Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-11-17
WHAT BUSINESS MEN
THINK OF HYPOCRITES
Dr. Lacklap1 Save the Second of
His serieA Sermons Sunday
ON "Wh. BUSINESS Men
OF Deco Think of
the &C. ch."
A Rig AUDIENCE%
HEARD g r SERMON
The Third of the Serie What the
Business Men of Decor Think
Of the Social Task "a the
Church." Will be Given
Next Sunday Night.

Rvery available foot of space was
occupied in the M. e. church last
Sunday evening to hear the second
Of the series of sermons on What
the Business Men of Decorah Think
of Hypocrites in the Church, Many
expressed pleasure with the last ac-
count in the Public Opinion so we
are presenting here extracts from
the second address.
In answer to question four, one
man wrote "Yes, especially by a
more worthy example of its mem
bers."
Another wrote ''The average busi-
ness man knows too much that in
cludes great many of your so call
ed church members. The golden
rule by many is lost art"
A third advised THE members to
be proficient in their life work. Thus
to enable them to better fill their
places in the community in which
they live and pay the running ex-
penses of the church."
A fourth asserted, by showing
by acts and methods that man can
be a Christian without this longed
faced hypocritical method so often
practiced."
These were by no means the total.
Nearly every man touched upon some
form of hypocrisy. One could not
help but wish some of these business
men would take the pulpit occasion
ally and frankly denounce pharsee-
ism of all kinds.
Again it is not our purpose to
dodge 1t would be folly to deny
the presence of the hypocrite in the
average church. He is usually a
man strong on Talk but very poor
on the ACT. 1t is not the loudest
campaigrer who gets elected, neith-
er Will the strongest pair of lungs Sc
cure seat in the celestial abode.
The average man prefers the type
which quietly live their religion.
The hypocrite is strong on exter-
nails He ''cleanses the outside of
the platter" but the inside is vile.
His motives do rot bear too lose an
inspection. Pollok says "He was a
nan who stole the livery of heaven
to serve the devil in.'' 1t is told that
Catherine of Russia ordered villages
along her route painted in order that
she might imagine her kingdom pros
porous. So the hvpocrite garnishes
the visible in order to delude the
world
The hypocrite is splendid critic.
Ne is constantly magnifying. the
faults of others but never sees his
own. 1t was this type that crucified
the Christ
A hypocrite wants religion minus
the price. He will be in the rear of
the battle but foremost to share the
spoils. You'll find him at the Tri-
umphant entry but not at the Cruel
fxion.
His religion is assumed He pre-
tends to be humble but only to in
spire the plaudits of men. One of
these prayed prayer magnifying
his meaness and man punctuated
it saying That's so Lord" and there
was trouble at the close.
The counterfeit Christian is Sun
day Type Forgotten thereafter. His
religion never Inconvenience him in
crooked business transactions or rot
ten politics. These are private
affairs 1t is said that when Com
missioner Fosdick of N. Y. went 10
arrest the worst loan shark in the
city he was compelled to wait until
family prayers were over.
Yet don't count too strongly on ap-
pearances Specked fruit may be
sound and fair fruit may be rotten at
the core. Judge men by their mo-
tives rather than by their appear
anee
1t should always be remembered
that anything worth while will be
l.. Il Loo
tors, and shvster lawyers. Every
brand OF goods worth while is follow
ed by an equally as good kind only
half as cheap. Washington had his
Benedict Arnold. Caesar his Brutus
and Christ his Judas.
Did you ever stop to think that
the reason the hypocrite is noticed
so much is the uncommonness OF 1t.
One preacher going wrong receives
8 columns front space but $4,000
agietly doing their duty are not no.
ticed We venture the assertion
that $50 of the average church
raembers could not be branded hypo-
critics If their Christianity is judged
by the standard of doing the best
they know how.
T9se hypocrite is no fool 1t takes
hrains to ACT false part for years
ana get away with 1t. III the hypo-
rfte could find better ideal than
christianity to enshroud his fester-
ing vileness he would do so but he
cannot. Men do not counterfeit pen
nfes they go after bills.
The story Is told of an engineer
with hand on throttle dying as train
beeaed into Philadelphia. Whether
= church member or not IL your spir-
itual life Is dead, you are imperiling
sfhers. Wake up and run your life
III such a way that II others follow
y{u they'll strike . straight trail"