Newspaper Page Text
"KOINU
The Presbyterilff the South
~ ? ? ? JlmoQ,.
v?l- 9G- No. 2*4. RICHMOND, VA. *ws *WP<ia
Juno 14, 1922.
PREACHERS according to a layman
writing in the Nashville Christian
Advocate are the indispensable men of the
Church. We wonder if that is generally
recognized as a fact. This layman says
ol" I he preacher: 1 1 He alone is indispensa
ble. We can dispense with tall steeples,
nrt-glass windows, elaborate decorations,
carpeted aisles, and paid choirs, and still,
if we have a preacher, we can have a
church. Indeed, we can dispense with the
church edifice, and if we have a preacher,
we can have a church in a public liali,
sclioolhouse, parlor or kitchen. We can
do without everything else, but we cannot
do without the preacher. The minister is
t ho one and only indispensable factor in
the organized church." This is not the
opinion of some stuck-up, conceited preach
er. There are few pastors who would
dare to say such things. These statements
are made by a clear-headed layman, who
has the welfare of the Church at heart.
It would be a great blessing, if all the mem
bers of the churches had this same opinion
of their preachers. They would appre
ciate their work more, they would be will
ing to support them more loyally and aid
fliem more faithfully. With all of the de
fects and shortcomings of preachers, it
should never be forgotten that they are
called of God to be leaders of His people.
Think what would be the condition of the
world, if all of the preachers should be
taken to heaven and their places left per
manently vacant in the Church and in the
world. The business concern which has
??ne man that it recognizes as indispensa
ble to the success and the life of its busi
ness, will support that man loyally in his
plans and work, and will provide for him
everything that is needed for his comfort
<>r that will enable him to do his work bet
Jer. Let the Church learn this lesson and
'Is efficiency, under the leadership of the
' indispensable man," will be multiplied
many times.
HISTORIC AL errors are easily made
and more easily perpetuated. We re
Vrct to find that we are responsible for
'nuking a mistake of this kind in our issue
'?f May 17th, in an article on "The Begin
ning of Presbyterianism in America." In
(liis article we stated that the grave of
Hev. Francis Mnkemie was discovered by
Kev. Dr. McCook, of Philadelphia, The
?act is that it was discovered by Rev. Dr.
}>? P. Bowen, one of our own beloved min
sters, now 86 years old, living at Berlin,
Md. Dr. McCook took a leading part in
Greeting a monument over this grave.
RKADERS and advertisers may well
notice and consider what the Religious
I 'l ess Department of the Associated Ad
vertisering Clubs of the World says about
Religious Press: "The Religious
I'l'esa is different, and well may civiliza
tion say 'thank flod' for the Religious
''ress. Whatever its faith, whatever its
denomination, whether interdenomina
tional or undenominational, the Religious
Press as a class always and invariably is
1(H) per cent, clean, 100 per cent, loyal, 100
per cent, true to its ideals and therefore
100 per cent, efficient in its mission. The
men and women who are taking the lead
in the churches of your town get their in
spiration and information from their fav
support all those activies which make youi
orite church paper. These leaders also
community a better place in which to live.
The Religious Press litis a grip that is not
found elsewhere. It provides concentrated
circulation and effective influence in the
inner circle of America's best families."
FAYETTEVILLE Presbytery had an un
usual attendance record at its recent meet
ing. It reports 51 ministers, 10 of whom arc
reported as foreign missions or infirm. There
were 37 present at the meeting. But the reord,
so far as we know was made in the attendance
of elders. There were SO of them present,
representing 80 of the 116 churches. Certainly
the preachers could not have "put anything
over" on the elders that time. Would that more
Presbyteries could show such a preponderance
of elders.
