New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-29
ARE THE CHURCHES PRACTICAL, :

A recent writer after glancng at some OF
| the arguments employed to make good the
propositon that Christianity is failure, took
| the ground that there was no failure in Chris
| tianity. but that there was failure in the
| churches In the course OF his defence OF his
assertion he made the point that the myrlads
of tho worlds workers listen in vain Tor some
practical exposition of Christs teachings from
" the ecclesiastical organizations which VIII
touch the problems of the day" Is the point
well taken Is It true that the churches do
| not bring Christianity to bear upon the burn
ing questions of the living PRESENT.
There was once holy man who bore down
upon a henous sin 80 forcibly that one VINO
listened to him was moved to fiery Indignation
and declared that he who had committed the
Sin merited the severest punishment And
thereupon instead of dropping the matter
aud pronouncing benedlctiOn, " Nathan salu
unto David Thou art the man There Is
perhaps too little Of the drastic plain-spoEen-
ness of Nathan in the churches OF to-day III
was Macauays praise of Bunyan that III the
Pilgrims Progress he gave to the abstract
tbe interest of the concrete. Bunyan sue
ceeded in performing so exceedingly difficult
day is constantly attempting the task, but since
the majority of ministers, like the majority
of other folks, are not geniuses, the result Is
not always successful. One OF the prOOlehS
now before the world is intempcrance low
often does q man hear sermon aimed squareV
at the evil ! In some churches seml-0ccaslOh-
ally. in others never. In many an ecclesas-
tcal organization rumseler can be regular
member of the congregation without running
anv danger of hearing Nathan in the pulpit
saw to David in the pew, "Thou art the man."
OF course all the churches steadily lnculcate
obedience to the great com mandment, Love
thy neighbor as myself" so that any man en-
Gagged in a dsreputable business has only to
reduce that commandment to practice III Ills
life to amend his ways. But the TACT remains
that fighting at short range IS always more ell
frctiye than fighting at long range, ana that IL
hardened sinners are to be sOftened IT would
seem wiser to attack them with concreteS rain
or than with abstracts. Calling spade spade
ia better than calling it an agricultural lhstru-
ment. Another problem of the day relates TO
the publication of our politics. 30 the
churches help to solve it DO not the myriads
of the worlds workers listen in vain for
some practical exposition of ChristS teaching
which will touch this vital matteri In ninety
nine churches out of one hundred the only
attempt at such practical exposition Is maze
in the annual Thanksgiving sermon. NOW
and then political Boss is seen III church.
Rut how often has it fallen to Il Boss to have
his feelings laceratod rs he sat beneath some
sacred desk by hearing its occupant protest
AGAINST the employment of Boss methods rs m
IL. 81, nd N
INTO Caesar the things that are Caesars
The Master himself declared, 81 came not
TO send peace but Il sword" But how much OF
fine rreaching of to-day is suggestive of the
sword 2 How much of it recalls Nathan when
he smote David, or Paul when ne made Felix
trcmble2 1t is frequently said that "A minis
ter has done his whole duty when he
has faithfully presented the claims OF the Cos
pel on men that the consequences are with the
Omnipotent One who has declared that the world
is 10 be saved by the foolishness of preaching
But what is it faithfully to present the claims
of the Gospel2 There are many methods OF
commencing the truth, but obviously all OF
them are not equally effective, and the churches
do well to inquire, as they are at this moment
inouiring, whether it is not possible that if
they changed or modified their methods the
cause which they have at heart would not be
the gamer. In the retrospect they can see
where they committed a grievous mistake
The American Church cannot take to itself
the credit of overthrOwng the dreadful insti-
tuition of slavery. 1t warred against injustice
in the abstract, but it declined to WELD sword
calculated to cut STAKEHOLDER to the quick.
The preaching of the day does not lack elo-
ouence does not lack earnestness, does not
lack scholarship, does not lack vigor. But
it. does lack directness, boldness, fraplSness. 1t
would be better calculated to arouse and
quicken if it we're less genteel.