Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1845-1851, 1847-04-03
" Politics in The Pu1Oit.,,

Under this head, in late number of the Sentinel
It's correspondent Anxious, has published some severe
structures upon Mr.. Beecher, and his In the
pulpit. The charges are, first that he makes wing
prayers, and breaches wing sermons on the Sabbath
secondly, that in 1910 he felt inclined TO max wing
s'ump speeches and thirdly, that his gestures and
attitudes not scientific Now the first charge Is
pertinent to the subject If true; but II is not true tc
the extent, IN the sense alleged and far any
part Of 1t true, is equally that Mr. Becche
has never Puposcy given expression, IN his cXecls
on the Sabbath, 10 any political sentiment Which lie
had reason to suppose would be odIouS TO any part
of his congregation. The second charge Is boh
unlmporlant and false. 1t is unimportani because
1t has nothing to do with politics Ia the pulpit
and 1t Is false, because if MIR. Beechrr had frli
inclined to make stump speeches in 40, lac would
have done 50. The third charge l. lmperincnt ana
puerle. 1t Is poor business to crltclse ones gestures
and attitudes public speaking. If the critic has
nothing more material to commend or find fault with,
than gestures and attitudes, he has no business VIII
ms subject. Anxious speaks OF tie imagination
fancy. and figures Of the Young clergyman when lac
attacks. | suppose that he Is unable To follow tht
preacher in his sublime flights Mr.. Bcechor, like
other clergymen, sometimes bathes the wings of hls
ginaon in scenes of glory To which the grovelng
critic Is stranger He cannot above TIE
scenes OF gross materially Mr. Beecher, like the
" householder which bringeh forth of his treasure
things new and old" Tor these many years has
labored with becoming perseverance, dIsregardng
his personal feelings, for the success OF his
people; yet Amcus to have written his article
while under the Influence of bitter feelings, and more
in the spirit Of partizan than of friend of the
clergyman he styles himself. There Is something
omnous IN the newspaper attacks upon good men,
and they ought To be discouraged by the moral and
religious part OF community. indianapolis ought To
be distinguished for It's high of religion 1t has
long been blest with clergy of a high order of
tai enf> nd Of lalu nj
TO be made of them 1t is for the length Of their
sermons. Now concerning the time proper 10 be
occupied by a sermon, there Is this difference among
reasonable men-somc suppose that sermon should
occupy longer time than about twenty five minutes,
while others suppose that sermon might reasonably
occupy about thirty minutes. There few
extraordinary occasions which may call for longer
discourse, but these ought not to often IN u
mans life Most of our clergymen q think of no
exceptions now,) occupy from three quarters Of an
hour to an hour and half with their sermons This
IS abusive and ntoerable and calls loudly for reform.
There are two for this abuse and remedy.
As TO the causes the first Is lazincss. mean an
aversion TO study their subjects. This laziness is a
remnant of total depravy which still turks in the
hearts OF those not wholly renewed The second
cause Is a love Of display. This also is almost
always 4 remnant Of the total deprayity.
Touching the remedy of THIS abuse. the following
may be said The proper remedy l. continued. labo-
rl0uS STUDY. II requires Only moderate amount oi
study, and merely such lazy might submit
10, 20 prepare hour long, and to preach
u sermon hour aud a half long would require 10
great amount of sense But 10 condense u sermon
into the reasonable space of twenty-five or thirty
minutes requires aborious effort The effort i one
Of clothing ideas with words rather than Of filing
up time with sounds. The energy and tersenoss of
the English language Is found aud displayed only by
hard and per>evering labor. Besides this, breviiy
IS the soul of wit" as Blackstone saws | have
thrown together these few ideas hoping to do the
public service, and expecting that they viii be not
otherwise than iavoraby resented by those concerned.
ARATON.