The Detroit times., 1912-03-06
BUSINESS OF PULPITS TO
DENOUNCE CIVIC EVILS
Church Has Right To Mix In
Public Life, Declares Rev.
j. f. Freeman

What's the use of talking about
saving mans soul If we let his pody
rot?" was one OF several straight
from-the-shoulder questions asked by
Dr. James E. Freeman, OF Minnespo-
lis, of the men and women VINO
crowded the Detroit opera house 10
the doors. "Wednesday. in the NOON
day I.enten service. DR.. Freeman, wso
began his weeks series of addresses
Tuesday. served notice that he in
tended TO mix religion and public
questions, the church and mems pri-
vate and business lives In a way ito
start something"
"a considerable portion OF The
world can't see for the life of 1t wnat
business the church has TO mix in
public life. wha; right minister has
10 get up in the pulpit and talk about
anything but the gospel" said DR..
Freeman. God help the gospel and
the church that doesn't mix In.
Preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ
does not begin and end with the sane
tuary, and the saying of prayer ana
the uttering of lofty sentiments.
Thanks TO such men as your own
Bishop Williams no man Is accept
able In the ministry OF the EplscoIal
church who does not live six days IN
the week as he breaches the seventh
day. Jesus Christs gospel was 10
save mems bodies as well as their
souls. and no man has any right In
the sanctuary who does not know
also the gospel OF the wayside. The
kind of religion that is kept for Sun
day and manifests itself in church
going and hymn-singing and Is LETT at
the church door is a pernieious re-
ligion. There Is no such distinction
as performing a good act on SUNDAY
and calling il sacred, and selling
man dishonest bill OF goods, Mon
day. and calling IL secular. You can
live a sacred life on Sunday and
secular one all the rest of the week.
No life Is worth living that is not
sacred. II is merely false concep-
ton and a false standard OF religion
that has made possible the utteraEce
of so deplorable a phrase as 'relisich
cannot be mixed with business witr'
out hurting business.
During my own ministry ] have
frequently been asked why ] get I'M
i'm the pulpit and talk against the
-swpTt= Shops, rarf tererfeift-t'- -tife-ss--
loon. the brothel and stir up things
i'm the fight 10 prevent tuberculosis.
| reply that IL is the business OF the
church and her ministers 10 know the
facts -i1r these -sepial problems and tn
make them known to others. IL such
things are not the church's business
rrhatiS-A -Aer-h -hpsipeSa2 E,NetYIhiHg- in
the life OF Jesus Christ points out to
us 10 do these things to concern eHf-
selxes In the physical Welfare of man.
kind as well as In their souls. AS long
as ! have breath within me I she'll
shout from my pulpit against such
evils as I have referred TO- \ num-
Der OF years ago i'm meeting i'm New
York state OF an anti-tuberculosis So
ciety. dealing with the unsanitarv
tenement side of the question. a wo-
man arose in rhe audience and asked
permission 20 speak which was grant
ed her She said that she was en-
ployed I'm carpet factory at $tl per
week and that her son. Is years old.
had tubnrcular SYMPTOMS She said
she felt sure that the disease had de-
veloped from the condition of the ten
ement In which they were compelled
20 live She was asked the name cf
the landlord buy refused 10 give IT,
saying that IL Fhe did 80 no action
would be taken because he was one Of
the most prominent men in business
and social lie i'm the city Tell me
his name. said 10 her, and pledge
YOU my word before God that | VIII
send the name ringing from my pull
pit next sunday morning And did
will cry the name OF any man who
so offends the majesty OF God as TO
enter Ills templc on SUNDAY and put
In the offertory plate the money taken
from unsanitary tenements. A man
gives the lie TO his religion and his
God u he does not face these prob
lens ~ the submerged tenth
IurTsBC RGi Isi-Whsn iG-year-oid
.i..-i.l---L -NLEhnlE- -uInt her acniLIi.d- -ha-4
Tor alluNiuE charles E Drake "a come
20 see her eyCry evening Ga tho weCA
I Q. d.