The news & observer., 1905-11-05
A Bishops View of Preachers Duty To
the State.
An by Bishop Charles Galloway.
An Address by Bishop Charles B. Galloway.

knowledged his mistake and bitterly
recognized the necessity for prohibi-
| tory legislation. From both extremes
let us take timely warnings
Dr.. Palmer and GOV. Nichols.
When the titanic struggle was on
in Louisiana, over the extension of the
notorious lottery charter-that infa-
nous gambling institution that did so
much TO debauch the morals and man
hood of the nation-among the chief
tains in the contest then were two
conspicuous figures-the Rev. DR.. b.
NJ Palmer, the eloquent and vener-
able Presbyterian pastor in New Or
leans, and Gov. Francis T. Nichols,
battle-scarred hero of many red
dened field. The great preacher. by
the power of his imperial eloquence
on the platform and in the pulpit,
aroused the moral Indignation of the
masses against the giant and cruel mo-
nopoly of gambling, and made it pos
sibe for the State to rid herself of
the shameless evil. America has pre-
sented no more magnificent specta-
Gle than that aged preacher bending
beneath the weight of more than sew
enty years, and yet with fire of i'm
mortal youth in his brave soul fighting
like a hero to save a great common
wealth from moral degradation and
ruin.
But when the Legislature met, by
ways and means known. to the ingenu-
ity of hell itself, a bill for the renewal
of the lottery charter dragged its slow
and Shiny passage through both houses
and was presented to the Governor
for his signature. But thank God, that
State had a chief executive whose
courage had been tested in the storm
of war On one battlefield in Vlr-
ginia, while leading his brave brigade
in the front one arm was shot off and
buried. On another field a leg was
shot off, and yet on another one eye
was shot out. When that lottery bill
was laid on his desk, he arose from
his seat and said: Il have but one
hand, but before / would disgrace it
by signing that bill, | would have it
torn from my body, carried to Virginia
and buried by the side of its mate"
Such sublime heroism commands
admiration and is worthy of emula-
ton. Both were heroes and Christian
patriots-tho great preacher and the
brave Governor. And who will dare af-
firm that the sanity and now sainted
man of God was not in the line of his
lapcstolic duties?
For a minister to be doubtful on
such an issue and craven at such a
time. is to dishonOr his divine COM
L
not fawn at the power or cr'nee
before the throat of small men In hlgh
places. We are our brothers keep
err and we must account to God for
our sacred stewardship.
Christ's Example.
In word my countrymen, this is
the foundation principle of true Chris
tianity, the religion most of us en-
brace. In obedience to this principle,
Christ Jesus came from his throne of
light and died the ignominious death
Of the cross. Pharisees and Herodius,
philosophers and sensualists scoffing
,nfidels and blind idolaters, ridiculed
Him as busybody, needlessly inter-
fering with their affairs, but these
things never for one moment caused
Him to foreslacken His heavenly
course. Indeed, this is the lofty in
spiration of the gospel. Our Obliga-
tons to man make it an imperative
duty to carry to those in darkness the
light of life. This is the holy fire that
burns in the missionarys heart.
1t was this that sent the apostle Paul
out Son his grand missionary wan
derings, planting churches and
preaching the everlasting gospel. For
this he suffered shipwrecks on the
stormsWept seas. For this he endured
the rigors of a Roman prison, and
appeared in clanking chains like
condemned felon, before proud and
prohigate king. For this he made bare
his back 10 cruel stripes, and at last
died a martyrs death hard by the
gates of the Eternal City See him,
bound in fetters going out to die. Say
man Of God, why thus give up your
life? Why not let men take care OF
themselves ?" "Ah,", says the great
brotheriy heart, "men are dying, and
must work My Fathers will re-
quires their blood at my hands.
must, if possible rescue every perish
ing soul. He is my brother
The life and abundant labors of this
flaming apostle is a blessed, thrilling
expression of this divine principle. Ask
the missionary why he braves the dan
gers of the deep and leaves home ana
| kindred to endure an African sun OF
| Chinese ostracism, and he answers,
Because / am my brothers keeper.
| If man was under no obligation 20 MS
neighbor, Paul would never nave 81
cheerfully suffered, Stephen Would not
have died a martyrs death, ana thefe
would not be school house or d
church throughout the world, or
minister to preach the glad tldlIlgS on
great joy. We are, therefore, not ohly
ourselves to abstain from SIN, Dut 10
keep our brothers from SHINING. ana,
however earnestly he may protest ana
declare his ability to mind ms own
business it does not remove from US
| the responsibility.
Demands of the Hour.
Now, having established the princi-
pie of our universal brotherhood from
which necessarily springs out various
duties to man, we have only to apply
the same to the great mora Questions
of the day. Whatever opposes lhe
highest good of our neighbors destroys
their purity and happiness, and jeop-
ardzes their souls il rnmo1e is 0Uf D9n1dfn Snd n
nronortiop the evil must be our ef
! fort. What. then. are the crying evils
of our country? What is It that calls
SO loudly for us to save our neighbors
from ruin and death, temporal and
eternal? The answer comes up mil
lion voiced, from every quarter, IN.
temperance and the liquor traffic,