The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-06-04
ANOTHER LAYMAN'S VIEWS.

MESsRs. EDITORS: In your Issue OF
May 2S | find an article purporting to
be letter written by an earnest and
respectful layman to DIR. Lyman Alb
bott, which, it is claimed, will prove
very suggestive TO the clergy. This
layman seems to have been struggling
for years against constantly increas-
ing dislike to attendance at church.
The principal cause is the sermon. He
thinks he gets chaff instead of bread.
He then tells what he would like to
learn about, which does not seem to me
like very nourishing spiritual food.
He wishes the information TO be gath
cred from other sources than the Bible.
Now Christian ministers and all other
good people have always considered
the Scripture the only infallible rule of
faith and practice. But as this earnest
layman wants his Spiritual food from
some other source, l presume, purely
Scriptural sermon would not suit him.
The Apostle Paul who determined not
to know anything among the Corinth-
ians, save Jesus Christ and Him cruel
fed, would not suit this earnest lay
man.
He wants a complete historical view
of the Jewish people from Abraham to
the present time, giving habits, dress,
etc.
Now it would be very difficult, per-
haps impossible for ministers of the
present day, to tell very accurately the
cut or color of Abraham's trowsers, thu
style of Sarah's head dress, and whether
little Isaac was dressed in long or short
petticoats, and l think the information
would not add very greatly to our spir-
itual edification or growth in grace.
He would like to be furnished with
argument for opposing scepticism. By
his writing l should suppose, he was
somewhat troubled with scepticism,
and sermon that would relieve him of
all sceptical notions, would be o great
blessing to him.
He would like sermon that would
be a digest of Darwin's ideas of ev-
olution applied to the Biblical story
reconciling them. l think the Christ
ian minister would be greatly out of
place, who attempted to reconcile the
teaching of the Bible, that God created
man in his own image with Darw;n's
theory that man is the offspring of the
ape.
He wishes ministers to read books
and articles founded on truth, but
which contradict some of the beliefs
of strict puritanism in which we were
brought up. From my acquaintance
with Christian ministers l suppose
there is no class of men who devote so
much time to reading books and articles
founded on Gods eternal truth but
whether they find them contradicting
the beliefs of strict puritanism very
often is exceedingly doubtful. He does
not seem pleased with sermon from
Romans 3rd, 10th s'There is none right
eous, no not one" Perhaps preaching
on such subject may disturb some
ideas he has entertained of his own
righteousness, as no doubt it did for
some of the Scribes and Pharisees in
the days of the Apostles. He admits
that to many of his neighbors it is a
real help and consolation, though to
him it is chaff
He says, every minister's sermon
seems to be moulded in the same form;
it is filled in with new arrangement
of the same words. suppose the
Apostle Paul is included with the rest.
He says, "we preach Christ crucified,
unto the Jews stumbling block, and
unto the Greeks foolishness.' Is it to
be wondered at that this critical lay
man considers 1t chaff?
He seems to be desirous for some
thing to think about afterward will
suggest prescription, that David
seems to have followed. "Let your
delight be in the law of the Lord, and
on it mediate day and night
Now Mr.. Editor do not know Dr.
Lyman Abbott. | cannot tell to which
branch of the Christian church he be-
longs, / do not even know whether he
is a catholic or a protestant, so / have
not written this article on account of
any partiality to him. But l have a
very good opinion of the great majority
of Christian ministers, and / thought
it might not be Improper to inform
your readers, that layHen were not all
of the same opinion, and consequently
liable TO err. Yours Truly,
A LAYMAN.