Morning journal and courier., 1883-10-01
Rev. MT. HoughtOn and His Critics

At the Church of the Messiah last evening.
 Rev. M. H. Houghton preached a sermon
 containing his idea of the rights and privi-
 leges of the Christian Minister. The house
 was filled.
 s.Preach the word instant in season. out of
 son reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering
 had no thought or intention last Sunday
 evening, of lighting torch in the form of 8
 sermon that was destined to set the press of
 the country on fire; but it would seem that the
 blaze has extended from one end of the land
 to the other.
 shall this evening enter upon brief dis
 cussion of what conceive to be the true
 office of the christian ministry, during which
 reference will be made to the criticisms on
 my sermon of week ago.
 My object will be to show the folly, to say
 nothing of the cruelty, of the leading edito-
 rials of the press on that discourse; and fur
 thermore to make distinct and clear what I
 think to be the rights and privileges of the
 christian minister.
 First of all let me say, and I bring six
 years of earnest work in New Haven to sup
 port the assertion, that have no love for
 sensational preaching as that term is usually
 applied to the pulpit
 believe in preaching the gospel, and in
 preaching it whole and entire. If in declar-
 ing against any evil the feelings of the com
 munity are stirred or the voice of the press
 aroused, I regard it as a hopeful symptom,
 kind of promise of better things to come.
 For these newspaper editorials then, I care
 not whit. I have but done my duty nd in
 the future as in the past shall pursue the
 even tenor of my way, preaching the gospel
 as I understand 1t, leaving the result
 with him who readeth all our hearts and who
 doeth all things we'll. I believe that the
 scriptures are unit in declaring that the
 voice of the preacher should have no dull
 discordant or uncertain sound. The divine
 injunction is, Breach the word, in season,
 out of season, reprove, rebuke; if the
 trumpet give an uncertain sound who shall
 prepare himself for the battle?' The
 Christian pulpit then should stand for what?
 I answer from my standpoint, it should
 stand for the largest liberty of thought and
 the strongest defence of virtue. I am aware that in declaring in favor of free thought meet many objectors, both in the pulpit and out of it, but nevertheless the age demands a true, manly independence in the sacred desk. It calls for men who do not fear to express their convictions on any and all questions of public interest. The world looks with mis- trust, if not contempt, on those teachers who believe one doctrine in private and pro- claim another in public. The intelligence of the day requires also that the preach CT possess a knowledge of the lead ing scientific and practical questions of the time and weave them into his dis course. To be sure Christ should be first, but in the language of Prof. Everett of Cam bridge, let us not forget that of the nine- teenth century needs Christ, how much more does Christ need the nineteenth century," That is, we need to interpret his teachings in accordance with the living issues and neeessi ties of to-day.
 We want no blind or bigoted faith that stretches backward into the night of theolog- ical gloom. We want no blear-eyed preachers who sit like owls on the rafters of temples of Zion hooting the worn out fables of bye-gone days into the ears of thoughtful men We want free, earnest, broad-minded scholars, who have convictions and the courage to ex- press them. By freedom of thought, then. do not mean any encouragement to thin ! skinned, narrow-brained ranters who go up and down the land exposing to public view their ignorance and their immortality
 Having said this much in favor of manly l on the intellectual side, may |
 
 we can ascertain how the pulpit should speak | with reference to what have claimed ahould l be it's second, though no less important | office, namely, the protection of virtue. | Thus far take it we agree pretty well. It | is at this point and under this heading that | the press assails me. Yet l have charity to l believe. it does not understand either my mo- lives or my meaning. When I said believed l William Lewis murdered Rose Ambler it was ! not spoken to create sensation, and how it ! did it in consideration of the fact that nearly \ all the leading daily papers had hinted, if not openly declared the same opinion, is more than can understand.
 My belief was nothing new. It went by common consent that Mr. Lewis was proba- ply the guilty man. I say probably, and 1 hat was all expressed last Sunday evening. Ny object, in saying that was not to fore. tall public opinion, as that was quite well l ormed already; but to go back of the fact 'f the murder and look into the life of this nan, who is under suspicion, and see if there 8 any good reason for thinking he might 1 ,e the murderer, because of 8 shameful 1 ack of moral principle and virtaous instincts which alone mark the career of the upright. My object was to draw @ lesson 1 rom his experience that might be of benefit o those on the way to ruin. Why should I trike unjustly at William Lewis? He never lid me any harm. say it right here lest I orget it later on, I pity such poor, sin 'linded soul, and would to God he might re- urn to ways of virtue and true happiness. would that he might find Christ dear to his oul and that I, his wide-heralded enemy night lead him to the fold. But to return Did succeed in impressing such lesson? | hink so upon you who heard me, but the bstract of that sermon, prepared in haste, ] ontained only the introduction, with the ingle exception of the JOURNAL AND COURIER, Thich sheet gave very fair report, as much ! 0 as could be contained in the allotted space. ,et me, then, for the benefit of the press, aint the picture over again. Here is Will am Lewis, a man in comfortable circum- tances. engaged to marry the 'dy of his choice. If possessed of ae instincts of true manliness he lust have loved her with his whole heart and pull She was to be his wife and his support ! l all the days to come. They were to walk /. and in hand along the troubled ways of life. l e was building for her home where they 70 might grow old together, and out of that ! ome they hoped to step at last through the 1ain Is broken. The girl he loved is found retched cold and Gfeless on the damp ground : esr the roadside. Her people are over helmed with grief and the entire neighbor- pod shocked with terror. What would you ave done had you been her lover, my carers? If you were good man, as soon as 1u heard of her death would you not have 'ne with heart overfowing with sorrow, Id notwithstanding what the feeling hitherto ight have been, mingled your tears with ose of that dear mother who sat in silence Id alone, separated from all she loved, hus- md, children, all, save her God to whom e poured out her woe mid sobs of pain Id anguish?
 I think you would, Did William Lewis } it? No. if we can rely on the idence he waited two days and then went fly because public opinion forced him there. i'd he manifest any grief Not at all. On e contrary, he goes about his usual voca- 'n, not thinking, not caring about the fate
 her he professed to love, and when E. s. o edward, the day but one following the urder, extended the sympathy he thought e MT. Lewis in his trouble what did Lewis ? in reply. It was this, ''What in h-I do ,are about it. The detectives are d-d ols; one man never killed Rose Ambler. I ve felt of her and know what she can do." Again it is reported that Lewis visiting uor saloons has made even worse remarks out the murdered girl Now let us pause re moment and change our point of view. )w did this man Lewis become acquainted th Rose Amber Did you read the sworn dence of Norman Ambler as published in ) papers of last Thursday, (Sept. 27.) If will you please do so? This poor heart 'ken man with trembling lips and tear