New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-24
ETSHOP BOOKS. -

The death Of Bishop Phillips Brooks takes
from American Christianity one OF IFS nobest
and most inspiring figures. II was aS a preach
or that he made his fame and it will be as a
preacher. and not as bishop, that he will be
| remembered. There Is indeed, an element Of
tragedy in his death so soon after his clcva-
ton to the Eyi>copatc. and before he had time
| to Justify the wisdom Of his choice in the farc
| Of the bitter opposition reused against him by
| certain High Churchmcn. Bu; while we be-
| eve his election as Bishop of Massachusetts
| was wise, because il vindicatcd the comprc
| hensivcncsS of the Episcopal Church as To qucs-
| tons that ought 10 remain open in that Chunh,
| il is at aSt doubtful if DIR. Brooks would have
| become as great a bishop IA he was a preacher
| He had already it is true, given evidence that
his administration Of the diocese would be
generally acceptable, and that he would bring
TO bear in its government that largencss Of
vision and catholic liberation which so dis
tngushcd him. But the petty routine Of doc
esan duties, calling for so much purely me-
chancal labor, could never in itself be con-
genial 10 a man Of his temperament. lie was
essentially seer preacher of righteousness
whose brilliant genius elowcd at its brightest
when he stood before his fellow-mcn As the
bearer Of Gods message to them and there
fore, in the opinion of many, he bad reached
the limit Of his greatness and power when he
resigned the rcctorship of Trinity Church,
Boston.
Phillips Brooks the preacher, will be re-
membered when Bishop Brooks, the Cbulch
dignitary, will be forgotten. Nevertheless, it
is not easy to analyze his power as preacher;
for like a mighty river that sweeps in gran
deur to the sea, it was fed by innnmerable
rils of character, temperament, aspiration and
inspiration. He was, perhaps most of all
notable for the wealth Of his intellectual de-
veopmcnt, the brilliancy of his Imagination
and his singular aptncss, lucidity Of expires
sion and magnetic power over an audience.
There many men who are stirred by noble
ideals. and completely possessed by great
thoughts but who are nevertheless unable to
grasp firmly these ideals and thoughts them
selves, still less 10 state them clearly to others
Phillips Brooks was not thus handicapped.
The dark problems Of life and destiny so in
scrutable to most men, never seemed dark or
nsOlublc to him. They were iumined by
divine Wisdom and Love; and even though
they still remained unsolvcd, the voice of the
squared with the facts of life and satisfied the
hungry SOUL Many of his noblest sermons, in
deed, are essentially the joyous song OF the
poet for the message Of the seer and of the
poet are often identical. But for that very
reason they touched the common heart of hui
mainly as no mathematical proofs of religion
ever could
Whatever may be the formal philosophy Of
our life, most of us believe that there are some
things that must be true, because they ought
to be true. IL the supreme mission of
Phillips Brooks to proclaim these things with
all the power of his splendid enthusiasm. An
optimist by natural temperament and train.
ing, he left to the great army of cyncs and
philosophical dryasdusts the dreary task of
pointing ont the flaws in the scheme of life.
while he touched the chords OF faith and hope
that lie latent in every human heart. His
death will be an irreparable loss to the Episco-
pal Church. IL is true he was not good
churchman as that phrase Is used and his
broadness was source of pain and grief to
many stanch Epscopalians But though he
was considered so uncatholc by many OF his
brethren. he illustrated type of nineteenth
century catholicty which no denomination
needs more than the Episcopal Church. In
large sense he was the most catholic minded
man in that Church and in honoring him as