The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1883-03-10

n. D. States,
Bishop Winners curt refusal "a
furnish tie press with bis sermon
| preached At the consecration of Bixhop
Thompson, viii not, We think, meet
with the approval Of Christian minis.
iers generally. Yesterday we printed
q scry sensibIe letter from a visiting
New York Episcopal clergyman, ID
which the bishops refusal Is quite
properly characterized as 6 a mistake y
The three grounds on which, Bishop
Wilmer based his refusal, which r.
fusal obtained the acquiescence of nj.
Dfysdales were; |. That he was to
preach a sermon, not 10 the public,
bnt 70 congregation 2. He deprn-
Gated tie publication Of sermons III
newspapers, preceded BY an account
Of cock-fght, and perhaps followed
BY report Of a billiard match. 3.
lie3ry Ward Beecher first introduced
the practice Of printing sermons III
newspapers.
Not one Of these grounds appear
y vs. tenabie. no doubt Bishop VIII
nler is large-hearted Christian min
lster. Bnt this reasoning is based n
narrow spirit and ia niscoucep-
tiou Of The age 10 which we live and
its methods Of teaching. We d. not
pretend to be a chnrchman: but We
!, hna = utterly impossible 70 reconcile
me proposition that Christian min
lslef dellsers hss sermon to cnngfe-
gallon ana not 20 Inc public With the
sPiflE q yhFisllanIty Nor Do we mn
aers'iilu NOW the words Of Christian
rove anu sciIailty and hope; can be
contaminated ~ being printed IN a
newspaper Or elsewhere. Such words
cannot oe furnished, such sentiments
cannot De pointed, though they be
uttered y the midstof vice aud crime,
er er lnopgh Trey be sent forth TO beread
oy lhose who gloat oyer prize fights
ana COCK nights and all other deserip-
tions Al rude and cruel sports They
arg more apt 70 take on the pollution
2. human siclousness when uttered BY |
hello@ lipF, from hollow pnlpils, to /
hollow hearts that beat beneath robes
q silk and tne linen. But when they |
iAll from tile Ups Of earnest priests,
q ore sent from such 10 where crime
ana poverty and misery are rapkcst,
they assume their greatest eloqnence
ana beauty. Like the genial sunlight
Lhat from the foul and ugly soil
eFo1es the loYelIest and sweetest flow
ars, ihe words ot hope and love oftcn
work their greatest md most Wonder
~ results ln the hearts ef those who
never see the inside Of 4 church, OF
leaf whisper from the pulpit.
liie ehnsehleast conform lis method
2 Tue ways Of the generation If II
Would propagate more widely the
ghrlsilan religion, Even IN the Mid |
iie Asfa whcB religious fever filed /
hc churches, The pulpit was not she
most potent agency ~ disseminating
Christianity The nlendicaut friars
we're greater power, Preachers like
,etfr, the Hermit Of whom great
l1glisli essayist las sl0quently said /:
Only the passionate voice Of one
aap, the rapt soul looking through
he eyes of one man, and rugged,
leel7elad Europe tlembled beneath I
y Nerds, and followed him whittier
Z listed.
What The msndieant friars were ID
be middle ages in disseminating re- n
giOn the press is becoming ii eur
sn Time. Carlyle, in one Of Bis most /
smsfkable essays, painis ont ibis /
acl re says .The true church i
England st this time Hes ID llse l
dltors Of lis newspapers, These s
reach g tlle people daily and weekly, 4
lmanlshing kings themselves adj /
Islng peace ~ var, with aa authority {
hlch only the hrst reforners, and 3
'ng-past class ef Popes were p0sr i
,0. shat IN ngiyafe t1isnositian the \ !.