Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-02-09
Sensation preschino

giving an extract from one of Hanr,- "
beechers sermons, in which that ry.o,+r
ana intense preacher was said to have mol
the startling assertion, that atbe Ano.r
were liars, drunkards, and never bezitate5 -
indulge IN the most shameful deception f.
lead Christ astray as to their real motiyas~
MIR. Beecher's denies the statement o.,;
and says that he was showing that ..tlo T.;
clples were representatives of universal man
beng selected neither from the worst nor
from the best of men, and that they had inst
theSe failngs and sins which led con,n,u
men to doubt whether God Will love them
and that Christslove to men ofsucb manifsst
weakness as they Possessed, was the greatest
blessing to the world" Mr.. B. IS = baIi.r.,.
IN sensation preaching" and thinks tbot
as long as men are bad, they will need
preaching that produces decided sensations .,
Mr. b. however makes the following adm.
sion, and gives a decided his at the purn;t
which may and ought to produce 4 s.ror~
sensation -
L preachers sometimes employ moor.
materials IN producing sensations NAV 10
true But the fault is not in the aija;n~
at sensation, but in the putting Of wronr J.
or no shot at all, in the gun. Pulpiis ar.<
1 nGtI', ,nne DlllI ho"-atiayshk Chimes
en- heads in if viii soon - : PuIPlt VIII wooI~
heads, or no heads at all"
Now it is not unlikely that both the Ex-
press and Mr.. Beeeher are right. The object
OF the Express was doubtless to expose and
censure that miserable apology for PREACHING
which unfortunately for the Church. is 50
much in vogue among that class If nnlp;t
mountebanks who aim to be star nrcachcrs.,
which consists not in a clear, earnest and inn
pressive exhibition of divine truth. so promi-
neht and powerful in Apostolic preaching,
but in startling propositions, bold figures.
strange and queer fancy flights and often ,ln-
meaning and ridiculous rhapsody. merely
roStrum exercises or stage operations. design
0n not 10 convert and save sinners, bnt to snow
off the man and to attract the gaping. Won
aef-lovlng crowd, Frequently such .acnsa-
''on nonsense, although startling to the
crowd and sitting them a ~,'clappIiag." il not
"uoioiy' yet mwardly, is absolutely a rogrj-
e4s"Ie OF gospel preaching, mcre pleasing to
the devil than to Christ. NJ unGreiucntiv
Is such bold Impotence i@ the sacred desk.
exhibited at a total sacrifice Of an so,nd tho-
olosy' logic, science and common sense. Now
we suppose it was al this kind of star breach
ing that the Express was aiming its shot"
And it hit. The Express knew that HI.
same Henry Ward Beechcrw was. frequently n
least, one ofthese seIEsamc sensation" preach
erS' and although it might have been mista
ken as to his precise language. in this in
s"'ii0e' YET IL was 50 Beecher-like, itcopld not
@s i"r rom the truth Nor does Mr.. B. en-
',rely relieve himself or his theology from
'"o H'sflVed censure Of the Express.
nu' the Brooklyn star preacher" snca1s
W the DOCK, when he contends for that kind
u preaching which produces a segx,t;,, =
- ,i'a" d sensation produced by the power
~, 49, Tu,n, "hen applied and enforced
iioiy "host' This !. the only kind
-: 0"0'i's IlaC Is worthy of the name. 1t
tba+ ei'eN' anu al else
'il'' moves ana e1cites andattracts. and leaves
9"',Siieo IN their sins or plunge, them
ue'Pgr down IN the mire Of i%niquity, is what
"0 Express justly ~denounccs as Sensation
preaching.
Inc admission of Ar. b that preachers
may employ poor materials" in aiming at
sensation Is a thrust, which pierced his own
sue, Poor materials are doubtless often
enpioyed by Mr.. B, and all of his like. whose
Awnings at sensation arc Of the Kind com
ilolly prompting star preachers" Such
+ 1"'lefS may I'LL their pcws with b~lockhcads
u "is-heads' but it will be a throng whose
hearts are soon clad mstccl, or shrivellcd from
T W want Oh being fed with the bread of life.
li'''A 0od! the South has but few .sensa-
'i0I preachers ofthe ilk Of Mr., Beecher. who.
CONSCIOUS OIL ms o"a power over f~anatical,
curious and ism-seeking Northern audiences.
seldom we fear, invokes the power Of Christ
owe Us se"s1f'on preaching, we say, but let
II DC Oh the right sort and 1:4,e,I and directed