Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-03
ORATORY PULPITS.'
HOW SOME GREAT DIvINEs PREPARE
THEIR SERMONS
Archbishop Corrigan's Simple stylc-Rcv.
DIR. Greer Says Writing Stimulates
Observation-Disclosures of Insplratlon-Bov.
DIR. Talmage and Beecher.


DIR. Greer Says Writing Stimulates
Observation-Disclosures of InsplratIon-Bcv.
DIR. Taimage and Beecher.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, Aug. 9.-Probably the lar
oest audience that has been gathered in a
public building this year TO listen to an nd
dress. with the exception OF the occasion
ut Chicago Of the opening exercises OF inc
Worlds fair, was that which congregated
In the marble cathedral in which the arch
bishop OF thediocese OF New York performed
public religious offices on the day when
hcr. Satolli celebrated pontifcal mass In
that beautiful edifce.
The building is capable OF containing be-
tween 1900 and 1000 persons, and as IL was
packed so that hundreds were compelled 10
remain upon the broad steps leading to tho
portala of the cathedral it il probablethatas
many as $500 persons were gathered there
upon that day. The address was delivered
by Archbishop Corrigan. No one who saw
him mt the time of the delivery would have
realized with what excessive care and pa
tent scrutiny Of each word he had prepared
this address. Archbishop Corrigan has not
so great a repute as a pulpit orator "a have
some of the priests OF his diocese, but on
the first Sunday Of every month when he
delivers a esmon the cathedral Il always
crowded. The archbishop is the most pa
tient in the preparation Of his sermons Of
eny of the distinguished clergymen in the
United States. and in n recent conversation
with the writer his private secretary, Hev.
Father Connolly. explained the manner in
which these pulpit addresses were prepared.
1t differs 50 greatly from the methods
adopted by nearly all Of the great pulpit
orators that it may be interesting 30 de
scribe it.
The sermon or address is really written
mentally at odd moments and without the
use of pen or paper. When the archbishop
Is on his way TO some Of his many meetings
as director of the diocese, he turns over in
his mind, having selected his text, tho
thoughts Of which the text il to be the
chief suggestion. He digests the subject
thus mentally. Occasionally be takes down
n book from his shelf, reads a passage and
stores that vi. in his mind. When he hasa
moment to spare, he refers to an authority.
A few DAYS before the address is to be de-
liyered the archbishop, having the address
pretty carefully mapped ont in his mind,
dictates it to his stenographer. he speaks
slowly, frequently changing u word after
he has uttered il, sometimes two or three
times. When the dictation IL finished, IL is
typewritten, and the archbishop goes over
this manuscript, weighing each word, Striv-
ING 20 avoid all rhetorical flourish, aiming
only to get the thought which he desires 10
EXPRESS SO lucidly set forth that it will be
understood by the humblest of his hearers.
His idea of Z sermon Is that il should be
tyeighty in thought, but simplicity and
clearness itself.
So it happens when he returns this manu-
script TO his secretary it is very often filed
with interlineations. all in the direction Of
greater simplicity and lucidity Of express
sion. It is then rewritten, and the arch
bishop, having this corrected copy, reads it
over once or twice, and by that simple act
it Is memorized so perfectly that be is able
70 deliver il without a single glance at the
manuscript. Each address is really the
work of a month, and the sermons of the
archbishop are regarded as models Of sim
plicity and clearness, although they are alb
1olutely free from what recalled the -four
lshes of rhetoric.
The Rev. DR.. Greer, who is esteemed By
many the most polished and attractive pull
pit orator in the Episcopal denomination,
writes his own sermons out, finding that
The manual labor eptailed by the act Of
writing stimulates his thought. Some
times he cannot write so fast as ~histhoughts
tome. The act OF writing fixes the sermon
In his mind, 50 that, although lac usually
puts the manuscript before him when he is
Ia the pulpit, nevertheless he repeats page
Ritter page Of it with scarcely more han a
glance at his notes.
DR.. Talmage dictates his sermons to n
stenographer, has them typewriter and
memories them with perfect ease, but he
Is quite apt to be possessed by some new
method OF treatment while he is upon the
platform and will add this thought to the
sermon as it was dictated, doing it with
such perfect mastery Of the art OF rhetoric
that it seems to his hearers as though this
thought must have been the one upon
which he spent the most time developing.
Phillips Brooks, esteemed by many the
greatest pulpit orator in America as long
Rs he lived, spoke almost entirely without
notes and more nearly extemporaneously
than any other preacher, excepting possibly
Mr.. Beecher. Bishop Brooks once said to
the writer that he prepared his sermon
usually without writing "a word. He select
I'll the topic and pitched upon the text
which would exemplify it and then gave
himself up TO u very careful mental study,
sitting frequently in his chair for an hour
br two, with his eyes closed perhaps, ar
ranging the line Of thought, developing the
argument and recalling the Scriptural quo
tations which would be of advantage.
Sometimes he iotted down the heads of the
various subdivisions upon a bit Of paper no
larger than his hand, but that was all in
the way Of writing that he did for the most
part. Thus prepared he was ableto preach,
speaking with that terrific speed which
was the terror Of stenographers, never
stumbling, never going back to correct a
word or IN expression.
Mr.. Beecher was once asked when and
how he prepared his sermons, and he re-
Piled that he was preparing them all the
lime. He got an incident here and q sug-
p~estion there. lie thought them out upon
the street cars or while riding, but he very
rarely touched pen TO paper until a few
hours before the hour for the delivery OF
Tho sermon. Frequently after he entered
the pulpit a suggestion came to him, like
fash Of inspiration, for a different treat
nent from that which he had contemplated,
Ind sweeping his manuscript away he was
quite likely to deliver q sermon which
would reveal him at his best.
Z. j. EDWARDS.
Where Lace Is Made.
Lace IS made all over Europe, and Of all