Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-03-08

the way Philip received him, the calm
/ ness and dignity of his attitude,
thwarted his purpose. He wanted TO
/ find a man ready TO quarrel Instead
/ he found "a man ready TO talk reason.
| Mr. Winter replied, after pause, dur
/ ing which he controlled himself by a
great effort:
Il consider that you purposeiy select
ed me as guilty Of conduct unworthy
a church member and Christian anil
made me the target Of your remarks
yesterday And / wish to say that such
preaching will never do in Calvary
church while / am one Of its mem
bers"
"Of course you refer to the matter
of renting your property to saloon men
and to halls for gambling and other
evil uses" said Philip bluntly. Are
you the only member of Calvary
church who lets his property for such
purposes
1T is not a preachers business to
bersr' replied Mr.. Winter, growing
more excited again. THAT Is what /
object to-"
"In the first place, Mr. Winter" said
Philip steadily, 'let us settle the right
and wrongs Of the whole business. Is
it right for a Christian man, Il church
member, TO rent his property for sa-
looms and vicious resorts where human
life is ruinedY"
THAT is not the question"
"What isf' Philip asked, with his
eyes wide open TO the others face.
Mr.. Winter answered sullenly: The
question is whether our business af-
fairs, those Of other men with me, are
to be dragged into the Sunday church
services and made the occasion Of per-
sonal attacks upon us. | for one will
not sit and listen to any such preach
ing"
But aside from the matter Of pri-
waite business, Mr. Winter, let us settle
whether what you and others are doing
is right. WIN you let the other matter
rest a moment and tell me what is the
duty of a Christian In the use of his
property"
1T is my property, and If | or my
agent choose to rent 1t to another man
in a legal, business way, that is my af-
fair. do not recognize that you have
anything To do with it,
Not if l am convinced that you are
doing what is harmful to the COM
munity and the church,"
you have no business to NEEDLE in
our private affalrsg' replied Mr. Win
ter angrily. And if you intend to pur-
sue that method of preaching | shall
withdraw my support, and most Of the
influential paying members viii follow
my example"
1t was n cowardly threat on the part
Of the excited mill owner, and ii reused
Philip more than if he had been phys
ically slapped in the face If there
was anything in all the world that stir
red Philip to his oceanic depths Of
feeling. il was an intimation that he
was in the ministry for pay or the sal
airy, and so must be afraid of losing the
support of those members who were
able to pay largely. He clinched his
fingers around the arms of his study
chair until his nails bent on the hard
wood. His scorn and indignation burn
ed in his face, although his voice was
calm enough.
"Mr Winter. this whole affair is
matter Of the mosk profound principle
with me. As long as | live / shah be-
lieve that Christian man has no more
right to rent his property for "A saloon
than he has TO run a saloon himself.
And as long as l live l shall also be-
lieve that il is a minister's duty TO
preach TO his church plainly upon mat
tiers which bear upon the right and
wrong Of life, no matter what is in
yolved in those matters. Are money
and houses and lands of such charac-
ter that the use of them has no bearing
on moral questions, and they are there
fore TO be left out Of the preaching ma
terial of the pulpitT Ii is my convic-
ton that many men Of property in this
age are coming to regard their business
as separate and removed from God and
all relation 10 him. The business men
Of today do not regard their property
as Gods. They always speak Of il as
theirs. And they resent any interfer-
ence,' as you call IL, on the part Of the
pulpit. Nevertheless / say II plainly.
regard the renting Of these houses by
you and other business men in the
church TO the whisky men and the cor
rupters OF youth as wholly wrong AMI
so wrong that the Christian minister
who would keep silent when he knew
the facts would be guilty Of nnspeak-
able cowardice and disloyalty 10 his
Lord. As to your threat Of withdrawal
Of sunnort. sir. do you suppose would