Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-04-17
FALSE PROPHETS.

An Impressive Discourse BY DR..
Stalker-The subject Painful But
Necessary-Ser1ous Questions and
Grave Thoughts-A Warning.
Rev. Dr. James Stalker continued his
course of lectures yesterday afternoon in
Yale Divinity school, on preaching, |
Prophetic and Apostolic" The announce
ment that the subject would be finished
last Friday was wrong. He delivered
very interesting lecture, of which we give
an abstract
''In bringing this subject to close I
am constrained to notice painful and
distasteful feature of the prophetic age,
which it is impossible to pass blythe
activity of the false prophet.
They appear everywhere in that
period, and combined at one time
to take Jeremiah's life. 1t
seems almost humiliation to
speak on this at all, but must do it to
set forth the degradations incident to our
order and to reveal truth complete. There
are two thoughts never encounter with
out fear and seif-mistrust. The first is
that the son of God was put to death by
the religious classes, the Pharisees, those
and who had the chief seats in Gods
house. The question has often pressed
itself on me, what reception should he get
from us, were he to appear as he did to
them? That is, what is the attitude
of religious classes to the man
ifestations of the spirit of Christ? The
other circumstance is that prophets had
most to encounter those who had the word
of God in their mouths. We call them
| false prophets, but that is because time has
found them out. They were evidently a
separate and powerful body. To me it is
| appalling to think that the principals of
things have occurred even in Christendom.
It is reassuring to think that we are in
| the majority and that our side is win
| ming, but we are too ready to conclude
| that we are right because we are in
| the majority. In politics we often see this
| delusion, and history often startles with
| reverses the victory of the moment. False
| prophets were in favor with the people
also. If we are wrong the people will go
wrong with us. To my mind the saddest
word in all the prophetic books is, The
prophets prophesy falsely and my people
will have it So The people have no ear
false prophets won their position by yield
ing to the frailties of the majority. The
time of repentance was gone by, but the
| people would not hear such news.
tThis is not danger of past ages. Pop
ularity is a delightful thing; full church
is delightful thing, but they may be pur-
chased at too dear price. There is al
ways great demand for religion compati-
BILE with the enjoyments of worldly life.
The man that breaches only on the good
side of human nature and not on the bad
side, on pleasant things and not on I'M
pleasant, will be false prophet. I've
satisfactorily accounted for. My impress
sion is that all that went through the
prophetic schools called themselves
prophets. We hear of hundreds even in
an idolatrous reign, in persecution. They
learned the trick of speech, and it was easy
to put on thus the prophets mantle. 1t
has not been long since the parish
church was looked upon as a living
for junior member Of the family; SO
we get manufactured ministers, who have
no message from God. One of the things
against the false prophets was greedy ap-
probation of the things of this life.
Prophecy was not a lucrative calling, but
it was a means of livelihood and high So
cial position, as they had no care for the
prosperity of the nation. The ministry
is not a great means of livelihood, yet it
is entered often with that end; and a man
who once had higher purpose may be
transmitted into a hiveling. They are
tempted away with money. brides I
tho m not deny gu the m'a ersa{est is
competing for such places. If I saw a man
exercising his great force in them I would
fear to see him taken away and his claws
cut and his teeth drawn, and he himself
tanned and domesticated into minister to
the wealthy" Laughter and applause.
Jeremiah and Isaiah, as well as Zepha-
miah and others, terribly accuse the false
prophets of their idleness and devotion
to worldly pleasures and indulgence. The
state of affairs must have been deplorable.
Gentlemen, it is no pleasure to me to
day to lecture on such theme; and yet
there have been epochs of the Christian
and even Protestant church when its worst
features have not been unrepresented
Therefore let him that thinketh he stand
eth take heed lest he fall; Let us not be
too sure of our position.
zone word more, gentlemen, in closing.
I believe that this question is decided fol
each church in the seminary, was speak
ing recently to president of a seminary
and asked him how things were il
his seminary. He replied that he was
well content; one man, he said,
had done more for the rest than all other
influences. I believe that two or three
men in an assembly are the powers tc
raise it's moral tone; and in every seminary
the spirit should be such that if there is
any man who is living life inconsistent
with his prospective calling, he ought tc
have it driven home on his conscience
every day, that the ministry of the gospel
is not a work with which he ought to have
anything to do.