Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-15
THE SERMON OF THE DAY.
A Reaction From tho Modern Ways Might
= Suit the Public Better.
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Reaction From tho Modern Ways Might
= Suit the Public Better.
Philadelphia Bulletin.i
twill be pretty generally acknowledged
that the sermon, like many things, has
changed its character in the last 20 or 30
years. Except in tho '1ow church" places
of worship We rarely hear to-day plain
homily or simple and lucid explanation of
Bible passages. The few we do have Of this
kind are tfnged with doctrinal ideas and
have largely lost their original character.
Education generally has advanced. and
spiritual education. therefore,is supposed to
have passed beyond the primary stage. The
mind Of the church-goer OF to-day is taken to
bemore receptive to discourses upon philo-
sophical and involved questions OF religious
teaching and more ready to listen to them
than to the fundamental and, perhaps, more
apparent truths of the Christian Church. In
the Bible the pulpit orator of to-day finds
material for lengthy addresses upon what
are often ALMOST suppositious ideas. He has
been taught that the-people expect from the
sermon not SO much a review or explanation
OF the truths there expounded or any history
rather 4 learned and well-thought-out arg.I-
ment upon some doctrinal point. In not
rev churches the pulpit Is the place for in
struction in church canons and doctrines,
rather than for the teaching Of the Bible.
The study and explanation of the creed is an
approach to the latter, but it Is not the
same.
It is questionable whether this new kind
the pulpit than did and still does in soma
places the simpler form. 1t may be said
tnat tne new sermon exhibits more educa-
tfon. the workings of more acute and more
powerful mind, and that the sermon itself Ia
grander effort. 1t Is doubtful, however,
whether this is what is most wanted in n SER
mon. The question arises: Is 1t strength
ana perfection in the sermon itself that Is
most desirable? 1t must be conceded that
the worth of the sermon is measured by its
enect upon those that hear 1t, and that,
judged to have the greater effectiveness,
that class may be considered as more truly
fulfilling the mission of the pulpit.
In this matter our only reliable way Of
forming an estimate i3 through figures, and
here it is apparent that those who fully ap-
preciate learned and doctrinal discourse
are far outnumbered by those whose in
clinat1on or mental compass makes the
none the less great ones, understood, and
the more involved questions almost incom-
prehensible. While the advancement of the
spiritual higher education of these may be a
great mission, it Is not the greatest. The
truest effort of the minister is to expound
the truths of Christianity and to instil in
his hearers perfect faith. If this is accom-
phshed on broader and more extensive
scale by adherine to simple methods and to
the primer, as it were, of spiritual educa-
tion, 1t Is certainly wiser that it should be
done. An elevation in Christian learning is
most desirable and proper; but that eleva-
tion should not be attempted at the risk of
being incomprehensible to many and Of so
losing perhaps the most active interest of
these. There il, Of course, q vast amount of
mistaken bewailing for the gradual disap-
pearance Of "old-fashtoned" church ways;
but at the same time o reaction in the mat
ter of the modern sermon would be well
coined by great many, irrespective Of