New-York tribune., 1880-03-09
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

which have already been admirably fca'eu III P'0''""'
courses of the Yale Lectures Dr. Crosby confines him-
self 10 single OF the general subject discussing
the character mauuer and life OF the preacher rather
than the rheto rca reeOus qualities OF the preach
ing BY this method. be has almost invested MS WORK
with the attraction OF personal narrative' converting
q treatise bOmetics into discourse OF human
nature His book, accordingly, is not collection oi
ard and ,uiceless precepts hut voome OF racy ana
original suggestions the cOuduc o! lifr presenting
the marrow and fa,ness OF practical ethics and WIN
few exceptions no less applicable TO the man OF the
world and the avorite OF society than TO the ulvhV
student Indeed he attaches no special CONSIDERATION 10
the preacher Church o. Christ The m'nlstero OF
the Word is rriest Of the jewish covenant ot ue
speaker on Divine things as they are made known oV
Divine revelation He is ruler IN the visible Church,
but not the performer in typical ritual sun ne Is
much more than popular hardnguei OF Nceuh
lecturer His bunness IL mol to educate us auulenoe
In human philosophy be Is he'tnef soPus''
nor college professor. but he "a an officer OF OhiSts
Church 10 declare his doctrine and make his people
moro ike their Master. DE- Crosby ascribes great I'M
pnrtance 10 physical qualities as an equipment OF the
preacher 4 whose most prominent function Is 10
use hs voice IN large assembly must possess ais
tinct and powerful utterance A preacher shouid IAe
care 10 MS ribmusces as bellows ana MS thio"'
muscles a. articulation keys, instead OF making the
latter do service both He should stand erect anu
not stoop over his manuscript. His head should be
lifted and his shoulders thrown back so that his voice
10 not inpedcd In ITS course me uules VI
me preaehcr are so arduous and constant that
they compel the necessity Of good bodily heai'n'
lie must no able 10 coplons drafts on his ner-
vOus energy Such enormous strain requires power
fu physleal frame. For wcak-bodled man TO under
take the duties of the preacher Is tempting of fTOV
dencc. Unrss the lungs. and heart, ana nerves arc
sound Ia acer aud h"ahtul ~ action the ""rN''
the Lord is to performed other way IMAM h
the public ministry. The prophets of the Od Ies'aehI
and the apostles of the New evidently men OF
strong physical structure: I'VE think OF Moses climbing
te cliffs OF Sinai Samuel hetng Agag In pieces. Jere
niah trudgins off to Euphraes and back twice TOT
a single Judah Elijah traverslng the ""uor
ness the apostles ourueying into all lahds US en
OF stawart thews and sinews. There Is moreover"
close connection between bodily weakness ana erro
neous doctrine. Not that rejects the atonement
because hc has a complaint OF tho liver or that any
dcrce Of physical disease implies abandonment OF
Biblical doctrine; but the coorng OF preachers the
ology doubt largely affected by the stare OF DIS
health. Among the mental characteristics whlch Dr'
Crosby insists essential condition OF ofuseiuness
IN the preacher high place assigned to acuteneSs OF
perception This rapid glance at all the OBJ
Jets within OF the vision The eye of watch
man sweeps the whole horizon and takes in every tree
bush, and IOck. The preacher must thoroughly KNOW
his subject but order TO do this he must look at u In
every pussibe nghi, ani note It's connection Win all
other truth II is easy for an cssayt his theme
IL sacrificed for part and parttruh is often false
hood Some men are always ready to tIeat or any SUD
Jec on which they have crammed. such speakers are
wont 10 be very decided and dogmatie Tie seIfma"e
man Is usually Of this sort With little learning ana
less training. he mistakes novelty Tor a TRUTH ana
builds philosophy on the discovery while to truly euu
Gated minds lis novelty eXpoded theory or mis-
auprehended fact Such in the pulpit has IN I'm
mense capacity for doing harm. The crude theology
which Is so often before tie people, is the result OF
sheer ignorance rather than OF false logic or perVese
heart "The great themes OF discourse have never oeen
thoroughly pOndered. There has been no Tianguiauon
of the Held of thought observation from surrounding
heights no correction OF and distance by the
necessary modifying calculations" Another quality on
which Dr. Crosby forciby dlates IS souDdness OF Jude
ment. This the as tact allied with high sense
OF religious duty. Men OF tact, however. are scarce
Most men are clumsy In their attempted adaptations
They may be prodeies of learning and with not little
acuteness OF thought on abstract subjects, but stupid
md bungling " hen called upon deal with therfelOw
men, But OF the preacher Is eonspiclousy
with men, lie should understand human nature IN all
IFS manifold phases be able adapt himself
60 every Btng way as easily as TO Oreathe
Now most ministers Dr. Crosby ahirms, proverbisy
d, ,Grcnt I'm this qualification Tie detect is no doubt
cxagrerae but It cannot be denied that there Is ground
for the criticism. One reason for TINS mDlseral YER
lancv Rs Dr Crosby calls IT, lie finds IN the ordinary
style U Seminary training. 1t is the life OF oiostef
The student secluded from the busy bauats OF men,
nnd often even smaller circles of social inter
conrse Ills mind Is stored with book ledge, but he
rnn. no knowledge of e ways OF men, with whom lie
viii hnvc Ia dcaL The ordinary minister says DE-
Crosby, comes OF the Seminary nd imbecie He may
he good scholar and an able reasoner Dui ne mas no
place IN tie sceibng csudrOn Of The world He utterly
dnzcd by the realities around HIM. lie shows such
wcnkncSs IN meeting the emergencies OF life mat he fO-
fcs tho respect Of the world The remarks Of Dr. Crosby
in regard conduct and depOrtnent o the preacher
might he taken IA mammal OF good behavior III every
condition OF fo. The preacher, he insists should al
ways maintain the manners of a gentleman TINS
word describes the person who is acceptable in all his
social relations. Whatever lie his character and
tone OF mind he tits hniself gracefully to the move
ncufs of society. and instead OF giving offence com
mands approval. a gentleman, says Dr. crosby Is mol
10 be confoundcd with the fashion. lie has not
lcarued his conversation from the small talk or the
snools nor does personal appearance depend ON the
nrt OF the tailor. lie cutvStes good manners because
they form the atmosphere OF good society not heeaue
they are tho fashion Of the day HIS personal habits
should be I'm Keeping with tile refinement OF bis man
ncrs preacher who is slOvcniy IN his attire az
lowing hts haIr be unkempt, his nails uncleaned his
boots uubacke and his clothes uDbrnshed, viii prove
very poor OF divine truth" 1t IS doubtless
not often that such painncss OF secular deta Is found
An scourses addressed school OF the prophets
in formal session. Bat Dr. Crosby never scars in airy
shts above the level OF hOmey pra,tcal wisdom MS
counsels will not fa effect for want OF seasoning;
nor does he make Of salt spice which has lost its
sayor. pages pungent, sometimes, perhaps al
most to a fault: but his grave harity, II II may 20 be
eolled his ouaut ana expressive illustrations. invar-
ably drawn from common lfe his naive frankness OF
utterance and Ills nveteree habit OF calling things by
their right names however startling 10 car polite"
give savorv freshness to his words which must not
only have caused electric shock 10 the veina dvnes
before whom they spoken, but Will furnish lively
roade U nO
prophets nor the OF prophets"
THE PRINCETON REVIEW. March.
The current number presents more than the
nsnal variety OF topics, all OF which are treated with
the profoundness thought and richness of suggestion