SPEAKING of the Northern General Assem
bly, the Philadelphia Presbyterian says:
The Assembly has become so large that the im
portant and imperative questions which come be
fore it cannot be discussed by the commissioners
from the floor. Everything is rushed through
from the platform. The moderator gets nervous
l)eeause of the expense of each moment and the
necessity of getting through. We have seen
a'ble men attempting to discuss most important
questions from the floor and the moderator
standing with gavel in his hand ready to call
him down lest he should speak beyond a few
minutes, Both men were so disturbed that
nothing could be accomplished. The result is
that able and worthy men will not enter the
farce of discussion from the floor. This leases
everything to the platform, to be driven through
with a rush, like a wedge through a rail. This
encourages wire-pulling behind the scenes. Sub
stantial men weary of the farce, and are glad
of some diversion to relievo the situation. The
Assembly should send down an overture to the
Presbyteries, and the Presbyteries should re
duce the Assembly to the size of a real court,
or else they may expect the public to get the
impression that it is simply a big, social junket
carried out at the expense of the Church.
HEALTH conditions have long l>een sup
posed to be far better in the country than
in the city. We have heard a great deal about
the strong, healthy children of the country and
the weak, sickly children of the city. A care
ful study of this subject by scientific men am'
women shows that this opinion is not well
founded. They state the children of the
city are far more healthy and free from
physical defects than their country cousins.
Many of the diseases which are common to both
city and country are found to bo more preva
lent and more serious in the country than in
the city. This is, no doubt, due to the fact that
the subject of health has been given far more
consideration and study in the city than in the
country. Through the united effort of the city
government much is done to improve hygienic
conditions. This is usually lacking in the
country. Much can be done there by united
effort, but it must be done chieHy by the in
dividual family. Every parent should make a
careful study'of conditions in the family, in
the home and in the surrounding. The
most expert help that can be gotten
should be secured to study these conditions
and to find remedies where they are needed.
The most precious possession parents have are
the children God has given them. They srould
be cared for at any cost of labor and sacrifice,
that they may grow up with health of body, as
well as of mind and soul, in order that they
may Ihj liest fitted for the service of God in the
service of the fellow-men.
CRITICISM of the churches is very com
mon; but, strange to say, it seems that
most of the adverse criticisms come from within
the churches, aiul not from without. Dr.
Charles AI. Sheldon, the editor of the Chris
tian Herald, in the current number of that
paper, has an editorial in which he urges all
the churches to "get together," though he does
not explain just how that is to be done, lie
speaks of "the petty quarrels and jealousies of
the different sects." He asks this question:
"Of what value are all these dissensions among
the different denominations that are going on
all over the land ?" And again he says, "The
churches of this land are being torn and
wounded by their own members in pulpit and
pew, and unless there is a getting together on
the real fundamentals of man's need of a Ke
deemer, and the giving of one for the salva
tion of the world, a heart stab will be dealt
the Church, which Jesus loved, from which it
will take long years to recover." This is cer
tainly a deplorable condition of affairs which
Dr. Sheldon describes. His description of af
fairs is enough to make every one who is a
child of God and a lover of Christ, despair for
the future of the Church. Rut is this a fair
picture of the Church ? Is it true that there are
"petty quarrels and jealousies" ami "dissen
sions" in the Church, as represented by its
various branches? Our observation is that
very few people outside of the churches ever
honestly make any such charges against the
Church. And the reason is not hard to find.
There never was a time in all the history of
the Christian Church, when there were as few
quarrels and jealousies and dissensions as v
present. One thing alone will convince a can
did thinker that this is true. There never was
a time when there were as many movements
on foot to unite the various denominations. The
points on which they agree are being em
phasized, while little emphasis is being placed
upon their differences. If there were so many
"quarrels and jealousies and dissensions," it
is hard to see how they could be so anxious to
"get together" into closer relations, as so many
of them are trying to do. If a few writers in
religious papers and a few public speakers, who
claim to have the welfare of the Church so
much at heart, will stop writing and speaking
on this subject, "petty quarrels and jealousies
and dissensions" will soon l>e heard of no more.
'The devil has found that he cannot longer use
those outside of the Church to criticize it ef
fectively, so he is now using as his agents of
destruction those within the Clfiirch.