The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-09-08
THE EMPIRE STORE, Dawson,1 Ca. Il :

among the Methodists Leroy M. Lee,
Duncan and Edwards; in our COM
munion Minnegerode, Peterkin, Nor
wood, Newton and Woodbridge
These were the men who moulded
the religious thought in this COM
munity in the days of old. Not
political parson among them He
may not be in Richmond now;
don't know. l hope he is not; but
that he still exists 1 do know.
Some Incidents in Alabama.
A fierce political contest has been
going on in Alabama for quite a
time. 1t was not the question of
temperance, but of prohibition. To
preach temperance is to preach re-
ligion, but prohibition is politics.
Failing to make this distinction GER
tain ministers turned their places of
worship into lecture halls, where this
phase of politics was discussed, and
political harangues-in the church
es, mark yOu-were applauded to the
echo! In paper received only day
before yesterday | saw that crowds
of ministers were gathered at the
state capital, and were lobbying in
the interest of their political party.
What is the impression made upon
sober, thoughtful minds? Just that
which st. Paul deprecated, the min
istry is blamed" as forsaking it's
Legitimate sphere and obtruding into
politics!
Priests Were Rebuked.
Yet, l recall that several years
ago, when Roman Catholic priests
appeared as lobbyists in the halls of
congress the Protestant press, from
one end of the country to the other,
was unanimous in protest, and pre-
sumo it expressed the feelings of the
Protestant clergy and laity. These
priests were working for appropria-
| lions for their Indian schools, yet
against them the newspapers sound
ed a trumpet blast of indignation
In Alabama it is a state capital that
is besieged by crowds of ministers
using the power of their office to
promote a political movement.
Now, while l do not question the
piety of such ministers / can see
their mistake and can account for it.
They are lntOlerant of anything that
they think is evil; and would crush
| it at once by violent legislation or
otherwise, forgetting the method
pursued by the Master, the Divine
preacher, of patience toward wrong
conditions and fully knowing that
evil will at last disappear before the
! teaching of His truth-"And I, if l
be lifted up, will draw all men unto
me-"
My own opinion is that if minis
ters will confne themselves to the
lofty work of preaching Christ much
of the blame against the ministry
will melt away. The gospel is the
power of God unto the salvation of
the soul and of the state-not today,
lit may be, not tomorrow, but grad
ually, year by year, the world is bet
ter thus ever; thus only can COM
monwealth become good, for human
Legislation cannot regenerate human
nature. Let the minister tell his
story of Gods love in simple lam
guage, day after day, year after
year, faithfully, very kindly and pa
tiently, earnestly and reverently, and
let him learn to wait for results, OF
hasten them by his personal energy
in the sphere to which God has called
him, and he, like his Master, will
finally "see the travail of his soul
and be satisfied"
You may ask why I preach thus to
hA mi CT
responsible for conduct in the pulpit.
But you are responsible. The peo-
pie of all classes and denominations
can Danish from Sunday and from
the pulpit the methods of the politi-
cal dictator and secure the freedom
of both from political influences, the
preaching of the pure word of God
which the minister is trained to
preach, to which all his thought and
labor should be devoted. In doing
this the minister finds so much, so
much to do. He will find that all the
powers of his mind and body will be
overtaxed if he gives himself to the
work to which he is called-to
preaching and teaching the truth as
it was taught him, and for which
he has Divine authority; to being
the loving and faithful pastor, shep-
herd of his flock, tenderly encourag-
ing and helping to stand upright
those who are weak or have fallen,
consoling those to whom trouble has
come with the one consolation and
hope, urging on the strong, pointing
the path along which weak and
strong, the unfortunate and the hap
Ply alike may go to serve and to
win the supreme reward and the
eternal assurance of the Almighty's
well DONE