Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-09-29
VOL. XIX. NEW SERIES. VOL. xxi.
Great London Preachers.

bEtat LouuuH
THEIR RELATIVE MERITs-MR. STURGEON CLRAT
AND PRACTICAL-DEAS STANLEY ORNATE
AND LIBERAL-CANNoN LIDDoN ELOQUENT
But CONSERVATIVE.
From an occasional correspondent of the Tribune.
LONDON, Aug. l2.-Having had excellent
opportunities for hearing the great preachers
OF London, | will give my impressions re-
garding them. 1t is strange that with the
rare advantages possessed by the established
church in its universities, the greatest and
most popular preacher in the city should be
a noncOniormist who has had no collegiate
training. Mr.. Spurgeon, to whom refer,
has been over 20 years in London. There
Is nothing in his manner that ordinarily
gives a preacher popularity. lie is not SEN
satlonal, and has few eccentricities. lie is
never coarse, vulgar, or proiane. There is
no trihlng or leyity in his discOurses. though
there is sometimes trenchant wit There is,
however, n careful and thorough exposition
OF the truths Of the Scriptures as he under
stands them. His sermons are constructed
SIMPLY, and clothed in the language of COM
mon, everyday life. They are lighted up
with brilliant metaphors, and. impressed
on the mind with strong illustrations drawn
from various sources, but mainly from the
Bible. The 1000 people who 20 to the
tabernacle every Sunday are held face TO face
with God. They are placed beneath his
law, and are pointed to the eternal Judgment
which awaits them. All this is not calcu-
lated ordinarily TO make the preacher pop
nlar- But, after all these year, Mr.. Spurgeon
has frmer hold upon the public than
ever 1t may well be asked how he succeed
ed IN maintaining and Strengthening it.
The answer Is near at hand. lie has been
most laborious student of everything con-
nected with the scriptures. He is thorough
ly IN earnest. No one questions his SIN
cerity. His life has been above all reproach,
Besides he has been gifted with great COM
mon sense and a marvellous voice. His Ia
bors are almost incredible. More than sixty
OF his sermons are published every year. and
they are OF such merit that they are eagerly
reprinted and read by the inhabitants of two
continents His lectures and preaching.
and the PASTORAL work among the students
IN his training college for preachers, are un-
surpassed. His exposition of the psalms of
David has grown already to four large vol
umes, and Is acknowledged to be the best
ever given TO the world, being read by all.
Rltualists, High and Low Churchmen, and
Dissenters
\ very different preacher is Dean Stanley
His sermons are as polished in their style as
are his lectures on theJ ewish or the Eastern
church. They are broad enough for the
most liberal. In the sermon which he
preached in Westminster Abbey, in con-
cluiing course delivered by various clergy
men, recently, from the text, Gather up the
fragments the Dean said they should
gather up the fragments" of truth contain
ed in hymns Ike one which he quoted from
Doddridge, and then lie followed the hymn
with glowing eulogy upon this great
nonconiurmist Of the last century" Cath
er up the fragments he said, again, "of
truth found in the Zenda Nesta, - and in the
scientific teachings of the time The Dean.
too, Is very popular, as might be Judged
from hundreds being unable to get admission
to the abbey on this occasion.
Canon LiddOn of st Paul'S is a preacher
Of different order. His style Of sermon
izing might be deemed almost faultless.
His style and form Of expression are unex-
cel.ed. Although his voice is not over strong.
no one Of the 5000 people who sat under
htAN EANHt ANlAC 4dSt s1uulhA afternoon need
have lost a word Of his discourse. Unlike
Dean Stanley, Canon Lidden leans toward
the Ritualists. This party is Just now Civ
Ing the establishment great deal Of trouble.
The Arches court is busy dealing with ac-
cusations Of Ritualism Whatever may be
their faults it must be admitted, however,
tnat the ldtualists set in some respects
good example. St. Adams church, which
has confessional, and a system resembling
that Of the Roman Catholic monasteries, is
in Baldwin's court, most wretchei place,
inhabited by the very lowest classes The
rector Of this church. who has been repeat
edly under discipline for his Ritualist prac-
tees, is doing more for the poor people Of
this district than all the other churches
therein. Perhaps after all he is not under
discipline by "the jadge OF all the earth, -"
who may look more to his work than how
he does 1t.