, 1872-11-22
MINISTERIAL INFLUENCE

IlueQ cannon are WHICH the theologlan an0
minister Of the present day have to face
Should he do so, he would doubtless regard the
spirit Of science, materia1ism, or the indisposi-
tion to believe in anything that could not be
tested by scientific methods, as Prof. Tynda1l
recently proposed to test the efficacy Of prayer,
as one OF the first Of these modern r1fed cannon
which the theologian and preacher must face.
A second is the complete preoccupation of the
mind OF our age in material advancement and
practical business. We do not 80 often deny OF
admit theology as decline to think about it.
But, as this is exactly the process BY which the
Greek and Roman religions passed into oblivion,
it is we'll to consider whether, it an account
| Of stock were taken to-day OF theo-
logical TRUTH. it would be found
that SO considerable quantity as h1r. Beecher
enumerates Of the ideas that met with ready
market century agoar now wholly unsuitable. Is
theology q kaleidoscope science; thesis found
ed On perpetually changing prenises7 II we sup
pose the real present theological conflict to be
bstween the Evolutionists and the believers in
special creation, between absolute materialists
and those who contend that there is spiritual
government OF some kind without being nice as
| to its nature, between the advocates Of Divine
standard Of morals and those who believe that
| every man is to do what he conceives will most
promote human happiness between those who
believe Christianity to be- completer
| revelation of duty and destiny and
| those who deem it only phase
| in the evolution of religious thought, We cannot
state the question in this form without conced-
| ing that materialisn, rationalism, and secular
ism have made great progress, relatively to that
of religion, within the past half century,
Numerically, financially, and socially, the in
stitutions, whether churches, colleges, news-
| papers, or societies, which, to use commercial
expression, s'bank on and assume the truth OF q
Christian theology OF some kind, are at least as
strong as. they ever we're. Nor, On entering
the churches or taking up the religious journals
wherein they address the people, will we find any
recognition OF the fact that their conflict is no
longer fight with the "princes of the powers
OF the air." but with Darwin. Hu1ley, Spencer,
o4o yAAAaAs A1At3 tA6A6 ID d fASt QEAl u mOQeTQ
preaching which does not aim seriously at any,
thing more than to afford an interesting histor-
ica1 or poetic or rhetorical treat. The preacher
himself seems to have ontgrown the dogmntic
epoch, and diseourses Of some feature Of patfi-
archical character or church history with barely
polite suggestion that his hearers may find
therein hint to higher life.
Now, as ever heretofore, the churches rest not
on intellect and disputation, but on the pis
inertia OF mankind; On the desire for moral
and mental stability and the disinclination men
feel to subject the rules Of social order and
the precepts Of moral duty to the shifting
sophistries Of reason, biased, as it must always
be, by passion. The standard method OF the
Church. therefore, is to assume, or, if it argues at
all, to argue only from the premise Of its own
assumptions.
The mission Of the modern minister is not to
prove that any special theological issue is abso-
lutte truth, for conviction has insenaibly crept
into the minds Of nearly all men, including min
listers, that truth is Protean, and assumes many |
guises and disguises. His aim is to conduct !
public worship in manner that assumes the |
truth Of all the essential tenets Of his faith |
the special efficacy of prayer, the personality Of
spiritual God, the exclusive inspiration Of
Christianity, its benign and benefcent influence |
over Individuals and communities, and its ne
cessity as standard OF morals and conserva-
tive power to prevent the world from running
nj infn ha nix cf
restrained passion. Its sermons are retro
grade rather than stimulating. They
carry Us back to the slower life of the past, Of
patriarchB, prophets, and apostles, OF shepherds
and herdsmen, while the Influences Of business,
of modern amusements, Of art, and especially Of
material sclence. hasten Us forward in career I
of change that is everywhere too feverish to be- |
wholly sane. The proper mission OF the Church
IS sedative, soothing, subduing, calming. It is
not what it proves, but what it is that holds the
Attention OF men, In this sense we see no
evidence that ministerial influence in the aggre-
gate is declining. In churches, as in other
modern institutions, the corporation lives On
md dourishes, whatever may become Of the in
hviduals which serve it. But this is no more
Tue OF ministers than Of governments, rail
'oads, and other chartered companies, and
u the press. As the organization
II society becomes more complete and perfect,
he Importance Of the individual to it's outward
movement 1essens. Newspapers live On though
heir editors may disappear OF die. Great rail-
oads are unaffected by the loss Of their found
RS 80 the various Christian organizations be-
ome the mausoleum OF the men who have Ia
'ored to build them up as thefcoral reef absorbs
ts insect architects. But this decline Of indi-
1dual influence relatively to that Of the organi-
alton indicates no decline OF the aggregate in
uence OF the various Christian ministries.
Where science, materialsm, secularism, and the
orcea OF social revolution and disorganization,
all OF which, whether for good OF i'll,
ave an affinity for each other, could raise one