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T HE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
THE PUBLIC PRESS AND THE PREACHERS It is a well known fact that the leading and reliable newspapers all over our land, are greatly concerned—as they should be—as to the pulpit performances of many of ourpreachers. The editors may not be professing Christians, but they are honest, 'thinking men, students of world condi- , tions. They know the difference between true and false notes in public speakers, and they know whether a man in the pulpit is preaching the Gospel or parading his own opinions, and many of them are calling time on some of these camouflaging, spineless pulpit-strutters. We take pleasure in giving to our readers a clipping from “ The Dallas News,” a great daily, wielding a great influence, in the great State of Texas: “ Any minister of the Gospel who doesn’t believe that the Gospel is inspired, but goes on the assumption that he himself is inspired, faces the likelihood of not getting anywheremuch. He isn’t necessarily wicked. But his ministry is bound to be more or less barren of practical results for righteousness. He will have a comfortable place probably, with a hand some church and a talented choir. Culture will probably drip from his congregation and run down the aisles in invisible but almost palpable rivulets, as it were. The mention of Browning or of Dante will call forth a rustle of silk; discourses upon ‘The Esthetic Relation of Intellect to Beauty’ will doubtless gurgle silently into the souls of fleshly dowagers and sleek clubmen; oratorios and arias from the choir loft will bear the musically in clined away upon clouds of ecstasy. But so far as fair dealing on Monday and sweet spiritedness in the home is concerned, it means mightv little. If the man in the gutter had to wait until that sort of minister and that sort of congregation helped him to his feet he’d have mighty slim chances. If the- strong young man just stepping out into life had to bump up against the rough places with no stay and no restraint beyond the atmosphere of refined phrases and trained-cadences, he mightn’t find them of much ac count. Ear tickling epigrams feed no starveling lambs. If the Book of faith, hope and love isn’t inspired, then the world’s an accident and life a bad joke.” We have but one sentence to criticize and that is “ He isn’t necessarily wicked. Isn’t he? He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, obtaining a reputa tion and money under false pretences, if he is in an evangelical church. The same sort of performance in any line of secular public service would bring down upon him the anathemas of his fellow men, and does bring down the anathemas of Almighty God. Do you, fellow-followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, talk plainly to these, men, plead with them to forsake the' error of their way, and pray for them ? Let us pray earnestly for them that they may be 'truly converted to Christ, become loyal to the Old Book, or else that God may remove them from their places of honor in the church. T. C. H. AMERICA DISGRACED The prelude to our national holiday was the most amazing, atrocious outrage ever perpetrated. While the people "of the greatest nation in the world were preparing to remember the fight of.our forefathers for freedom,' and the victory which was given them through sacrifice and suffering,
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