New-York tribune., 1891-10-14
from their family physicians that they are not

THE MINISTRY OF PHILLIPS BRooh D..
The pastorate Of the Rev. Phillips Brooks, which
Is closed to-day by his conservation to the DShoPio
Of Massachusetts, is most striking oDJec'-ieSoon
TO his brethren in the ministry of all the cnurcnes
As we look back on his career, we see that DIS
preaching was a preaching of POSITIVE trutn, do
opposed to discussion and speculation; III tna'
fact Law all his powers and much OF his success
M one saw more clearly than he the crumohhg
avvav of the old theology, that has been such Il
striking fact in the religious history OF this genera
.;or ord no one felt more keenly than he the
tremendous force of the disbelief and douot thao
have temporarily resulted from this decadence OIL
what NAV be called the feudal conception OF re
lioion. At the same time, no one has undcrstooo
more clearly than he the necessity Tor reSn sI"'e
mont of RELIGIOUS truth. In all that maKeS loI /"
more comprehensive. and therefore uner' ouUo"A
in religion, and more expanding 'nous"' |'i
oornino, tts great verties. Phillips Brooks has kept
ston with his ace He has been no timid neutral
in the great conflict between the old order ana te
now but has followed its varying fortunes with
tho absorbing interest of one who knows It's mean
inc tolerant Of. and sympathetic with, all ruin
even though imperfectly expressed In the oiu
forms vet profoundly responsive TO the h'lhe
revelation of Himself which God is making Oo-oaS
in the hearts and the consciences OF men.
Northumberland this is the point we oeSle
n make-in ell his ministry Of preaching fhllllpS
Brooks has never once allowed the Janglng anu t'e
clomor about creeds and dogmas and ceremonies 10
find n voice in his pulpit. Always ana all inc
tihe he has loved to dwell on the undispu'ed
facts of religion, and it has ever been his aim 10
bring those facts to bear on the AVes ol tlose
who listened to him. To enforce the len Com-
mandments and the law of Christian brotherhood
os epitomized by the Master III the Golden Kule'
has seemed to this richly lowered man "ork
creat enough and important enough TO demand
all his splendid abilities. Read his sermons ana
YOU will find In them not formal BODY OF dNlnly'
not any statement of theology. either ola OF new
no wire-drawn discussion about questions now III
controversy in process Of solution, ana no argu
meut in favor Of any merely denomlnatlonaI type
of religion. but instead the old gospel of Divine
Love Mercy and Justice, presented as the ohIy
nanacca for sin-sicl. heartsick souls Surely
bere is something for all preachers TO think about
The religious unrest of the day is fact that can
mot he ignored; the spirit OF investigation tnat
is abroad in all the churches, we may well believe
has legitimate work to do in the modern Christian
Church But in it's merely partisan Aspects IL
has no place in the Christian pulpit. 100 ol'en
il happens that preachers allow themselves to
| nreoch about Christ, instead Of preaching Chrse'
and waste much of their strength In arguments
about the ever-changing phases of ephemeral con-
| tSoversies All such may well pause ana consider
| the better example Of the man who to-day steps
ont of the ministry of preaching into the ministry
of oversight and who leaves behind hlm a record
OF success surpassed by few, If any, preachers IN
this generation That success was attained, not
smplv because Phillips Brooks was great man,
but because being great man ne conSecrated his
eoquence and genius to the simple preaching OF
Christ in such way that all. whether cllnglhg 10
the old ideas or reaching forward to the new, might
0nd in his words something that would arm them
AGAINST the temptations and trials of this life, and
Give them a larger hope of happiness in the life
! that Is to come