New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-24
IN THE CHURCH PORCH
rorrc or pr1TpIT AND PEW.


1..,t,.a 30 postn, DR. storrs, as ono Of his most
.c,te critics has recently said Is "eoster am
Cboatc rolled in one. In males1'
copiousness and fuency he STANDS aimoss aiono ~
a.y In brilliant imagery, ranging from inc ci~'so'
- 81 raj event of yesterday, In noble prose
$50 "a IN The dellcately adjusted balance Of ex-
,rss.,ve nbrases no speaker in the United states
.o,aIs him. He belongs TO what may be called the
ola Gothic order OF oratoIy. This STYLE uh-
fortunately appears to be passing away. lts eaoo-
ratepess of expression and amplitude OF form take up
boo much time to please this hurrying scurryng age
b,eh clips its forms of speech Just 1t cuts across
corner. while gain much by this fever'Sh I'M
rest. we also lose much, among other things inc
oovsr to appreciate the majestic beauty OF CLASSIC
pratory, of which Dr. storrs is such master
The STYLE of pulpit oratory has changed very much
aurtng the last twenty-five years. The CONVERSE
honal tone simple, direct, often honely, sometimes
sven coloquial is the vogue now. Inc ola styie oi
preaching with its elaboration OF detail Win us
formal exordum its numerous heads, and its rhetori
al neroration would not hold the people nowadays
what Is looked for and appreciated in the pulpit Is
,r,sp and epigrammatic style, with an element OF
aewslnegs and freshness about It, Such style at s
nest demands quite much ability and culture as
The old style. Indeed 1t really demands more for IL
eresupposes the power to condense great zeal
II thought into few words, which Is only
possible to a high order OF intellect Dr. Parkhurst
md DR.. Paxton, of this cty noteworthy instances
" this style of preaching. They both, in an eminent
egreo, have the power 10 put great Thought Deore
heir hearers in a few epgrammatic sentences
snged with the homely vernacular OF the people.
they might indeed be called pulpit etchers. Inc
roung preacher who wants 10 learn the secret OF
upit success could not do better than study care
lilly the methods of these two great preachers
With his usual vigor and energy Bishop Coke IS Try
ne to get Americans interested in the religious refor-
hahn arried
inthe This is very well; but what is really needed
that some one should interest the French people In
his reformation for by all accounts they don't caf0
button for either Pere Hyacinthe or his GaIican
lhurch.
Mr. Sturgeon has for many years been in the hsOit
4 sending fresh books to country clergymen "no so
nable to buy such books themselves Heoer Ne"Dh'
this city, has been doing the same thing ana o'her
lergymen doubtless have been doing similar good
FORK writer in "The Advance tells OF warm
earted ayman who has recently set apart Sooo 10 cnu
clergymen for the purchase of books and magazines
here must be many country clergymen who are suner
az from literary famine. owing to their NANNY 10
MY fresh books and subscribe for the current maya
ines And have often wondered why some enort
as not been made supply them with good literature
he churches of this city, for instance, might estaonsh
m agency to send books and magazines all over inc
ountry to the clergy. Such an agency would DC IN
xuensive The clergy and lsty Of the city would DO
lad 10 turn over 10 many books and magazines whioh
hey do not care keep after reading and the clergy
whom they would be sent, would gladly pay the
ostage on them. There is an immense quantity Oh
God literature thrown away in all our large cues
ch 10 were sent to poor country clergymen, would
q a vast amount of good suggest that some one
ct this idea.
Poor Albert ZabriskIe Gray. His untimcly death
Chicago the other day will be great shock TO his
,any friends in this city. He was a man oil rare
ulture whose poetic temperament found little scope
/, his difficult post Warden Of Racine Conege,
Wisconsin, Through fault OF his, the college failed
D. prosper under his administration and am told
TAT the unkind criticisms of his policy did much 10
,asten his death. 1t was striking instance Oh
he right man in the wrong place. DR.. Gray was
amirabfy fitted to be the rector OF cultivated
EASTERN congregation, and 1t is great pity that
ever gave up such position to fight the hard
attic of struggling Western college.
am told that the outlook for Racine College is
ather dIscouragng l hardly agree with dlstiIl-
uished Episcopal clergyman, that It has been Killed
W too much religion; but its excessive devotion
o ecclesiastical ideals Of education undoubtedly
rejudiced a great many people against 1t. The
verace American parent, especially IN the hushing
Vest wants his boy 10 learn something useful
md the impression somehow got abroad that In
,acne the principal text books were the Bible, the
rsyer-book and the Ritual Reason Why, none OF
my direct relation 10 a successful business career
Chicago The growth of a great religious uni
ersity In Racine was the dream Of the sanity Dr.
DO Koven. But IL is not likely that this dream
gill be realized for some time
In the death Of the Rev. Dr. Breed, Of Philadelphia,
he Presbyterian Church loses Of its most scholarly
ind influential ministers
DR.. Theodore L. cuylsr vigorously objects to the
gssertion that forty years is the ministerial dead
lne" Mr. Sturgeon. be says, Is dfty-hve, Dr. Joseph
Parker ffy-nine, Newman Hall sevsnty-swo, Dr.
rsrrar ffty-eight DR.. 6terrs sixty-eight, DR. John
Han and DR.. William NJ. Taylor each In his slxteth
rear Dr. Alexander Maclaren sixty three, DR. Talmage
ifty-six, DR. Philips Brooks hftyfOur, DR.. Rttredge
ltty.nvo, and Mr. Moody ffty-two. ave have.
Iays Mr. Cuyler few enough ministers Of the gospel
N our country already; but II this memorable dead
dne of forty is going 10 shelve large portion OF
hosc now in the field, shall soon have famine
Of the gospel that VIII make Jubilee in hell" OF
course this dead-lne theory is ridiculous But 1t
Is fact, nevertheless that many parisheTs are in
eined TO think only Of young men In making choice
Of pastor. They don't object to the age per Sc
but they think that the older men In the ministry
are not so apt to DO familiar with the newest learn
ng and the latest methods Of work. They want
amen who is in full sympathy with coDtem poraneous
life whether he is old or young. All Of which
should impress on the clergy tho importance or
keeping up with the times.
PesSmism may be briefly defined as despair en-
lowed with personality In the soul of the pessmist
no sun of gadness ever arises, and in his life no
star of hope is visible. Pure pessimism is not only
hostile to religion, but is the negaton Of all
that religion stands for. Nor is cynicsm much
better A cynic, 1t seems to me, is man who tries
10 make himself out to be much worse than he
s in order to give himself an excuse to think that
ne is much better than he IS He is tho In
raation Of that fippant disbelief in goodness which
utterly destroys all the enthusasms and ideals OF
religion. Optimism, on the other hand, may DO
defined as sunshine. The optimlst regards the
Ills and evils Of existence as temporary episodes,
and looks upon sorrow and pain the minor chords
in the majestic dispason of life, All optimists arc
not necessarily religious, but all religious men are
necessarily optimists.
Tho Rev. DR.. Homer Eaton the ne'wiy elected Book