West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-06-28
SERMON
THE PULPIT AND THE PRESS
Rev. Dr. Talmage Tells How They
May BE Made Allies for Good.


md sRnctifed lazineSs are here rebuked by
Christ He says workings are wider awake
for opportunities than are Christians Men
of the world grab occasions while Christian
people let the most valuable occasions drift
by unimproved. That is the meaning OF our
Lord when he says: "The children OF this
world are in their generation wiser than the
children of light
A marked illustration OF the truth OF that
maxim is in the slowness OF the Christian re-
ligion 10 take possession OF the secular print
ing press. The opportunity is open, and has
for some time been open, but the ecclesiasti-
cal courts and the churches and the ministers
of religion are for the most part allowing the
golden opportunity TO pass unimproved.
That the opportunity is open i declare from
the fact that the secular newspapers are glad
OF any religious facts or statistics that you
present them. Any animated and stirring
article relating to religious themes they
lnld gladly print. They thank you for any
.ntorm.to on i'm regard to churches III
wrong has been done to any Christian
church or Christian institution you
could 90 into any newspaper OF the land
and have the real truth stated. Dedica-
ton services, ministerial ordinations and
pastoral installations, corner stone laying OF
n church, anniversary OF a charitable society
will have reasonable space in any secular
Journal IL IL have previous notice given. IL
j had some great injustice done me there is
not an editorial or a reportorial room in the
United States into which could not go and
get myself set right, and that is true OF any
well known Christian. Already the daily
secular press during the course of each week
publishes as much religious information and
high moral sentiment as does the weekly re-
ligious press. Why then does not our glori-
Gus Christianity embrace these magnificent
opportunities have before me asnbject OF
first and last Importance. How shall we Sc
eure the secular press as a mightier re-en-
forcement to religion and the pulpit
The first thing toward this result is cessa-
- met
paperdom. You might as well denounce the
legal profession because Of the shysters, or
the medical profession because of the quacks,
or merchandise because OF the swindling tar
gain makers, as 70 slambang newspapers be
cause there are recreant editors and unfair
reporters and unclean columns. Gutenberg,
the inventor OF the art OF printing, was about
20 destroy his types and extinguish the art
because II was suggested 20 him that print
ing might be suborned into the service of the
devil, but Rfterward he bethought himself
that the right use OF the art might more than
overcome the evil use OF IL, and so he
spared the tyne and the intelligence of all fol-
lowing ages. But there are many to day in the
depressed mood of Gutenberg with uplifted
hammer, wanting TO pound to pieces the
type, who have not reached his better mood
in which he saw the art OF printing TO be the
rising sun OF the worlds illumination. If In
stead OF fighting newspapers we spend the
same length of time and the same vehemence
I'm marshaling their help in religious direc-
tions, we would be as much wiser as the man
who gets consent of the railroad superin-
tendent to fasten car TO the end OF a rail
train. shows better sense than he who runs
his wheelbarrow up the track TO meet and
drive back the Chicago limited express. The
ri Hest thing that a man ever does is to fight
a newSD8per, for you may have tbs fioor for
ntterance perhaps one day in the week while
the newspaper has the floor every day of the
week. Napoleon, though a mighty man, had
many weaknesses, and one Of the weakest
80 ~.
English newspapers did not stop their ad-
verse criticism of himself he would with four
hundred thousand bayonets cross the channel
for their chastisement
Don't fight newspapers Attack provokes
attack. Better wait till the excitement blows
over and then go in and get justice, for get
II you viii il you have patience and common
sense and equipoise of disposition. 1t ought
to be a mighty sedativo that there is an
enormous amount OF common sense in the
world, and you will eventually be taken for
what you are really worth, and you cannot
be pulled up end you cannot be written
down. and il you are the enemy of good so
ciety that fact will come out, and IL you are
the friend of good society that fact will be
established. / know what i am talking
about, for can draw on my own experience
All the responsible newspapers as far as
know are my friends now But many of
you remember the time when / was
the most continuously and meanly at
tackled man in this country. God gave
me grace not to answer back, and kept
silence for ten years, and much grace is
required. What / said was perverted and
twisted into just the opposite of what did
say. My person was maligned, and / was
presented as gorgon, and was maliciousy
described by persons who had never seen me
as a monstrosity in body, mind and soul
There were millions OF people who believed
that there was a large sofa in this pulpit al
though we never had anything but chair
and that during the singing by the congrega-
ton was accustomed 70 lie down on that
sofa and dangle my feet over the end Lying
New York correspondents for ten years
misrepresented our church services but
we waited, and people from every neighbor-
hood OF Christendom came here TO find the
magnitude OF the falsehoods concerning the
church and concerning myself. A rsa-ti7u
Set IN and now we have justice, full justice
more than justice and as much overpraise as
once we had under appreciation, and no man
that ever lived was 50 much indebted 10 the
newspaper press for opportunity TO preach
the Gospel as / am. Young men in the min
istry, young men in ali professions and occu-
patOns, wait. You can afford TO wait
axe rough misrepresentation as a Turkish
towel 70 start up your languid circulation
or system Of massage or Swedish move
ment whose pokes and pulls and twists and
bhrustS are salutary treatment There il
one person YOU need 20 manage and that Is
yourself. Heep your disposition sweet Law
communion with the Christ who answered
not again, the society Of genial people. aud
walk in the sunshine with your hat or and
you will come out all right. And don't Join
the crowd Of people In our day who spend
much Of their time damning newspapers
Again, IN this effort 70 secure the secular
press as mightier reinforcement Of religion
and the pulpit, let us make IL the avenue OF
religious information. II you put the facts
OF churches and denominations Of Christians
only INTO the columns Of religious papers
which do not IN this country have an aver
age OF more than ten thousand subscribers
what have you done az compared with what
you do II you put these facts through the
daily papers which have hundreds Of thou
sands Of readersi Every little denomination
must nave It's little organ, supported nj great
expense, when, with one-half the outlay a col
umn or half a column Of room might 10
rented In some semi-omnipotont secular pnb.
hcatiOn, and 50 the religious information
would - sent round and round the world
The world moves ~ -'vif'iv to-day that uegys
a week old is stale Give ne all the great
cburch facts and all the revival tidinge tho
next morning or the same evening. My ad-
vice, often given 70 friends who propose %
start Newspaper, is. DON'T Don't I'm
pioy the papers already started -" The big
gest financial hole ever dug I'm this American
continent is the hole in which good people
throw their money when they start q news
paper TO is almost a. good and az quick q
way n getting rid Of money az buying stock
iu n gold mine in Colorado. Not more print
ing presses, but the right uso Of th0se already
established All their cylinders eli their
steam power, at their pens, al their types,