The New York herald., 1874-11-23
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

DIR. Desohsr Talks About Newspaper
Reports Of sermons-Hls PERSONAL Ex-
psriencos ThereoE-SermOn ON COnsola-
tion.
Previous to the singing Of the hymn before the
sermon Mr. Beecher some what astonished his
very large congregation by indulglng In q long
talk about newspaper reports OF sermons. Tho
talk WAS listened to with even more intentness
than was given to the sermon, whioh followed the
singing OF the hymn.
: Mr.. Beecher saad:-There have arisen Ia those
days OF newspaper enterprise reports OF sermons
In the daily Journals Formerly. antagonistic
was the daily press TO what was understood IS re-.
islcn, that notices OF religious services could not
be proc lred without paying for them. We nave
present with us in this congregation the son Of
the proprietor and editor OF Q daily paper who
was the nrst proprietor cf a newspaper
TO allow column TO appear In the
SATURDAYS issue Of the publication OF religious
news. The column was hired at so much year.
and the news was provided tor that column for
publication. Tho proprietor, however, found that
his readers desired 1t SO much that the second
year the claim for compensation was rescnded
and the column appeared every Saturday without
any trouble to the friends OF religion. From this
small beginning reports Of the anniversaries OF
religious societies came to be regarded as news.
The services of the sanctuaries hed on the pre-
yious day are now sketohed as matter of news In
the Monday morning journals. This is an enter
prise for which the community ought to be CRATE.
fuI, and Ii certain and cffectual answer to the
current impression that religion In our times is
dying out. There has never been In history Pc
riod when more time and thought were gwen to
this subject than there have been to-day. Our
GREAT DAILY JOURNALS
would not continue to give the space they do to
religious questions il It did not meet the wants
and demands oil their readers In doing SO they
s, S ne USre Sa
u the country. Eut in doing thts there are GER
tain liabilities which ought TO be guarded against.
Tho Ofico OF reporter Is most responsible One
many OF It's duties involve the performance Of
work that involves him in relations of great difn-
preached sermon OF cririca character. and in
which there has been endeayored to be put forth
and and" nnds on Monday morning there IS singulariy
aeryed up an extraordinary maze Of opinion, and
fnds ones self the supposed father. alas! Of
sS sonaiiy, as i It the reporter mad gwen way
to mis- fancy AM his own adaptation. Il
thing TO report sermon IN TINS sketchy way, and
the dit'icultles are greatly increase ia proper.
crlminated upon and which are adjusted to the
demands thai go TO the constitution Of q sermon.
Not only are there these dlfticutieS In the re.
porting, FOR a reporter to acquire this skill
A CERTAIN KIND or GENIUS
is required but the difficulties are intensified
made sacn yay either
considerable discussion. But reporter
Gsra Gnns to "'i nis report ~nisn probably
great many OF you are not able 20 appreciate He
ana those os, nstrncsonD may bc t. furnish coumn
or half column but the exigencies OF news and
tine thousand things that occur at night IN news.
paper ONCE require that sermon shall be cut
down something. II Is imperative that something
must be cut down. There Is not the reporter at
mons arc cut. There Is piece cut out Of the
middle, then piece at the top and good piece
S %ae% a = sS ss
the man who reported II nOrthe man who preaohed
It. Now, IL Is not mechanical space that one lays
out in toe plan or q sermon, and sermon without
. close and an end is worse than pird when It Is
iaS asslus SSalss naasnss snrcasnoUs order 'd 70
DO this there must be a certain
S ss sss Of mSs s asspsa %
tine early part OF It there Is licensed tone as
sumed, IN o der that At the close you may come 10
viii viii nnd That the firss part or its reported and
that the last part has been lott out, because OF
have arisen, and dinicuIties mainly Of a mechanl-
cal kind tnat have arisen IN the oiicc. without,
some gentlemen 20 to wcfk ana make this report
the groundwork OF letter to tho minister, and
ass him no did really say 50 and So III, am It.
SsIleve t1at there I. q ,,.ggrsa. great deal 81 q
Mhos cay World. snst d my W Sermons, and ihe sermons
Tnce am no.
sIble Tor any thing In the way OF sermons by me
that appear In newspapers, ! appreciate
VINO report my sermons for the newspapers, and
there Is large and lasting behent derived TO the
Sermons or y ysnicn viii hold myself @ responsoo
are those printed In pamphlet form y is un.
avoidable That these cannot appear untl about
two seexs alter the deliverE, Tue aermnn which