The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-11-02
PREACHERS ON PREACHING.
THE PrLPIT's INFLUENCE UPON MOD
ERN moran AND LIFE
sugaestiyc Talk by bishops Lay and Clark,
the Rev. Mr.. Courtney. and Dr. schenck -
Newton on the hurch aud the Theatre.

The attendance of women at the Episcopal |
Church Congress in Chickcrng Hall has stcadi-
ly increased since the first session, On Tu"s- |
day morning they occupied the gallery only;
yesterday morning they filled the gallery and
more than half Of the seats on the floor. Bishop
Potter opened the Congress at l0is o'clock. He
explained the half hours delay by saying that
tho members had been detained at the All
Saints day services. Tho topic OF the session
was: The Influence OF the Pulpit ON Modern
Thought and Life"
DR.. Henry c. Lay. Bishop Of Easton. plain
spoken. kindly hammered man. said that the
average sermon was too ambitious he would
not say prctcntious. Those who hungcrcd most
for spiritual food and throngcd to the church
for it were the women. Yet The sermon was too
often written for the few lawyers and other pro-
fcssional men in the congregation. Great good
would be accomplished II the Bishop were every
year To give SlO worth 81 books 60 each Of his
parsons whose salary is less than 81 900. Too
many sermons were preached. but the main
| trouble was the intellectual lazincss OF the
| preachers He urged great simplicity of style.
| accompanied with religious iyryor When
young preacher told him that ho had succeeded
admirably ~ m ofl-hand speaker. he gave over
| all hopes for him. AT least one sermon a week
| should be- carefully written out.
Bishop Clark of Rhode Island. broad faced
bcardlcss man. whom a tonsure would convert
! into monk. and the absence VI his high vest
| into u Methodist elder. thought that the other
methods of reaching the people ton the pre-
vious evening Bishop Clark had defended the
press against the sharp attack Of Bishop Dud-
ley Of kentucky. which had come into use in
modern times had not lesscncd the influence OF
tho clcrgv. These very methods had brought to
tho clergy a vast inrrcasc Of information The
10 III.
satisfied the people fifty years ago had given
place to more solidly cdifying sermons. Some
| cicrgymrn, however, tried To extract spiritual
| m"aning~ from names and dntr some To- show
that Napoleon and III" Russian war had been
| pr"phrsiri. some warned people against
umu~rlnrni- instead Ot trying torlpNHt" nmusc-
! mrLfS. which IN" p'ol'l" would have anyway let
the clergyman Illuminate as i" might IL was
| necessary To- know the KIND Of artillery the
enemy was using. Fairness IN the statement OF
~" other side position was essential; certain
styles ol drcn'g.. were worse than the glia.N.
Next. the Rev. +. Courtney. Assistant Minis
| ter oi St. Thomas church. was called on II"
SAID there wrrc two sources of modern thought.
| the Bible and what tn" creek called the CO.'S
mos. Bishop Lay smilcd.l Evolution WAS the
| explanation ~ the how Of IN" cosmos. and n
belief in evolution did not necessarily moan
uubrlief in God The modern world to which
the modern preacher addressed himself was n
luNurious. plrasure-tak king. travelling. money
worshipping world TO pr"arh To i .itr'uNrly;
the preacher must nrst wholly rid himself oi
The rev Dr Noah Hunt schenck Of Brook
| lNi ~bli liltil th' lhAlN ~ tthih
| had exercised more political power thnn the
press. He alluded in severe terms TO Bob In
gersoll and John Morrissey.
4 larger audience assembled last evening
| than had previously attended. Not only was
packcd 6u, il', The people went on the stag and
occupied all the seats belonging to absent dele
The Rev. W. W Newton OF Boston malc
an address on the theatres. lie said thnt
he spoke the s~ltiments oi many CHRIS,
tan hearts when ne said that he loved
To- 20 t. tho theatre. hut never went
On the one hand. W. know that the dramn is
implanted IN our human instincts, and II IS
To leny the power and the meaning Of th"se
INSTINCTS On the other hand. We know n"
spirit and meaning 81 the Christian church. 1t
| exists 20 train and educate redeemed human
raiure. and We know M the outset that IL must
aticmpt no compromise with that world from
whose sin Christ came to rescue men. on
the side Of the Church it may b.
said that the theatre is "A place Of
peculiar temptations. as II ministers so per-
ceptibly 10 human natures sionat"n"ss. and
Venge. and lust. 1t las failed -picuouSly 10
create or 10 preserve morality among It's at
,@nl"9E1- SnS H.. d@ r@f n5t 5 "f' the or ragndas
arr. exceptions - the long line of thr iallrn.
