St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-20

aiNSo ihsVAOotos anu COuttilNO tuCtl tiiaI
something more radical than non
partisan tariff commission. empowered
to regulate tariff charges. is needed to
insure stability for them. 1t exposes to
them the whole body of the cat.
PERVERSlON OF lHE PULPIT.
Many people have enjoyed hearty
laugh at Mrs. Partington's anxiety to
attend church IN order to hear the Cos
pei dispensed with. But If she had
lived in the present day and generation
she might have had no difficulty in find.
Ing many such places of worship as she
sighed for.
1t is too common IN these degenerate
days for the clergy. in their desire to
attain popularity. to ignore the gospel
for the discussion of worldly and tenn
poral themes. The pulpit announce
ments show .stralning after sensa-
tiOnal effects. In the season when
candidates for public Office abound the
pulpit takes fling at politics. Under
the guise Of pleading for the cause of
good government The preachers launch
boldly into the arena of partisan strife.
and endeavor to influence governmental
policies. They talk learnedly OF patri-
Otism without a conception OF its real
meaning. And then they plunge boldly
into the domain OF philosophy and sci
ence, too often giving their congrega-
tons all illustration of the truth of the
old adage. "A little learning is danger
GUS thing" They talk of ethics. of
political economy, of theosnphy. of the
decadence of art, of the sagas of the
Mortimer and the traditions of BrahIl-
inism and Confucianism, perhaps com
pairing them with the precepts of the
prophet of Nazareth. A gospel SCI
m0n," such as We were wont to hear q
generation ago. is great rarity. The
preachers are not even controversial,
for this is an age of liberation, and no
man is condemned because of the liber-
|. atty of his religious views. even though
they may trench upon the domain of
infidelity. .ss.s,-q -. ~,..
The innovation upon the practices Of
our fathers is not without its compensa-
tons. A few of the clergymen are ca
<,
leaders or advanced thought. They
open up new avenues of inquiry, and
add largely by their researches TO the
sum of human knowledge. But never
theleSs this is not the preaching of the
gospel, and tine lecture platform or the
college professorship is their pepper
field of labor. 1t is not proper that they
should make of the house of God a
forum for the discussion of themes that
have only remote, if any, bearing
upon the plan of salvation. That is moi
what churches are built for, nor is it the
mission Of the ministry, no matter how
edifying it may be.
There is time and place for every.
thing in this world. But the Sabbath
day is not the time. nor is the house OF
PRAYER the place for the discussion OF
philosophy and ethics. politics OF
political science. There are lycsl
uns for such purposes societies OF
ethical culture, of moral philosophy. OF
political economy, of literature ana art!
People 90 to church to hear the gospel
preached, but find that instead of being
ulopeHScu IL Is uiSDGilSeu, Wttn. g..
The preacher is false to his. sacred
trust who neglects to enforce the teach
ings of religion from his pulpit. Six
days Of the week are allotted to secular
pursuits. bnt the seventh is the Sab
bath of the Lord, reserved fol-. His work
and His worship. 1t is grave sacrllegd
to pervert the uses of the day to the conf
sideration of any other theme. no matter
how important to humanity. and it is
dissertation Of the pulpit to Uses for
which it was never intended.
The people are becoming more and
more critical of the pulpit every year.
They no longer look upon the clergy as
superior beings. They yet retain. how
ever. high regard for the sacred call
ing, and the clergy will he wise if they
take care that this regard be not turtle r
shaken by their own perversion of the
influence of the pulpit to other
than religious work. Let the shoe
maker stick to his last and the mip-
lister to his creed. whatever it NAV
be. for in SO doing he will exaIt his call.
ing in the estimation of all intelligent
and right.minded people.