Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-05-02
The English Pulpit.
How 1t compares With the Ameri-
can in Point of WITTY and
Power,
Sketches and characteristics of Some
OF the Noted English Preachers of
the day.

The most popular, and in many re-
spects the most Influential, of all Euslls
preachers is
NIB. STURGEON.
No fair-minded Englishman will ques
ton Mr.. Spurgeon's inalienable right to
this distinction. Many are the attampts
to solve the secret of his unique power.
1t is veritable wonder to contem plate
this mans undiminished popularity and
undiminished influence after more than
thirty years workt In the same spot, right
in the eye of wide and exacting public
for Mr.. Spurge0u has not preached to
the Metropolitan Tabernacle alone, large
though the gathering there always is; his
audience has virtually been all evangeli
cal England. He was but lately publish
ing his two thousandth sermon, and every
Sunday on which he appears in his pulpir
his appearances now, sad o say, are be
coming less frequent and regular, owing
70 persistent i'll healthy, he is as fresh and
original as ever. His voice still retains
its power, his points have not yet lost any
of their pith nor his humor its puugency.
How is it, people ask, thst this man, with
out any personal grace of appearance and
manner, without any gaudy rhetoric Or
Oratorical pyrotechnics, gets his 5000
hearers together and yet holds them with
& spell which has lost none of its inten--
sity9 SpurgeOn's secret is his all absorb
ing earnestness. it was the prayer of
one of England's greatest preachers that
ne should preach every sermon as if it
were to be his last. AS one listens to Mr..
Sturgeon one can not but feel that it is
in this spirit that he also breaches. Per
haps his uncertain health gives touch of
unusual sOlemnity to every service that he
conducts. He feels, he realizes what he
is about; and his earnestness allows him
no time to think of anything but 10 drive
home his message in the most direct and
impressive manner possible. In doing SO
he uses the plainest language, and is not
afraid either of offending or tickling the
susoeptibilities Of his hearers. Like every
great master of an audience, Spurg con
makes his audience laugh, knowing that
laugh is very near akin to tears. In
fact, Spurgeon throws himself, just as h.
is, without any apology or palliatlon, Up-
on his congregation, and they can not
help being held by his power. But above
all he comes to the pulpit each time, like
Moses from the mount, fresh from the
presence of his Master. Spurgeon Is en-
phatically a man Of prayer; and 1t is this,
ds a crown to his natural gifts OF speech
and intellect, that accounts for the magic
apd force of his influence.
Perhaps the most popular preacher
after Spurg eOn-though one appealing
to totally different class of persons
is
DR. LIDDoN,
Canon of st. Pauls. Spurgeon is the
preacher of the great middle class; Lid
don of the aristocracy. Spurgeon is a di
rect, unvarnished taiker of solemn truths
to unsophist1cated business men. Liddon
appeals TO the cultured, the heightened,
and the mystical. A high churchman of
the stra1test school, a disciple of Pusey,
and friend of Dollinger. Canon Liddon
is a classic preacher of the old Episco-
palian type, writer of splendidIy elabor
ated sermons, which he delivers with a
charm of manner unequalled in The Eng
lish Church. Americans who have not
lived a length of time in England, can
form no conception of the great gulf
which exists in the mother country be
tween the established church and the non
conformists. There are many OF the
hearers of Liddon who consider Spurgeon
but vulgar schismatic, and who know
nothing of him beyond the bare name.
There is no divine in England more at
others with Mr.. Spurgeon in his doctrinal
views than Canon Liddon. Yet these men
have never stood on the same religious
platform, and though Mr.. Sturgeon may
have listened to Canon Liddon, it is quite
certain that Canon Liddon never sat I'M
der sermon of Mr.. Surgeons. Liddon,
theologically. is an Old-time Calvinist, and
a powerful advocate OF the orthodox faith. |
As hampton lectured few years ago at
Oxford, ne delivered a series of discours |
es which are, without doubt, the best
statements of the doctrine of our Lords |
divinity ever produced by an English |
theologiau. AS an orator he stands with |
out a rival in his church. The vast area
of ST. Paul's Cathedral is crowded every |
Sunday afternoon during his term of of
fee, aud all ears are riveted to the sonor
Gus tones of his splendid voice. Liddon's |
delivery, though perhaps too much in the
ecclesiastical monotone, it is as near the
per fectioh of English speech and accen-
tuation as can well be imagined. Taking |
him all in ali, Canon Liddon is a truly |
great preacher, and has won for himself |
an abiding place on the splendid scroll of
fame to be found in the archives of the |
Anglican church.
Another preacher who may be consid-
cred with Spurgeon and Liddon to make
up "the triad of fame" of the English |
pulpit, is
DR. ALEXANDER MAOLAREN,
of Manchester. DR.. Maolarep, like Mr..
S purgeon, is a Baptist, but he ministers
to mixed church of Baptists and Con-
gregational lists. The best preachers, pure
and simple in England are undoubtedly
to be found outside the established
Church. The Anglican preachers are
mostly great decalmers-hne readers of
tnely-Worded sermons. The leading non
ministers, on the other hand,
generally preach extempore. Tney deliver
their message with all the life and fire
and force to be derived from unfettered
and from the inspiration of the
moment. cons picuous example of
power and success as ali extempore
preacher is to be found in DR.. Maclaren.
There are many who deem DR.. Maclaren
to be-taking al things into consider
best preacher in England to-
day. He combines the directness and
force of Spurgeon with mrch of the
grace and scholarship of a Liddup, and
besides has an individuality of thought
and expression altogether distinct from
either. Those who have heard him almost
unanimously agree in propouneing him
the most electric speaker to be found in
the English pulpit. And DR.. MacIareu is
no mere impassioned rhetorician- he is
one of the most original of modern think
ers. 1t will be difficult to find sermons
more rich in brilliant flashes of original
Il nnnht nna mora and ann-I