The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-02-14
LYMAN BEECHER LECTURES
Causes OF Diminished Attendance
on Public Worship Discuss
ed-An Interested Audi
ence-Time of Next
Lecture.

Lecture.
There was the usual attendance at
Marquand chapel yesterday afternoon
of students and pastors of the several
churches in the city who had assem-.
bled to listen to the able discourse OF
President Robinson, of Brown Univer-
sity. There were also a number of
ladies present, who seemed to take a
deep interest in the lecture. Presi-
dent Robinson liz commencing his adj
dress said: The diminished attend
ance on public worship in our day as
compared with century ago, or even
within the memory of living men, has
excited wonder and remark. 1t is
estimated that at least One-third of
those who do not attend public serv-
ice could do so if they would. One
will assert one cause for this, and
another another. The effort to ex-
plain this Indifference has thus far
failed. 1t seems to me that a very
large variety OF causes are at work to
explain the phenomena referred to.
/ propose to dwell on the causes as
found in the public mind. First, then,
there is general feeling of doubt in
the minds of men, or skepticism Yet
the truth is that the faith in the
Bible and the Immortality of man was
never greater than to-day. Yet there
has come doubt as to the traditions
of our holy religion and there is a
general feeling that there has been a
general belief that there was to be
grand revision of the traditions of the
Bible. Another cause is the present
existence of Christian literature. The
press everywhere teens with Christian
productions. These things all have
their tendency to keep men from the
house of God. The secular papers
often publish sermons, and men often
have before them a sermon better
than they could expect to hear Sun
day. Then, is it strange that he
should seat himself in his easy chair
and read an excellent discourse? Do
you blame your fellow man then if he
fails to come and hear you preach
when the world is so full of christian
literature? The Sunday school has
contributed largely to draw men
from public worship. 1t is. however,
an agency of Unreasonable good.
Practical christianity in our day has
developed the Sunday school and
more are brought into the church
from this agency than any other
work. Yet it has been brought to
light that the attendance on Sunday
school and also the attendance at
church is more than ought to be re-
quired of children. How irresistible
is habit when q child has not been
trained to attend public service, and
he has not been found there. Would
that we could bring back the old state
of things, when the minister was liable
to be disturbed by the children in the
congregation. Better so than the
continued absence of the children.
Another thing. 1t is said that costly
churches and expensive pew rents
have driven people from the churches.
/ do not believe it. The churches
are open to everybody. believe in
expensive and beautiful churches, so
long as we don't leave future genera
tons to pay the bills. Ought there
not to be q reformation in building so
many churches i'm small communities
where the population is not sufficient
to barely maintain one with that liber-
atty to which the Christian minister
is entitled?
Now / come to the most delicate
part of this course of lectures, "The
doubt of the minister" You young
men do not read the Bible with that
same confidence as our forefathers did.
We are too apt to assent to the truth
while we do not consent to it. This
feeling enters the mind of the student
and comes in to trouble the mind of
the staid and we'll formed mind of the
preacher. Then again there is the
danger of surrendering the true or
thodox doctrines and accepting other
dogmas, perhaps some Of which you
will accept You will hear, young
men, the dogma of your congregation
and may try to conform yourselves to
the doctrines and belief of that
church. You may stand up before
the congregation and teach, yet it may
convey no vital force to the people.
What Is needed is not clear and formal
explanations. In this day the people
are too much interested in their
preacher. One of the dangers of our
times is in being too much minister
instead of being flesh and blood and
filled with 2enialitY and pleasant