The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-25
Ser sationaI Sermons.

~ 5dLAOA6A ObIL4OASs
Sensational sermons may be interesting
and amusing, but it is a question whether
| they do the cause Of religion any good.
| As a rule they draw the mind away from
those things that should be kept steadily
in view by all who are DESTROYS Of leading
Christian lives. Ministers who preach
| such sermons may make regulations for
themselves and draw large coagrega-
| tions, but are those who listen TO them in
structed in Christian doctrines or led to
practice Christian virtues more faith
fully7 Sensational sermons may be good
sermons judged from literary stand
point, and they may contain much food for
thought. They attract people who sell
dom 90 to church but the desire of such
people is to be interested, not to be made
better.
a preacher may be eloquent without
being sensational, though there are SEN
sational preachers who are eloquent.
Most of the eloquent preachers are not
sensational. Their sole purpose is to
influence men and women to lead better
lives, to believe the Bible and make their
daily conduct conform to its teachings
They have no desire to produce startling
effects by sharp attacks upon individuals
or upon any class of people. They seek
to ailay strife, not to stir it up. They try
to fill the hearts of people with love and
good will, not with bitterness and hate.
The sermon preached by DIR. Haw-
thorne, of Atlanta, last Sunday,
a brief synopsis of which was
published in our Atlanta dis
patches, is good example of a sensa-
tional sermon. Can any one believe that
that sermon was productive of good9
DIR. Hawthorne made sweeping charges
against people in many occupations and
trades. The inference from what he said
is, that there are comparatively few hon
est people In his view, if people had
their dues more of them would be in
prison than out of it.
Such sweeping charges are unjust, and
the injustice of DIR. Hawthorne's asser-
tions angered great many people. Those
most severely attacked expressed the Ut
most indignation. They could not under
stand how a minister whose duty it is to
preach the truth could depart so far
from 1t.
The effect of such sermons is to drive
men and women away from religion.
There is neither justice nor charity in
them. They do not lead people to find
comfort in religion. They make them
doubt whether there is truth in it,
and whether those who profess it are bet
ter than those who do not.
DR.. Hawthorne was too sweeping in his
charges There are bad men in ali pro-
fessions, trades and occupations, but the
percentage of the bad is not as great as
the sensationalists would have us be-
lieve. The world is better to-day than ii
was ten years ago, and it will be better
ten years hence than it is to-day. The
moral and religious movement is forward,
not backward. If it were backward DR.
Hawthorne and all other preachers would
have ground for questioning whether
there is mot something wrong with the
members of their own profession.
Sensationalism is bad enough in the
newspapers. 1t should be kept out Of the
pulpit Preachers who cannot gain a
hearing without it have reason to fear
that they have missed they calling. DR..
Hawthorne has no excuse for resorting
tn it.