The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-14
EMPHASIZES DUTIES
AS CHILDREN OF GOD
Mr.. Claybr0Ok breaches On
Individual Responsibility
PROTECTION OF VICE
Such Protection Chargeable Directly
TO Christian People of This City
Who Have Forgotten Their
Responsibilities
PROTECTION OF VICE

Responsibilities
"It is so easy to criticize and to
lay the blame of things that go wrong
upon some cause entirely outside OF
ourselves" was statement made yes
terday morning by the Rev Willoughby
N. Claybrook at the St Mary 's-on-the-
Highlands Episcopal church. But ne
added, there is no civic. social or poiit-
ical crime which is committed in our
midst that is not a shame and dis
grace upon every protested follower or
Jesus Christ in this community"
Mr. Claybrook preached on by Their
Fruits Ye Shall Know Them" taking
his text from Matt vii:16, and spoke in
part as follows:
THE teaching of the church for the
eighth Sunday after Trinity is the SON
ship of man, and the fatherhood OF
God. with the emphasis placed not so
much upon the privilege as upon the
responsibility of that relationship. The
wisdom of the church is justified In so
placing that emphasis, for the mani
fest tendency of human nature not
entirely absent in the character of the
most devoted and consecrated follow
ers of Jesus Christ is to exalt the
privileges and to minimize or to ignore
the responsibilities that flow from the
relationships that God has vouch-
safed to establish between Himself and
man.
Privilege To Be Child of God
In the words of the text Jesus Christ
sounds the trumpet note that calls man
to the battle of life. That call has been
echoed down the ages by the Christian
church, and Just so far as that call
has been obeyed by individuals, or by
the churches, or by civilization, just so
far has the power of the kingdom of
God been manifest upon the earth.
"To be a child of God is an inesti-
mahle privilege, but to be child of
God in reality you must meet the re-
sponsibilities of sonship. To become
child of God means that you must be-
come a partaker of Gods nature, and
be moved by Gods spirit; that we must
not become case-hardened by spirit
ual pride and in a state of arrested
development revel in the glory of our
personal salvation, for the salvation
that comes through Jesus Christ can
| be realized only in terms of service
to man--to all mankind. In that high
| service the thought of self, and of our
| own personal salvation in the con-
hict with evil and spiritual wicked
ness must become only secondary in our
consideration.
| How Does Community Stand Test
| individual Christians and the church
of God shall be known by their fruits
How does this Christian community
stand the test? Are there not innumer-
able wrongs against our fellowmen
committed in this community every
! day acquieseed in by you and me and
unrequited by us, or by any other who
| calls himself by the name of Christ?
1t is so easy to criticize and to lay the
blame of things that go wrong upon
some cause entirely outside ourselves.
But my brethren, there is no civic, So
cial or political wrong committed In
this midst that isn't a shame and a
disgrace upon you and me and every
professed follower of Jesus Christ in
this community For 1T is justly charge
able that public opinion of this COM
munity is moulded by the professed
followers of Jesus Christ of this conf
munity who constitute vast majority
of our population. Conditions in this
community are what they are because
the Christian people allow them to be.
The Christian church is therefore un-
doubtedly responsible for a vast ma
jority of the political, social and civic
evils that exist in this, or any other
l<,a
sponsibility rests upon each and every
one of us, and cannot be evaded or re-
moved until we have done everything
| in our power by the grace and gentle
ness of character to touch and to
strengthen every individual with whom
| we came in contact, and used every eff
| fort at our command to arouse public
opinion to demand that the laws of
Jesus shall become the guide and stay
of our Christian civilization.
Giving Protection to Vice
"By way of Illustration l will en-
deavor to bring home to our conscfences
| the many wrongs, that may seem to be
| far removed from us but for which we
| you and I-are responsible to God as
| His children. For generation, or per-
+! haps longer, in direct violation of the
| laws of God, of the statutes of this
commonwealth. and of the laws of the
| city itself, this city has given pro-
lection to vice and acknowledged its
right to exist. This has been done by
and is chargeab1e, not to one or more
individuals placed in authority, but by
| the consent of the Christian people OF
this city. For without the consent and
approval of the Christian people OF
| this city there would never be a segre-
gated district of vice In Birmingham
1t comes to this then: that you and
and many others have so far forgotten
the responsibility that rests upon us as
Gods children, that we have allowed
| this crying shame to fall upon the
church of God
! "Brethren, 1t is high time we wake
| out of sleep and realize the positive
ness of the call of Christ. Let us learn
again the lesson of service which He
so beautifully teaches; that to be a child
/ of God we must live as Gods children
1 1t is impossible to serve God and moi
to give our highest and best and most
] intelligent service to our fellowmer
as individuals and to- society collec.
lively By the fruits OF such a service
we shall be known; or by our failure
to. realize this service we shall inevita.