, ronspicupu-y To- the hnunls n thr drnhiug
snlO1n. and t. ik' house whose door lead, tn
down 70 hen. On The side Of the drama II may
hc said, tho speaker continued, that the ORA
matte instinct IS implanted universally in
human nniurc; that II begins with the plays q
childhood IN tn" nursery. where mlrirry and
, Imagination furnish the necessary elements
lor the assumption Of character and scenery;
The dramatic instinct is closely allied
Ii is said that many "A dissipated and fconioG-
at,nr.uti -. who suw Ross lllny Gcoige Haiypr.I
wes turned from hi Evil course by the terrible
force Of thr r.. .ros"ntation. So with the devil.
i-hnrss " Idgo OF the remorse Of Mdcbeh and
. Rn'hdrd Ill.,. or IA" crOwnlng consciousness oi
, conscience in U11nic. These are some Of the
possibilities of ths stage MS il may become
Al Whose door does the blame lie that the stage
II corrupt II l. said IT + ne church 5 fnult
To this the answer j.. - Ii il is. ia" Church
ought either to be- willing to attempt "A reform
or In forbid dramatic Hmusemcnis altogether
Christian citiNns ought 10 So d"Wn INTO th'
, worli ~ ami,Semsht anu Try ana MAKE pEIcr
md hritrr The key note of IN" REFORMS - To-
: day i- found In the ono word. discrimination
/ can Nr not diS'rm.n nate III the matter of th'
. drama We want t. give t. our Joylrs-, dyS-
r p"ltle American masses anusomcnt> thni nr,
> profitable. rerrcutions that nro innocent, SAtur-
I | duynl.rnnou7 and state holduys which vii
e lead upward toward Cod instead OF downward
. hound after round Of applause was given Mr.
Newton at IA" ri97Hol ~ sproeh, n4i gray
of tn ruihu-nsn of the Hs~"nlngr.
The Rev, DR., John Vaughn Lewis Of Washing
. ton said when ehur'hc, sort % Lotteries an,
cirfu-rr, and enter horses in the races. Let th'
n church and the world g"t married nt once nm,
Il girl II she loves her footinan 10 marry him out
= right ihan 70 trcat him Qs iooman in public
ana have all sorts Of iond dnlllance in private.
j. The l,cy. DIR. T. q. Addison of Washington
Il opposed theatre and almost all other amuse
a mrnlS, hut dancing ne specially ahhOrrcd. Ill
: snid: what ~ the fashionable or society dnnc,
Il of to-day2 Why. n woman improperly dressed
- pressing against the person Of her partno
5 while whrling about room. The staid ole
- dances OF our fathers have all gone out Of date
/. Tho square dance cannot he kept square,
Il will be rounded on by "A waltz Preach as W
: may. the old style IL sure To fall into the arm
d and pressed NJ to the breast 81 the german.
i Hrhopod that Inc Protestant Episcopal Churcl
Il would soon prohibit dancing by its mrmhors;,
> Prof Cuwl.ng of the University If LOUSY ille
s Ky. deprecated the Wholesale dcnun'iation o
NJ dancing and the theatres. Dancing. he said
n was ns natural to the young as II was for lamb
J. to skip on the hills immortality. H." thought
l. was not confined 10 actors and actresses. II
f. remembered hearing Of one or two scandal
y with which thoy were not connected and anon
r tho insurance men and those who dnlly plQye
= on the lra;i2Hd green table in Wall strrct ther
1t ", r. mon who rtnhrd high IN 50 'icty VINO wer
- every whit IA Ind nS tho pluyrTN.