Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-09-05
MRsFEITONS TALKS
CONDUCTED BY
rGRs WH FELTON,
4ne 1a4ss4on Oh the Fu4pit

1t was wise prophet VINO said,
the pulpit is a sacred place. The
calling OF a minister Of the gospeI
of Jesus Christ is sacred one. When
remember that he is in Gods house,
and he should put aside leVity as
well as politics. When I want in
struction on the things of this world
I want the best 1 can get. II de-
sire knowledge of the heavenly bod
les that roll around in space, look
to an expert astronomer to tell me.
If want information as to national
or international affairs l desire the
statements of those who have made
the affairs their study. If l desire
to hear music, L want the best play
ers and singers to perform for me:
But when I go to the house of God L
want to hear the plan of salvation
from sin and want a pious - and and
message to me-" When [ heard of
the conversation, 1 said amen" and
Amen" That's the doctrine and
that is what the worship of Almighty
God stands for, and the minister VINO
does otherwise is a m1sht, and ShouId
be sent back to his proper calling. Ii
he has one. l heard long state
ment delivered in Methodist church
a few Sundays ago, Whe the theme
of the preacher was the League OF
Nations. A good many of US felt as
stuff at second hand. The daily pa
pers were crammed full of the League
of Nations eve~-- day, and some OF us
went to church to hear about what
was right here among uS-Sln-Vlce
of many kinds-sudden deaths-un-
rest and dissatisfaction of divers
sorts-and while the Le2"'1e Of Ma
tions may be in some measure con-
nected with all these things we
would prefer to have preacher con-
fine himself to what he saw ana t re.
of human misery, and to give us the
gospel remedy, rather than to give
his congregation, a discourse on po-
litical matters.
Being a Methodist myself for
nearly three-fourths Of century L
felt ashamed that we were thus al
t1icted with a preacher who torsook
his holy calling and went astray on
politics in the pulpit of Methodist
church Our preacher went so Tar
as to nominate the next Democratic
candidate for the presidency. he
a mighty poor dispenser OF gospel
| remember a Methodist preacher
who followed his calling for more
than half a century. [ heard doz-
ems of his sermons, maybe more. L
never heard him preach anything
but a sermon in the pulpit, from a
text in the Holy Bible, and never
heard him abuse or slur on a human
being or bring politics into his ser
mon [ heard him say once, maybe
a good many times, the pulpit is the
highest calling in this world. To
stand before the congregation and
proclaim Gods truth to dying men
and women is a calling that angels
are anxious to listen to and to un-
derstand. [ do not like Glow in
the pulpit, because [ can find bet
ter clown in a circus. 1 don't want
ward politician to cloak his en-
deavor with a preachers toga. When
/ go to church l want to understand
I am in Gods Holy Temple, and
talking to dying men and women
who are like notwithstanding to
the day of judgment"
Because there are so many persons
who have mistaken the real mission
of the pulpit in our section OF the
Countrywide pews are very scantl-
ly filled for Sunday services. The
young people go to Sunday SCHOOLS
in large numbers, but the older folks
stay at home or take auto rides, or
read the Sunday papers. For one,
| greatly prefer to read about the
League of Nations in the newspa-
pers. While the political doctors
differ as to this prevailing disease
they do give us both SIDES in the
public prints.
But when a small two-by -four
preacher ascends the pulpit to dis
course on the subject, we can have
too much of even d very good thing
and the public has no apparent apps
tite for the discourse or the dis
cOurSer.