Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1914-02-12
ABUSE OF A GOOD THING.
rsasral pisiiirg is a Debate Spiritual
Function Priests Have No Social
Duties.

ing peoples "a house-Eoing priest
makes q church-going people" Pas
toral visiting has its value. but il is
oyer-valued by some, who would make
It the whole Of church relationship.
II is mostly ia demand among those
persons who rarely. or never, 70 10
church. yet like 20 think that they
have the pastoral care of tbe rector,
or some other priest Of the parish.
Our Lord intended that the priests Of
his church should be pastors; the
church esteems her Bishops as chief
past9rP, Arch Bishops are over chief
pastors a1d the Rector, who has has
charge Of all Of the affairs Of q con.
gregaiOn ie its pastor and bis assist
ants are helping or assist mt pastors.
By analogy what is the duty Of
pastOrf To "teed the LAMBS To
feed" the sheep and 10 'feed"
On the sense Of guarding the fock
from what will DO them harm and
leading to what will do them gooC.
We fnd this laid down by our Lord
for ST. Peter, in the Holy Gospel
according 20 st. John (xxi.15-21)
The Revised Version translates the
words found here-"f feed tend. Z"
TIE pastor is TO feed The lambs
tend the sheep and feed the sheep.
These ideas OF feeding and tending
have clearly far less 20 DO with vis-
iting than they have 20 do with
minisiering sacramento, officiating at
public and private services Of devo-
ton, instructing, preaching and adj
ministering discipline The Oh G
pastoral duty beyond these is 20 seek
the lost sheep and bring them back.
A lost sheep may not be missed unless
the pastor knows that he has one
hundred" sheep and misses lone.
When, by regular methods, ninety
and nine" are safely EMBODIED, then,
the tone" is sought for. Ia this con.
uection pastoral visiting serves its
purpose, but il Is much overrated
and abused
Once it meant q serious interview
with the family. They were assem-
bled for prayer Then the children
we're cstechized. Then the parents
were admonished. 10 was like the
Bishops visit TO a parish. II recog-
nized the head Of the family as priest.
in that house, and pastor; the over
pastor, or priest Of the parish, came
to inspect and encourage and admon.
ish. For a century such visits have
been out OF fashion and made TO be
almost impossible. by modern c0ndi-
tions. IL is not necessary to describe
the opportunities for pastoral and
spiritual work today; we all know
them. They are opportunities, but
very limited oppc rtunities. Pastoral
visiting must go on, aud there can
b e no successful work without il
1t is Incidental TO tending the
hock.
Remember, then, il is not social In
the popular use Of that word; a priest,
ms such, has no social duties. 10 does
.ot consist in eating, drinking,
smoking, gossiping discussing the
crops, business or physicians meth.
DDS. nor the latest current events.
These are social and useful 70 pro.
mote social intercourse. No one man
can be upon sSch a close familiar
footing with more than q few people.
To pretend to know many families,
so lie an affectation and a yelled false
hood To make a pastoral visit is to
perform q definite spiritual function.
Priest and people would both be
better for keeping this fact clearly in
mind. A clergyman is q better man
Tor having social intercourse. He Is
broader minded He understands
men and matters far better and lie
better pastor. The thing to remem
Der is that this social intercourse is
like his education, IL is not a part OF
his pastoral life. The two are rs
separate and distinct as they are ia
the life Of lawyer, physician,
merchant or mechanic.
All Of this has been suggested by
the unfortunate experience of
brother priest, whose affairs have
been referred TO in the public press
of the last ten days. He is in charge
Of q cougr cation in Bsyonne, COM
posed largely Of people of average
intelligence and refinement, who
lack the social opportunities of GER
tain other congregations. Among
these people there ara many who want
to be upon intimate terms with the
rector Now, only a few people
can possibly be upor intimate terms
with any one man This craving Tor
the impossible, this desire 20 be
more intimate with the rector than
oters are, or az intimete as any. has
led to the silly, hysterical incident
referred to- The courts have exon
Grated the clergyman and dismissed
the case. It has almost crushed sew
eral innocent people. lt has made
the trring ores ridiculous. Ii setves
as lesson for laity and clergy to
seek frst the kingdom of God in the
ordinances Of God in His church, aud
TO know that other things will be
added. RECTOR.
ASK $4,000 OF CONGRESS.