River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-08-29
GOV. HOARD TO THE CLERGY.

Following is the full text of the
Address to the Clergy delivered by
GOV. Hoard August ID, at the Monona
Lake Assembly grounds:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: I have been solicited
by the managers Of this Assembly to talk to the
clergy. I think the clergy need it, They ill the
place, to IA certain degree, of public censorship.
and thus contract certain habits of thought and
education which proceeds from being undis-
putcd in what they say
wish TO he understood in what shall say.
believe fully in the noble mission Of him who
would teach men the truths of religion. he
lieve in the fatherhood OF God, and that il is our
duty, preachers and people. 10 do what We can
10 promote the brotherhood Of man. The prin-
cipal portion II my creed consists in a belief in
whatsoever things are honest. whatsoever
things are just whatsoever things are pure
whatsoever things are OF good report" Whether
this confession Of faith is orthodox or not is a
matter Of little concern to me; but IL is matter
Of some concern that what / say and do shall
prove in some degree encouraging to my fellows
in the ways of human goodness. l have found
however. even with this short creed that belief
is great deal easier than performance. 1t is
performance that bothers me. This little pre-
ambe is for the purpose of saying that wish to
be understood as "a friend and not as one who
desires 10 carp OF bubble.
IrHcOgnizc in the pulpit one of the greatest
forces of progressive civilization. Yet it is
force that is moved upon as much as il moves:
and in one sense this is the Of its success
II is one of the mouthpieces of public convic-
ton. II win shrink and wither like plucked
branch whenever it ceases to stand by the peo-
pie and for the people. Hence strong pulpit
must in the best sense, be popular pulpit. 1t
is the preachers duty 10 reach out after the
heart Of the people. lie is a narrow and with
cred specimen who considers himself only as the
partisan Of church OF creed TO promote church
growth and not public growth lie may help
the church. but not the people.
We greatly need larger infusion Of the spirit
Of citizenship among our clergy class. Presi-
dent Hayes said in one of his messages, Gle
serves his party best who serves his country
best" That is true Of political parties, and just
as true of churches and preachers. There is
natural tendency in pulpit life. as in political
life, to contract the habit Of blind partsanship.
We see plenty of men who are more partisan
than they are patriouc-to whom the party ut
terauce is all in all. So we see preachers and
| parishiuners whose convictions of duty toward
! the public never get beyond church definition.
This partisanship leads them away from public
contact, public sympathies public understand
ing, and what is more than all public eduea-
| ton
/ often hear preachers ascribe the progress Of
civilization as being entirely due 70 the work Of
| Christianity. This, think, is undue PARTISAN
ship. They forget that something there is that
has civilized Christianity itself The Christianity
Of tine dark ages is a vastly different thing from
that which shines to-day. Then il was barbar-
ous-to-day il is civilized. What has wrought
the changer The growth Of knowledge among
the common people. Any system OF religion
must be met by intelligence in the masses If it
be kept pure and wholesome, for, like all human
agencies, il is bound 10 take color from its sur.
| roundings Religion among the plantation
negroes OF Louisiana to-day is much pagan
as christian. Mere blind worship will never
| correct this. the growth Of knowledge and the
expansion Of the reason alone can do it. The
HindOo poet well says
when the fish swim out Of the water,
And the birds SOAR out OF the blue,
Aaus thought may transcend mans
And your COD be no reflex Of YOU"
The growth Of justice in the hearts of the peo-
has lGuslt Guu1NAl lAAAls useful 4tnSoAASf
| aud shown it where it has made many grieyous
mistakes. For this reason am not a believer
ia the selni-diyine idea of the clergy. the pulpit
| OF the church which seems in all ages to have
/ found Judgement in the minds of 50 many
/ cannot forget that when Christ came TO teach
men a purer and more humane form Of worship,
/ "A form more just TO GOD ana man than any that
had preceded it, the best he could get for upos-
Ties was a choice Of sinners; and 50 it has con
tinued to this day. 1 am none the less interest
cd. however, in the success of the pulpit in deal
/ ing with the hearts Of men. want TO see those
OF my fellow sinners who are chosen for this
work achieve the widest influence possible.
note with regret the growth Of any force in
/ society whether it come from the clergy or out
! side, which shall lessen that influence. Yet
cannot shut my eyes to the fact that with large
majority OF men there is felt but little need, in
/ lividualIy, Of the distinctive work Of the
/ preacher They cannot just exactly see how the
preacher helps them in the daily contention OF
/ lite They viii, in sort of Theatrical way, con
cludc that the pulpit is good thing for society.
| They pay ungrudgingly for its support, but
| usually they content themselves with letting
| their wives bear the burden Of active wOck in
| the church This is not because they have not
moral purpose; il IL for no lack Of conscience or
| love Of goodness, tor as a rule they are -four
| square 10 al the winds thar blow" They main
tain no such attitude toward the school or news
| paper They take ready hold Of these forces
Tor their individual benefit. / am somewhat
puzzled at this state Of affairs and none the less
50 because / find am rs deep in the mirc as
anybody. 1 am not satisfied with such state
of affairs, nor am l satisfied with the eXplana-
tiOn when is 50 generally offered. l am told
that it is because am peryerse and unregener-
ate, and not in sympathy with the work OF the
| pulpit. That explanation is too cheapiy offered.
Christ said 20 Peter, Feed my sheep To my
mind il is "a question Of feed. The law Of de
nand and supply governs in things spiritual as
| wei as in things temporal. Which comes first
shall it be my necessity, my hunger which
shall lake me to church, OF the necessity and
hunger Of the preacher Ii the preacher docs
not conform 10 this great law, can he justly com
plain if the active men oi affairs do not accept
MS proiered feed? Have you critically exam
| ined the food 20 see whether OF not il is musty
| with age2-whether OF not it was cut and dried
| for some one else3-whether or not it is living
reason OF dead dogma that you hand OUT Tho
men you ask 10 take your feed can reason and
| discriminate. They have just sharp discern
ments as yourselves If they show lack Of
| sympathy with your work. it is not because Of ii
lack OF reverence for your Master. Their sharp
contact with life brings 10 them the necessity Of
character rather than abstract belief They feel
the need of that sort offeed that shall strengthen
and sustain, from their standpoint, not yours.
You ask me TO come TO church. am strug-
Cling six days in the week with the hard prob
| lens Of lie, aud with the temptation 20 lie,
cheat and wrong my neighbor. Vet when go
to church hear ten sermons against sabbath
breaking mere sin Of statute-to one against
| lying. The pulpit standard Of goodness is too
! theoretical This sort of preaching docs not
| feed me; there is no resisting power in it.
! am reminded here Of story. In the old
slavery days planter accosted one Of his hands
one morning and the following eolloquy en-
| sued
| Hello. Uncle Pete; hear that you are getting
70 be quite "a preacher among the darkies
Yes. masss. de Tor open my m0uf casionly.'
well, Pete, what do you preach on
"De sins OBJ de people, massa-"
That's q good subject, PETE; and, by the way,
you can be of some service TO me, for you darkies
are cleaning ont my hen rOost and ham house
M "A great rate and want won fo rraarh against