The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1910-09-15
TURN THE R-ASCALS OUT.

TURN THE RASCALS OUT.
" On account of the gravity Of the
offense, the character Of the offender
z and the possible evil effects of the
: deed, The Advocate departs from it's
rule, to allow others to chronicle
specific instances of the races lapses
from the path Of rectitude to deplore
Y and to condemn an incident in con-
nectdon with the recent meeting of
the West Virginia conference Of the
African Methodist Episcopal church.
r Among the visitors to the con-
ference was man who pastored the
floCal church about ten years ago and
ais now presiding elder Of neighbor
h ing district. There was also present
II q woman, whose actions with the
= presiding elder at the Morgantown
meeting of the conference last year
: were subjects OF much unfavorable
comment. The story goes, as it
comes from a source of the highest
authority, that it was only to avoid
: public demonstration that the wo-
man in question was among those
-. publicly introduced % the conference
= and only then at the very urgent
:. request Of the presiding elder. Many
- ministers present took exceptions to
the introduction and; upon the con-
- s1deration of the matter in executive
session, the whole disgraceful story
of how the presiding elder had
again laid himself liable to censure
49, by leaving the home to which he was
assigned and going to the hotel
:, where the woman was stopping,
! calne out
n The punishment, if any, to be
81 melted out to the offender, will be
TS4ett to the presiding elders own con-
"a ference, which convcnes within three
d weeks.
- Were VIC have within our very
: gates an example OF the church S
greatest Weakness minister who
+ If, not guilty, is at least open to the
suspicion Of utter disregard for the
/ sixth commandment. These are tho
men responsible for the disrepute in
to which the profession is falling and
are chargcablc with much Of the ir-
- reVerance which the ministerial
cloth evokes
The world cOndones, while it CON
dennis, vice committed by layman
but woe unto the preacher who falls
from grace. Advocating virtue, he
must not deal in vice, nor
"Show me the steep and thorny wa,
to heaven,
Whilst, like a puffed and reck
less libertnc,
himself the primrose path Of dial
lance treads,
And recks not Of his rcde."
What action the conference vii
Ess1sake Ill this case is doubtful; wha
I action it should take is clear
rs. Convicted as the presiding elder wa,
;;Mssspf questionable, if not immoral, con
duct, he should be unfrocked ant
81 driven from tho church. Harsh treat
Il Tnent to be sure. but the church ha
@ Whitewashed too many such offend
u ers. 1t has shielded too many of il
& servants against whom cbargcs q
kf tttshonesty or immortality hav
ST fpund lodgment it has too man
wolves in Sleeps skin. 1t has bt
1T flagrat infraction Of tn
S4I laws of man, Of the church and q
GOD. If it does not purge itself G
ssich offenders, let it cease to wonde
SRIly the pews give so little heed t
me admonitions Of the pulpit; let
n 30 longer express surprise at tn
,H atgcfease III the accessions to il
$ II workers from among those who hav
Z SsfsgaEd for the eanctry Of thet
81 AoEnes and the virtue ct their w,
Iss nRsakip8t