The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-22

Having marked now a cardina! FdlHel
ence between religious and political elc
duence, letus pass to the second inquiry
whether the pulpit should not study Z
4 the people? UnqueStionably this should
be one of the greatest subjects OF stud.
and anxiety with him who speaks as ii
4 the name OF God. &c has been absolutel.
maintained by some clergymen that NJ
effort should be made by the servant o
IGod to make his discourse attractive Il
the public, for they say the s'cross" is ;
stumbling block to the wicked, that al
the sinner deserves is some plain outline
of the plan of salvation; that if he canno
be charmed by such a presentation OF thu
truth that only shows that he was pre-
ordained to stumble over the cross int
hopeless ruin. And even where thil
bold avowal of dizziness has no
been made there has been and is {
more general feeling that what the
preacher is called upon to do is simply tc
place before men "Christ' or "life' and
death" and then leave the matter with 8
just God. Against all such theory and
practice we must oppose the more ub
Yious doctrine that God has made no de-
partment OF human labor where the toilel
must not struggle continually to bring IL
the utmost perfection his own calling OF
art 1t is natural law, and that means a
law of God, that each laborer, from the
,humblest farmer up to the poet or ha
painter, must attemptall the time to perfect
his small or great art. For minister OF
religion to affirm that man needs only the
perpetual repetition of few texts is ex-
actly as though the painter should say 81
will follow the drawings and colors of
Egypt, and if you do not know whether
my picture is man or woman, a
king or a slave, that's your sin and stupid
ity and not my concern. Painting was
designed to be stumbling-block for the
stupid just as the gospel was for the wick
ed" For the clergyman to neglect the
true progress of his calling would be as
though our Shakespeares and Macaulays
had determined to express the truth Just
as dictionary'or an encyclopedia would
state it, and set up the defense "that if
man really desires to know fact he 0an
find it, and if he does not find it, it is not
our business to embellish and arrange and
beautify things just for his stupid soul"
The truth is the Maker Of this world has
passed law that each toiler shall labor to
advance the method and details Of his
toll. II he plowed with crooked stick or
to make long journeys on foot
or to cross the sea in a little canoe, he
must daily inquire whether he has found
the best means of tilling the soil or of
crossing the ocean.
There is no harm in declaring that
is an art. 1t Is not indeed an
art in the sense of trick. Nor is it an
art in the sense of any deliberate study in
the ways and means of exciting laughter
and drawing tears. But it is an art in the
sense in which the goldsmith or the build
or or the architect or the poet possesses
m art. HORACE taught us that poetry is
m art. 1t is most careful combination
Of truth and imagination and sound. The
man who built st. Peters had made great
progress over the art which built the first
hut or which built the pyramids, and yet
there was no trick in these wildly different
styles. The preacher thus has in his care
an art, and like all other toilers he must
see to it that he gives his calling such a
study and such a love that as method of
placing truth before mankind it shall be-
come always better and better. Not only
must he not go backward, but he must not
even stand still. He must suffer himself
at least to be carried along by the change
of times. He need not be conscious of
having an art, but he must simply love
passing influences of his country.
So readily may such remark be dis
torted by some that l must insert def
mite illustration of my meaning. It will
be said "that the preacher must be man
who trims his sails TO catch the popular
breeze" To meet such defenders OF stag
nation VIC must illustrate. Once the poets
sang of war, being modified by the world
nround them. After long time had pass
ed we see Horace singing little lyrical
pieces and sings of literary criticism; and
Lucretius songs of philosophy, showing us
that more scholarly age had daWned.
In far later times we behold Dante and
Milton coming to the world with church
songs, and with marvellous imaginations
reared amid old miracles and legends.
Then we see Shakespeare coming with the
scenery OF monarchy, because that was the
largest spectacle Of his lifetime; and after
\ few more transformations We soc Cole
ridge and Byron and Tennyson appear in
the name OF the material world and social
life and individual sorrow and happiness
And yet no one will dare say that these
mighty souls were poor, weak men, at
to find popular favor. Oh no!
they were large souls that spoke not i'll n
dead language, nor IN dead thought, but
in living words for all who lived around
them. Thus must the preachers art be car
ried along by the moving world and must be
to-day and tomorrow what it never yet
has been.j He need not say or feel: Now
must use my art or play character.
Real art is not self-conscious. He must
simply feel SO kindly toward his own age,
and SO study it and york forlt, that it will
see to It that ne snail speak WORDS 10 ITS
delight and its good. Robert Burns did
from that OF Virgilor Milton" IIc simply
permitted tho new era to hand him sub
iects and manner and even poetic feet
the lawyer has changed
his manner of speech toward bench or
jury The literary men have all changed
their style since the days OF the Spectator,
and SO have all the array Of thinkprs and
writer's, and to this human throng the
clcrgymcn must join themselves that they
kind. Tho idea, therefore, that tho minis
try are commanded by inspiration to make
the preaching OF Christ foolishness and u
stubling block, or deep sleep to the wick
ell world, isan idea that would be laugh
ablc'had it not broughttO Christianity such
injury.
we have now spoken upon two ques-
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