Morning journal and courier., 1885-01-23
THE AMERICAN pEOpLE.

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
 Somethin. in Regard to Them And
 Their Relations to CIergy1nen From
 the Rev. Dr. Henry MI. Storrs.
 That annual source of delectation for young ministers and elderly ladies, the Ly- man Beecher lectures on Preaching" will be provided this year by the Rev. Dr. Henry M. Storrs, the secretary of the American Home Missionary society. Yesterday afternoon the full quota of young theologues and goodly number of ladies and city clergymen were as- sembled in Marquand chapel to listen to the opening lecture of the course.
 The lecturer was introduced by Professor Day. In the course of 8 few pleasant intro ductory remarks Dr. Storrs made it evident that he felt some embarrassment in under taking his task, as during the many years the lecturership was founded the subject, ''Preaching,' has been worn threadbare, and he could not hope to say anything new, or impart anything original. And, moreover, the former lectures had been printed and were on the shelves of the students.
 After some further introductory remarks Dr. Storrs announced as the general subject of his "Talks,'' ''Studies of the American people and the right preaching for them as they now are." He said that while some of the students before him were contemplating work in missionary fields, the great majority of them were looking forward to work and homes here in America. It would seem that as preachers they should study the material upon which they expected to work.
 In considering the general subject of preaching three elements demand attention, the preacher, his outfit and his material, the people on whom he works For success these three must be co-ordinated to the best ad- vantage. There is great danger of complete failure unless one understands his material in a sort of discriminating way, unless he knows the state and condition of that material, it's drift and pecrliarities Is he not on the way to success who is ready with the right word and deed ready to act at the critical mo- ment, in those hours when after years will on that act turn? Preaching is often described as the work of q teacher, muse, public cryer. Why not say it is that of manufac- turing? It takes the raw material and works it up. It must be remembered that preach CTS are not dealing with dead material. It is
 
 own.
 The weak part in schools and colleges is that they give no time to specifically study the American people. The Greeks and Romans are turned inside out to us but we learn very little of our own people, In our theological seminaries we study the dead languages, exegesis, biblical theology, homil- cities, and take nasty flight through the his tory of what God and men and devils have been evolving through the ages. But who leads Us through painstaking study of the Ameri- can people? How little we get that has the distinct purpose of making us know them.
 It is not the fault of the curriculum. As things are we cannot now expect to sec the study introduced, but we may be indulged in the quiet hope that American youth pre- pairing to work among the American people may sometime be taught who and what the American people are.
 It may be objected that all men are so much alike, that we are all pieces off the same cloth and that Christian preaching is Christian preaching the world over and for all time. But many preacher of fine ability is practical failure and for no other assign able cause than that he has failed to under stand the material on which he worked. He has hurt rather than helped; has irritated rather than won.
 Dr. Storrs went on to say that Christ rec ognized the fact that he must denationalize himself when going to preach among for eigners, that his disciples sxemplifed it and that Pauls great success WIS due to the fact that when working among the Greeks he be- came Greek.
 Preachers are not only to know their ma -erial, but as it is in its present condition. l It is undergoing constant interior changes. | Human thought is never still; human nature | is ever active. England is not the same as in the days of Elizabeth. China records score or more of revolutions. The American people are not as they were when the Pill | 5rims landed or in the days of Jonathan l Edwards. All these phases are sleeping in | he tomb of the Capulets.
 There are preachers who are anachronisrns. | They are born out of their time. They prob | lbly forgot to be born when their names | were called. Their real existence is back in | he medieval time. It is not for them to | say, ''We live among our own people," | Their people are dead. They are at right | .ngles with the many forces which are press ng forward with relentless might. The | pirit of the age may not be our idoal, but it $ the spirit of the age and should be stud ed carefully.
 Dr. Storrs will continue his ''Talks" this fternOOn at ; o'clock.