The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-08-25

Tor declining such sympathy that the
workers do not work with u.s. They may
De OF another class of mind and manner
they may have set Of opinions and
measures which we cannot adopt; but if
they are the followers of Christ, loving
him and wisely striving for his glory and
to win souls to his feet, we bid them God
speed.
But If their ways and means are such
as to dishonor God and his Son, jesus
Christ; to degrade the Christian religion
In the sight Of sinful men, and so to re-
tard rather than to advance the Redeem
er's kingdom: then it is the privilege,
and may be the duty, of the friends of re-
hglon to ask such workers to pause and
consider whereunto their measures tend.
For example:
We open Mr.. Railton's newspaper. aud
the first article in it has the staring head
line
ON THE STUMP FOR JESUS"
Now, we know what it means to be "on
the stump" for political leader, and in
the slang OF politics it is not considered
out OF the way to use such an expression.
The speaker In political mpaign NAV
use slang phrases which uneducated null
titudes understand and applaud. But
our reverence for the name that is above
every name, and our respect for the holy
religion that was baptised with his blood,
would make it impossible for us to speak
,of the Divine Saviour in those free and
easy terms that fall readily from orators
:" on the stump" for the leader of their
political party 1t is not the style of ad-
dress that commends Jesus Christ to dy-
ing sinners.
We know how easy it is to reply to this,
that the gospel must be brought down to
the masses: that the ignorant multitude
must be talked to in their own tongue.
and that most of the preaching is insult
ed to the lanes and streets, the highways
and hedges. But to such reasoning it is
an easy answer that the gospel was origi-
nally, and always has been, preached to
the Ignorant multitude with the greatest
success in the words of simple eloouence.
and not in the slang of the day. Jesus
Christ preached so that "the common
people heard him gladly" The Apostles
were mighty in word, but they never re-
sorted to claptrap. The great preachers
OF ancient and modern times, men who
have been called golden mouthed."
" seraphic, and sanity" men on whose
lips " golfers and "navvies" and "sail-
ors, and the unlettered multitudes, have
hung with rapture while their hearts
were melted and converted, have not been
men who would speak of going on "the
stump for Jesus" They have preached
the word with simplicity, and men listen
because it is the word sent from God.
1t is the power Of true religion that
eroItS men from the slums and the soualor
OF vice and makes them new creatures in
Christ Jesus A style of preaching or a
system OF measures that brings religion
doa0r' is degrading to them who are its
victims. To make permanent converts
from the drunkards and profigates, from
the uneducated masses now perishing in
their own corruption, is work worthy
OF angels and the noblest of the sons Of
men. We rejoice in it, and would pro-
mote 1T by all the means at command
But we would not dare to profane the
ark OF God with such unholy touches as
they, give who adopt the slang of stump"
speakers to advocate the claims of Him
whose style of preaching is seen in the
Sermon on the Mount, and whose impas-
stoned eloquence burst forth in such ten
der words as, Come unto me all We that
labor and are heavy laden and wilFgive
you rest. "-New York Observer.