The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-04-25
HE PREACHERS AND SECULAR
Newspapers.

StIalSEI-OuJ republican DdpLlsI pIeACu-
ers the other day in New York. They
discussed the influence and worth oil
the secular press as an agency to be EN-.
ployed in diffusing Christian theories,
opinions and correct apprehensions Of
Christian duty. One Rev. Macarthur,
who evidently knew what he was talk
ing about, intimated that if st. Paul
had encountered good daily, printing
q Sunday edition in Damascus, he
would have furnished it every Monday
morning with synopsis OF his Sun
day sermon. We are not authorized
to speak for st. Paul, but know that
he must feel tiattered by this just con-
cession to his good sense. The press
can't help it, but it does rob pulpit
and other orators of their audiences.
People accustomed to read daily pa
pers rely upon them for speeches and
sermons and disquisitlons upon public
and private morals. Therefore Mr..
Macarthur said that
'SThe press robs the orator of the
ability to give information. 1t is
nc ed "HAs AefsgAaR 5 IF sRs WHO %Ro
what religious paper they read, gave
the names Of three different New York
dailies. The secular press is robbing
che raliu,Ora ryaaLl;as an1 o,.-ko-Go,
of their power by doing the work they
used to do exclusively. 1t is good
thing to get sermens reported in the
daily papers. Right alongside of a
column of error there ought to be a
column of truth. Preachers ought to
say something the people want to hear
and read. If men are saying things
worth reading the newspapers will be
glad to report them. If they some
times carry wrong it is no reason why
right should refuse to get on and ride.
He would like right to get on and
throw error into the gutter. The daily
press by the truth it publishes can do
more good in one week than the tract
societies can in year. 1t might be
worth while to pay for the insertion of
UNCONVENTIONAL articles in secular pa
pers."
There was Northern preacher OF
the two dozen present who sees the
world as 1t is, and not through the
medium of perverted preiudices. He
asserted the simple truth when he said
that a sermon ''heartily approved by
an audience became wondrous thin
when it appeared in print" People
sometimes complain that an editorial is
devoid of freshness and force, that it
lacks vigor and originality, and yet.
these same persons will not sleep
through sermon and will manage to
keep one or the other eye open during
It's delivery when, if forced to read this
same discourse in print, they would
die of exhaustion. The preacher has
great advantage of an editor, and to
the very extent that he is an actor. 1t
often happens in fact that action is
pulpit eloquence, and then the sermon
imprint is thinner than the ''poet cor
ner" of q patent outside" Wherefore
We have thought that the vlgor of pull
pis thinking, the reduction of the
number of words and multiplication
of ideas would be greatly promoted if
each preacher knew that his homils
would appear in print, and it occurs to
rs that no congregation could devise
better plan of compelling preachers to
"spread themselves" than by resorting
- the enforced publication of each
Sundays sermon. We know, too, the
disposition of the newspaper fraterni.
~. They are eminently pious and
much inclined to do good, and We
feel authorized to say that they would
insert an occasional sermon at half the
ordinary rates. There was one Rev.
Guirey, of New York, who said he
Favored using the secular press Just
IS be favored using poison. He does
not, We imagine, include "tanglefoot''
in the category Ct s'poisonsn. News
paper sdvertising be believed was
snare Of the devil No matter how
well man might prepare digest Of
sermon. reporter, the reverend gen
tlemsn insisted, would spoll it for the
very deviltry Of it. Rev. r. B. Hall.
Of the Tabernacle Baptist Church, said
the newspapers are not poison. Peo-
ple want news. He had sat up an
hour later on Saturday night because
= newspaper reporter Was to be present
in his church on Sunday. Rev. Dr..
Knapp said papers, whether secular or
are published 70 make money.
He kelieved in pastors giving reports
Of sermons, clear digesls, to the report
eFs.
We venture TO say that no nan
whose ideas are as clearly cut as those
Of Dr.. Knapp was ever caught nap
ping, il or out Of the pulpit. Prima-
rly newspaper men would have their
publications read. They would sell
he s-reefesk number Dossihle. Thex /