Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-11
SAYS PREACHERS
DODGE ISSUES
METHODIST PASTORS HEAR
PAPER READ
Ministers Are Told Plain Facts About
the Requirements of the Times
In Preaching Ser
mons

! Quite a stir was made among the
! Methodist ministers at their meeting
yesterday morning, resulting from the
paper that was read by Rev. DIR.
stephen Bowers, entitled preaching
Required by the Times" The speaker
pressed the point that the ministers
were lodging the vital issues and not
adherng to the precepts required In
this city and generation. He said:
The preaching required by the times
should not be too scholastic. The times
demand preaching and not reading SER
mons from the pulpits. Preaching
should be more direct; 1t should deal
with current events; 1t should be more
earnest and enthusiastic; it must thun-
der against prevalent vices and wrong
of every kind, as Sunday desecration,
unjust divorces suicides, liquor curse,
political corruption, prize fighting and
newspapers that fill their columns with
Sunday sports and vile matter relating
to divorce and other things too corrupt
for any sane minded man or woman
to read, and certainly not fit for chill
dren. 1t should inveigh against politi-
cal villainy in state and nation.
Pastors are largely turning over
their work to evangelists, whose work
is often superficial and unsatisfactory.
the soul-saving preacher must stand
firmly upon the mount of holiness
where Paul. Wesley, Clarke and other
fathers of Methodism stood.
Wobbly Theology Is Bad .
when a preacher in our orthodox
churches becomes wobbly in his theolo-
gy he should leave the church, and will
If honest. Higher criticism so-called,
is but another name for skepticism and
infidelity. 1t is doing more to under
111i11 a ff.tId ir1or hnl of In
the word of God than all the Humes,
Bolingbrokes, Hobses, Voltaires,
Paines and Ingersolls that have ever
lived. When preacher who has been
educated in or near a hotbed of Uni
tarianism, begins to haunt his higher
criticism, so-called, in the faces of dy-
ing sinners and minify the character
of our Christ, the church should no
longer recognize him as a standard
bearer but as an enemy, as Judas. 1t
has been said that higher criticism has
its place. 1t has, but that place is
neither in heaven nor upon the earth.
John Wesley feared we would reach
the time when rich men would become
necessity to the church. Have we
reached that time?
There is no more pitiable thing for
Christ and angels to gaze upon than a
flunky preacher who caters to the rich.
If the present church fails, God will
raise up another to do his bidding.
Present results must be the aim and
desire of the preacher"
In the reading of his paper DR.. Bow
ers expressed himself in manner that
brought out lively discussion.
Is Menace to Nation
"The greatest menace to this nation
today" said Rev. DR.. E. A. Healy, lis
machine politics. If we are to be saved
p.Nw lit 1rW. ,ss,ks NAn,,
must save us. The entire church can
not be fired as a cannon ball against
the liquor traffic. The independent vot-
er must vote Independently, and use
judgment as to the things for which he
will VOTE
Presiding Elder A. w. Atkinson said:
while L am Prohibitionist and feel
that all ought to be members of the
Prohibition party, L think that the par
ty does some very foolish things that
are detrimental to it's welfare. Da-
kota is not prohibition state today on
account of the unfavorable action of the
Prohibition people of that state"
Rev. p. H. Bodkin took exceptions to
the assertions of DR.. Bowers that there
were sufficient church members in the
United States to revolutionize the po-
litical situation in favor of the Prohi-
bition party
You cannot lay everything to the
churches said Rev. Mr.. Bodkin. I'VE
will have to get the reinforcement Of
the women to help the cause along"
1T is true, but" said Rev. b. c.
Corey. II have worked for sixteen
years on prohibition lines and 1 think
that many of the methods of the party
do more hurt than good for the cause of
prohibition. l think it is a personal
point to be decided"
Rev. Robert Fisher voiced his opinion
as follows:
MANY are hammering away in an
fashioned manner. We are too old
fogy in our political methods. And
many are afraid to show themselves
squarely. The man that stands back
and gives his consent to everything
that does not require effort on his part,
and does nothing for his country, en-
dangers the community in which he
lives"
p. H. Scullin, general secretary of the
National Industrial Peace association of
Stockton, explained the workings of the
association to the ministers for their
action.
The following committee was ap-
pointed to investigate and report at the
next meeting: Revs. Mather and Healy
and Prof Knoles.
Tn 0lScIISS AGRIcIII TIRE