The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-03-20

pastor l. it 90 not drive away the most
influential members
To all this plea of expediency Philip
replied, Get thee behind me, satanw
He said with himself, he might as
well let the people know what he was
at the very first. 1t was not neces-
sary that he should be their pastor If
they would none OF him. 1t was nee
essary that he preach the truth boldly.
The one question he asked himself
was, would Jesus Christ, if he were
pastor of Calvary church in Milton to-
day, speak of the matter EeXt Sunday
and speak regardless of all conse-
quences?' Philip asked the question
honestly. and after long prayer and
much communion with the Divine he
said. Yes, l believe he would" 1t is
possible that he might have gained by
waiting or by working with his men,
bers in private. Another man might
lave pursued that method and still
have been a courageous, true minister.
! L,ut this is the story of Philip Strong,
not of another man, and this is what
lie did:
went into his pulpit with the one
thought in mind that he would simply
and frankly, in his presentation Of the
subject, use the language and the spir-
it of his Master. He had seen other
property owners during the week, and
his interviews were nearly all similar
to the one with Mr.. Bentley. He had
not been able 10 see Mr.. William Win
ter, the chairman of the trustees, as he
, had not returned home until very late
Saturday night Philip saw him come
into the church that morning, just as
the choir rose to sing the anthem. He
, was a large, fine looking man. Philip
admired his physical appearance as he
marched down the aisle to his pew,
which was the third from the front, di-
rectly before the pulpit.
/ When the hymn had been sung, the
Offering taken, the prayer made, Philip
stepped out at one side of the pulpit
and reminded the congregation that,
according TO his announcement of q
week before. he would give the first of
his series of monthly talks on Christ
and Modern Society" His subject this
morning, he said, was 1.-The Right and
Wrong Uses of Property"
He started out with the statement,
which he claimed was verified every
where in the word of God, that all
property that men acquire is really
only in the nature of trust funds,
which the property holder is in duty
bound to use as a steward. The gold
! e NI,o ell ic a f..
tie on a thousand hills, all land and
water privileges and wealth of the
earth and of the seas belong primarily
to the Lord of all the earth. When any
of this property comes within the con-
troll of a man, he is not at liberty to
use it as if it were his own and his
alone, but as God would have him use
it to better the condition of life and
make men and communities happier
and more useful.
From this statement Philip went on
to speak of the common idea which
men had that wealth and houses and
lands were their own to do with as
they pleased, and he showed what
misery and trouble had always flowed
out of the great falsehood and how
nations and individuals were today in
the greatest distress because of the
wrong uses to which Gods property
was put by men who had control of it
1t was easy then to narrow the argu
ment to the condition of affairs in
Milton. AS he stepped from the gener
al 10 the particular and began to speak
of the rental of saloons and houses OF
gambling from property owners in
Milton and then characterized such 8
use OF Gods property as wrong an(
un-C Christian it was curious to note the
effect on the congregation. Men who
had been listening complacently te
Philips eloquent but quiet statements
J as long as he confined himself to dis
tant historical facts, suddenly became
aware that the tall, pale faced, resolutt
and loving young preacher up there
was talking right at them, and more
than one mill owner, merchant, rea
estate dealer and even profession
, al man writhed inwardly and nerv
, ously shifted in his cushioned pew
, as Philip spoke in the PLANES
, terms of the terrible example Sc
the world by the use of propert.
, for purposes which were destructive t.
all true society and a shame to civiliza
ton and Christianity. Philip con
trolled his voice and his manner admi
: rably. but he drove the truth home ant
spared not. His voice at no time rOS
above quiet conversational tone, bu
it was clear and distinct The audience
sat hushed in the spell of geuine sen
sation, which deepened when, at tn
close of a tremendous sentence whicl
swept through the church like red
= hot flame, Mr.. Winter suddenly aroS
! in his pew, passed out into the aisl
and marched deliberately down AM
y | out of the door. Philip saw him an
knew the reason, but marched straigh
on with his message, and no one, no
even his anxious wife, who endure
martyrdom for him that morning
= could detect any disturbance in Phil
:, from the mill owners contemptuou
, withdrawal.
When Philip closed with prayer o
tender appeal that the spirit of trut
-. would make all hearts to behold tn
. truth as one soul, the audience remain
;. ed seated longer than usual, still unde
:, the influence of the subject and th