The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-12-01

rubbed their heads against a college wall.
but they were not ignorant men. Taev
had free books, but they mastered them
They knew John Wesley's sermons and
Charles Wesley's hymns by heart. They
preached in the language OF the Bible
They were men OF few books-but those
books they knew. 1t is q great mistake
to speak of any master OF men as "1gno-
rant No ignorant man leads. Ignorant
he may be Of rules and Of rhetoric and
syllcgism a. taught IN the schools, but he
IS learned in the Word and IN the few
things that he undertakes.
Conditions change. There Is today no
Young man who is called TO the ministry
who may not secure thorough training II
lie is willing TO make the necessary sacrl-
fees to obtain it. And he Will find help
from men Of means. Therefore, except IN
REGULAR cases. only men who have made
the necessary educational PREPARATION,
ought to be admitted into the regular
ministry. The tandard ought to be higher
all the time. Is it higher today in North
Carolina Methodism than it was twenty
years ago?
Bishop Key, in his recent address at
the South Georgia Conference, was rlgh)
when he laid stress on the fact that
many men OF his dey who have been of
great value to the church were great
men. great citizens and great preachers;
not one of them were college men: al
were seiI-made." Such statements ought
TO be made over and over again to young
men IN college. not to deter them from
graduation, but to stimulate them to
make the most of their opportunities.
You never saw q self-made man in your
life who was not willing to make sacri-
fees to educate his children. Whv? He
always feels the need OF the training
and accurate information that young men
get at college.
In his address to the young preachers
the bishop talked a lot OF horse sense in
a homely way. He has a way of doing
that and of using as illustrations some
thing that goes home because it Is taken
from something of the commonest expert
ence. Every now and then We hear of
some preacher who loses his influence be-
cause he is in debt and cannot pay. When
a preacher does this he shuts the door OF
opportunity for usefulness. The Metho-
dist discipline refuses to take a minister
who lis in debt in such a way as to en-
barrass you" The bishop asked that pre-
scribed question. and then he added: Are
NOu III utUi III SuGIl Il way to ~ MA "a .
o hers" which is quite as important. He
thcn proceeded to point out the evils that
follow a preacher who Is IN debt. And
then, turning to the laymen. he told them
some sound, sensible truths that are need
ed in all churches. In effect he said:
"Ycu laymen. who criticize preachers who
go in debt. do you do your duty to pre-
vent it? You promise to pay a certain
salary. The preacher makes his bills upon
the expectation of the salary promised:
you do not pay him. he cannot pay his
debts. He loses his good reputation. His
Influence is gone. Who is responsible?'
That is a home-thrust. Preachers are the
hest debt payers | know and the best fin
a~nciers. They rarely fail to meet every
obligation even when their salary fails.
They educate more children than any
other calling with like incomes. It is
easy to be a financler upon a large IN
come. A preacher with q family who lives
upon a salarv OF $500 to 81. oO0-such as
are received by members OF this Confer
ence-have to be good hnanciers to make
both ends meet. They do it and some
give ten per cent. then Of their incomes
10 the enterprises of the church and to
charity.
OF course the central figure of the Con-
Z II NIt Ot7iioP' me- 10 VIZ AASk
time Bishop Gambler has presided over the
North Carolina Conference. He is a young
man not over II, I should say. He says
he obtained some Bessemer steel IN his
makeup from his Scotch mother
and enjoys perfect health. He has
a massive head on a rather small
body. He seems chiefly head as he sits
in the pulpit. And there is plenty in that
head. too. He comes OF a vlrlle Georgia
family-one brother a Judge, one a gov
ernor, one q bishop. Not eloquent as
eloquence is generally counted, he is rath-
er what we call a preacher of reserved
rover and force. He is a scholar and a
student. He says the most prosperous
financial year of his ministry was the
wear when his income was $142.7o. He has
filled all places in his church, including
editor and college president, and ranks
among the strongest Of Southern men III
the pulpit or on the platform He IS a
man of affairs. too. and is the leading
force in looking after and prosecuting the
mission work of his church in Cuba. He
is independent, bold, masterful. His
Thanksgiving sermon was great. His
admonition to young ministers was full
of wisdom and sound sense.
The question that most folks think most
about-the Bassett TROUBLES little talk
ed about. Most preachers and layInen
feel oppressed by the Trinity College sit
uation. Some say let Bassett resign and
it will all be ended. Others say that it is
a spirit alien to North Carolina Method
ism that now controls at Trinity College
and that there must be a new. controlling
Spirit there before the college will be in
touch with the church. There is much
private talk. The ~layrnen are nearly
unanimous IN expressing themselves strong
ly against the Bassett article and the
spirit at Trinity. Of which it is the freak
product. The preachers are tired OF the
dissension that Kilgoism has brought
about They wish rest. Kilgo and his
cabinct are saying little. The day when
Kilgo was hailed with enthusiasm has
assed in North Carolina. His friends
hay to apologize for his mistakes. There
are many who wish the college had q
resident Of a different spirit. But moth
ing is said in the conference. The college
IS managed by trustees, one part chosen
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