Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-03-01

NAV seem to you like an impairment
naddling in your business. In another
sense il is only what | ought 70 90 as
pastor Of a church which is dearer 10
me than my life. And | have come 10
Won as a brother in Christ TO ask you
II il seems 10 you Ike a thing when
Christ would approve that you, ms
disciple, should allow the property
which has come into your hands thal
YOU may use il for his glory ana the
building up Of his kingdom to be USED
by the agents Of the devil While you
reap the financial benefit Is it right
NY bro'herT
The man to whom the question was
put made the usual excuses. that II he
did not rent TO these people other men
would, that there was no cali for the
property by other parties and if 1t were
not rented to Objectionable people II
would lie empty at a dead loss, and so
forth. TO all of which Philip opposed
the plain will Of God, that all a man
has should be used in clean and honest
ways, and he could never sanction the
getting of money through such I'M
moral channels. The man was nnally
induced TO acknowledge that ii was not
lust the right thing to do and especial
liz for a church member. But when
Philip pressed him to give up the whole
fnfauitous revenue and clear himself
of all connection with it the property
owner looked aghast
"Why. Mr. Strong, do you know
what You ask? Two-thirds Of the most
regular part of my income Is derived
from these rents. 1t is out of the ques-
ton for me to give them up. You are
too nice IN the matter. All the prop
erty owners i'm Milton do the same
thing. There isn't a man Of any means
in the church who isn't deriving some
revenue from this source. Why, a large
part of your salary is paid from these
very rents You viii get into trouble
If YOU try TO NEEDLE In this matter. l
don't take ofIeuse. ! think you have
done your duty. And l confess II
doesn't seem exactly the thing. But,
as society is organized, | don't see that
we can change the matter. Better not
try to do anything about it, Mr.. Strong.
The church likes you and will stand by
in giving you a handsome support but
men are very touchy when their prl-
yate business is meddled with"
Philip sat listening to this speech,
and his face grew whittier aud he
cllnched his hands tighter rs the man
went on When he had finished Philip
spoke in a low voice:
-Mr. Bentley. you do not know me
if you think any fear Of the conse-
qucnces will prevent my speaking to
the members Of my church on any mat
ter where il seems to me | ought 10
speak. In this particular matter ! be-
lieve it is not only my right but my
duty to speak. | would be shamed be-
fore my Lord and Master if | did not
declare his will in regard TO the uses Of
property This question passes over
from one Of private business, with
which l have no right to NEEDLE, into
the domain Of public safety, where l
have a right to demand that places
which are fatal TO the life and morals
of the young men and women Of the
town shall not be encouraged and al
lowed to subsist through the use Of
property owned and controlled by men
of influence in the community and es-
pceially by the members of Christ
body. My brother Philip went on
after a painful pause, before God, in
whose presence we shall stand at last,
am | not right in my view Of this mat
ter? Would not Christ say TO you just
what | am now sayingT
Mr.. Bentley shrugged his shoulders
and said something about not trying to
mix up business and religion. Philip
sat looking at the man, reading him
through and through, his heart almost
bursting in him at the thought of what
a man would do for the sake of money
At last he saw that he would gain
nothing by prolonging the argument
He rose. and with the same sweet
frankness which characterized his
opening of the subject he said: Broth
er, | wish to tell you that II is my in
tention to speak Of this matter mex
Sunday in the first of my talks OF
Christ and Modern Society | be
lieve it is something he would tail
about in public, and l will speak Of i
as ! think he would"
''You must do your duty, Of course
Mr. Strong" replied Mr.. Bentley, some
what coldly, and Philip went out, feel
ing as if he had grappled with his frs
dragon in Milton and found him to b.
a very ugly one and hard to kill. VIVA
hurt him as much as the lack Of spin
itual fineness OF apprehension Of evi
in his church member was the know
edge that. as Mr.. Bentley so coarsel
put it. his salary was largely paid on
of the rentals of those vile abodes. IL
grew sick at heart as he dwelt upo
the disagreeable fact. and as he cam
back to the parsonage and went up I
his coy study he groaned to thin
I that it was possible through the pric
! that men paid for souls.
And this because society is as it is!