The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-21
speciality In colleges and universities ia
the teaching of these subjects.
"Churchea Deserted People"

people have deserted the churches, when
the truth is, they have deserted the peo-
pie. they have deserted them at points
In their souls and characters where their
need is the sorest; and Of some minis
ters a soul longing for the gospel, its
peace, its inspiration and comfort, might
truly say, as Mary did, ''They have taken
away my Lord, and l know not where
they have laid Him"
There is talk in the world Of the
church losing its hold on the people;
much of this charge is false, but if 1t
be at all true, is not the ministry to be
blamed for Transforming the pulpit into
forum where everything is expounded ex-
cept the very thing for which they were
called? 1t is not that the people have
deserted the church, but that the church
has deserted the people.
All such questions as 1 have alluded
to the world hears six days Of the seven,
and the ministry is to be blamed If it
shall lose its opportunity on the
seventh day to try to help men bear
their burdens, to comfort them in their
sorrows, to point them to a Savior who
can pluck the sting from an accusing
conscience. Then. as to the minister's
announcing his theories in the pulpit
and coming down into the practical
operation of politics; of this, what shall
I say? cannot say that such condition
does not exist. 1t does. 1t was once con-
fined to one section of our country We,
in the south, were happily free of it. The
political parson'' we knew Of but did not
know him. He was an unknown quantity
so far as I know in Virginia, certainly
in Richmond.
How this city in the old days was
blessed Prominent among the Presby
terians were Plummer, Moore, Preston,
Read and Hoge. Among the Baptists,
Jeter and Burrows: among the Metho-
dists, Leroy M. Lee, Duncan and Ed
wards; In our communion, Minnegerode,
Peterkin, Norwood, Newton and Wood
bridget These were the men who mould
ed the religious thought in this commun-
ity in the days of old! Not political par
son among them He may not be in Rich
mond now. do not know. 1 hope he Is
not; but that he still exists, do know.
Some Incidents in Alabama.
A fierce political contest has been go
ing on in Alabama for quite a time. 1t
was not the question of temperance, but
of prohibition To preach temperance is
to preach religion, but prohibition is poll
tics. Failing to make this distinction,
certain ministers turned the places Of
worship into lecture halls, where this
phase of politics was discussed, and po
litical harangues-in the churches, mark
you-were applauded to the echo! In
paper received only day before yester-
day, I 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, 1.-The ministry
is blamed as forsaking its legitimate
sphere and obtruding into politics!
Priests Were Rebuked.
Yet, I 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 ! presume 1t expressed the
feeling of the Protestant clergy and laity.
These priests were working for appro-
priations for their Indian schools, yet
against them the newspapers sounded
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 political move
ment.
Now, while do not question the piety
of such ministers, / can see their mis-
take and can account for it. They are
intolerant of anything that they think is
evil: and would crush 1t at once by vio-
lent 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 ministers
will conf1ne 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, it may be, not tomorrow, but
gradually, year by year. the world Is
better thus ever; thus only can COM
monwealth become good, for human leg
islation cannot regenerate human nature.
Let the minister tell his story Of Gods
love in simple language, day after day.
year after year. very faithfully, very
kindly and patiently, earnestly and rev.
erently. and let him learn to wait for re-
suits. or hasten them by his personal en-
ergy in the sphere to which God has called
him. and he, like His Master, will finally
'see the travail of his soul and be sat-
isfed."
You may ask why 1 preach thus to
you. who are not ministers and not re-
sponsible for conduct In the pulpit. But
you are responsible. The people of all
classes and denominations can Danish
from Sunday and from the pulpit the
methods of the political dictator and Sc
cure 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, shepherd