In the discussion of this subject I fully recognize the opportunity menhave to serve God in any honorable vocation. The Christian lawyer orphysician is called of God as truly as a minister. Such men are puttingthe emphasis on service and not on getting. The condition confronting usis alarming and this warrants the earnest plea in this paper for a greaternumber of efficient ministers.
This is probably the most important question confronting the coloredpeople to-day. After all, a race or a nation is measured by its religion,and the greatest fact about a people is its religion. The efficiency of anation depends in a large degree upon the character of its religiousprinciples. When the good Queen Victoria was asked what made her realm sogreat, it was expected that she might point to her well-equipped navy orher efficient army, but she modestly held up a little book, called theBible, and said: “By adhering to the principles contained in this Book,greatness has come to Great Britain.” China is what she is to-day becauseshe adheres to certain principles taught by her religious teachers, andAfrica is still in darkness because led by blind, superstitious, religiousteachers.
In a larger sense than many people are willing to give credit the Negrominister has been responsible for the progress of our race and is alsoresponsible for much that cannot be counted as progress, for no othersingle class of individuals has had, and still has, so large andfar-reaching an influence as our ministers. You have only to go to acommunity where there is a well-trained, honorable, upright, and efficientminister to see the marked improvement among the people along every line.On the other hand, when you find a community where there is an immoral,ignorant minister, wielding a large influence, you will find a communitythat is full of despair.
It is pleasant to read the short story written by Paul Laurence Dunbarsome years ago, entitled “The Ordeal at Mt. Hope.” This story possiblygives one of the most vivid pictures of real, genuine service rendered bya man of splendid parts in a needy section of the South, bearing out thepractical demonstration of the power the minister has over a community.
It is one thing to lay down principles; it is another thing to show thatthese principles are correct and true by the practical work which is basedupon these principles. It is no hard thing to see how true it is that ofall men throughout the history of the world, none have had greaterinfluence than the religious teachers of a people, and it is just as trueto-day, and it is a waste of time to argue that a race or nation can belifted any higher than the religious principles of that race or nationwill allow it to go. History fails to record an instance of this sort, andit is very evident there never[Pg 4] will be an instance of the kind. Man isbound by his religion. He may not profess it, but he has a belief; eventhough he may declare that he believes nothing, the very fact of hisdeclaration proves him to have a dogma. You had as well expect to findlions without courage as to find men without s