The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-04-01
REV. L0WTHER
IN WICHITA
Says He May Enter Congre-
gationaI Ministry
EXPLAINS HIS VIEWS
Bel eles Trial viii Work In
juriouSiy to Church.

Rev. Granville Lowther. Of Mcpherson,
who was convicted Of heresy and ex-
PEELED from the Methodist ministry at
Arkansas City last week. spent last night
in this city and this morning he will leave
over the Missouri Pacific for his home in
Mcpherson. He preached in the method
! ist church at Geuda Springs. Sunday,
and came TO this city yesterday morning
He was entertained during the day at the
home OF George v. Meredith, on St
| Francis avenue, and spent the night at
the home of D. T. Dunbar, on North
Market street. AS he sat in a comforta-
bic chair at the residence of Mr.. Dun
| bar last night. he said to a reporter for
the Eagle:
I have not fully determined what my
future course shall be. Rev. II. Z.
Thayer. superintendent of Congregational
missions for Kansas. has had some cor
respondence with me and he believes he
can locate me in the pastorate OF a Con-
/ gregational church which will be agree
able 10 me. If that fails. I may take
the lecture platform. as I have been re-
| quested 10 do. 1 have delivered many
! =
/ sermons than anything else. The most
/ agreeable thing for me to do, however,
would be TO secure tent and travel from
town TO town. preaching the gospel to the
unchurched people. OF course, IN this
work the remuneration is not large, and
while I do not need much for myself
have a family which It is my duty to
support. As I said, however, I would
rather be a tent preacher than anything
! else. I could reach a great many of the
working men because Of my socialistIc
views, and I could reach more infidels
than the church preachers, because of my
so-called advanced views.
1T IS often charged, unjustly. that the
church does not welcome the working
man. While many times the church PEG
pie welcome the working man, the work
! Ing man has an aversion to attending
church because of the difference in his
dress and that OF many church mem
bers.
During the past year have led many
tnfdels to Christ who would not be led to
him by the usual preaching. I remem-
Der stopping at the home Of an inhdel
IN Liberal. Mo, a short time ago. He
told me that he was an infidei. I said 70
him, You are a good man; are thought
well of in this community; are giving Of
your money 10 help the poor; you should
rot think Of yourself as an inhdel. but
as q child Of God. God loves you. and
you should hold IN your mind the thought
that you are Gods child, and not that
You are at enmity with him..
The man retired for the night. but
about o'clock he received a feeling he
had never had before. He had realized
that he was a child OF God and told me
that he had long hungered for that ex-
perience.
Il would rather preach the gospel than
anything else. 1 consider that my high
est calling"
WIN you preach conversion and holi-
ness" was asked.
Yes" was the reply, Il will continue
t. preach those doctrines. am an evo-
lutionist. and hold that as socialism or
some form of cooperative government is
the next step forward in government, so
holiness is the next step forward in re-
ligion."
"Win you continue to preach justifca-
ton by faith2'
yes. We cannot reach an ideal with
out having faith in our ability TO DO 50.
] think that we use some Of the stereo-
typed expressions too indiscriminately.
We often speak OF cleansing by the
blood. That fs true in the sense that
blood means life and that Christ, in Civ
ing his life, manifested the supreme love
OF Cod to man. We are cleansed by love
and not by the blood"
DO you believe in eternal punish
ment?'
I do not believe in a literal lake OF
FIRE, but I believe that evil deeds must
have evil consequences. I believe that the
person who leads a wicked III VIII have
remorse of conscience for lost opDortuni-
ties and a misspent life. We have no
proof Of a probation after death and
consequently VIII not preach it, / think
It not impossible however. that those
who have not had a fair opportunity TO
accept the truths OF religion IN this life
nay have another chance. but for those
who have had such opportunity death
ends Tire period OF probation
What do sou believe about the i'm
macuIate conception?
II hold the opinion that I have always
held, that Christ was conceived OF the
Holy Ghost 1t IS possible that he was
not. but we have no proof 70 that effect.