The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-03-24
THE FAIL URE OF THE so UT,h-
ERN PULPIT

" The Failure of the Southern Pulpit,
by the Rev. David Swing. The article
is exceedingly bitter, but does not strike
us as indicating the ability which we
have usually associated with the name of
this popular Northwestern preacher. Its
impudence we were entirely prepared for,
for we have conceived that to be the most
conspicuous trait in DIR. Swings preach
ing. We understand DR.. Swings popu-
larity in Chicago rests on the audacious
irreverence with which he handles all the
cherished beliefs of the Church, and the
effort he makes to curry favor in that non
church-going community by his liberal
concessions to the spirit Of worldliness,
heresy, and iufdeity. He is one of the
' fast preachers of the day, playing in
Chicago the role of Henry Ward Beecher in
Brooklyn. He is what is now known as
humanitarian, a sensational school Of
modern semi-rehgionists who take the
ground that Christianity has mainly to do
with the ills of this world, while the next
may with tolerable safety be left to take
care of itself 1t thinks that the Christi
anity of the fathers has had too much to
do with Other Worldliness.
Dr. Swing says that if one will look
through the Southern States, "he shall
see there a ruined or a failing pulpit,
which lamentable failure" has resulted
from the influence of slavery, the neglect
by the pulpit of the poor whites and the
negroes, and lastly from "a failure to
grasp the meaning of the Christian reli-
gion." The Southern pulpit, he says,
assumes that the sole purpose of Chris
tianity is to save the soul from sufferings
after death, to the neglect of trying to
relieve the sufferings and correct the
evils of this present life
He arraigns it Gas mentioned) for its
neglect of the poorer whites and the ne
groes, and also for It's long cowardice
towards duelling; its silence over street
encounters between white men, and over
the sickening assassination of poor ne
groes by day and by night its utter
want of even middle-age chivalry over
the brutal massacre Of the Chisholm fam
lily; and its neglect to urge upon young
men the unavoidable duties of industry
and mental and moral culture"
Since the abolition of slavery, it has
confined itself with great fidelity to met
aphyscal dispositions on the nature OF
Christ, upon the mode of baptism, the
futility Of human good works, the soy
ereignty of God, and the importance OF
making some formal and immediate ar
rangement touching the next form of exist
ence." 1t has, in word he says, "omit-
ted its own business to attend to that OF
the Almighty" One of its faults is the
preaching of a commercial atonement.
1t is rather startling to receive this
fearful Indictment of irreligion from Chi
cage; it has the effect of an explosion for
the Southern clergy to be hauled up in
this manner by David Swing. 1t re-
minds us Of the old dialogue between
Alexander and the Robber.
The article is entitled "The Failure OF
the Southern Pulpit" Our impression
is that Dr. Swing was suspended from the
Northern Presbyterian clergy list, and
therefore, we should naturally expect
from that quarter an article on "The
Failure of the Northern Pulpit" The
only logical alternative is "The Failure
of DR.. Swing
We should like to compare the Church
Attendance here in Richmond with the
Church Attendance in Chicago. We
should like to compare the Church mem
bership here in Richmond with that in
Chicago-or St. Louis-or Cincinnati
We venture to say that in both respects
the proportion in favor of Richmond is
three to one. He says the negroes have
been neglected There are probably
100000 colored church members in the
South. He says the poorer classes have
been neglected. There are more churches
in the South, in proportion to population.
than in the North There are more
church-sittings The church membership