New-York tribune., 1875-03-09
MAIN SOURCES OF PULPIT POWER.

THE PULPIT UNDERRATED By THE LITERARY CLASS
CULTURE AND CHARACTER GREAT AIDs-FAITH
IN TIE ASSISTANCE OF TIE HOLY GHOST ESSEN
TIAL.
lFRoM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEl
NEw-HAvEy. March G-Dr. John Hall delivered
his tenth aud closing Lyman Beecher lecture, on
Preaching" before the Yale Divinity School, at
D. m yesterday, in Marquand Chapel Questions
put TO him, however, have been presented in writ
ing and he will meet the students or Thursday Of
next week, to answer them The subject of yester-
DAYS lecture was Tho Main Sources of Power on
which the Preacher may Confidently Rely"
1t was fashionable describe the pulpit of the present
as efete. The magazines and newspapers were full OF
it, That the literary class should take such view
natural FIRST because the pulpit was shop across
the street, anI secondly because its themes had little
N common with many OF the literary mans themes, and
lacked the fcryors OF political and other struggles
Then there the general tendency TO underate the
excellence OF what present as Ia the case OF ora
tory. The memory OF Demosthenes and Cicero lived
simply because exceptions, and 1t was so OF
all orators To-day could more than count on bis
fingers the orators Of a national reputation in the
United States. But this decrying OF the pulpit, what
ever its cause, unjust. There never IA greater
pulpit tnan that today The student in espOuslng
was wedding 10 lost The speaker regarded the
late National Congregational Council at NewHaven "a
peer to that Laodcea tie Conference OF the Evan
Jonathan Edwards to AtbanaSoras: Dean Afford to
Tertulian Dr. Hodge, of Princeton, to Jerome Moses
Stuart, Of Andover, 10 Clement, OF Alexandria
Among the sources OF power which the preacher
might properly rely was, first and subOrdiDaCly his
official station a minister Of Chnst H. indeed. that
was all BIS reliance 1t would be reliance. Doubtless
airs had been taken this direction which had made
the persons assuming them ridiculous and these, carl
catured. had led to u contempt Of the position
position. But this all false doctor be tier
for his pOma and officer for his commission though
neither OF themselves, were worth moro than much
parchment TIC grounds for this position were FIRST
the practice Of the Apostles who, at tho beginning aud
end OF their opses aud al through them referred to
their Office Gs a ground OF Influence. They spoke Of
those having rule over" their readers, Of t0ose set
over them il tho Lord" aid this without undue PRIDE
arrogance they all the while ready make
tents beg for the GOSPEL encounter perils by and
land. undergo even imprisonment AMI death. The
eecOnd crOald the very form Of church he Coun-
cils, synod examinations, licenses ordinations. in
volyed force OF Official position. Oae should have
exalted OF tne responsibility Of the Office and
De muist at all times in strength or character and
unselshness Of life. Ministers should linked together
closely as profession, loving another helping
another, sympatGzing with one another. TIe mean
competitions OF ministerial life and labor should be
spurned. Hooker not called "judiciOus" " for skill
in those directions. There such brotherhood In
other professions, as In law aud medicine and 1t
safe 10 say that preacher cond 10 LIS best who
was estranged from the body OF his profession.
second source OF power was ones education. That
was power everywhere 1t involved power to please,
20 open I'D subject 10 clear away extraneous matter
10 illustrate 20 make truth integibe 20 the hcarer
solve dicuues, remove objections and to put truth
its corelatons. Then the preacher came before his
hearers specially prepared. He brought divine iruh lie
had prayerfuy selected the theme he had c0nscien-
tiously prepared his thought His hearers might kaow
more on many subjects. but not more on tne TOPIC IN
hand. Ii also 20 be borne in mind In the pulpit.
first. that the best and wsest men were the most at.
tentive and Charitable hearers and, secondly, that
what one brought was Coos, and that fear con
cernnR its reception simply pride as 10 how II
gould be received whereas, IL Of no account what