Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-17


YORK CITY GREETED BIZ AN AUDIENCE THAI
CROWDED THE CHURCH OF THE COVENANT
now HE LOOKS AND SPEAKS.
Some one has compared Rev. DR.. Parkhurst
in his personal appearance to Mephistopheles.
Perhaps this comparison, which il based mainly
on familiarity with stage representations of that
character, did not suggest itself to the large au-
dience. composed mainly of church people,
which filed to overlooking the Church of the
Covenant last evening. Whatever the personal
appearance Of DIR. Parkhurst is there is no one
who heard him last evening who has any doubt
of his ability and power as a public speaker.
For more than an hour he spoke Of the political
duty Of citizens, and rarely has the theme been
presented with more force and vividness.
HE COMMANDED CLOSE ATTENTION.
His keen thrusts, his sparkling wit and his
powerful arraignment Of present conditions
held the attention of the audience closely
bound, although they were suffering all the dis
comforts of a crowded room on a hot night. II
the capacity of the church had been twice as
great 1t would easily have been filed by the
people who came expecting to hear the noted
New York divine. His bold and fearless ex-
posture Of civic methods in New York city has
drawn upon him the attention of the public,
and the attacks which his course has aroused
led to desire on the part Of the people who
approved it to show it in some public
way. For this reason DIR. Parkhurst. upon the
invitation of Rev. DIR. Hamlin and others, came
to this city to deliver an address. Owing to
the death of his father, DR.. Hamlin was unable
to be present and preside, as he had intended
to do.
INTRODUCED BY Oh. RANKIN.
Rev. DR.. Rankin acted in his stead. A large
number of clergymen from all denominations,
as well prominent laymen, were present.
Only small proportion of the ministers could
be accommodated on the platform. The Scrip
lures were read by Rev. DIR. Butler; prayer was
offered by Rev. DIR. Shipper. Letters Of re-
greet were announced to have been received
from Bishop Paret Cardinal Gibbons and
others Then the man the audience came to
see and hear took possession Of the platform.
He had been partially concealed by the desk.
but when he stood out in full view the chnrac-
teristic features made familiar by the numerous
newspaper cuts were at once recognized.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SPEAKER.
A man of rather medium height, with swarthy
features, the effect of which is heightened by a
mass of black hair, his dress severely clerical,
the white necktie being q conspicuous object.
His eyes flash keenly from behind pair of
glasses and as he stands before the audience
they are fixed upon roll Of manuscript which
he smooths out carefully on the reading desk.
With great elaboration he began reading and
except at rare intervals during the hour or more
occupied by the address he did not lift his eyes
from the paper. He seldom made a gesture.
Yet. with the absence of the ordinary graces Of
oratory, DIR. Parkhurst can be termed
an orator Of extraordinary force and
power. At times the man seems
to be boiling over with the intensity Of his
earnestness, and somehow this is commune
catpd Ia q ha
eyes you can see them flashing under the
glasses. His style is crisp. nervous and exceed
mgly strong. His sentences are epigrammatic
and his expression original, while his humor Is
so persuasive that it causes o ripple of laughter
to run over the audience, at times breaking
out into applause.
THE DUTY OF CITIZENSHIP.
The theme that DIR. Parkhurst presented last
evening was the duty Of citizenship. He said
that the work carried on by the church was the
regeneration of man as an individual, but if it
stopped there the church failed in its duty
Heaven was not mob of saints. but redeemed
community. The work Of the church is also
with the individual in his civil capacity 1t ia
as much part of religion to be good citizen
as good Christian. He believed that the
church should teach and enforce the duty Of
citizenship. He thought that in every church
the American flag should be made part Of the
permanent decorations Of the church. A holy
sense Of citizenship should be made part Of
religion.
PREACHING FOR EFFECT.
III preacher ventures to pronounce dis
tinct opinion on social or civil relations he is
certain to be accused Of sensationalism. of
preaching for effect. MY impression is that it
Is good thing to preach for effect. If preach
ers confne themselves to the future relations of
the saints and the Divine commonwealth, the
parochial current flows smoothly but if they
consider the relations in which men stand six
DAYS out Of the seven there is a cry of sensation
Friction Is not pleasant. but as certainly as q
church becomes interested in these other things
there is bound to be friction. You cannot re-
deem individuals or the state without opposing
the current which flows, and the fight must be
bitter and to the end. The world is here to be
saved, and you and ], thank God, are here to
save il.
1T is ecclesiastical cowardice to goskylarking
after antediluvian iniquity. am not tired Of
the Old Testament. but don't want people to
think they have done their duty when they have
condemned these GOODYEAR sins. What's
the use of showing up old Solomon because his
sins are shown in the Scriptures? There seems
to be some peculiar significance attached to
these sins because they are recorded in the
Bible, more than to the same things happening
today. Drunken Noah. tricky Jacob and Ibid
nous David have been overworked. Still
have been dead 5000 yea-s, and if it gets into
the papers their families can't sue for libel The
church is trying to satisfy its conscience with
out doing Its duty. A Christian man who lives
in these times in good health without making a
disturbance is not doing his duty.
DUTY TO LOVE COUNTRY
at is as much Christians duty to love his
country as his God, as much his duty to 70 to
the polls on election day as to the communion
table on Sunday.
II suppose there are papers in this city, as in
New York, which will accuse me of handling
sacred things fippantly. Nothing beats the
solcitude Of petritied piety and unsanctified de-
pravity for sacred things. Christianity must
come into touch with the country and its laws,
In their execution and application. There's
where we become involved. not because there
are not enough citizens who wish the best for
their country, but because they do not feel
their obligations. You can depend on
what the wicked man will do on election day.
but not on the good. The wicked will vote for rum
and brothels. the good is most likely to DO moth
ing. The weather too often turns the elections
Deeency Is afraid OF taking cold, and piety does
not like to get its feet wet"
NEW POLITICAL SPIRIT NEEDED.
1t is not new political methods, said DR.. Park
hurst, but new political spirit that ID needed.
The doctrine Of regeneration is as valid in cities
and states in individuals. Virtue on fire il
irresistible. Give me thousand young men in
New nit