The New York herald., 1877-11-02
EPISCOPAL CONGRESS.

ET1OSOThL SOSNdIAGoo
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED AT Yesterdays SESSION
ADDRESSES BIZ BISHOPS LAY, CLARK, AND
OTHERS
Delegates TO the Episcopal Church Congress wcro
somewhat late In assembling at Chckering Hall yes.
terday morning to open tho third days proceedings
It being All sants' bay they had attended services al
Trinity Chapel aud Grace Church. When tho session
was opened DR.. wides, the secretary, spoke OF ths
DEATH the previous Congress, of Rev. Charles
Porter, OF Racine, and Of General William +. Barlett
eulogzing briefly. Rev. DR.. Newton euogized tn,
late Dr. Andrews, OF Virginia. The influence Of thu
pulpit upon modern thought and life formed the sub
ect OF the discussions at the morning session. Bshou
Henry G. Lay, OF Easton; Bishop Thomas NJ. Clark,
Of Rhode Island; Rev. Mr. Courtenay, OF St Thomas
Church OF this city; Rev. Noah II. schenck, OF 81
Aun's, Brooklyn, and Rev. j. G. Armstrong Of Wheel.
Ing W. Va taking part In the evening, 'Chrislian.
,ty and Popular Amusemenss'' furnished theme 70,
thoughtful addresses.
BISHOP LAYS ESSAY.
The topic for the morning session was ssThe Infu
ence OF the Pulpit Upon Modern Thought and Life.n
Bishop Henry G. Lay. Of Easton, was introduced as
the first speaker He paid honor to tho eloquent d.
vines who address themselves to cultivated minds
but there was multitude which not
touched by them. The of the average
congregation made up OF workingmen,
women and young people; ana they oiicn
found the preacher talking over their heads. intent
only upon reaching the tall poppies Of the field. 1t
sometimes happened that the young preacher lost the
sympathy OF his congregation by ambitious attempts
to discuss subtle questions above their comprehension
Such one would discourse Of the Darwnian theoryN
congregation which never heard OF protoplasm, ano
preach on Christmas Day OF tho philosophy OF tho
Incarnation. Persons OF fair intelligence had
assured tho speaker that they always became
confused when he began to talk about tho
subjective and the objective The Bishop spoke OF
the need OF fresh supplies OF books to country clergy
men, that they mignt keep abreast of the age and he
advocated the necessity for good fresh sermons In
villages and small towns because the people were not
capable OF abstract reasoning and read but little,
clcrgymen should not think any sermon written late
Saturday night was good enough for them. The
speaker concluded with practical advice with
spect the preparation of sermons and deprecatna
the habit OF cxtemporaneous preaching.
vIRwS BISHOP
Bishop Clark, OF Rhode Island, the second o.
sayst Many man was poor preacher, ne said,
because ho had poor listeners Tho average ntelli-
gsnss Of had Of
tions oil dogmas which served to satisfy the religious
heart century ago would not meet the requirements
the times ne must speak directly to the times
as the Fathers ard the apostles did. Thcro were
things which of necessity the world outgrows they
might be Timely in one age and very superfuous in
another Occasionally preacher was seen trying to
galvanize into ie the corpse of dead issues about
which nobody nowadays cares Jot II the pulpit
would take up boldly and vigorously such great
truths tho Saviour would be sure to preach
If Ho were earlh-truths which bear upon
the welfare OF living men-thcir welfare here
well as hereafter, there would be no moro mourning
over empty pews The people had right to expect
that the man who stands up in tho pulpit to teach
them should 40 as some little thinking n,mse H. was
easy to write such as would take hold upon the
keen, inquiring, speculative spirit OF the age
nat IA md
thinker-not many could be-but wnen
he undertook to deal with tho scientific questions OF
the day he should know what he was talking about
Unfortunately many did not do So ana their defence
was much moro injurious than direct attack. (Ap-
a manly style Of preaching as distinguished from
soft sentlmentalism and gentle views" One Of
had ever listened was from the text, ''Noth.
