Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-03-15

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stirring up strife, or even meddle-
somely engaging in legal prosecu-
tions. They had Cody work to do
in Cody manner; Bible to
teach them their duty aud the way
to do it. Have they done il? How
many pastors have preached sermons
instructing the church in its duty as
a church, and each member in his
duty as member of that church,
and his congregation in their duty
as citizens, so that the church might
know and be held up to it's duty as
an organized Christian body and
that each member might be kept
aware of and held up to his duty as
a member of that body-and that
public sentiment might be moulded
through the oongregation-to the
aid and moral support of the church?
How many committees have been
appointed to wait on members re-
ported to be erring along these lines?
How many church officers and
leaders have gone to erring members
in a brotherly way and plead with
them as they would with brother
in the flesh? How many wives and
mothers have exhausted their relig-
ious resources in influencing their
husbands and sons?
Some abuse of the speak-easy keepers
has been INDUCED in by pastor and
laymen, but this does not impress
me as the Christ appointed method.
This is the same old effort to cast
the mote out of the other mans eye
first that the church, as well as out
siders, have been stumbling over
ever since the parable referred to was
written.
l wonder if pastors and laymen
were to subject themselves to per-
fectly candid examination as to the
performance of their duty along this
line if their consciences would be
satisfied with the result? / wonder
if they would be willing to rest their
cause on the result of an examination
along this linep When they 90 to
give an account of the deeds done in
the body will they say it isn't worth
all this trouble? Then 1 say your
reply proves your condition, for if
men are thinking and feeling Alright,
work done in the moral and religious
uplifting of mankind should be a
pleasure, not trouble.
Do they say that the church has
nothing to do with the liquor traffic?
Well, the liquor traffic has something
to do with the church, for there is
nothing that blocks moral aud re-
ligious progress more than t:e liquor
traffic. Violation, of moral, relig-
ious and statute laws are its CO.
partners and seem to be inseparable
from it.
Will you say that the church can't
control its members? Sad admis-
sion! If you place yourself in this di-
lemma you must say that the Chris
tian religion is impotent to control
the worldly propensities of its pro-
fessors, or that the professors haven't
got it; in the first you would deny
abundant Bible declaration;and if you
admit the second, then there is one
of two things to do-set about get
tug it, or abandon the whole thing
as farce and a failure; let the
preachers go at something else and
the church stop spending time and
money over an admitted failure.
Will the preachers say they can't in
fiuence their members? Sad admis-
sion again and proves something
wrong somewhere
But / forbear here and turn with
pleasure to the proof that they can
aid where proper relations exist.
During the last local option cam
paign jealous worker on the wet
side stated to me that he would vote
one-fourth of Wheaton church wet.
l repeated this to Mr.. Williams, who
then had charge of the church. Ills
indignation rose so high that / re-
pented mentioning it aud tried to
smooth it over. He said, "don't you
try to smooth 1t over, tell you now
| will vote Whealton church dry to
a man." and he did it. / don't
know how. He and his God
know and the fragrance of his
Christian work fingers with his
church and with the community
and warrants the belief that he led
his flock under the direction of his
Higher Shepherd.
w. II. JESSE.
Litwalton, Va.