People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1900-02-01

vuuIcnes must have been. and it has
divided the church into two distinct
~roups of members Those who have
not taken the pledge regard the others
Is foolishly literal in their attempts to
initiate the example of Jesus
"Some Of them have drawn out Of
the church and no longer attend, or
they have removed their membership
entirely to other churches Some are
an internal element of strife. and
heard rumors Of an attempt on their
part to force Maxwells resignation
do not know that this element is very
strong in the church It has been held
in check by wonderful continuance of
spiritual power, which dates from the
first Sunday the pledge was taken a
year ago. and also by the fact that so
many of the most prominent members
have been identified with the move
ment
THE effect On Henry Maven ~
very marked l heard him preach at
our state association four years ago. He
impressed me at the time as having
considerable power in dramatic deliv-
cry, of which he himself was somewhat
conscious. His sermon was well writ
ten and abOunded in what the seminary
students used to call fine passages
The effect of it was what the average
congregation would call pleasing This
morning heard Maxwell preach again
for the first time since then. shall
speak of that further on. He is not the
same man. He gives me the impression
of one who has passed through a crisis
Of revolution He tells me this revolu-
ton is simply a new definition of Chris
tian discipleship. He certainly has
changed many of his old views His at
titude on the saloon question is radical
ly opposite to the one he entertained a
year ago, and in his entire thought Of
his ministry, his pulpit and parish
work | find he has made a complete
change So far as | can understand.
the idea that is moving him on now is
the idea that the Christianity Of our
times must represent a more literal i'm
itation Of Jesus, and especially in the
element Of suffering. He quoted to NE
in the course of cur conversation sew
eral times the verse from Peter, For
hereunto were We called, because Christ
also suffered for you, leaving you an
example, that We should follow his
steps, and he seems filed with the con-
viction that what our churches need
today more than anything else is this
factor Of suffering for Jesus in some
form.
81 do not know that l agree with
him altogether; but, my dear Caxton,
it is certainly astonishing to note the
results of this idea as they have i'm
pressed themselves upon this city and
upon this church.
"You ask how about the results on
the individuals who have made the
pledge and honestly tried to be true to
it. Those results are, as l have said,
part of individual history and cannot
be told in detail Some of them | can
give you, so that you may see that this
form of discipleship is not merely SEN
timent or fine posing for effect
"For instance, take the case of Alex
ander Powers, who was superintendent
of the machine shops of the L. and I.
R. R. here. When he acted upon the
evidence that incriminated the road, he
lost his position, and, more than that,
| learn from my friends here his family
and social relations have become so
changed that the family no longer ap-
pear in public. They have dropped out
of the social circle where once they
were so prominent. By the way, Cax-
ton, | understand in this connection
that the commission, for one reason
and another, postponed action on this
case, and it is now rumored that the
L. and T. R. R. will pass into a receiv-
er's hands very soon. The president Of
the road, who, according to the evil
dence submitted by Powers, was the
principal offender, has resigned, and
complications which have arisen since
point to the receivership Meanwhile
the superintendent has gone back to his
old work as a telegraph operator. met
him at the church yesterday. he i'm
pressed me as a man who had, like
Maxwell, gone through E crisis in char
acter could not help thinking of him
as being good material for the church
of the first century, when the disciples
had all things in common
"Or take the case Of Mr.. Norman,
editor of The Daily News Ee risked
his entire fortune in obedience TO what
he believed vas Jesus probable action
and revolutionized his entire conduct
of the paper at the risk Of a failure. |
send You a copy Of Yesterdays paper
want you to read it CT, ,-f,u,i iiy. II .liy
mind, it is che of the most interesting
and remarkable papers ever printed in
the United States 1t is open TO crit.
cism. but what could any mere man
attempt in this line that would he free
from criticism? Take it all in all il Is
so far above the ordinary conc-yjioh 4
a daily paper that am amazed at The
result lie tells me that the paper is
beginning to be read more and more by
the Christian people Of the city. He is
very confident Of its final succss
"Read his editorial on the money