Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-05-19
MORE CHRISTIAN
STATESMEN NEEDED
Annual Sermon Of Retiring
Moderator of Presbyterian
General Assembly
MEETING At ATLANTIC CITY
Woodrow Wilson Held Up as
Type of Citizenship to Be
Emulated.

NHdTtS llllit Ol WABASH! lhu., lit re-
firing moderator, in the annual SER
mon of The presiding officer at the
opening OF the Presbyterian General
Assembly here yesterday, took for his
subject, The Ministry of Elijah and
Elisha.-Then and now with the text
from II Kings 2:l2 and II Kings
1914. After contrasting the charac
fed sense, are there not Elijahs and
as destructive, a separatist and re-
former. and Elisha as constructive.
harmonizing and a peace maker-he
asked whether there We're not today
ministers who differed as widely in
gifts, knowledge and wisdom and yet
were equally honored Of God.
The contrast may not be as wide,
and the dividing line so sharply de-
fined" said DR.. Little but in mod-
fled sense. are there not Elijah and
Elishas in the pulpit of today? May
not the glory of the kingdom and its ul-
innate victory be fastened thereby?
In the prophecy OF Isaiah, the Al
mighty declares that spiritual archi-
lecture of the church is made COM
plete by the different parts which
unite in its constructions: The glory
of Lebanon shall come unto thee,
together, to beautify the place of my
sanctuary: and | will make the place
of my feet glorious The fir tree,
the pine tree, and the box together.
their diversified gifts and methods
bring greater honor to His name and
church? May they not be the chari-
OTIS of Israel and the horsemen?
Such an inquiry is pertinent for any
Iage, especially SO for the church of
today. Let us consider the inquiry
from these three standpoints:
Il. The Mission of the Pulpit.
trine.
g. Christian Unity
Basing the fundamental work Of
the church on the facts that sin is in
the world, that His kingdom has not
yet come, that wickedness prevails in
high places and that vice, intemp-
erance and unbelief lift up their
heads loftily and the ark of God
trembles,' DR.. Little asked: What
is the mission of the pulpit under
such conditions? Is it surprising its
occupants do not always possess the
same ideals? Assuming, If you
please, an equal conservation, is it
surprising to find they differ in the
standpoint, in outlook, in tempera-
ment and in method?
In many pulpits the spirit of the
older prophet of our text reappears
The minister is burdened with &C.
onomic questions and social reforms.
Children are oppressed; sweat shops
are numerous; tenement houses need
ventilation; injustice in wages must
be rebuked; disease must be arrest
ed; sanitary laws enacted and the
world reclaimed. Such men only
should be elected to Office who will
be fair-minded, true, with passion
for righteousness. These are the
conditions which constitute the Wis.
sion of many a preacher. As the
soul of Paul was stirred within him
at Athens, SO is his soul stirred, and
he summons the church to its duty to
mankind. From the pulpit he goes
down into the week with the mantle
Iof Elijah and with his spirit plead
ing for civic righteousness and ma
tional reforms. He is not unmindful
of the work of the individual for the
individual. yet his greatest longing is
to see the church as a church going
forth like an army putting the proph-
cts OF Baal % death, and giving the
throne to Him whose right it is to
reign.
The present governor of this state
OF New Jersey is not a minister, but
he occupied the chair at the head of
a great university, position usually
occupied by ministers, and his church
life and duties brought his mission
| 'iA'S SAoSN uAihiNAtAOA VIII llldl OIL
ministers. He heard iii we may in
terpret him by his acts) a voice bid
ding him, as he understood it. take
the larger vision and lead the COM
monwealth to a Eobler citizenship. SO
that there might be presented to the
individual fewer temptations and a
better idea of life. 1t is not amiss
for this assembly with this example
in mind, devoutly to hope that the
number OF christian statesmen may
increase, even though at times,
not too often. they are re-
crnited fresh from the ranks Of col
lege presidents and the clergy
! DR.. Little urged close adherence to-
the creed in his discussion Of THE
Breadth of Christian Doctrine" All.
churches have creeds. written or un-
written - he said. The church
which has mission has it because
os its own Interpretation of the word
God. That Interpretation should
be clear and decided. When 1t ceases
|; to possess and preserve a doctrinal
identity, it will lose its place among
, the active working forces of the king
; DOM The Presbyterian church has