The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1920-02-20
ST. PAUL'S CHURCH
OVERFLOWS TO HEAR
SERMON BY RECTOR
Defamation of Medina's Fair
Name Is Resented by Rector
Caulk and Honorable Citizen
ship.
DANCING CAN BE MADE
HEALTHFUL RECREATION

A writer on cnurcn topics cOhCIl-
buting for the Associated Press re-
Gently, after careful survey of con-
ditions in the United States, says that
the Protestant, churches have three
sittings to each member. AT st.
Paul's church Sunday afternoon there
were very few sittings that were not
occupied by an attentive auditor. The
topic announced waas discussion Of
Medina's badness, with reference to
aspersions by a travelling evangelist
while here recently. The full house
under these conditions was San earn
est of the fact that Medina church
people were interested in hearing the
answer to the lurid charges banded
from night to night, and was an indi-
cation that these good people did not
believe the insinuations, hoped to
hear them denied-feeling in their
own souls all the time the unfairness
of the charge.
AS special music for the occasion
Mr.. Kenneth Sedgewick played two
selections on his violin and Mr.. Louis
Best sang two solos.
As the scripture lesson Rector
Caulk read the parable on the mote
in the brothers eye and the beam in
ones own, which the congregation
was permitted to apply to any recent
historical event if it saw fit and SO
felt.
The speaker, Rev. Caulk, felt called
upon to answer certain public utter
ances containing criticisms intended
for him personally and for the people
of Medina-perhaps excepting those
who were "cheek by jowl" with the
one who uttered the criticisms-in
general; they were Of such charac-
ter that he felt it were cowardly to
allow them to pass without correction.
The nature Of these criticisms may
be best understood by considering the
subject, els Medina Going to He'll 2"
The question was asked because of
the consignment to those warm re-
gions of certain people singled out
by the pseudo evangelist in particular
and the inference that if the public
did not accept his preaching and gos-
pei it was well on it's way, and in one
instance the evangelist had said he
would consign them there himself. i
The speaker annonced that he had
no harsh criticisms for others further
than their acts made it imperative,
neither did he have any panacea to
offer as cure for all errors. He
would not muckrake but keep his talk
clean; some things did need answer,
however. Did not wish to get back at
any church or individual, but felt that
after all the severe criticism of the
young people and citizens there was
an answer necessary.
There were many good people in all
Of the churches, he was satisfied, and
Medina as city was clean, especially
clean. The lurid stories that had been
told to draw crowds were not true
those who uttered them knew they
were not, and their telling could not
help but do harm; they would dc
much less harm if they were shown
to be false, however.
The speaker had nothing to say
against evangelistic wark, for it was
often good. But the especial attack
on dancing, card playing and going tc
the theater was all wrong and it was
intended to lodge at few other peo-
pies doors, the speakers among 9th.
ers. But a word on these amuse'
ments and the attitude of the M. E
church, in which the unfair criticisms
had been uttered. The speaker called
attention to the fact thaat at recent
conference of this great denomination
when this question came up, and al
most superhuman effort was put
forth to retain the restrictive rule
then on the church books, on fina
ballot they were retained by major
ity of one; a few years before they
had something like 28, showing thu
"restrictives" were losing ground
And yet in the Medina M. E. church
had been hurled forth an attack which
was supposed to carry with it thu
whole force of the membership.
He quoted from one M. E. ministel
who, noting the combat that was 60
.ing on and doing the church no good
and wished to God the rule might b.
abrogated. "Even the Methodist
can't walk together on this topic," h
said, $50 what excuse have they fo
attacking others who do not agre
with them ?"
In answer to the slur that the Epis
copal church did not tolerate dancin,
and thaat those who danced were il
opposition to their own doctrines, tn
speaker said there was nothing il
the discipline or prayer book touchin,
on this subject and that each was lef
to his own conscience. "We mus
teach our children to listen to con
science, and this accomplished the
wont go far wrong; we can't alwaay
be there to watch them"
The speaker believed in conversio
"a change, Prodigal Son story a
example Of it. Three steps: come t
self, turns about face, retraces hi
steps. And when he got home hi
father killed the fatted calf, ha
dancing and feasting, games and
good time. Who says that dancin
was not between the sexes at thi
feast? But this Prodigal Son con