Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-03-15
SLANG IN THE PULPIT.

tian Church has passed through diff
fcrent periods or epochs in which doc
trines, organization, dogmatic asser.
tion and other phases have been more
or less prominent. We are now in
secular period of its history, and as one
Of the results, which must be appa-
rent TO the most casual observer, there
is far less reverence for the house of
God and for the ordinances Of the
Gospel than existed in other epochs
1t is no uncommon thing now to find
receptacles for tobacco juice in the
pulpits and Of churches pews of every
denomination in the land, or, if not 90
provided, those places smeared with
the filthy compound. Ministers and
people enter upon the worship Of the
great Jehovah with their mouths stuff
fed with tho weed, which they may not
remove il one or the other is engaged
orally in tho service Of the sanctuary.
Those very men would not dare to
enter the presence chamber of an
earthly sovereign to ask petition at
his hands or to press claim in any
such manner but this common cour-
tesy is denied to the King of kings in
the temples dedicated TO His worship.
This want of reverence may be the
natural and necessary counterpart of
the almost alteration which was offer
ed in other ages TO the Christian
Church and its institutions but far
better would it have been for the
Church and for the world, spiritually,
had the former continued until now.
And in this regard we believe "the
former days were better than these"
Such irreverence for sacred places
and sacred things could not fail to
lead 10 irreverence for that revelation
upon which the Church and its insti-
tntions are founded. And such we
find to be the fact. The ministers Of
Christ, with the pledge of their faith
still fresh 10 their hearts and in their
hands, and with the holy commission
of the Master, "Go preach my gospel," "
ringing in their cars, will enter the
place of prayer and take the oraeles
Of God and expound them with the
same Indifference as if they were com
menting upon chapter in the ara
bian Nights" OF in Robinson Crusoe.
Had Paul adopted the style OF some
Of his modern successors when he
stood before Felix or Agrippa and
reasoned about righteousness, temper
ance and a judgment TO come, the
Governor would not have trembled
nor the King have been almost per
suaded TO embrace Christianity. Who
can imagine this sturdy man of Goo
standing before a promiscuous as
sembly trying 10 convince them Of The
iruths of Christianity aud telling then
in the same breath that be "hac
knocked the bottom out of hell som'
time ago and meant to hammer away
at the sides, as one of his moderI
con nfrereS is reported TO have publicly
declarodl Or, suppose Peter, on th'
day Of Pentecost, as he stood beior'
that throng Of Parthians and Medes
and Elamites and dwcllers in Mesopo
tamia, and in Judea and Capadocia
in Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pam
phylia, in Egypt and theparts OF Lib
va about Cyrene, and strangers 0
Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretei
, aud Arabians--a mighty and promis
, cuous multitude--and as he illustra
ted them his divine commission as
fisher Of men, had thrown out a line
real or imaginary, and bid his audi
!. ence "take that or be damned, as on
/, of our modern man fishers is repre-
, sented TO have done short time age
VIC can hardly conceive that three, no
J, to say three thousand, souls shout
? have been baptized into the Churc
that same day.
r The prevalence Of slang in th
V Christian pulpit is deplorably con
4 mon, and Il is destroying the spiritu;
!. power and vitality OF the Church.
4 is an old adagc, and true one, th'
,e like priest, like people, and Vi,
r Uersa. And if the men who stand
2 Gods stead and pretend to utter II
N words TO us can complacently use th
style Of language, either as illustr
-e tion or otherwise, the people cann'
- be greatly blamed if they manifest
ri want of respect for the message ar
r. the messenger. Ifit is right on Il
" Lords Day, in n public address to
Christian or miscellaneous audienc
et for a minister or any Christian ma
,e TO relate an anecdotc as far as &C
r. tain point, and then suddenly bre;
re of and in a subducd tone Of voice ad
N "You know how it is YOURSELF p it ca
not be wrong for the people to laul
or to repeat the slang and to ha
n little respect for the truth for who
an illustration ii had been introduced.
We have heard ministers, who thong
n, they had said a good thing IN s.
N mon, tell their audience 20 "stick
,s min there" or to "pGt that in tht
pipes and smoke il, and moro OF {
,is same sort. with evidently no more ii
IN Of any impropricty in the use of su
slang 10 such a place than If they VIC
20 quoting the very words of the 10
"a Jesus Christ. We are not giving ]
arinary incidents or illustrations !
he stating simple facts, and we mig
el multiply such slang phrases alm'
indefinitely which we have heard
m. tered in the pulpits Of this city a
mr. vicinity at ono time or other /
,re VIC forboar. Every church gocr {
satisfy him or herself that what
1, state is true; and we might go a 81
nd further and pronounce n great deal
.on what are cour,eously called sermo
aud which arc not composed of sian
,ro to be tho morost twaddle aud ira
.ro While We believe aud admit tha
minister Of Christ should use wt
e n ever natural or acquired talents
,rn may possess to instruct and entort
an audience and TO glorily God !
~o odify the Church, We cannot CONGO
nn of any good purpose or end which
49,. be subscrvcd, now or hereafter,
a., the use Of slang in the pulpit.
W" never has and II never will lead
-, ner to the Saviour, and, in the nat
q. Al 4