The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-03-11
Sermon Topic, ''The Fatal Break in Character"
 Ably Discussed
BIOGRAPHY OF TWO
 GREAT MEN OF BIBLE
.sThe Devil Concentrates His Power on One Fatal Spot, Often the Strongest Element of Char
 acter," Said Minister

Dr. George R. Stuart, pastor of the First Methodist church, preached at the Il o'clock service yesterday upon The Fatal Break in Character" to his usual capacity house.
 In opening his sermon, Dr. Stuart made the following answer to criti- cisms of certain newspapers:
 'I presume some of my people have noted the fact that certain newspapers in the state have gone out of the way two or three times to pick me out of a company of gentlemen to make per sonal attack upon me, as if had taken unique position in reference to the two great questions before the Chris tian church today, namely, the removal of the liquor traffic from our nation, and the removal of the moving picture show from our city on the holy Sab bath. I am sure that my congregation understands that if I should take any other position I should not only he out of harmony with my own church, but out of harmony with our sister denom- nations.
 IVA llO1NftL AM IEINDNlGblN
 Every bishop in the southern Meth odist church is aggressively in fa- vor of the national amendment prohib- ting the liquor traffic. Two of our bishops are on important committees of the Anti-Saloon league. and bish- op of the Methodist Episcopal church is the president of the Anti-Saloon league of America, which organization is conducting this fight for sober na- tion. I have travelled all over the Unit ed States. have helped to fight the battle for prohibition in almost every one of the 2s dry states, and I do not remember to have encountered in 10 years a minister of any one of our leading evangelical denominations who was in good and honorable standing in his own denomination, and recog- nized pastor of church, who opposed the work of the Anti-Saloon league in America to destroy the liquor traffic. So that If I were not in favor of the present amendment to the constitution I should be a very unique character among the Christian ministers of America.
 MOTION PICTURE ISSUE < "In regard to the moving picture show as a commerclalized amusement feature of the Sabbath, every bishop of my church is opposed to 1t, and every minister in our church from Maryland to California, and from Illinois to the gulf so that if I were not opposed to this commercialized enemy of the Sab bath, l would be the only preacher in my denomination in America to occupy such a position. l am not, therefore, occupying such unique position as would justify a vicious and uncalled for attack upon me. As matter of fact, so far as published. there is in the city but one pastor of any regular evangelical denomination standing with the Sunday moving picture party. I am simply standing with my own denom- nation, with the Pastors union, and with practically all the Christian de- nominations of the city. I have named no man and no newspaper personally in my discussions, and if any editor thinks he can make friends for his cause and can make friends for the cause of Sabbath dissertation and the booze interest by attacking me, l shall leave them in the hands of a commu- nity who knows the records"
 SEhMON lOflC
 My subject this morning is The Fatal Break in Character" the creyasse in the levee that changes the current of the stream. l call your attention to these two texts both in the Book of Kings But he (Naaman) was leper." But King Solomon loved many strange wives" These sentences are taken from the biography of two great men; one a distinguished general, the other a noted king The fatal word "but'' in each sem tence snatches these two great men from honorable positions in life. and segre- gates them, one to the physical and the other to the moral Gehenna of life.
 Note the record of the first. The Bi- ble says of him: Now Naaman, captain of the hosts of the King of Syria, was great man with his master and honor able because by him the Lord had given deliveranceD to Syria He was also a mighty man in valor, but he was lep- err Here Is an honorable man, a brave man, victorious man. man in favor with his king and with his God, man who had achieved great things, but he had fallen victim of a bacillus that had marred every function Of his body, dimmed his eye, thckened his tongue. made hoarse and unintelligible his voice, debilitated his whole body and rendered him unfit for general. One fatal physi- cal stroke had ruined his career: leprosy is throughout the Bible the type of sin. What one bacillus of disease did for this great man is but horrible picture of what one sin did for the man In the next text. Hear his record.
 LOVED MANY WOMEN
 "But King Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daugh- ter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites Of the nations concerning which the Lor1 said unto the children of Israel. Ye shall not so in to them. neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love" And his wives turned away his heart. Solomon offered the greatest burnt offering ever put on Gods altar. prayed the longest and most eloquent prayer re- corded in the Bible, built the greatest
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