Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-05-01
Sunday Sermons and their influence.
From the New Yo1k Herald

~-1 ~ @oA@ -
1t is just barely possible that the
readers of the Herald have not been
made any purer for our weekly publi-
CATIONS of the sermons delivered ON
: Aday. On the other hand, the
kGfObability is strong that many per-
sons have been benefited spiritually
by their perusaI. AT any rate we are
glad to note that the pulpit recognizes
the sincerity of our efforts to promote
the cause OF religion, some preachers
even attaching a value to them which
we cannot with becoming mOdesty lay
claim to. After all, it is the duty of
the press to aid the pulpit. When
Christ babe Peter feed his flock He
surely never intended to restrict the
supplying of spiritual food to a few
privileged men. He must have fore
seen the day when modern Peters
would not be able to appease the hun
ger of the furnishing multitudes.
Surely, then, we may claim to be
merely fulfilling a solemn obligation
in publishing these sermons, by means
of which we lead the sinner to repen-
lance and compel the clergymen to
be vigilant and untiringin their work
of spreading the Gospel.
1t is unfortunate that Christianity
cannot be judged by the influence ex-
ercised Ove the masses by the ser
mons delivered every Sunday. No
thing illustrates more fOrcibIy the de-
creased power of the pulpit than the
mere fact that the discOdrses of clergy
men no longer affect people as they
did a few years ago. Mr.. Beecher,
than whom We could have no better
authority, admitted as much last Sun
day, and nearly all of the preachers
implied as much in their lamenta-
tons I'VE the prevalence of sin. Nor
is it difficult to explain the reason for
this. Three centuries ago the minis
ter of religion was intellectually the
master of his flock; to-day the flock
are quite equal on the average, and
sometimes mentally superior, to the
minister. Had our spiritual teachers
progressed with civilization, mankind
would be to-day as blindIy obedient
to their teachings as they were before
the days OF Luther. Unfortunately,
after achieving almost marvellous sue
cess with our instincts tney came to a
dead halt when reason began asking
questions. Men do not make long
journeys on horseback at the present
time; they ride in railroad ears, which
shorten the trip, are more comfort
able, and supply the demand for
a practical method of solving
the question of how to overcome
distance. In like manner the mind
Of man cannot obey the religious in
structions of the Middle Ages, how
ever beneficial they may have been to
our half-civilized fOrefathers. We
want to go to heaven by railroad, and
until the sermons of our present
preachers are as much superior to the
teachings of the clergymen of three
centuries ago as steam is to horsefiesh,
cannot expect them to possess that
influence which is essential to the
preservation of a high order of reIi-
giOn. When Mr.. HepWorth tells US
of the beauties of divine hope" We
recognize and admire the picture on
the principle that "a thing of beauty
is a Joy forever" We admire me-
teOrs, rainbOWs and also.
What is hope? 1t is a good thing TO
die cherishing, but in life it is. like
husks, "such dry fare" as Mrs, CAL
hOun says, that it can hardly be said
to satisfy one. Now, to convince us
the subject of his rmO Mr..
should have proven that if
is better to expect a great deal than to
possess a little. Despair is a terrible
thing, no doubt, but II knews what
1t leads to, and that is a consolation
at least.
OF the twenty-One sermons report
eel in the Herald of yesterday there
was not n which might not have
been delivered some centuries ago.
AS mere literary performances they
were, in the main, excellent. I'm
tOubtedly the preachers We're eloquent
and some of them ornate in their Ian
yuage. Ali recognized and depicted d,
he evils which beset religion, but !
hey did not apply a satisfactory rem !
As Rev. Mr. Wyatt declared. :
more grateful praise is needed in our {
churches. Christianity does not now .
the masses with that fervor =
which characterized its youth. For =
his the religion is certainly not ac- =
,Ountable. Believing that the Christ r
N faith is that of God, we dare not I,
oy that it is at fault. The Divine es- i
ense is infallible and cannot err; with /,
,ut doubt, then, the evil is to be found n
n the poverty of our Sunday SER Fl
mons. When one preacher tells US r,
here is no Satan; another that the n
evil does exist and marshals millions n
nder his banner, and so ON through Fl
he list, supporting their doctrines 81
nth none but the weakest of argu- a
lents, what Sonder is it that Chris q,
Ianity loses power and Sunday SER re-
IONS lack influence? We never read ~
of these sermons without think -,
~ of the remark made by a dis re-
nguished barrister who declined at IN
,nding a church where a popular ~
ergyman preached because his " ar IN
lments in defense of Christianity 70
ways made him thinkOf what a log =,
al and convincing reply the devil ar
,uld make in opposition" At