The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-11-02
Belfast Lyceum.

SELF They hold that the world has moved in
the last hundred or two of years, that the rising
generations are prevailed by newer and fresher
ideas in matters of religion as of every thing
else, and that the church must move with them
or lose its hold upon the people. Mr.. Murray
is the leading eXempar in New England of
what is popularity known as muscular Christi
anity. lie believes that clergymen, no less than
church members, should know the world
around them, and that their influence and use
fulness are increased in proportion as they ac-
quire that knowledge. He holds that clergy
men should partake of the rational pleasures Of
the world, and that the stock of vital energy
which can be acquired only by out door ever-
else is eminenty their need-that boating. gun
ming, fishing and all manly sports are theirs hv
the same right that they are other mons, ami
in the language of DR.. Watts
"Religion never was designed
TO make our pleasures less"
Mr.. Murray is a practical Christian He BE-
lieves specially in chat gospel which comes 10
the poor man in the shape of barrel of flour,
basket of provisions or "a load of wood on a
bitter winters day-that makes his lot in lif,
| easier, his home more cheerful, and permits an
occasional laugh springing from absence Of care.
| The lecturer began by abiding to the char
| acteristics of the Americans in comparison with
| the people of other countries The people Of
Europe are like each other in il thoue and WAYS
bit IN tins country there il no national type
The Yankee is law unto himself Bigotrv
| and berality sit side by side in the same pew,
! and progression and old fogyism sing piouslv
! from the same hymn book. In nothing was
| this diversity and antagonism of character SO
prominent as in ecclesiastical affairs In relig-
iOus matters the typical American meyer shows.
Take a dozen men out of the audience and ask
them what they think Of native deprayity, and
it would be found that each had 4 very positive
| opinion. Assertion would be SET against asser.
| ton, until their tcmpers would clash, atlJ in
half an hour the doctrine would be proved hv
their conduct In religion the American never
shams. Cool, calculating, secretive in other
| things, touch him with q cutechiSm and YOU see
the flash of his eyes through his mask. Take a
dozen men ont Of this audience and you will
find that each has definite opinion about total
deprayity. Allow them to discuss the subject
I and they will grow warm, then angry, and per-
haps end in quarrcllng, by way Of illustrating
| the doctrine. From this diversity of views
arise sects. Every American is bound TO have
a religion that suits him, as Burlngame said,
1--WE must have an anti-slayery Bible ana an
! anti-slayery God" In England or France peo-
| pie are content to worship, year after year and
| century after century, in one established form ;
| but it is different here. An American cannot
|
| four hours. New England civilization specially
| illustrates the inharmOnious and contradictory
| phases of American life. In principles, as well
| as in practice, New England society was very
| embodiment of contradictions. In Old times
| the aristocracy of Massachusetts was not only
I an anomaly, but it appeared where il should be
| least eXpectcd-in the church. To be an officer
of the church in those days was the highest
| dignity. The 9 Deacon" was looked up to with
| but little less reverence than the pastor himself.
| The lecturer then proceeded to exhibit the
| Deacon in his various phases, with very happy
descriptions Of the different kinds of deacons
| TO be found in every society. These he charac-
terized and classted-among them the bgoted
| narroW-minded deacon. Of which class he had Il
| specimen in one of his churches once, ''that YOU
had to hold off and look at sdewise to see that
! he had any mind at all There too was the
| Gucrulous deacon, who fought his pastor with
| the same fervor with which he prayed for the
| heather; the heresy hunting deacon, who
watched the pulpit a terrier did Il rat-holo in
| order to pounce upon some unfortunate sen
| tence or quotation, and went trotting down the
centre aisle after the benediction, his ewes fairly
swapping with suppressed satisfaction, that he
| had scented out one more proof that his pastor
| was . unSound in the Faith" the thnd deacon
| always worrying lest his minister will do some
| thing to hurt his influence, and there WIS the
| Old fogy deacon and the deacon who led the
| choir, and knew better than the pastor how to
| select the hymns; and last, but not least, the
deacon who studied two terms in the Theologi-
| cal Seminary, and whom the sewing society Of
his native village was educating to send as
missionary to the heather, but who did not 20
for two reasons, first, the sewing society got in
to fight and broke up and the funds failed,
and second. he failed to pass his examination Ill
| the end of the second term, all Of which was
ordered by Providence in mercy to the heather.
In half the churches no new measure, how
| ever good, could be proposed and not meet with
persistent opposition. The motto in such
churches was "what has not been shall hot be.
| In church after church Il dozen men sat like
| leeches on the swelling veins Of holy enter
prise, and by Them Christ was made to appear
hostile to whatever was most honorable in con
duct and noble in aspiration. He had no ~ym-
pathy with the tendencies Of this generation to
wash men out into h sea Of loose opinions gnd
looser practices, but man must have some
deeply rooted faith What he urged was that
the churches should no longer abide by mnXimS,
which, although once proper, are now i'll suited
to the age. He never let age alone sanclify
anything nor prejudice his mind against Il.
Piety did not put man into a straight Jacket.
1t did not cramp and pucker him up. 1t did
not prescribe the fashion Of his necktie or
goose-poke him with spinal stiffness. Those
who thought that it was an objectionable sin
to row boat and shoot rifle and ride horse
so as not TO make fool Of oneself or Kilt The
horse, were not up in their cXegesis. Christi
anity was full of adaptiyeness, and the world
in its fast racing progressiveness could not ont
run her. If the church would direct the age.
it must keep in the van. 1t had been represent
ell by dyspeptic and consumptive men long
enough. He hoped to live to see the day when
a stoop in the back would be unorthodoX, and Il
narrow chest put Il theological student at an I'M
mense disadvantage in cAndidatlng. A church
should examine its pastor as closely touching
hygiene as touching his theological tcnets. He
was brought up among people like those he was
describing, and he had preached in a parish
where the blast of steam whistle never sound
ed, where to skate was ADMINISTERED, ami to
slide down hill a sn-where the crack of his
rifle caused as much excitement i'll the church
as the last trump would, and if he took step
over fourteen and halt inches from heel TO toe,
it made the sewing society lively for two weeks.
Large hearted evel-healed men in the churches
must come to the front.
He then proceeded to dissection Of Deacon
Sharpface, the dyspeptic and captious Christian
He belongs to that class of church members
who needed converting several times before
they become tolerable. His orthodoxy alone
procures him his election as deacon. Woe to