Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-30
THE PULPIT AND THE PRESS.


The opening article of the London
Quarterly Reuiesv = for October is re-
view of 1.-The Penny Pulpit A Collee-.
ton of Accurately Reported Sermons
by the Most Eminent Ministers of Va
rious Denominations. 1t can hardly
fail to impress the intelligent reader as
a happy idea, that of reporting and
printing tens of thousands, and in some
cases hundreds of thousands Of copies
of the most powerful sermons delivered
in an age like the present and in a
country like England, and selling them
at a penny or two cents a sermon to all
who are able to read. Suppose only
one child in a family has learned to
read, that child can often preach a val
liable sermon that may last lifetime,
which costs less than glass of lager
beer. A Penny Pulpit is new ed
ucational institution, to the considera-
ton of which few thoughts may
be proftably given. The word pas
tor means the shepherd of a flock.
But the duties of irst-rate shepherd
did not extend beyond the narrow limit
of the few sheep that came into one
fold. He was innocent of all thoughts
of such strange things as short hand
writing, paper making, type casting
and setting, printing and reading.
This arrangement enlarges the print
tive pastors functions thousand fold,
as a single sermon may have million
hearers through the printing press. 1t
greatly magnifies the Office of the pull
pit, and viii prevent its ever falling in
to dissuetude. 1t will naturally lead
clergymen to give more thought and
study to their discourses, and improve
the quality of their utterances. In do
ing this, theology will perhaps uncon-
sciously) grow moreand more progress
i've with the progressive development
of the human understanding.
Instead of clinging with pc
culiar tenacity to notions that
prevailed. in the infancy of our
race, and thus retard all sound moral,
social and intellectual advancement,
they will lead mankind from one degree
of useful knowledge toanother through
life. This, however, can only be done
by men who recognize the possible
and profitable growth of our common
humanity. The penny pulpit is based
on the law OF human progress. Reject
the principle of growth as applied to
our species, and every pious man should
feel as Abraham did when he bound his
son Isaac, laid him on the pile of wood
to burn him and lifted his hand with the
sacrifcal knife to offer his innocent
blood as an atonement for sin. The
law Of Moses insisted that witches
should not live and hisown wife Hippo
rah performed the sacred rite of circum-
cision with a "sharp stone" Surely the
principle of progress in religious mat
tiers is as well settled by long prece-
dent as any principle can be. If it is
proper for the London Quarterly to
point out the shortcomings of the En-
ghsh pulpit at great length, and with
detail, we can hardly be
wrong in throwing out a few hints with
a view to increase the power and value
of the American pulpit. In preaching
the Gospel to every human being there
can be no reasonable objection to util-
izing the press in that behalf, and COM
bine reading with talking, as an addi-
tional means of universal improvement.
In many cases our old time repetition
Of religious services acts as an opiate
on the mind and conscience, WI nile the
body goes to sleep, Such preaching
elevates no one, and hardly pays utter
est on the cost of churches and the ex-
pense running them in modern style.
Reform and progress are needed, or
modern life will throw off dead ideas.
The London Quarterly ReUieU, No. go, OctO-
Der, 1873. American edition. New York The
Leonard Scott Publishing Company.