The Washington herald., 1917-02-11

" meant by sin-then wish had stayed
away and read once more Pope's Essay
on Man, Doyie's 'Tomiinson.' an Out
look editorial. or Riley's 'Romancin-' :"
cannot but feel there is something
woefutiy lacking somewhere when re-
call that the one country minister i
nave known In the past fve years. who
dared 90 some thinking and talking not
strictly on the lines of established habit
OF tne church, was Obliged to resign the
ministry. 1 believe the minister who does
not want his son 10 be minister is
right when he realised that the system
Of producing ministers is at fault.
There are hundreds Of thousands OF
men today outside the church. We would
like to do our Bit of good In the world.
and indeed We try to do so. But We feel
the weight Of a dead hand too often
when we enter the church door.
PLEASE can't somebody produce some
good live preachers and send them to our
country churches
DiHerent Conditions.
A writer from New York State who is
not only minister but the father OF a
minister has found conditions In the
church very different from those observed
by the doctor from whose letter we have
just quoted: His account OF his eN-
periences as a minister speaks for itself
Il have now been over thirty-one years
In the ministry OF the same ecclesiastical
body. I have had three pastorates, one
of four years, one of eight and half,
and this present one of nineteen years
thus far. My only boy has chosen the
same life-work as his father. Both OF
us are happy in the ministry and have
no wish that we had chosen otherwise.
So much for that
Il do not believe that there is any
ffeer place for a free man than the
Christian pulpit. 1t Is not true that the
church does not want the truth. 1t Is not
true that the minister is unable to have
the scientific attitude and devotion TO the
truth Indeed, no other kind Of minis
ter can maintain himself today in any
self-respectinG congregation. II is not a
question OF scientific attitude so much as
ii is a question of personality and meth.
cd. Some ministers who have this sci
entihc attitude would fail anywhere be.
cause Of personal qualities and irrational
methods. Men may be very scientific In
their attitude to the truth and at tho
same time be utterly gumptionless in
their attitude OF pr r-aChtng the truth.
Their ministry Is most unsCientihc, and
IL they fail. as they usually do. they are
apt to conclude that the failure is be
cause Of their devotion TO the truth. On
the other hand. there are ministers who
have not caught the scientific spirit.
suppose there are physicians and lawyers
and other professional men who are be-
hind the times But IL there are. IL is not
because OF their professions, but because
OF themselves.
Are UndesirabIes.
1T is sheer cant TO say that my boy
this free Investigation with truth in the
ministry. He might indeed, leave those
'breezes.' but II would be his fault il he
did. II he is a weakliug. unable 10 stand
up and fight for the truth of God wher.
ever that truth is found. then he is not
wanted in the ministry. And IL he seeks
an easy life, expecting that his way will
be smooth and that he will never FIND
any opposition 10 his preaching. again ht
is not desired in the pulpit. / wish that
this frequently expressed notion that the
minister's life is one continued slavery
to medieval thought and a peri Tetua
martyrdom TO sntiquated ideas might re-
ceive its just recompense of reward. II {,
false. Human nature in the pew is mad,
of the same stuff as human nature in th'
pulpit. 1t is the man who counts. And
any failure in tho ministry is usually
preceded by a more important failure
namely. the failure of the man who MAJ
be the minister.
Then our old friend the dead line
looms up on the horizon of your con
tributor's vision. The eternal bogey
There is no dead line until the minis
ter is dead OF course there are ex
ceptions. am Rot pretending tha
there is no injustice and no ingrati'
tude. but the rule is otherwise. II tn,
average minister q am speaking now
from experience) would take to him