The Crucifixion of Philip Strong | Page 6

at the question. He looked at his wife, and her
face was serious.
"Why, doesn't everybody need preaching? They may not stand in need
of my preaching, perhaps, but they ought to have some preaching. And
I cannot help thinking of what is the duty of the church in this place to
the great crowd outside. Something ought to be done."
"Philip, I am sure your work here will be blessed, don't you think so?"
"I know it will," replied Philip, with the assurance of a very positive but
spiritually-minded man. He never thought his Master was honored by
asking him for small things, or doubting the power of Christianity to do
great things.
And always when he said "I," he simply meant, not Philip Strong, but
Christ in Philip Strong. To deny the power and worth of that
incarnation was, to his mind, not humility, but treason.
The Sunday following, Philip made this announcement to the people:--
"Beginning with next Sunday morning, I shall give the first of a series
of monthly talks on Christ and Modern Society. It will be my object in
these talks to suppose Christ Himself as the one speaking to modern
society on its sins, its needs, its opportunities, its responsibilities, its
every-day life. I shall try to be entirely loving and just and courageous
in giving what I believe Christ Himself would give you, if He were the
pastor of Calvary Church in Milton to-day. So, during these talks, I
wish you would, with me, try to see if you think Christ would actually
say what I shall say in His place. If Christ were in Milton to-day, I
believe He would speak to us about a good many things in Milton, and
He would speak very plainly, and in many cases He might seem to be
severe. But it would be for our good. Of course I am but human in my
weakness. I shall make mistakes. I shall probably say things Christ
would not say. But always going to the source of all true help, the Spirit

of Truth, I shall, as best a man may, speak as I truly believe Christ
would if he were your pastor. These talks will be given on the first
Sunday of every month. I cannot announce the subjects, for they will be
chosen as the opportunities arise."
During the week Philip spent several hours of each day in learning the
facts concerning the town. One of the first things he did was to buy an
accurate map of the place. He hung it up on the wall of his study, and in
after days found occasion to make good use of it. He spent his
afternoons walking over the town. He noted with special interest and
earnestness the great brick mills by the river, five enormous structures
with immense chimneys, out of which poured great volumes of smoke.
Something about the mills fascinated him. They seemed like monsters
of some sort, grim, unfeeling, but terrible. As one walked by them he
seemed to feel the throbbing of the hearts of live creatures. The
unpainted tenements, ugly in their unfailing similarity, affected Philip
with a sense of almost anger. He had a keen and truthful taste in matters
of architecture, and those boxes of houses offended every artistic and
home-like feeling in him. Coming home one day past the tenements he
found himself in an unknown street, and for the curiosity of it he
undertook to count the saloons on the street in one block. There were
over twelve. There was a policeman on the corner as Philip reached the
crossing, and he inquired of the officer if he could tell him who owned
the property in the block containing the saloons.
"I believe most of the houses belong to Mr. Winter, sir."
"Mr. William Winter?" asked Philip.
"Yes, I think that's his name. He is the largest owner in the Ocean Mill
yonder."
Philip thanked the man and went on toward home. "William Winter!"
he exclaimed. "Is it possible that man will accept a revenue from the
renting of his property to these vestibules of hell? That man! One of the
leading members in my church! Chairman of the board of trustees and a
leading citizen of the place! It does not seem possible!"

But before the week was out Philip had discovered facts that made his
heart burn with shame and his mind rouse with indignation. Property in
the town which was being used for saloons, gambling-houses, and dens
of wickedness, was owned in large part by several of the most
prominent members of his church. There was no doubt of the fact.
Philip, whose very nature was frankness itself, resolved to go to these
men and have a plain talk with them about it.