Graham guardian., 1902-08-22
For Gospel Preaching,

IL great many clergymen in the
involuntary retirement Of the
Rev. William MacAfec from the
pastorate of the First Methodist
church Of Evasion, ILL.,, one of
the most influential churches
of that denomination in the north
west. Although Mr.. MacAtee
retires prematurely, because his
resignation was asked for, he
does not go out disgraced or
under any shadow Of suspicion.
No one questions the profoundity
of his learning or purity OF his
life, His sermons gave proof Of
ripe scholarship in their original.
ity of conception, as we'll as in
their elegance of diction. But
his people wanted gospel sermons
and he did not meet that demand,
The Chicago .lnterOcean speaks
of his retirement as "the result
of Mr.. MacAfee's apparent cod
viction that religan should be
sQught anywhere and everywhere
rather than In what his church
believes o be the word Of God"
That may be harsh criticism,
Good men honestly differ in their
opinions as 10 hat religion
| is. Some appear TO think it
consists mainly Of public worship
Of God one day in the week.
| Others have no faith with re
| ligion that does not stay with n
man uII the days in the week and
/ operate as silent regulator Of his
acts. But the great majority of
church going Christians prefer to
| have more Of religion than OF
/ literature in the sermons they
/ hear, Onc Of the influential
mem bers of the flock ut Evanston
saws the church has suffered
seriously because Of the retention
( 0l Mr. MacAfec. He says that
Ia large decrease in mem bership
! waning Of interest in prayer
meetings, and Il marked slump
| in religions activities have been
! the direct result, He solemnly
remarks that sermons upon soci0I-
o@ical literary and ethical topics
were not TO the taste Of the pco-
/ pie, who preferred to take their
| religion from the Bible. Another
member, one of the officials who
presented the request for resigna.
tion, says that Mr.. MacAfec did
not pay enough attention to the
Bible; that he took up with new
movements and rode all the tHds
Of modern thought until it was
hard to tell whether he was Il
minister Of the gospel or un-
/ ivcrsity professor. The church,
says this complainant, wanted
more Of the gospel Of esus Christ,
There are congregations in
many, if not in all, cities that
prefer the MacAfec style Of preach,
ing. 1t is more easy to find such
q congregation than t. change
the religious habits Of the average
Methodist congregation so radical
ly that its members will not
prefer sermons that shows close
relation to both the letter and
spirit of the Bible. 1t was gospe
preaching, not literary display
that gave the Methodist church
its original impetus. 1t has been
gospel preaching that has beer
the main stay Of that church in
its wonderful career.
There are sociological questions
that are closely related to religion
1t would be impossible to draw
a distinct line between religion
and the various questions in the
political arena. Almost every
question has its moral aspects
But if the preacher gets accus
toned to handling these themes
in his sermons, he is apt to Civ,
his ministrations much less O
the Bible flavor than the religious
tests of his people demands. A:
the Inter Ocean admirably puts
it "the normal man, concerned
with bis souls salvation, prefer,
to the discourser upon NEARLY
intellectual themes, however
learned and eloquent, the priest
who will teach him the way of
the gospel Of Jesus Christ
| Washington P1St
"THE negro question seems t.