The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-21

decent limits. he can pay Dach MS aSSdllaulS III
their own coin This defender of the Bible was
quite up to the mark as regards the latter re
Quirement. After making several retorts, In
which he drew quite freely upon the vocabulary
of slang, he finally turned upon one OF the
young men, who had been talking and laughing
a little more obtrusively than the others, and
said, 'Shut up your dirty mouth: all you are
good for is to grin and show your dirty teeth
This was quite pointed, and very forcible. The
audience roared with laughter. and the impertl-
nent interrupter of the preaching subsidized; but
the language seemed rather out of place, to my
thinking and couldn't for the life of me, feel
any further interest in what the man SAID about
religion and modern science.
DISCUSSIONS IN THE PARKS.
The London parks are the peoples forums,
and the great debating day is the Sabbath All
grievances are aired there that day, and all
sorts of real and imaginary abuses attacked. If
Parliament does anything during the week. OF
doesn't do anything, you are sure to hear of it
in the parks the following Sunday. Sometimes
women crate. l remember once seeing an elder
ly lady mount stand in a small West-end park.
She was a fine looking woman, in q Quaker-like
dress, and had about her an righteousness such
as usually attaches to those spoken of as ''moth-
ers in Israeli Upon seeing this person arise,
congratulated myself that for once was about
to hear something that would have the right ring
in it. l was strengthened, too in this expecta-
ton by the way in which she began. 'There
were two great subjects" she said, (which she
wished to bring before us-the greatest we could
possibly think upon--subiects affecting our vel
fare and happiness and the welfare and happi-
ness of those to come after us" That, thought
l, is splendid start; now for genuine dose of
the old-fashioned gospel. felt certain this was
what was coming. So did the others standing
around, and every sinner in the crowd began to
get his defenses in order. But it was a false
alarm. The two all-important subjects which
this matronly deceiver had come to advocate
were, first, the abolition of the compulsory vac
cination law, and secondly. the keeping open of
the parks of the city for the free discussion of
public questions
The preachers of this metropolis whom all Wis
tors are anxious to hear, Sturgeon, Parker,
| Liddon and Farrar Sturgeon will shortly
celebrate his jubilee, being close upon fifty years
old. He came to London at nineteen, and has
| been the star preacher of this city ever since.
He yields an immense influence and addresses
| great crowds. His church has $500 members,
and his Sabbath congregations average between
| six and seven thousand. Physically, Spurgeon
| is broken-dO man-worn out by disease an
hard work. l heard him preach only few Sun
days ago. He had spent eight weeks of the
| winter resting at Mentone, in the south of
| France. Returning, he had preached one sun
| day and had then been compelled to rest three
| more. The, Sunday when | heard him was his
| second public appearance after this second pc
Rod of rest He walked to the platform with
| slow and feeble step and seemed to be
in pain all the time he was preach
ing. Naturally, therefore, the sermon
was less vigorous than usual. But the old time
earnestness, the obvious sincerity of purpose,
the clear, ringing voice. the eloquent simplicity
| these were all there in the same measure as on
former occasions and they left upon the mind of
the listener the same impression Of unaffected
| greatness. Dr. Parker of the City Temple, is
preacher of an entirely different stamp He has
an original way of putting things, and q voice
that penetrates to your very marrow Undoubt
eddy he is great man, and he impresses you as
one who is thoroughly convinced Of this himself.
In addition to his Sunday services, DR.. Parker
breaches at noon every Thursday to large con
| gregation of business men
Canon Liddon officiates at st. Paul's Cathedral,
and Archdeacon Farrar at Westminster Abbey
both scholarly both eloquent, both very popular.
But preachers having power to instruct and de
light equal to that possessed by either of these
Parker, Liddon or Farrar-are to be found in
almost every large American city. Indeed, in
tho matter of pulpit ability, the American
churches, take them through and through, can
beat the English all to pieces. Not only have
we larger number of first class preachers, but
the common average is better. l must ada, too,
that unless my observations are entirely at fault,
our American. churches are more aggressive and
evangelical than the churches over here, and
that there is less bgotry and sectarian strife be-
! tween the different denominations. H. 7.