The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-17

The Sunday Newspaper
Every once in while the Sunday news
paper is denounced from the pulpit. There
are minister's who think that the Sunday
newspaper keeps people away from the
churches AS rule, however, they are un-
interesting preachers, and they try to sad
die their failure to attract large congrega-
tions upon thu Sunday newspaper.
In recent letter to the Rev. Dr. Plumb
the Rev. Howard McQeary discussed the
Sunday newspaper at considerable length.
Among other things he said:
II know of no clergyman who accepts the
new truths Of science who complains of his
| educated pensioners staying away from
service to read the Sunday newspaper. Let
| a Newton, an Abbot, a Briggs, or even a
| lesser light, who is really light and no
Pickering taper bedlmmed by medieval
damps and fog, preach to congregation of
educated men, and see if they won't
lay aside their Sunday newspaper until
after service and attend church. They 20,
too, not because of the 'sensationalism' of
the preacher. but because they expect to bs
edited. They know they will not hear old
wives fables or nursery tales. but vigor-
GUS discussion Of living and important
questions. Give us sucn preaching and the
Sunday newspaper will be no hindrance to
public worship. There is plenty of time on
Sunday to listen to two sermons and to read
the newspapers also; and when the sermons
are made as interesting and instructive as
the newspaper is there will no longer be
pOOnnlainta about TuhliO
service. If may be pardoned Il personal
testimony l may say that, al
though occupying an humble po-
sition in the clerical profession,
have never yet lacked for an audience
when | announced that would preach on
some important subject; and this, too, de-
spite the fact that at least three of the leads
ing Sunday papers of the country were
largely circulated In the little city in which
lived. Surely what an ordinary. obscure
and young parson has done, doctors can do
Turning to the working classes, we cons
stantly hear it said that laboring men
do not attend church, and this is a
fact. OF course some do, but men who
| have paid special attention to the subject
tell US that as class the workingmen are
being ahenated from the church. Here
again the cause is not found in the Sunday
| newspaper, nor even in the depravjty of the
human heart, but in the hypocrisy of
Christians. Prof. Richard T. Ely, who is
certainly competent to speak on the subject,
says: The leaders of the church,
the representative men aud women
in the church, profess to love
the working classes, but as a matter Of fact
they do not love them, and this wide di-
vergence between profession and practice
is keenly felt. These church leaders. adds
the professor, are SO far away from the
toiling masses that they fail to understand
their desires and the motives Of their action.
l meet few clergymen who, even when they
want to be friendly, can give an intelligent
| statement of the side of labor in any of its
many controversies with capital"
The real reason why so few comparatively
attend church is not that the people are not
interested in religion or that they prefer the
newspaper to the sermon, but because the
ministers do not make themselves &C
quainted with the things which most deeply
concern the people. They do not put them
selves in sympathy with those to whom they
are called to minister. Well meaning mer
though they be, they fail utterly to under
derstaud the conditions, surroundings anc
experiences of those who ought to form
their congregations. They fall into a routine
way Of preaching and deliver discourse
which do not arouse the interest or touct
the hearts of those VINO hear them.
Now and then a man comes along who
steps outside of the beaten path aud look:
into the minds and hearts of the people
There is at once an immediate response
and the church In which he breaches cannot
hold the people who want to hear him
And they never get tired of listening t
him. II preachers made as much effort t
interest the people as the makers of news
papers do they would never have to preach
to empty pews.