Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-22
PASTOR. AND PULPIT
Papers Read Before the Congress of
Religious Education.
AIDS OF SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY
The ThemepDiscussed by Rev. Dr..
1T. Townsend.
BOARD OF REGENTS CHOSEN

When Mr.. Edwin Willis. as chairman of
the congress Of religious education, called
the session to order this morning at the
New York Avenue Presbyterian Church,
the attendance was anything but large
The character of the papers presented,
however was very high. and the papers
themselves were full Of valuable hints and
suggestions.
The devotional exercises were conducted
by Rev. DR.. Byron Sunderland who offer
ed an earnest prayer for blessing upon
the work Of the American Society of Re-
| ligious Education, ard upon all agencies
for the dissemination of Gods word
throughout the world.
The Preacher as an Educator.
The first address of the morning was de-
livered by Rev. DR.. ]. R. Davies the pas
tor of the Fourth Presbyterian Church of
New York, on the theme, THE Preacher as
educator" DR.. Davies mentioned the
names Of score of men that are house
hold words the world over, as showing the
prominent position that ministers have ever
taken in the intellectual development of the
human race
Dr. Davies considered the usefulness Of
the preacher from the points of view of his
personality of his pastoral work and his
pulpit work. In other lines of human ef-
tort, he said, the personality Of the man
does not count for sc much, for a man NAV
be great general or an able statesman
and yet be of impure life but a minister
must needs be a pure-minded and upright
man If he would do any good work in The
Masters name.
The worst heresy of the day." said DIR.
Davies, lis not the new theology, nor the
new woman but the NEST dangerous here
sy or all Is the new minister, who believes
that to save the world he must himself he
come worldly; must himself handle pitch
and make 2 personal study Of vice and
crime; must be of the world before he can
ness"
Touching upon the subjects of the pas
toral and pulpit work Of the minister Dr.
Davies Set up high standard to which he
should strive to attain. The preachers re-
sponsibility to his people does not end when
he steps out of the pulpit at the close of
the Sunday service, but is equally weighty
through the week, and the preacher to do
good work must realize that fact Dr.
Davies made an earnest protest against the
sensational methods which seem to be
gaining favor in our land. He spoke In no
measured terms of the jumping jacks of
the pulpit, who choose all sorts of unusual
subjects for their sermons and then on
deavor to attract large crowds by sensa-
tional advertising, in advance to whet pub
nc curiosity He referred to one preacher
VINO spoke on The subject, THE Gospel of
Base Ball." and of another who announced
that on the following Sunday he would
preach on Bad Breath" and when large
congregation had gathered announced as
his text the verse which refers to St Paul
breathing forth threats.
Dr. Davies deprecated all such un-Chris-
tan methods as these, and the dispropor-
tlonate attention which is paid to the top
les of the day There are he admitted.
many timely topics, such, for example, as
the saloon and the liquor evil that should
be considered from the pulpit but after
all, the most important question is that
7 do To
be saved?' There is altogether too much
ser sationalism in the pulpits today, and al
together too little of the gospel.
DIR. Townsend's Paper.
DR.. L. T. Townsend, co-pastor Of the
Metropolitan Nj. f. Church of this city,
read a scholarly paper on the theme,
Science and Philosophy as Aids in Pulpit
Instruction. DR.. Townsend took the
ground that Christ's church militant should
avail itself Of all the aids brought out
by modern scientific research. The truth
Of Gods word loses nothing, but gains
much from honest investigation The OPP
ponents of Christianity he said, are quick
to the weapons of scholarship. and 1t
behooves true Christians to meet them with
erudition. Buffers Analogy for example,
when it was given to the world. weakened
the powers of atheism, even though it did
rot entirely wipe it out.
1T is said today" continued DR.. Town
send, that the prayers of earnest Christians
ana tNe example OI HODle lives WiINln tne
church should be able to rebut all the ar
guments Of such men Huxley or Inger-
soil. In point Of fact there are very many
people outside the church who would never
be won over by the prayers or the lives of
many of those within it. Within the church
there many whose lives are not really
Christian at all. men who fail to pay their
debts, who do not keep their promises and
who help to bring bad repute upon the
church itself.
Not long ago. said DR.. Townsend "a
banker remarked to me that he would never
be taken In by a Christian again in a bust
ness transaction. Now such a man as that
is not likely to be brought into the church