Willmar tribune., 1900-05-23


|RECROclflllQN OF PHILIP STRONG
By-REv. OBARLEs i. SHELDON. /.
Author Of I'm His Steps, Etc.
Copyright, 1899, by the Advance Publishing co
s.s (coNTIEUED.J s*1
CHAPTER XIV.
The following week Calvary church
held a meeting. 1t was one of thu
stormiest meetings ever held by tht
members. In that meeting Mr.. Win
ter again. to the surprise Of nearly
ALL advised caution and defended thu
minister's action up to a certain point
Fhes result@was condition or waiting
and expectancy rather than downright
condemna ton sof the proposed action
onSPhilip's part. It would be presenting
the church in false light to picture
Nfas entitely .opposedssup to this date
to#Philipb pfeaching and I: ideas OF
Christian living He had built up O
strong buttress of admirfng and be.
hextng members ID the church. This
stood, with Mr.. Winters influence, as
breakwater against the tidal wave OF
opposition now beginning to pour in
upon him. !; ThereEswas an element in
Calvary church conservative to de.
gree and yet strong in its growing be.
uefHthat Christian action and church
work In the world had reached a Ger.
tain crisis which would result either
In the death or life of the church in
America. Philips preaching had
Strengthened this feeling. His last
move had startled this element, anG
1t wished to wait for developments.
Thesproposal of some that the minis
tersbe requested to resign was finally
overruled. and it was decided not to
oppose his desertion of the parsonage,
while the matter of reduction Of sal.
arywas voted upon in the negative.
But feeling was reused to- high
pitch. Many of the members declared
their, intention of refusing to attend
services. Some said they would not
pay. their pledges any longer. A pre-
vailfng minority, however. ruled in ia
vorSof Philip, and the action of the
meeting was formally sent him by the
clerk. rs.' 's'
Meanwhile Philip moved out Of the
parsonage into his new quarters. The
daily paper, which had given sensa-
~ l,:e II
most stress upon his voluntary PROPOSE
ton referring to his salary. now came
out with column and half devoted
to his carrying out OF his dcterminat ton
to abandon the parsonage and get near
er the people in the tenements. The
article was widely copied and various
ly commented upon: In Milton his ac-
tionswas condemned by many, defend
ed by some. Very few seemed to M
derstand his exact motive. The una
jOrity took it as an eccentric move and
expressed regret in one form and an
other that man of such marked in
tellectual power as Mr.. Strong SEEM
judgment. Some called him a crank
The people in the tenement district
were too much absorbed in their suf-
ferings sand selfshncss to show any
demonstration. 1t remained to be seen
whether they would be any better
touched by him in his new home:
So matters stood when the first Sun
Strong again stood before his church
with his Christ message. 1t had been
a wearing month to him. Gradually
there had been growing upon him a
sense of almos, isolat ton In his pulpit
work. He wondered if be had inter-
preted Christ Alright. He probed deep
er and deeper into the springs Of action
that moved the HISTORICAL Jesus and
again and again put that reSpIendently
calm. majestic. suffering personality
into his own pulpit in Milton and then
stood of, as it were. to watch what he
would In all human probability say.
He reviewed all his own sayings on
those first Sundays and tried to tax
himself with utmost severity for any
denial of his Master or. any false
presenta ton of his spirit, and as he
went over the ground lie was almost
overwhelmed to think how little had
been really accomplished. This time
he came before the church with the
experience Of nearly three weeks hand
to hand work among the people for
whose sake lie had moved out of the
parsonage: As usual an immense con-
gregation thronged the church.
''The question has come to me lately
in different forms" began Philip. las
to what is church work. am aware
that my attitude on the question is not
shared by many Of the. members Of
this church and other churches: New
ertheless stand here today. as l have
stood on these. Sundays. to declare to
you what in deepest humility would
seem to me to be the attitude of Christ
in the matter before us.
"What Is church? 1t is a body Of
disciples protesting to acknowledge
Christ as Master: What does he want
such a. body to do? Whatever will
most effectively make Gods kingdom
come on earth and his will be done as
in heaven. What is the most neces-
sary work Of this church in Milton?
It is to- 60 out and seek and save the
lost. II is to take up Its cross and fol-
low the Master. And as see him to-
day he sbeckons this church to follow
him into the tenements and slums of
this town and be Christs to those who
do not know him. AS see him he
stands *beckoning with pierced palms
in the direction of suffering and dis
ooeo or1d iOn0roOco md vico and M.