The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-04-15
MINISTER'S DEFEND THEIR
RIGHT TO ENTER SICkROOM,
ST. Louis uergymen Disagree With Advice Given Medical
College Graduates at Baltimore by the Reverend
Doctor r. HarCourt

to the needs of the soul as it is the PROVING,
OF the doctor to check the ravages of dis
| ease"
DOCTOR LEE CRITICISEs
DOCTOR HARCOURT.
The Reverend Doctor James W. Lee Pre-
! siding Elder of the St. Louis District of the
NJ. r. Church. South said: 1.-The ministe,
in the sickroom is expected to soothe the
patient. To do this he must comport him
self in manner to give hope and comfort
to the sick person. AS rule he does so
, Now and then you may run across min.
. lister VINO is so devoid of tact and taste that
he does more harm than good. but he is the
exception, not the rule. My personal OBJ
servation convinces me that the minister is
one of the most cOnsoling of visitors tC
the sickroom. and 1 am certain that II
they use ordinary tact they do much to
comfort and encourage the patient"
"a PERSONAL. NOT
A PROFESSIONAL NATTER
Dean Carol Nj Davis of Christ Church
Cathedral said that whether or not a min
lister was a fit person to enter the sick
room was altogether personal. not a pro-
fessional. matter. 1.-THE clergyman must
have common sense like any other visitor OF
the SICK" said Dean Davis IF he has
| tact and sympathy he can do a world of
good, but without these he is in the same
position any other person who would aid.
| but has not the ability. To condemn all
! members of any profession is too sweeping.
The clersyman's training should, and usual
| ly does. better adapt him for this work.
| AS to deathbed repentance. 1 can cite only
the case of the repentant thief on the
| cross. If a man truly repents it is never
! too late for salvation. But the repentance
| must, of course, be sincere. Too often, I
| fear. the dying repentant is in much the
| position of the devil, who when sick n
\ monk wpuId he eft the deaf hned is the
place for the sympathetic minister. He can
| encourage calm and peace perhaps no
| one else can"
"THE MAN IS WRONG"
| SAID DOCTOR CANNON.
| Tho Reverend John +. Cannon of the
| Grand Avenue Presbyterian Church dis
agreed with Doctor Harcourt entirely. "The
man Is all wrong" said Doctor Cannon.
| He has taken an exaggerated case to typi-
| fy class. l know great many physf-
! clans who tell me that wnen they have
very sick patient 1t does him good. great
good, to have the sympathetic counsel Of
q clergyman. 1t quiets him. A minister
/ who understands how to approach those in
trouble is of great good in the sickroom.
J admit. though, that the deathbed is poor
place for repentance. There is always the
question. Did the man truly repent?' Yet,
| If his repentance is from the heart, believe
! that 1t is not in vain. Again 1 say. that the
SlChIooi1 ID uetiueuls tHe pldCe lOF D. IQlu-
| lister of address and tact"
SAYS DOCTOR HARCOURT
SHOWS HIS IGNORANCE.
Doctor Samuel J. Niccolls. pastor of Sec
cnd Presbyterian Church. said: "a minis
ter's presence at the bedside OF the sick Is
always both welcome and consoling. Doc
tor Harcourt has spoken unadvisedly and
clearly shows his ignorance of the true
function of Christian minister at the sick
bed or deathbed"
CATHOLIC PRIESTS
CAUSTIC CRITICISM.
Father Patrick j. Carney, assistant at the
Church of the Immaculate Conception, care
fully read and then reread the words at
! tributed to Doctor Harcourt before express
ing his opinion. Then he said Surely If
the clergyman at the bedside of the sick or
dying person were imbued with no more
optimistic Christian spirit than Doctor
Harcourt displays. his presence would be
rs ther detriment than a benefit. In any
case 1t IS a clergYman's duty to attend the
bedside of a stricken member of his flock
in order TO give by his counsel and minis
trations. whatever consolation religion can
afford. Doctor Harcourts statement that
the deathbed is not the place for a trans
formation of an individauI's life is true
enough, but God and not the minister must
be the judge of the sincerity of a deathbed
repentance or any other repentance"