The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-07-03 00:00:00

THE

Ilmrpool ::I,tattbatt.

TUESDIY, JULY 3, 1855

PREACHING FOR THE MASSE

A GOOD deal of nonsense, and some sense, have
been elicited by Archdeacon SINCLAIR'S remarks upon
preaching ; and as no two of the various scribes, who
have undertaken to instruct the Clergy with regard to
this verb- important part of their duty, agree in their
requirements, we may, perhaps, conclude that they
cannot upon the whole do better than continue in their
present course, bearing in mind that he, who endea-
vours to please every one, will in the end please no one,
and, least of all, himself. At all events, it is clear
that for many years past there has been a decided
tendency rather to exaggerate than to extenuate the
ordinance of preaching ; while manner, rather than
matter, as regards individuals, has been made the
ground of praise or blame. Witness the crowds which
hang enraptured by the hour together upon the lips of
this or that popular preacher : and why P Not because
they are influenced by any special love for the doctrines
which he enunciates, but because he possesses a natural
talent which enables him to adorn them with all the
graces of oratory. This may seem a somewhat harsh
and uncharitable judgment, but its justice is proved
by the flztt, that, not unfrequently, another preacher,
not a stone's throw from his more gifted brother, will
deliver the self-same doctrines, Sunday after Sunday,
to comparatively empty benches ; and this, notwith-
standing that his very want of fluency and popular
talent will compel him to study hi,rder, and think
more deeply, thereby in fact rendering his discourses
far more systematic and instructive than those which
are extemporised by the other. We think, then, upon
the whole, that there is far more need to teach the
people how to esteem and profit by sermons, than there
is to instruct the clergy how to compose and deliver
them.

But amidst all the discussion which has taken place,
no one, so far as we have seen, appears to have been
struck with the necessity which exists for open-air
preaching, as a means of getting at some at least of
those many thousands who can never be induced to
enter a place of worship ; and who, if they could, are
little capable of understanding and profiting by what
they would hear. Clearly, we think, the kind of
preaching suited to an ordinary congregation of
Christian worshippers would be very unsuitable in the
mouth of a missionary addressing a number of heathens,
for the purpose of effecting their conversion. It would
be like delivering a lecture upon the higher branches
of mathematics to a class ignorant of the commonest
rudiments of arithmetic and algebra. This is a point
which, we think, has not been sufficiently attended to.
There are thousands, who, so far as any knowledge of
the true religion is concerned, are precisely in the
condition of heathens ; and to preach to them, as one
would to a well-instructed congregation, is simply to
cast pearls before swine, and to expose things sacred
to the danger of profanation. The making each ser-
mon, delivered before an instructed audience, an
epitome of the gospel, is a plan which we think by no
means so well calculated for edification as the dealing
with particular topics singly and in order ; but when
employed for the conversion of the masses, who are
practically heathen, it seems absolute folly. And
hence the necessity for some such means as open-air
preaching, because it would afford opportunities for
addressing the careless and ignorant in the only
manner which is suitable to them, but .which would
be generally quite unsuitable to those who ordinarily
assemble within the walls of our churches.

Open-air preaching has,- till very lately, been left
almost entirely to one or two of the least important
sects, and, so far as we have observed, to
,the least-
instructed members of those sects. Let us not, how-

ever, be misunderstood, as if we intended to say a
word against them. Regular or irregular, we doubt
not that many such are actuated by the best of
motives ; and we can readily believe, that, notwith-

standing all drawbacks, their labours have not been

wholly without fruit. But that, too frequently, men
of this stamp exhibit zeal without ilidrgment, few will
deny. We have ere now listened to such, when
addressing an audience of the lowest character, and
whose general appearance was alone sufficient to

demonstrate their ignorance and practical heathenism ;
and we have heard them speak to such in familiar
terms of the deepest and holiest mysteries, and address
to them exhortations and arguments, which none but
well-advanced Christians were at all likelyto understand
or appreciate. Why, then, should not the ministers
of the Church take up this work P We are satisfied

that they would be listened to with increasing attention
and respect ; and with common care and prudence they
might effect much.

We have been led to these remarks by the fact,
(which we recorded last week) that one Liverpool
clergyman, the incumbent of St. John's, has already
commenced the plan which we advocate : but what is
one amongst so many ? We would fain hope that
others may be induced to follow his example ; and that,
not only upon Sundays, but upon week-days also.
And if, in any cases, the Sunday labours are too heavy
to permit such extra work, we would even rejoice to
hear that the -sermons delivered within the walls of
our churches were curtailed, so that opportunity might
be won, for speaking to the perishing thousands who
abide-without;

DR. CUMMING AND SUNDAY LEGISLATION.

WE are no very ardent admirers of Dr. CUMMING ;
but we must say, that, with regard to the question of
Sunday Legislation, lie appears to us to have hit the
right nail on the head, if the letter in the London
Times of Wednesday last, (and which will be found
in another column,) with the signature of JOHN
GUMMING, be, as we suppose, the production of the
voluminous Scotch Doctor. The occasion of his
writing is Lord ROBERT GROSVENOR'S bill for putting
a stop to Sunday-trading, which, as our readers are
aware-,-has already led to an unprecedented emeute in
Hyde-park.

Even were there no such thing as religion, we
would gladly see one day in seven characterised by
a total cessation from all but necessary work, for we
believe such an arrangement to be necessary for man's
physical well-being ; and how infinitely such necessity
is increased by man's spiritual needs, we need hardly
say. We shall not then be charged with wishing to
perpetuate the desecration of the Lord's Day, if we
declare ourselves by no means satisfied that such
measures as the one in question are calculated to
produce any really beneficial results : and we are glad
to be able to quote in support of our own, the opinion
of a man so little liable to suspicion upon this score
as Dr. CUMMING. With him we regard Lord ROBERT
GROSVENOR'S bill as well-meant ; and we would
utterly condemn the spirit which too many public
writers and speakers evince, when they charge its
supporters with cant, humbug, and hypocrisy. With
him we also regard it as calculated to satisfy no party.
" Those," (says the Doctor) " who feel deeply the
divine obligation of the Fourth Commandment, never
can admit it as either dutiful or expedient to give
national sanction to Sabbath work at certain hours,
in order to render illegal Sabbath work at other
hours :" and why it will not satisfy the masses must
be patent to all.
But the
part of Dr. CUMMING'S letter which we
s the concluding paragraph,
think most note-worthy, i
in which he says : " The most urgent legislation is
required for week=days, not for Sundays. As long as
man is made a beast of burden on week-days, you
will fail to make him a Christian on Sundays. Protect
man from excessive labour on Saturday, and you may