The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-14

bill introduced In the Ohio Legis-
fature to regulate the liquor traffic,
and against which the liquor interest
appealed to the Ohio representative
and senator's. and continues:
Now / do not know what the re.
suit Of that particular piece OF lob
bying Will be; but do know that II
all the Bible class men In Ohio were
banded together in compact organi-
cation to further the ends OF sobriety
and Righteousness, senators and rep
resentatives would think twice before
they iegislated in defiance Of their
wishes. The trouble In that the forces
OF evil are organized. while the forces
or righteousness are unorganized; that
buns and hoodlums never fail to vote
(if the interests have paid their poll
taxi. while the members Of our Bible
classes often fail even to qualify for
exercising the chief right OF citizen
ship in a free country.
There are few publications to-day
that would dare to withstand the
pressure OF four thousand massed vot-
ers from a single city.
But they say that the Christian
forces of the country have no right
to concentrate and organize for po-
htical purposes. Only the saloon
keepers and brewers and faro bank
dealers and special interests have a
right to combine. That LIS the doc
trine preached by large part of the
public press. Up I'm Kentucky my
friend, Colonel Jack .Chinn, has in
troduced a bill in the current Legisla-
ture making 1t a misdemeanor for
any minister of the gospel to >refer
TO politics In his pulpit. or course,
that Is an extreme of actual mani
festation; but the logic of 1t Is the
same as that to which we have been
treated in many recent editorials in
our press. In effect. the ministers of
the gospel In Virginia have been told,
not always in polite terms. to mind
their own business Of getting folks to
heaven and leave practical politics
alone. Nor is this the worst.
Position Establishes Him.
The minister of the gospel whose
conception of his mission Is broad
enough to include the redemption to
Christian politics Is not always safe
from misrepresentation even in the
public press. l do not know Mr.. Nc
Alister personally. but his position as
field secretary of the Anti-SaIoon
Integrity. and there are thousands
Of votors in Virginia who are willing
to take his word as to what he says
on the public platforms as a true Vcr-
sion of his speech
I'm the third and last place, thi,
great Bible class movement is one In
the direction of Christian unity. II
Is great object lesson in Christianity
In the parade of which we spoke n
the beginning there were memb ers OF
at least half dozen Protestant de.
nominations. Presbyterians mingled
with Methodists and forgot all abou,
the perseverance of the saints Bap.
lists mingled with Pedo- Baptists ant
forgot all about close communion
From the same platform the voice
of an Episcopalian. a Presbyterian, q
Methodist, a Baptist and a Disciple
were heard, and no one could shave
told from their utterances to VIVA,
denomination each belonged The
same gospel of a red-blooded. manly
religion was declared by each. Ane
as the vast audience stood up am
| filled the auditorium with the SOUND
Of Onward. Christian Soldiers, there
was no thought in the breast of any
of petty details of uniform, of apps,
tolic succession. or earthly commits.
sion. or predestination, or free vii
| of episcopacy and INDEPENDENCE bu
all felt themselves to be members oil
a great common army marshalled b,
the King OF kings to march agains
the common foe.
! Nor is the brotherly love Of tina
/ gathering unique or merely occur
| ring once a year like the gathering
Itself. tt is the very spirit OF IN,
movement. That Is interdenomina
tional. 1t is conceived in the spiri
of Christ's prayer that all his peopl,
might be one. The Bible classes o
this city are federated in singl,
unison. There Is regular interchang,
of courtesies between them. TIL,
/ teacher of one of our own classes re
Gently taught a class in one of tn,
Epicopal Sunday schools for severa
WeekS.--What- does~that mean 81
means that the spirit of this move
/ ment Is larger than any sectaral
loyalty and that no denominations
barrier Tan long stand against tn
infiowing tide of such brotherly love
Streaks OF Dawn.
I What Is the greatest enemy o
Christian unity? | will tell you in
isentence. 1t Is the power of traaf
ton and the selfishness incorporate
largely in two classes--the clergy an
"A few members in each church VIII
fail to make the distinction betwee1
the essentials and unessentials of tn
Christian life. From these two classe
see little hope, but in the lay con
science of the church, as manifesto
| ih Suhft hHpNtitcHl us tillS, j uls
Germ the streaks of dawn redden:u
the horizon. In the coming togethe
of these men from the differen
churches, in their free interchang
of opinion. in their federation 10
great common purposes, in their bar
Ting together against commo
wrongs. there Is sure to dawn the con
seieueHss that In the sight of Go
There Is no Methodist or Presbyterian
Baptist or Disciple, but that all ar
one In Christ Jesus.
Finally, my brethren, be up an
doing There is more in your Bibl
class work than merely studying
book there Is the call to impress
yourselves as men of the book upo
the world around you. The Bible
not ancient history. but living inspira
ton. God Is not dead. You ar
studying the stories of Abraham
Isaiah and Paul, not for themselves
!. but to catch the faith of Abraham
to apply the principles of Isaiah t
present-day problems, to bring tn
gospel Of st. Paul into vital touc
with the civilization of the twentiet
century.
Men and brethren. lift up you
eyes and look. The fields are whit
unto harvest The grapes are pur
pling in the sun. Go, put the sickl
In and reap Go. pluck the grape
and press them into the wine-vat c
! God"