The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-21
EVANS DELIVERS
NOTABLE SERMON
Birmingham Rector Takes "Po-
Iitical ParSon" As Theme
NO POLITICS IN PULPIT
Sermon In Richmond Directs Attention
to Alabama conditlons-BeIleves
Ministry Highest Of All
Vacations.
NO POLITICS IN PULPIT


table sermon at st. Pauls Episcopal
church there last Sunday DR.. Evans took
as his general topic 1.-THE Political Par
son." his text being from the second
epistle of st. Paul to the Corinthians,
seventh chapter third verse: "Giving no
offense in anything, that the ministry be
not blamed"
The report of the rectors words as con-
tanned in the Richmond News-Leader is
as follows:
The ministry of Jesus Christ, in my
judgment, is the highest of all voca-
lions. As an English poet said:
'"fis not cause of small import
The pastors care demands.
But what might fill an angels heart,
And fill an angels hands,
And yet this exalted office may become
as the text assumes, a subject of blame.
The ministry Tor, to be more direct, the
MINISTRY Is often unjustly blamed; and
on the other hand, is he sometimes
righteously blamed. reasonably blamed by
the sheer logic of facts. OF the first,
blame without cause, the Apostle St.
Paul seemed to have cared but little; but
he exercised the utmost care and faith
fulness, lest anything that he did or said
might become an offense, and the min
istry be thereby blamed
I think the blaming of the ministry for
a thousand and odd petty things, for
which the ministry is, indeed, not re-
sponsible concerns thoughtful ministers
but little; but the man of sober thought
is profoundly impressed when he hears
blame pronounced against the ministry,
and has reason to believe that the Ian
guage of reproach actually springs out
of the factsl In other words, 1t is sad
thing to hear the ministry blamed and
to feel that it deserves blame.
Yet this is the case right here In our
own Virginia and elsewhere. dlsinter-
ested press, public speakers and private
individuals have from time to time sound
ed forth against the ministry words
which, though most respectful, were in
their last analysis words that blamed
the ministry for certain departures from
the functions of the ministerial Office; and
this not by men opposed to the ministry,
but friends and members of the churches;
not by men who had personal grievances
to resent, but disnterested, thoughtful
and good men, who lamented that the
ministery had brought blame upon itself.
When such men speak. it is time that
the ministry pause, and that it be not
too exalted or elevated to hear.
Quotes Judge Woods.
On the eleventh day of this month. the
Virginia Bar association held its annual
session, and a notable address was deliv-
cred by the retiring president. That gen.
tleman is a distinguished son of Virginia.
man of high social dignity, of fine
culture, man of unspotted character,
and warm, true friend of the ministry.
In his address the speaker said. I'm
fortunately there has arisen fashion in
many places and churches for the min
listers no longer to teach the pure and
elevating gospel, but to arrogate to them
selves the right, and to assume 1t as their
prerogative, to proclaim from their pull
pits dogmas on economic and political
subjects, which tend to poison the minds
of their innocent auditors. and at the
same time disgust all independent and
right thinking men,"
This is the language of no captious
critic; 1t is the conviction of a sober
mind: and his deliberate judgment is
that, when the ministry attempts the role
of politician, it does so at the cost of
the disgust of right-thinking men,
believe this indictment to be perfectly
right
A minister, as a citizen, has a perfect
right to hold such political economic, or
sociological views as commend themselves
to him; as a citizen he has a right to dis
cuss his Views, but for three reasons. 1
affirm, that he has no right to air his
opinions on such subjects in his pulpit.
Three Adverse Reasons.
The first reason is that he has been
appointed to preach the gospel.
The second is that he is taking ad-
vantage of those who differ from him,
and have right so to do. He knows
that many persons before him would
join issue with him. If they only dared
to speak their views in the church as
freely as he has spoken his. He breaches
with scanty knowledge or none and with
no authority or commandment behind
him. Propriety requires that the nearer
remain silent, no matter how illogical,
how destructive of statistical facts and
how grossly misnformed the minister may
be; and that such grave defects as these
have characterized deliverances on these
subjects by certain ministers is notori-
Gus fact; for, because of their pulpit
statements they have been summoned be-
with shame and blame have confessed
that they did not know the things as
serted, but caught them as current ru-
mors, though they spoke of them at the
first as facts.
The third reason is that the minister,
discussing these subjects. The average
minister If he be faithful to his flock,
lacks the Time to inform himself, and his
immature, dashed-off deliverances can
not compare In value with the editorials
of a first-class newspaper, not with the
thought-out communications found in the
popular magazines Of the day.
Thoughtful men detect fallacy in the
reasoning, lack of information on the
general subject, and, according to my
friend at the Bar association, are dis
gusted!"
The minister who persists in substitute
ing these topics for the gospel In a little
while will be asking the question. why
men do not attend church," Why, in