ing But Leaves" The text was vindicated by tna
said the Bishop sand separate the wheat from ,ha
chan and then let the strong winds OF heaven blow
away the hasss thus shall you be able to make men
be preeminently necessary II the Church would ndu-
the thought and the life OF the age--iarness in
combating them. This earnest age.
and sceptics talked of sacred subjects with
earnestness very different from the hippancy Of
their brethren OF century ago. All that tho pulpit
needed y convert them was the deep, all pervadng,
all con trolling which came of profound,
intelligent conviction OF the truth OF what II preached
CoURTENAY's ADDRESS.
Rev. Mr.. Courtenay OF ST. Thomas Church, this
city, followed in onnand address, He anayzed
and defined the phrase "modern thought" and en-
phaszed the necessity OF every preacher
with the latest theories OF scientific sceptcs. When,
the preacher said he has the fear OF God before his
eyes. the love OF the souls OF the people in his heart
and holds 1t privilege to serve Christ and the high.
est privilege to be OF His minstcring servants and
the oascst meanness to think about the service oi
selthcn tho people viii hear the pulpit and tho vei
AppREss OF REV. NOAH H. scnExcK
Rev. Noah IL. Schenck, Of ST. AIMS, Brooklyn, said
the power Of the pulpit makes itself felt first upon the
thought, indirectly through the heart; and then upon
the liie indirectly through tho thought Moses com.
ing dewn from Mount Sinai into the midst of the peo-
pie, ST. John coming TO preach repentance, Peter the
Hermit preaching the Crusades and Luther preaching
the power of the preacher whom exerted directly upon
the life of the people. The pulpit bad EXERCISED as
great power the press upon the public, and had
made It's influence more widely elt in the intellectual
world IL had fallen to this particular age TO have the
most fragrant nagoniss OF the pulpit that had ever
been known, and tho tmo mad como Tor tho pulpit
to declare against these antagonists. When the
politician who hestates not at the boldest
tions oi inhdelitv still welcomed to Christian
homes and is scarcely denied any platiorm; when
OF the people will give their votes TO disreputable
candidates rather than have their party defeated;
when we see wickedness in high places in Washing
ton 90 unrebukod by the world and those
who are the criminals are welcomed 10 homes
and the heartnstones as II thoy had not dched God,
though thcy had not traversed every dgnited
dtion OF civilization. though they had not scoed
AT every important element of our society and civil
zaton DR.. Scnenck would have the stretch
ITS arms in every direction and take direct personal
hold upon the world.
fsoV. - IL ATnstronR sAiu Iuas " TIE pulpU Wlsueu
to influence upon tho thought OF tho time It
must place itself the centre oil that thought. The
pulpit assumed too much advance when II declared
that all the thought OF such Spencer and Tyn
daIl to be In opposition to ITSELF In far these
men endeavored TO elevate humanity, the Church
should say 10 them, "God speed."
Al the evening session OF the Church Congress
Chickerng Hail was 1od to overlooking, the subject,
''Chr,stianty and Popular Amusements," being ono
OF the most interesting discussed at this year meet
ing. The speakers were:-Rev. W. W. Newton, Of
Boston; Rev. John Vaughan Lewis, ID. D.,
OF Washington; Rev. 7. G. Addison, u. D.,
OF Washinglon Professor CowlinG Of the Univer
sity oil LOUISVILLE Kentucky, aud Mr. Skpwth
Wilmer OF BALTIMORE. Mr. Newton read a long and
able paper which was received with enthusiasm. He
tabuated the arguments Tor and against the theatre
and said that while loving the theatre, he
never visited It lie expressed anxiety for its
reform. DR.. Lewis thought that the relations
between popular Christianity and some forms OF
amusement werr close to make the difference
scarcely dIstng guisnablc. Dr. Addison made bitter
of hut,b hat