The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-13
TALMAGE'S CRITICS.
The Oracle of the Tabernacle Pauses
FOR Vindication.
But DECLARES HE Is NOT HURT
The Drowning Of His First Wife in the
SchuykiI River.

that which he delivered yesterday morning by far
the most sensational and startling 1t was a
in reply to his critics and In himself against
their frequent and not over-decate attacks. 1t
the only reply Mr.. Talmage has made and lie
himself announced that it was the only reply he
would make. 1t is to be continued, however,
on next Sunday in sermon entitled Sensational
ism VS.. stupidity" after which Mr. Talmage
will resume his interrupted series of sermons the
"Moral Condition Of the Country. Inferred from
the Condition of the Cities" Yesterdays sermon
began with account of the preachers early life,
his legal studies and his entrance into the ministry
He then dwet upon the criticisms to which he had
been subjected and the lies that have been told
about ministers OF all ages This part of the sermon
was exceedingly humorous, and the Tabernacle rang
again and again with laughter in spite of Mr. Tai
IMAGES request to the audience to keep quiet. Then
the preacher showed how his enemies had done
more for him than his friends by telling
such lies about him that they made every one
curious to hear what he had to say Then tina news
papers, to crafty this curiosity of their readers. be-
gan to publish his sermons and gave him wide
popularity. At the close Mr.. Talinage spoke of the
death of his first wife and the story that he had let
her drown in order to marry her sister He the
true version Of the drowning accident and then
threatened with the terrors of the law any who
should again repeat the libel. The text was taken
from Mark xiii. 34-"To every man his work"
This is q double anniversary, said Mr.. Talmage.
1t is nearly ten years since became the pastor of
your church. and, besides that last Wednesday. JAM
uary 7, l forty-seven years of age You will not
be surprised. therefore, that my sermon is
what photographed. 1 started life in old
fashioned Christian family. began to study for the
legal profession but God converted my soul and put
me into the ministry. am proud to have my name
on the roll Of ministers. 1t has been the chief
btion Of my ministry to apply a gospel six thou
sand years old to the present day. searched
in the Bible for the oldest religion could find and
found it the Garden of Eden, where the serpents
hoad promised brusing by the heel of Christ.
1 said, "That is the religion want to preach-the
Edenic religion that bruised the serpents head"
never see his head but throw something it, Every
time bruised him he Kissed. l have only trod on
him with one foot Before get through shall
tread on him with both feet Come now God help
ing me- declare of twenty Ave years against
iniauity and for Christ IL God will let me live so
long TO this conflict devote every muscle of my
body. every faculty OF my mind every passion OF my
soul,
THE DEAR CRITICS.
Ny style Of preaching and my work in general has
been sometimes severely criticised by some of my
clerical brethren. 1t has to be understood that
at installations or dedications shall be assailed
Sometimes when audiences get dull the pastor points
toward Brooklyn Tabernacle and says something
That will wake all the people up and they nudge
each other and say. That's Talmage." Gaughter.)
There are some ministers Who want me
to do just the way they. do, and as |
cant see my duty IN ,h,n that o direction some
the three words most glibly used in this connection
being .'mountebank," ''sensatonalism," ''bufioon.
northumberland n variety OF phrases that
they are unhappy. u.aughterl Now, have one ad-
vantage them in the fact that while they attack
| me never attack them The dear soulsl l wish
them all the good can think of-large audiences.
| $4,000 s-laughter)-a house full Of chill
observation-disclosures heaven to boot. Great laugh
ter and applause.) You heard me say word
against any Christian worker, and you never will
/ have time to stab one OF my own regiment in
the back.
There are two ways may them. First, by
the bitterness and acrimony. But would that
advance the cause OF holy religion 1t takes two
to make battle. and SO let them go 1t relieves
them and don't hurt me. uaughtcr) suppose that
in the war of words / would be their equal. for no
one has charged me with lack OF vocabulary.
(Laughter)
them some brotherly advice. That is the Christian
way. Then / advise critical brethren to remem-
Der what every layma, whether in the Church or in
the world knows-that you never can build yourself
up by trying to pull any body else down. tApplause)
! hope the audience will make response. broke
he Continued in two respects: in trying to do that
| first, you don't build yourselves up; and second.
you don't pull anybody else down. We have an i'm.
inense membership in this church. Why assa all
their homes? When you assail me you assail
them. Every to his work 1 wish you
succeed in driving people into heaven by raising
great fog on earth. You are severely logical.
Hook tLe people into glory by the horns of
a dilemma. Your work is not so much in the pulpit
as from house To house. The Lord 20 with you when
you go to take tea with the old ladies-qaughter)-
and hold the children your lap and tell them how
much they look like their mother. Laughtcr.)
Spend the afternoon and evening and. IL its damp.
lily into the kingdom OF God. Let all work in
own way. viii help you all can. Every time You
throw brickbat ut will pour oil ON your head
| till it runs down ON your coat collar lLaughter.)
| VICTIM uNrRUTH.
have not only received the criticism OF the world
| but its Misrepresentation. do not think any man
any age escapes If he is trying to do particular
work for God and the Church. 1t is said that White
held was preaching one summer day and u fly buzzcd
around his head. and that he said The sinner will
be destroyed certainly as / catch that hyl'''
Clu.ching for the fly. he missed it-Qaug hter)-and
then drew the moral that there was. after all. o
| chance tor the sinners escape. Mr.. Sturgeon
was represented by the pictorials of England
| AZ getting astride the railing of the pulpit
In presence of his audience and sliding down To ilus
trate the case with which man goes into sin and
then crawling up the railing to show how hard IL was
| for man to ascend into heaven. tLaughterl Lies!
| lcsl all OF them lies! No minister the Gospel
laughtcr) A few years ago l was said to
have performed u marriage ceremony in "a
balloon above ,ear the clouds d"usher Ls
| festival week night. and six eight hundred
children roaring. happy with candies and oranges
aud with the representation of star In Christmas
greens right before me. said II feel like morning
star" IL so happened that phrase was in negro
song. Two days aftcrward At appeared over the
name a who said that ON the previous Sab
bath night had. in the midst of sermon. quoted
% verse from the negro minstrel "Shoo, hy
| don't bother me- and that Sunday
school was In the habit Of singing 1t every
Sunday. prolonged and uproarious laughtcrJ
A popular magazine said that preached every Sab
bath in kid gloves and swallow tailed coat laugh
teri In religious paper Maine there Is letter
from u clergyman who says that came into this
pulpit sabbath morning in Indian dress
Neutrality-suspicious. my head and scalping- knife
| ia my hand. and that the pulpit was appropriately
decorated with Indian blankets and buiialo robes;
and the clergyman paintivcly asks, what is the
| world coming tor u.aughter.)
SPICY"
Why do say these thingsp To stop them? Oh,
! no. but for public information. don want TO
stop them. They make things spicy. Besides that,
| my enemies have done for me than my best
| friends could, They have told such monstrous lies
about that all the people 10 hear what
I say. Then the newspapers supply their readers
| with what they curious TO hear. had long
been DESTROYS of preaching through the soc uar rcss