The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-08-07
THE ALPHABETICALLY COUN



Cincinnati CONNIE rcial.
EDINBURGH, July l4.-Dr Crosby Of
New York moved the Council greatly
by paper on "Preaching," IN which he
levelled all the shafts Of his brilliant
sarcasm against preachers who aspire &c
be ssvsnts; linguists, and 30 forth, and
rebuked the learning "of this wsrld,
nsing, observed both Greek and
Latin quotation to do so, without trans.
lsting them. DR.. Crosby proclaimed
that preacher was sure to fail who sub
stituled culture for Christ, or who con
sented 10 meet lnfdelity on intellectus
grounds. At best he enters on endless
argument, and he is apt to get worsted
the infidel knowing more of such subjects
than he does. "No." said this Universe
ty Chancellor, 1.-The Bible is Gods 1t.
tack on the heart, and the minister loses
all his advantage when he consents tC
have the battle field against infdelity
shifted TO the intellect" A Scotch pro-
fessor who tried to mitigate this state
ment just little bit was bissed; but none
the less is there written in this same
Bible that the disciple must be slways
ready 10 give reason for the faith that
is IN him. II people will build church
on dogma, then must that dogma De
maintained by argument. One OF the
speakers coRtending for dogma said
Nv hat is Christ on the Cross without
dogma2 a man dying along with other
men accused OF crime" But If dogms
is to make Christ crucified more than that
it must be BY proving him more by tact
and argument convincing to reason. DIR.
Crosby may, by his unquestionable clio,
queace, induce young ministers to follow
the often convenient but somewhat lndC-
lent plan of eysding all intellectual
doubts and arguments; but ne and
they will find their fishes, when drawn
up, OF the very small and eyeless variety
1t is very certain that these 300 men,
who continue one Of the most powerful
assemblies ever gathered, have not train.
ed their strength in that way. The
elaborate confessions, the complex meta
physics of Presbyterian theology, involve
an amount of philosophical investiga-
ton and study which would all be vast
ed by the vulgar "don 't-srgue- but-pray-
lor.them' theory, and such accomplish
meuts we're never more finely displayed
than in these debates. II it were not un-
fair to estimate denomination by its
picked men from all parts OF the world
800 selected out of 20,000,0OO-one
might say that the Presbyterian minis
try would rank any other. IL has been
strange enjoyment to sit from day to
day. and from evening to evening, and
listen to the affluent eloquence, the ready
wit, the charming anecdotes playing
amid these sombre oaken wsinscots. The
orstory is sill the finer because 1t is SIM
pie, and comes out of the hearts of earn
est men. Wherever the hypocrltes are
they are not here. These men have q
conception of the universe which fills
me with wonder; and | believe
their faith and learning together would
move the world, were the world built
their way.
There are divers opinions as to the
country which merits the palm TOR elo-
ouence. 1t is easy 10 see that the sud-
rage would go In favor of America. The
popular denght, the ecstacy, almost.
with which the American preachers are
welcomed and spplauded, Is something
memorable. Whenever DR.. Stuart
Robinson rises you can hear pin fall {;
then presently there is such an ebullitlon
of applause or such rosr sf laughter
that you can hardly hear what the speak
er says. DR.. Crosby said IN his essay
that preaching is a very solemn business,
and his words grew almost to invective
when he alluded to preachers who make
mirth in the pulpit, turning their church
es into Sunday theatres.
| don't know whether his friend, DR..
Stuart Robinson OF Louisville breaches
the same way ths: he speaks; II he does,
Crosby should see after him, for though
he is at times highly poetical-even
thrilling-he is At other times droll and
grotesQue, as when he said "Moses didn't
90 to Pharaoh on his own hook, he went
and took the Presbytery with him." But
whether humorous or impressive, DIR.
Robinson is uniformly one thing a
Presbyterian. One OF the Edinburgh
papers speaks OF him as 1.-The truest OF
true blues
DR.. Hall, DR.. Adams, DR.. Paxton OF
New York, sll have their admirers, VINO
pronounce them the most eloquent men
living. But the professors and preach.
ers, whether American or Scotch, are
rather inclined, think, to admire the
passionate eIoquence OF the best Cont
mental preachers, especially the French.
And of these the man who has made the
finest impression is DR. Godet Of Neu
chstel, long known tor mis- commentaries
on st. Luke and St. John Godet hs'
made one speech in his own language
French-which could hardly be surpassed
for beauty and psthos. The dream OF
his lie seems TO be to pursusde 81 the
Presbyterian bodies to gather about one
single article of fsith-the divinity OF
Christ And no doubt if they could all
hear him on his theme, and hear him
often enough, they would surrender.