Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-02-17
REV. Nh. PHILLIrs
Al tho ministers, Meeting Yesterday
Points for Young Preachers-A
witty and Interesting Paper.

At tho MINISTER'S Meeting Yesterday
Points for Young Preachers-A
Witty and Interesting Paper.
Rev. DR.. Phillips, the new pastor of the
Church of the Redeemer, was the center Of
attraction and interest yesterday at the
weekly meeting of the New Haven Minis
ters' union. Special interest attached to
his presence, as to many of his brethren
his was new face, while all desired to
hear as well as see the new pastor. All
had their impressions verified that the new
comer's paper would prove an excellent
one. DR.. Phillips entertained his audience
with some sterling truths as to what the
pastor who wants to do the most good in
this world of ours ought to preach about.
His paper was on the subject can Old
Fashioned View of the Pulpit" The pa
per was much enjoyed and approved. A
few of the main points the preacher made
| are as follows:
First, let me say that the sacred book
| tells us to preach the word. Neither elo-
cution nor rhetoric nor dialectics will
exposition or explanation of q text. The
sermons have scriptural authority. John
the Baptist says in his gospel that he was
sent to preach and baptize. All the apos-
ties preached on Christ, sin, repentance,
| and their sermons were founded on divine
authority.
| A lecturer may brighten his remarks
with rhetoric and gain applause for him
self. A preacher is messenger. His prime
| object must be to inculcate the divine
| truth in the clearest, simplest way without
| rod; for
| We must feel what we say.
| 1t has been said that no man should
preach on future punishment until he
hears his own tears kissing on the flag
| stones of hell.
In some instances o man has to be i'm
prisoned in whales belly before he will
consent to preach to Nineveh.
I cannot esteem the conversations
style.
We hope that the ministers will mo-
adopt the theology" of Mrs. Humphrey
Ward or the social science of Edward Bel
lamy.
Nor are the people hungry for Greel
roots or the latest evolutiens of the Ger
man schools.
Public taste is not the sickly and fas
tidious thing that some would have us be
ieve.
The people like the word of God in it
full strength, properly set forth; not in tn
sensational way, which has only an ephem
eral effect.
A young minister passes through fv
different periods before he becomes an OF
thodo1 preacher. These stages were anus
ingly described and elaborated.
Among the stages named was the rhetoI
ical, when the household poets are quote
and great mems lives are held up as shin
ing examples.
Another one was that where plunge
are made into all the byways and hedge
for queer and startling texts.
Still another is when disquisitions ar
brought forth on Socrates, Pythagoras
! | Aristotle and like men among the ancientt
/ Then comes the fifth period in whic
he assails Huxley, Darwin, Ingerson an
, like men with great valor and persistence
He goes on qui1otic excursions againf
wind mills and vaporous knights. And
he escapes unscathed he lives to reach tn
sixth period-the gospel preaching period
{ when he puts forth scriptural truths i
strong, clear diction that does not start
/ and has deep effect.
{ At the next meeting of the minister
Professor Wayland will speak on eth
House of Commons" At the meeting tw
{ weeks hence George A. Butler of tt
5 Tradesmen's bank will take the gold sid
of the currency problem. Judge Sheldo
will champion free silver and Rev. NJ
| Squires the greenback doctrine.
. Previous to the paper the meeting r
3 elected Mr.. Squires for president and a
the other members of the old board
| officers.