Where Did He Get The Idea?
One of our leading colored evangelists is making speeches over the country in behalf of the colored school at Terrell, Texas. Twice in recent months I have held meetings where he had previously spoken: Mobile, Alabama and Fort Worth, Texas. In Mobile he ridiculed the idea of anyone's thinking there is any danger that the schools and churches may become unscripturally tied together. He said, in substance, "Some brethren are worried about tying the church and school together. I ain't worried about it." In Fort Worth he said, "Folks go around saying keep the school and church separated! You can't do that; they are already together. The school is the church doing missionary work, and ought to be supported by the church just like any other missionary work." (Now let somebody deny that he said this and I shall be glad to furnish proof. It is abundant in Fort Worth and Mobile among my preacher friends who were there and heard him).
Where did our brother get this? He did not get it from the New Testament, nor did he get it from the writers of Gospel Guardian. Surely he did not get it from preachers like brother Brewer, because brother Brewer refuses to affirm in debate that the work of the schools, such as this, comes within the scope of the work of the church. He says he will deny that. He believes that the churches should support the schools with their money but he will deny that the work of the schools is the work of the church. The church may support from her treasury that which is not her work! You figure that one out.
Where did the colored preacher get the idea? That should not be hard to figure out. Just read what the brethren are saying in the papers these days and attend a few lectureships at the colleges.
It is reliably reported that A. C. Pullias said in a speech at David Lipscomb college that the man who does not believe in the expansion program of D.L.C. doesn't believe in the great commission. I heard a good preacher a few months ago making a speech at one of our schools, and right in the middle of his speech, in which he was trying to exalt the church, he began talking about the blessings that he and his family had received from "this great institution" (the college) and for a while it was sort of hard to tell whether he was talking about the school or the church. I really think this preacher knows better than that. He was likely a little confused because he felt obligated to say something nice about the school (since he was on the program) and just didn't do a very neat job getting it into his speech on the church. But speeches like these and articles like I read by some of the brethren are not calculated to convince any of the young preachers that the church must remain distinct and free from all human institutions, and that colleges (even Christian colleges) are human institutions.
Our colored brother is wrong, but he is to be commended for his straightforward declaration of the thing he believes. There is nothing vague about what he says. We could admire some of the white brethren more if they were willing to just come right out and say it.