The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-06-22
A Parable.

Denison Review: Once upon time
there was a goodly church in a
goodly town. 1t was just the regula-
tion goodly church In the regulation
goodly town. There was the average
number of saints and of hypocrites in
the pews and the average number of
honest men and rogues in the town.
1t was rather sleepy church and
rather sleepy town.
But one day an evangelist came
an evangelist of the energetic, en-,
thusiastic Billy Sunday type. He
preached strong and searching SER
mons. He went after the hypocrites
in the pews and he went after the
sinners who should have been in the
pews. Oh, but there was rafting of
dry bones! The conscience of the
town was awakened. Strong men wept
and women went into hysteria. By
scores the sinners flocked into the
church, the hypocrites put off their
cloaks, and the old time saints girded
up their loins for further battle. 1t
was wonderful revival and the prais-
es of the great evangelist were on
the lips of all.
And then the evangelist went, and
the new pastor came to take charge
of the rejuvenated church and to
carry out the great plans which the
evangelist had put into the minds of
the men.
Then came the tussle Things be-
gan to quiet down. The white heat
Some of the hypocrites sneaked back
into their ceremonial robes. Some of
the sinners "backslid.' Some of the
new converts were so Jealous that
they could not put up with the slow
going but thorough Christianity OF
the old pillars of the church. They
We're dissatisfied that all the evil OF
the little town was not wiped out at
once. They had no patience with the
frfvolity of youth, or with the weak
nesses of mankind or with the con
servativeness of the plodding old
saints who had been through it all be
fore.
1 When 1t came to the carrying Out
OF the definite plans, the general out
lines of which had been given then
by the great evangelist, there were
tremendous differences of opinion
These grew into discussions. There
was talk OF starting new church.
The pastor in charge tried his bes
to conciliate the members. The ole
members thought $4,000 building
was all they could afford; the jealous
converts thought $4,000 church
would be little enough to show thei
appreciation of Christianity, and thu
pastor in charge thought that s35,
900 church would do.
There was much criticism of the
pastor. The old timers thought he wa.
a trifle too radical in his views, ant
even limited at a lack of orthodoxy
Some of the somnolent member.
awoke with starts from stolen cat
maps, and complained that they dir
not like his delivery. The Jealous new
converts declared that he lacked tn,
fire and enthusiasm of the grea
evangelist.
There was trouble, too, becaus,
the pastor consulted with the olde
members of the church and pu
some of them on the building commit
tee, and there was the same trouble
with the pillars" because the pas
tor advised too freely with the enthu
siasts who were satisfied with moth
ing less than the entire reconstruc
4 tion and regeneration of the churcl
and of the town.
The ideals of the converts and er
! thusiasts were high, but sometime
$ their methods were impracticable
$ and they We're apt to be intoleran
, and harsh in their criticisms. TIL
t ideals of the old timers were not s.