The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-10


wv should feariessiy grappsa
with national questions, or
content himself with religious themes.
/ viii first consider the duty OF preach
ing en- questions OF great national :mpor-
lance. and then my own practice,
The difficulties Of pulpis instruction were
never so great as they are today, bat the
preacher Is still the great teacher of right
eousness. The office Of the minister IL
sometimes over-glorifsed when men attach
q mystical or supernatural power 20 II
and accord an awful reverence 10 the
priest. But the office IL more frequently
underyalaed when the minister Is regard
ed as some dapper little man. OF no force
In society. who must not NEEDLE with psi5-
lie affairs or set forth great principles
and duties. who must handle everything
with kid gloves, whose business IL 10 of
ffciate at chrtstenings and at funerals. ana
on Sunday make the church q place where
women may air their millinery and men
find cushioned seats 10 done In as morning
and evening he comes forth to grind his
little organ or pipe his little homliy 10 re-
aeve the passing hour.
This Is not my conception OF the work
of ths ministry
The preacher IL a messenger. His text
book Is the written word OF God to know
and understand which is tho work OF a
life time.
But there Is also a larger word Of God
outside the Bible. as found In the hog
raphies of saints, the teachings OF science.
the beauty and order OF nature. the foufi-
dation truths OF the soul as evolved by
philosophy. the unfoldings a Providence
In the course of history. The signs of the
times. the great monuments OF current
thought.
All these are Gods voice speaking out
side the written word. and when rightly
heard makes preaching In its nobiest and
richest sense instruction IN divine thsnga
Then there is the need Of new adapta-
tiQcs OF truth TO changing environment.
Tie social problems OF life increase In
perplexity and the preacher OF the Gospel
should be alert to catch the fresh and
vital Inspiration OF that word which
comes with new fullness and expansive
ness to each generation. Surely the Chris
tian faults of this dawniug twentieth CEN
tury--the century OF science. OF mission
airy enterprise. or worldwide philanthropy
and universal brotherhood--is not less
Christian, not less true to the heart,
thought and life Of Christ than any pre-
ceding century. Each new age should
give higher Interpretation to the spiri,
and life and mission OF Him who has
made tho Christian centuries. So that
preaching Christ and the great spiritual
truths OF the Gospel minister may yet
In the true spirit Of an apostle touch upon
the complex problems of government and
the larger world movements when he In
addressing men whose thoughts and words
and lives are shaping the course and des-
tiny of a nation.
Now as to my own ministry In par;icu-
lar. There Is no preaching like that OF a
consecrated personality. 1 have tried TO
make my life and conduct a constant ser
mon.. and have sought 10 declare the
whole counsel OF God preach an old
fashioned gospel and seek to set forth a
living Christ. IL Is simply my custom TO
Illustrate spiritual truth by what is upper
most In the minds of my hearers In public
affairs.
On last Thanksgiving day my theme was
The Mission and Destiny OF the Nation
ard in cifsing l briefly alluded 10 the
dangers OF frrciigion. social revolution the
liquor power and Jesuisism. The newspa-
perS caught UP "a kind Of ALTERATION.
Ram, Socialism ard Jssui'ism. and sent
Il over the country, and was attacked in
hundreds OF papers. 1t was charged that
| had assaied the Roman Catholic church
did nothing of the kind. / spoke of the
church with due respect. Homer where
honor is due. What ] pointed cut az n
danger was Jesuitism and Jesuiissm prac-
tees which have been denounced far more
strenuousiy than / denounced them, by
leading authorities In that church.
Since then on several occasions I have
been misrepresented. For Illustration, a
few weeks after Thanksgiving. In preach
Ing on the Fourth Commandment, l ven
tured TO say that Sunday newspapers were
secularizlng the Lords day. and the same
journals declared that / had IL second time
offended the president by denouncing sun
day newspapers.
few weeks later. preaching In the even
Ing on The Young Christian In Society"
touched upon certain forms of amnse-
ment condemned by cur own church. and
I was charged with again giving ofYense