The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-02-26
THE COLUMBIAN, VOL TX, NO.
COLUMBIA DEMOCRAT, VOL NL, NO.2


for sermons, soprevalcut in these latter days
We doubt whether there ever was time in
the history of the Christian Church when It's
ministers were placed in so awkward, diff
cult, and unjust position as they are to-day.
Great, expensive cdifccs of worship are
built, for which the builders run heavily in
debt. That debt can only be handled, the in
tercst on it paid, and the principal reduced
by filing it with large a4d interested con
gregation. That congregation cannot be
collected and held without brilliant preach
ing. Brilliant preaching is scarce, because,
and only because, brilliant men are scarce,
and scarccr still the brilliant men who have
the gift of eloquence So soon, therefore, as
man shows that he cannot attract the
crowd, "down goes his house" lie may be
n scholar, a saint, a man whose example Is
the sweetest sermon that a human life ever
uttered, lovely friend, faithful pastor,
wise spiritual adviser, and even a sermoni2er
of rare attainments aud skill, but if he can
not draw a crowd by the attractive gifts Of
popular cloquence, he must be sacrificed to
the exigencics of finance. The church
must be filled, the interest on the debt must
be paid, and nothing can do this but man
who will draw" The whole thing is man
aged like a theatre. II an actor cannot draw
full houses, the rent cannot be paid. 50 the
actor is dismissed and new one Is called t.
take his place.
There is an old-iashoned idea that
church is built for the purposes of public
worship. 1t is not 4 bad idea; and chat eX-
hibition of Christianity which presents a
thousand lazy people sitting bolt upright in
their best clothes, gorging sugar-plums, is
not particularly brilliant one twas once
supposed that q Christian had something to
do, even as layman, and that u pastor was
leader and a director in Christian work
There certainly was Il time when the burden
of church was not laid cru3lingly upon
the shoulders Of its minister ana when
Christian men and women stool bg the man
who was true % his Office and ,rIa to them
We seem to have ou:Gyai 81, an thousand
American churches, particularly among the
great centres OF population, are groanng
over discontinue in the sad results. Instead
of paving their own debts like men, they lay
them on the backs of their noundering min
isters, and if he cannot lift them, they 90 hunt
ing for spinal columns that will, or tongues
that hold a charm for their dissipation. 1t
| is wrong and shame which ought to be
abolished just as soon as sensible men have
read thi. article.
Who was primarily in the blame for this
condition of things, we do not know; but
we suspect the ministers themselves ought
to bear a portion Of it. Beginning in New
England years ago, the sermon in America
has always been made too much Of The
great preachers, by going into their pulpits
Sunday after Sunday with their supreme in
tcl}cctual efforts, have created the demand
for such cIort. Metaphysics, didac,ics,
apolo-ctic-, arruyed in robes Of rhetoric, have
| held Aigh converse with them. The great
theological wrcstler5 have made the pulpit
thpirarena Of conflict. lIomilicS have grown
into sermons and sermons into oratious.
! Preachers have ask set aside the teach
er's simple for that Of the orator.
I
the wrong. With knowledge OF the human
mind which cannot but make them aware
that no more than single good sermon can
be digestcl by a congregation in Il day, and
that every added word goes to the glut Of
intellect and feeling. and the confusion OF
impressions, they still 90 on preaching twice
and thrice, and seem more ayorse than any
others to a change Of policy. 1t is an intoi-
lectual gormandHing, anl 10 activity,
and no rest reflection 1t is all
cram and no conhecton, and they seem just
as averse to stop craming as they did before
they apprchendcd and bcmoaned the power
ty of its results.
But we are consuming too much of their
time. The dragon, with it, muludinous
heads, and arms and feet, is to meet them
next Sunday with its mouths all open It
has done nothing all the week utsIecp, and
it i. getting hungry. Woe to him who has
not his tive big sermons ready! insatatC
monster will not one suffice?
No." says the dragon; "No," says his
keeper and feeder. Brains, paper, ink
lungs--hc wants all you can give, and yoJ
must give him all You can. The house mus
be filled, the debt must be paid, and yor
must be a popular preacher, or get out Of th'
way. Meantime, the dragon sleeps, am
meantime tha city IS badly ruled; drunken
ness dcbauchcs the people under the shio,C
of law, harlotry jo5tles our youth upon th'
sidewalks, obscene literature starcs on
daughters out of countonancc from the news
, stands, and little children, with no play
ground but the gutter, and 10 home but
glrrct, are growing up inignorance and vice
II this lazy, oyorlcd, loosely articulate
dragon could only be split up into actiy
r. men and women, who would shut thoi
y mouths and open thci; eyes and hands, W
/ could have something different Bu, th
, sermon is the great thing; the people thin
n So and tho preacher agrees with them. W
should like to know what the Master think
n about it.-ScriLHcr.