Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1909-12-02
Americas. Ga, December =, 1909.
IS THIS CHRISTIAN LOVE AND
FELLOWSHIP :?

BILlUWOtHI
There is strong inclination
the state to condemn the
action of the Augusta church, and the
ministers of Atlanta, who have con-
demned the Rev. DR.. Bigham SO far as
is possible by public refusal to re-
ceive him, the former as pastor and
the latter as residing elder.
The case is a somewhat peculiar
one. DR.. Bigham, appears to be man
of considerable ability. He has salts
factorily filled important appoint
ments and at the time of his trouble
was head of the Methodist publication
house at Nashville. There he disagreed
with the Board of Trustees and while
under mental stress, as he declared,
took to intoxicants and was seen
under their influence. He acknowl-
edged his wrong doing in this respect
and was suspended from the exercise
of his ministerial functions for year,
reinstated at the expiration of that
period, assigned to one charge for a
year, then to another charge for two
years, filling each without reproach,
and at the last conference of the
North Georgia district was assigned
to St Johns church, Augusta. That
church repudiated him and refused to
accept him. Bishop Hendrix then
transferred him to the post of presid-
ing elder of the Atlanta circuit, sup
planting DR.. Dawes, who had been re-
assigned to that district. The parti-
sans of DR.. Dawes took up the cudgels
against this and a merry war now
seems to be on.
There is an apparent tendency IN
the press of the state to severely crit
icise the Augusta church in particular,
and hardly any less severely the gen.
tlemen of the cloth in Atlanta, who
are seeking by their actions to humil-
ate DR.. Bigham and perhaps force
him from the ministry or at least rel
egate him to obscure charges. There
is a feeling that this is not in keeping
with the true Christian spirit One
critic presumes to repeat the words of
Christ to the fallen woman whom the
''unco guild" Of her period would have
stoned but for His gentle interposition.
The sentiment is widely expressed
that if the hand of Christian love is
not to be held out to the man who has
unfortunately slipped one time. and
that not into any tremendous crime,
but into a temporary use of strong
drink, the church has lost its strong
est claim upon the sympathy and sup
port of men. Such sentiment toward
the repentant is not In keeping with
the historic work and spirit of Meth
odism, it is pointed out.
The case is likely to draw attention
and provoke comment from one end of
the country to the other. The Macon
Telegram in its comments says
Excessive drink is not the only i'll
that afficts humanity. There are
greater evils. because there are grades
of evil. Who shall say that in the
Book of Life drink is accounted a.
greater sin than backbiting, covetous-
ness, selfshness and religious pride
not to mention the catalogued sins
named in the Decalogue.
IF DIR Riphau1 Ia racf a1ft hVy oil fbc
churches as he was by the one at
Augusta, would he be able to stand,
and would not his sins be upon other
shoulders?
No church more than the Methodist
emphasizes the doctrine that a man
may fall and then rise again. Christ
went upon the cross and down in the
grave and rose again So man must
and viii fall and may rise. He must
follow in the path-if not In outward
deed in inward thoughts. "No man is
without SIM, because he is so prone,
as the sparks to fly uDg'a4gl.' y
If there is no place in the Methodist
church at Augusta for a repentant
man, there is a place in the broader
church, and Bishop Hendrix has found
it.
The place that Bishop Hendrix |
found, though, refused to receive DR.. |
Bigham. His fellow clergymen there |
took up the cudgels against him. This |
makes somewhat timely this extract |
from the Albany Herald editorial:
If there is one quarter in all the
world where minister who has fall |
EN- and is striving to climb back to |
his old standing has a right to expect |
10 find unfailing sympathy and the |
good right hand of fellowship, 1t is in
his own church body. That his brother
ministers should seek to cast him out
IS almost unbelievable. It seems al
most unnatural.
The bishop has again transferred DIR
this time to Newman. Perhaps
the spirit of Christian charity is
stronger there.
And in conclusion one is somewhat
to accept the verdict of
he Brunswick News which has this to
say:
Why, even the cynical, calculating,
secular world would forgive a fault
when that fault is corrected and a
nan can outlive such errors, and yet
within the holy circle of Gods own I
church we find this man denied that
charity which ought to be one of the
1rst instincts of a brighter human ma
.ure. We have always been taught
hat few sins are unpardouable, even
without the sanctuary of the man of
reeds, and surely forgiveness should
not carry with it the penalty of ostra-
eism or the mark of Cain!