New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-13
PREACHERS AND THE PRESS
DISCUSSIONS OF THE EcuMEMcAL COUNCIL.
THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS OF
MINIsTERs--TnE SECULAR AND RELIG-
IoUs newspapers Mr. ATKIN-


IoUs NEwspAPERs Mr.. ATKIN-
SON RAISES A BREEZE.
Washington Oct 12.-The fifth dsy Of the Ecumeni-
cal Methodist Council opened with Bishop J. w. HOOD
of the African Methodist Episcopal Non Church.
Fayetteville, N c., in the chair. Bishop Gaines. OF
the African Methodist Episcopal Church, delivered the
prayer. and the Rev. DIR. G. H. Phillips, of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church OF Washington read the
Scriptures The business committee reported the receipt
OF memorial from the Worlds Womsn's Christian Tenn
peganoe Union containing address TO the govern
monts Of the world for the suppression of the liquor
traffic, and memorial concerning ecamenical Hymns
book
The topic for the morning session "The Church
and Her Agencies and Bishop r. s. Foster, OF Massa
chusetts, proceeded 10 address the Council on "The
Responsibilities and Qualifications OF the Preacher
Tile preacher instrument as really as the ser
mon. He should be manly man. His consciousness
should lift him to dignfed, noble manhood lie
should be able to look his fellowmen In the face to
scrutiuze and be scrutnized; to win confidence and
respect. He should know that about which he spoke
he should be man Of experience. Truth lodged IN
Intelligence. stirring the heart leading the sinner by
the gateway OF repentance; by such process was
the preacher made But that was not ALL The theory
10 which the Church held was that God called His
ministers. God desit with men as rational beings
and dealt with their intelligence Preachers became, at
times imbecle in their efforts because Of lack OF
knowledge Of the way TO go about their mission So,
when those TO whom he preached came TO the teacher
with doubt he should Re able to grapple with those
doubts. to overcome them and show them the way to
the truths OF the Gospel Bishop Foster retired from
the platform amid great applause.
The Rev. John Bond, Of the Wesleyan Methodist
Church, London followed Bishop Foster the same
subject. The preachers business he said. some
times be like that of John the Baptist, to rebuke the
foes and sins Of his generation-to evil-doers
meet for repentance" to teach to do Justice and
love mercy in relation 10 their feow-men well
their relation to God. But his first duty TO
the souls Of them that hear ham. Woe TO the that
does not aim at such results. Woe to the Who to
win applause, 20 win popularity, 10 win money TO
crafty his own tastes intelligence. contents himself
with mere learned elaborate eloquent presentation
Of gospel truth without the higher aim of saving
He knew Of better test by which to determine the
qualifications of preacher than those provided by the
oOmmon-sense of John Wesley, who asked. in relation
10 candidates for the Office OF preacher: Has he
grace Has he gifts Has he frrtl" The speaker could
not conceive of Paul or Peter or John OF James or
Whitfield, or Wesley being dependent on manuscripts
for their sermons. lie protested against monastc
or semimonastic life for a minister. He should be
q Of the world.
The Rev. William Howard Day, Of the African
Methodist Episcopal Zion Church of Harrisburg Penn,
said that there other church agencies than the
grand old gospel preached from the pulpit Whatever
Importance might DO attached to other agencies PRAYER
stands pre-emiDent
Bishop c. D. Foss, Of Philadelphia, held that the
minister be the everlasting student Of the great
authors, to the exclusion Of other things. lie must
not dawdlc Insignificant readings.
The Rev. Frank Ballard said that. after listening
to bishop Foster, he willing TO correct his first
statement and admit that America was in advance Of
England in Methodism. The modern aud Intellectual
from the Church. Children were rising up to know
in few years more than their parents 1t was pos
sible that In seine themes those to be taught knew
more than the teachers. There was danger there
The Rev. DR.. J. Summon Cook of London. called at
tenton 20 tie supernatural element that must be taken
into account He believed that Methodist preaching
with the Spirit In it the secret Of success. Tho
Rev O. W. Clinton, of Pittsburg, held that the
preacher was an ambassador of Christ and that he
should give adequate idea of his heavy respohsoh
lty. sngleDess of purpose was preem'nent quaIil-
cation The Rev. DR.. William Arthur believed that Tor
q preacher there nothing more essential than
deep conviction in ths truth of his teachings. Tho
Rev Dr. Leonard of New York, missionary secretary,
closed tho morning session in few remarks con-
demnatory of the preachers who invited Doubt by de-
iiverfng sermons Darwinism and on Huxley.
When the council rcassembled the Rev. NJ T. Myers,
OF the United Methodist Church. Rochdal England,
took the chair. The topic for discussion was THE
Religious Press and the Religious Uses of the Sec
ular Press the Rev. Hugh Price Hughes, of Lon
don, delivering the essay Dr. Hughes said the daily
was now the fourth estate the greatest engine Of the
world. and became without the aid of the Church
or its blessings 1t has been said that the newspaper
was mightier than the pulpit and perhaps that es-
tmate was not too high. The power Of journalism
used on the right side enormous and irresistible.
The great majority of Christians were so pre-
occupied that they did not realize the evils that ex
listed under their eyes IL disposed the editors Of
the daily pnpers could render ncalculable service to
the cause of God The religious press shoud never be
used for political purposes Chcar. hear. and 1T should
extend It's work in Farming and recording the progress
of Gods work earth. IT had been said that
large proportion of the Journalists of the secular
were sceptcs sgnostios. That might be so; yet
therc weo certain phases Of the Christian religion that
even tbs anOstic Journalist might and did believe to be
GOOD and WORTHY of extension. The preacher has
learned from the Journalist said DR.. Hughes, IN
conclusion and God grant that they may now learn
little from as. For united VIC and the journalists
can hasten the creation Of that state which Christ
bringing to all lands In which there shall be no room
for or sigR of misery"
The Rev. DR.. Il. H. Dewart Editor Of The Christian
Guardian Of Toronto. Canada held that the Church
had not yet formed sufficiently high estmat, Of the
influence Of the religious press and had not used 1t TO
its full capacity for good The religious press should
not bo regarded as rival to the pulpit. 1t supple
mented and backed up the teachings of the preacher
The Rev. Dr. Joseph F. Ferguson, president of the
Primitive Methodist Church of England, coud not say
amen to all Dr. Hughes had said and especially where
he said that religious papers should not take cog
nizance Of politics tCr.es of "Oh, nor In England
there were thousands Of people that received their
politics not from the daily papers but from the weekly
religious journal. Occasionally IT became necessary
that reliao-poAtlcal questions should be treated by
teIn CNIurnurs Of disapproval) He would not 90
further into that subject because he saw 1t troubled
his Wesleyan friends. Cries OF "Oh no.-) Many
parts of this great country, he had been told were in
nuenced strongly by the Roman Catholic power. Ii
might be because that power was concentrated, but
might il not also be because Of their use Of the prsse
lie reioced that the secular press was not subject to
censorship The churches should ally themselves with