The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-03-02
PULPIT THEMES.


Nstes of Interest Gleaned Among. the
4 a,.s- Churehes.f..sas.rf sa-A
Regardless of the weather theae was
unusual interest manifested at the Chris
tian church Sunday. There was one
confession In the evening 9t -ia'a sd.
Rev. Father Meier, of the Catholic
church, preached most earnest temper
ance discourse 10 his flock in the
morning.
Funeral services were held last night
at the Welsh Presby terian church, in
commemoration of the late r. j. Evans.
An eloquent and Impressive sermon was
preached by Rev. John Jones, from
Psalms 24-6: Though 1 walk through
the Valley OF the Shadow of Death win
fear no evil, &c" There was a large at
tendance and good music. al
Professor George NJ. Stearns, of Wash
burn College, preached at the Congrega-
tional church in the. morning and
evening. His manner in the pulpit is
highly pleasing and the subject matter
of his discourses was excellent.
Rev. ]. f. Hendy, of the Presbyterian
church, occupied his pulpit as usual
in the morning, but owing to his
delicate health did not preach 10 tn
evening. 's-1. '',i al 81.
At night the First Baptist church
was crowded to witness the baptism OF
two young ladies. There are several
others expected to follow soon. The
meetings will continue every evening
this week except this evening. 81
Rev. John Kirby. of the M E. church,
preached his last sermon for the present
conference year at jays opera house
in the morning. His subject 49,
"The Pulpit and the Press; OF the Duty
of the Church in Relation to the Litera-
ture of the Age" The discourse was full
thought and abounded in those eloquent
passages for which this talented pulpit
orator is noted. The following synopsis
outlines the central thoughts Of the
sermon: .....--tf III. -..t.sss..s.F
Text-Give attendance to resding-I
Timolhy-4:13.
Paul probably refers in the text to read
ing the Scriptures in public worship,
rather than to private study. Still read
ing of itself is not religious exercise,
but in this day of educational adVantag-
es is the duty of every man. The man,
who does not read does not think, and
the man who does not think has no pub
lie influence in this age of ideas and in
tellectual enlightenment. Reading pre-
supposes the existence of literature, and
literature gives power and permenancy
to human thought, and thought is ever
more the seed OF character, for las a man
thinketh so is he:" and character is of
supreme importance TO every man.
Therefore, whatever power is instrument
tai in awakening in the worlds mind
the most thought. and breathing into it
the most moral sentiment, whether it he
the press or the pulpit, Christianity or in.
fidelity, the church or the theatre, is the
most effective in the formation of char.
acter and is doing the most to determine
the destiny of mankind IA Us
The question therefore arises, From
whence is the world in this age deriving
its moral ideas ?'' Time was when the
pulpit was the most potent factor in the
formation of public sentiment But the
secular press has dethroned il from its
sovereignty and is the mightiest influ-
and papers and periodicals it is speak
ing to the millions every moment Oftheir
wakeful life, while the ministers of re-
ligiOn are speaking to a mere fragment
of the worlds population on one day in
seven and opposing forty minutes of
preaching against whole week of
wOrldliness by which they hope to con-
| vert the race. The church needs to wake
| to the fact that it is what the world is
I
meating Its mind and giving complex
| ion to It's history. We must not be ig-
nOrant of the character of the prOduc-
lions of the press lest while we sleep an
enemy should sow tares in the field of
our hallowed toll. r. ..
Our subject to-day is: "The Duty of
| the Church in Relation to the Litera-
| ture of the Age" Literature is no mere
| modern invention. "Oh, that my words
| were now written; that they were print
ed in book that they were craven with
| an iron pen and lead in the rock forever"
| are the words of the patriarch, job and
point to a remote antiquity tor the origin
| of written thought. The civilization of
ancient Egypt was scientific and litera-
ry; Persia had its literature, and the
men who laid the foundation of the clas-
| sic states of Greece had drank at Aryan
| fountains and brought with themfrom the
| far east the Aryan philosophy. The Alex
| andrian library contained hundreds of
| thousands of Volumes, which illustrates
| the influence of literature in the ages an
terror TO our era. But printed thought
| is its modern phase. The invention of
the printing press by humble mechan-
| ic of Strasburg, in Germany, about the
close of the fifteenth century, inaugu-
rated new era in literature, and now it
| goes forth in forms beautiful as the
sword of Achilles and with e force ter
| rible as the scythe of death. It is not,
| however, the ponderous volumes of our
public libraries that are making this
age. The giant thinkers of the past are
| for the most part unstudied and unread.
| If they were read the productions
of modern skepticism would fall
upon the public mind like snow
flakes upon fiery furnace, to be
evaporated in a moment. But if what
the Kansas Methodist of last week
quotes from an exchange be a fact, that
nine-tenths OF the books printed in
| New York and other cities of this
country are novels; and that nine-tenths
| of the books taken from the average
| public library, are novels and these
| in most instances of the most
| worthless type, we wonder not
that dances and theaters and
sensuous excitements should sup
plant the sanctuary, for such things be-
| long To the same zone Of life.
But the newspaper and not the novel
represents the press in its most potent
| influence Only about two centuries
and q half have passed away since the
modern newspaper had Its birth, and
vet think of its colossal proportions.
Six thousand daily papers are published
in the United States and Canada alone
and it has been predicted that "by the
close of the present century, the news
Epaper will be the whole of the press,
the whole of human thought. Ideas will
not have time TO ripen into q book-ths
book will arrive too late" The news
paper whether good or bad has created
necessity for itself; there Is greater
cry for it than for the word of life. 1t
comes every day with the regularity of
the tide and with the energy of the
Atlantic pillows. Il concentrates hu-
man opinion, pictures the powers of the
world and has its hands upon every en-
terprise. There is nothing too great for
il to grasp nor too mean for it to use We
wish with Emerson that it always
fought for the right and ted its batteries
from the central heart of humanity.
But its commercial character tends to
compromise its conscience. It is not
ike the IaOISu gus Ol dFtoce, an uIi-
paid benefsctor. but like every other
wording has its price" and like
the blind Samson will stir the pillars
of any temple to kill its enemies, How
different to the Bible which no wealth
can bribe, no talent dazzle, no sophlstry
deceive and no authority terrify, but be
fore which each and all have trembied
like Felix before Paul. If we cannot
. then commit ourselves either for time or
eternity to the guidance of the first Sec
ular journals of our age what shall be
( said of that part of the press which pan
ders to the worst elements of human ma
!. ture. More infidel and licentious pa
! pers are published yearly than there are