The Worthington advance., 1879-01-30
TALMAGE'S DEFENSE.
The BROOKLYN Preacher Delights His Hear
ers With aa aAntobi0graphical Sermon.

The BROOKLYN Preacher Delights His Hear
ers With an A"tobiographical Sermon.
New York Special, Jan. H.
1t was Mr.. Talmage's avowed intention
today to reply to some of the recent criti-
cisms that have been made upon his minis
try. Nothing further was needed to fill the
Tabernacle. The text was in the gospel of
St. Mark, and read briefly: t'To every man
his work. s'You may know" said Mr.. Tai
mage. "that this is q sort of double ami
versary. 1t is just ten years since began
my ministry here in Brooklyn, and was
also, last Wednesday, ~ years old. You will
not wonder, therefore, if this sermon is of
an autobiographical nature. l started life
in Christian household where prayers were
always said morning and evening. But six
of us are in heaven. started for
THE LEGAL PROFESSION,
with an admiration that has never cooled.
To this day I cannot walk by court house,
or listen to plea to a jury without feeling
my blood stir with enthusiasm. But God
converted my soul and put me into the min
istry. And what work it is thank God
every DAY for associating me with this ele-
vated, cultivated, noble band, the Christian
ministers of America. I know personally
about five thousand of them, and that they
are as near perfect as it is possible for hu-
man nature to be. am proud to be in the
list, even if I am at the foot of it, MIR.
Talmage paused, and the audience applaud
ed. Il will not deny" he continued, "that
tered the ministry to apply a religion six
thousand years old to the present day.
want always to preach the Edenc religion
that bruises the serpent's head. never can
see
THAT OLD SERPENT
without throwing something at him. hate
him. have been tramping on him in the
course of sermons recently preached, and
every time have trod he has hissed. But
up to this time I have used only one foot.
I'm going to begin now to use two. God
helping me, declare war of twenty five
years with sin and the devil. Between here
and my bed in Greenwood there shall not
be an inch of retreat or of compromise.
When I am dead I ask not for marble slab,
for a church draped in mourning, or funer-
al Grafton. A plain box will be enough, so
only that the elders will stand here on this
platform and say
HE NEVER COMPROMISED
Then let Brother Pearson, if he is living
| lMt. loimaee was now speaking IN a voice
husky with emotion) pronounce the benedic-
ton and let the people go home." 1t took
time for both the congregation and their
pastor to recover from the emotion these
words had awakened, and there was bright
6utter of cambria handkerchiefs in all parts
of the house. He continued, at length; ~
do not deny that my course has been criti-
cised by my brethren of the ministry. Al
many installations of young ministers this
church and am pointed to as
TERRIBLE EXAMPLES.
am told that often when clergymen ovel
the river desire to arouse their sleepy congre.
cations, most effectual method is found in
pointing q thumb over to this direction, with
avord Of abuse for Talmage. The thret
complimentary terms that are most com
monty applied are, believe, mountebank
sensationalisism, and buffoonery. I thinl