastically to the alacrity with which
the negro who steals watermelon Is
apprehended. and the persistency with
which the saloon-keeper violates Sunday
laws without being molested-a thing he
had no more right to do than to steal
The sermon closed with an earnest
| appeal TO the large congregation TO emu
| late the courage Of the apostles, and
determine that, in the matter or sup
pressing the saloon, as IN all other moral
questions. they would obey God rather
than man.
"The Monster, Gossip"
The text from which DR.. A. b. Duna-
way drew his evening lesson at Leigh
Street church Sunday is found In Pro-
verbs xvi, pa froward man soweth
~
friends" He announced as his subject.
GOSSIP" and characterized the spirit
which leads TO making strife among men
as most despicable. lie said that gossip
was as old as the world, and was linked
with the Devil 10 drag men down. The
speaker paid a splendid tribute to the
friendship between men, but dwelt on
the fact that the stiil whispers OF the
gossiper could soon undermine the closest
and tenderest intimacy.
He said that rarely, though sometimes,
the words of gossip were true, but men
must not always tell the truth because
men must not always tell all they know.
Gossip, SANDER had stood with Hannah
before the throne of Ahasureus, has been
with the great men of earth, and the
monster had logged the steps of the
Saviour all the days of His life on earth.
Gossip, declared he. twice injured. 1t
injured its subject and it injured the man
or woman who welded 1t as "a keen
stilletto to stab friendships to death.
In closing, he warned and implored the
large gathering of people who sat under
his stirring discourse to forbear from
that evil which had been since time be-
gan. and yet would be when the angel Of
God should stand with one foot on the
land and the other in the sea, and de-
clare that time was no more.
DR.. Dunaway announced that his work
as supply for the church would end with
the two services next Sunday.
Brief Notes from the Churches.
The pulpit OF Grace-Street Presbyterian
church was occupied by the Rev. j. r.
Bridges. who has been preaching so ac-
ceptably all OF this month for the Grace
Street people. He preached two interest
ing and instructive sermons Sunday.
His subject in the morning was the
Holy Ghost" and was a plain and
practical discourse, one that child could
well take in and understand. In
the afternoon his subject was Power"
quoting as the basis of his discourse
that the Gospel was the power Of God
unto salvation. Mr.. Bridges will con-
duct services for the Grace-Street people
next Wednesday night at S:l5 O'Clock.
Rev. Mr.. Dearborn, formerly of Kan
sas. but now of this city. preached for
the people of Marshal-Street Christian
church Sunday morning. His was a
plain, thoughtful, helpful talk on incl
dents in Christ's life, when, by act and
precept, he condemned the hypocrisy of
the Scribes and Pharisees. 1t was truly
Bible talk, and much enjoyed by the
people. Mr. Garrison is still out of the
city on his vacation. He is engaged at
present in holding a revival in one Of
the eastern counties. There was no
service at night