The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-04-20

Sttiheu 10 grasp lue Hleaulng Oh MS
wife's words, ITO tell the truth, | new
er thought of thatr' He sat down and
looked troubled. DO you think, Sarah,
that because he is a negro the church
will refuse to receive him to men,
bership? 1t would not be Christian to
refuse him"
There are other things that are
Christian which the church of Christ
on earth does not do, Philip" replied
his wife almost bitterly But what
ever else Calvary church may do or not
do 1 am very certain it will never con-
sent to admit to membership a black
man."
But there are so few negroes in
Milton that they have no church. l
cannot counsel him to unite with his
own people. Calvary church must ad-
nit himw Philip spoke with the quiet
determination which always marked
his convictions when they were set
tied
But suppose the committee refuses
to report his name favorably to the
church, what then?' Mrs. Strong spoke
with CLEAN of hope in her heart that
Philip would be reused to Indignation,
that he would resign and leave Milton.
Philip did not reply at once. He was
having an inward struggle with his
sensitiveness and his Interpretation of
his Christ At last he said:
Il don't know, Sarah. I shall do
! what l think he would. What L shall
| do afterward will also depend on what
| Christ would do. l cannot decide it
yet l have great faith in the church
| on EARTH
| "And yet what has it done for yea
so far. Philip? The business men still
own and rent the saloons and gam
bling houses. The money spent by the
church is all out of proportion to its
wealth. Here you give away half
your salary to build up the kingdom of
| God, and more than a dozen men in
| Calvary who are worth fifty and a
hundred thousand dollars give less
than a huIdredth part of their income
to Christian work in connection with
the church. 1t makes my blood boil,
| Philip, TO see how you are throwing
your life away In these miserable tene
ments and wasting your appeals on 6
church that plainly does not intend Il
do, does not want to do, as Chris
would have it. And l don't believe il
ever will.
I'm not so sure of that, Sarah,' re
piled Philip cheerfully. L believe
shall win them yet. The only thing
that sometimes troubles me is, Am
| lot 10 -,
I saying what he would say in thil
age of the world? There is one thin:
of which l am certain-I am trying t,
do just as l believe he would. Tht
mistakes l make are those whicl
spring from my failure to interpret hi
action right. And yet / do feel deel
in me that if he was pastor of thi
church today he would do most of tn
things l have done. He would preacl
most of the truths | have proclaimed
Don't you think so, Sarah?'
81 don't know, Philip. Yes, l thinl
in most things you have made an hon
est attempt to interpret him."
''And in the matter of the sexton
Sarah, wouldn't Christ tell Calvar,
church that it should admit him to it
membership? Would he make any dis
tinction of persons? If the man is
Christian, thoroughly converted an,
wants to be baptized and unite wit
Christ's body on earth, would Christ
as pastor, refuse him admissions"
"There is a great deal of race preju
dice among the people. If you pres
the matter, Philip. 1 feel sure it wi
meet with great opposition"
"That is not the question with me
Would Christ tell Calvary church tina
the man ought to be admitted? That