The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-05-24
(coNTIyUED.1
CHAPTER Ill.

CHAPTER III.
81 have come TO see you ABOUT you
sermon Of yesterday morning, hcEal
Mr. Winter abruptly. IL conside
what you said was direct insult t
me personally
"Suppose | should say 1t was not s.
intended?' replied Philip, with a good
natured smile.
"Then / should say you lied." replied
Mr.. Winter sharply.
Philip sat very still. And the two
men eyed eich other in silence for q
moment. The minister reached out his
hand and laid it on the others arm,
saying as he did SO: MY brother, you
certainly did not come into my house
to accuse me unjustly of wrongins
you! am willing to talk the matter
over in Il friendly spirit, but l will not
listen to personal abuse"
There was something in the tone and
manner of this declaration that sub
dued the mill owner a little. He was
an older man than Philip by 20 years,
but man Of quick and ungoverned
temper. He had come to see the min
lister while in Il heat of passion, and
the way Philip received him, the calm
ness and dignity Of his attitude,
thwartcd his purpose. He wanted to
find Il man ready to quarrel. Instead
he found n man ready to talk reason.
Mr. Water replied, after pause, dur
ing which he controlled himself by q
great effort:
81 consider that you purpose.y select
ed me as guilty OF conduct unworthy
u church member and Christian and
made Inc the target Of your remarks
yesterday. And l wish to say that such
preaching will never do in Calvary
church while l 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?'
ut is not a preachers business to
pry into the affairs Of his church men,
bers" replied Mr.. Winter, growing
more excited again. "That is what l
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 q Christian man, n church
member, to rent his property for sa-
looms and vicious resorts where human
life Is ruined?"
"That is not the question"
"What is:" Philip asked. with his
eyes wide open to the others face.
Mr.. Winter answered sullcnly: "The
question is whether our business af-
fairs, those of other men with me. are
to be dragged into the Sunday church
sonal attacks upon us. | for one will
not sit and listen to any such preach
ing
But aside from the matter OF pri-
Nutc buSiH'SS. WI W lh''i, ltt US S'ltlc
whether what you and others are doing
is right. viii you let the other matter
rest moment and tell me what is the
duty Of Christian in the use of his
property"
ut Is my property, and II l or my
agent choose TO rent 1t to another man
in legal, business way, that is my af-
fair. | do not recognize that you have
anything to do with it,
Not If am convinced that you are
doing what is harmful to the COM
munity and the church,"
You have no business to meddle in
our private affairs 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 will follow
my example,
1t was cowardly threat on the part
of the excited mill owner, and it 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, it was an intimation that he
was in the ministry for pay or the sal
ary, and SO must be afraid of losing the
support Of those members who were
able to pay largely. lie 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 a
matter of the most profound principle
with me. As long AS l live l shall be-
lieve that a Christian man has no more
right to rent his property for a saloon
than he has to run saloon himself.
And rs long as live / shall also be-
lieve that it is minister's duty to
preach to his church plainly upon mat
ters which bear upon the right and
wrong Of life, no matter what is in
vOlyed in those matters. Are money
and houses and lands Of such n 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 pulpit? 1t is my convic-