The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-04-03
JUSTICE DAVID J. BREWER
SUGGESTIONS TO THE MINISTRY
FROM A LAYMdN'S POINT OF VIEW.


FROM A LAYMdN'S POINT OF VIEW.
Large Audience at Marquand Chapel
Clergy Are Scored-The Speaker De-
mands Special Action, Business Meth
DDS and Independence from the Pulpit
Eulogy Upon Power of the Ministry.
One of the distinctive features of Yale
divinity school during the present year
has been the galaxy of learned and
brilliant men that have lectured before
the students. Beginning with the Rev.
DR.. Watson, Tan McLaren," the list
comprises DR.. McKensie, DR.. Gordon,
Prof. Briton, DR.. Rainsford, Lyman Abb
bott, and many others. Yesterday anoth-
er name of not less splendor was added
to the list. Justice David j, Brewer
of the United States supreme court ad-
dressed the divinity students In Mar
quand chapel in the afternoon, his sub
ject being Suggestions to the Minis
try from a Layman's Point Of View. b
The address was characterized by its
clear common sense. 1t was the min
istry seen from lawyers standpoint.
Promptly at o'clock Dean G. p. Fisher
accompanied by Justice Brewer, Prof.
G. E. Day, D. D., Hon. Edward j.
Phelps, Hon. Simeon e. Baldwin, DR.. t.
T. Munger, DR.. Newman Smyth and
other prominent members of the uni
versity, filed upon the platform. DR..
Fisher in introducing Justice Brewer
expressed the thanks of the large au-
dience present to the honorable gentle
man for leaving his busy work to ad-
dress the students of his alma mater.
A storm of applause greeted the speak
err and it was some time before he
could speak. .---a.
Justice Brewer opened his address in
a happy fashion. He stated that for
the past fifty years he had withstood
the arrows aimed at him by the clergy.
Sometimes these shafts have been
couched in rhetoric, sometimes not.
All that have done, he said,or should
have done or might possibly have done
has been arrayed before the public as
the washerwoman hangs out her af-
ternoon's wash in the back yard Woe
unto you lawyers, have heard many
times, without the luxury of being able
to reply, but now it is Woe unto you
ministers" Now have the opportunity,
and with Shylock I can say, Il have
you upon the hip, and 1 will have my
revenge" Perhaps you say, "Oh, we
never slandered the lawyers" No,
perhaps not, but you all teach the doc
trine of vicarious sacrifice, and now
you shall have a chance to practice
your own preaching.
1t cannot be denied that in these days
of scientific investigation that the pull
pit has lost much of its original prestige
propositions urged: First, Though the
pulpit was at one time great center
of attraction for the brainiest men in
the universities, now it's ranks have to
be recruited from those of the second
or even the third class. Second, No
longer is the pulpit the power in the
land, and it is becoming only an in
ferior social factor. Third, That the
world is getting along very we'll with
out this great prestige of the pulpit, and
the inference is, that finally it will be
able to dispense with it altogether In
deed, there are some grounds for this
1t is a fact that the pulpit is not SO
powerful as it once was. No longer Is
there that reverence and awe for the
priest which was rendered even till the
beginning of our century. All of this
is but beautiful memory. The preach
er has come from his pedestal once for
all. This does not, however, indicate
a decadence Of power. 1t is an aca-
demic change and not loss of real
power. The pulpit has not outlived its
usefulness. Change Is not sign of
death, but an eloquent earnest of better
things
In the old days the minister, the
doctor and the lawyer formed the great
Trinity. The lawyer held the smallest
place; he was looked upon with sus-
picion. In early times certain classes
of lawyers were banished from the
Massachusetts, legislature. The doctor
was not called upon except In special
cases, but the minister was supreme.
Practically the clergy governed New
England. To-day none of these is su-
preme. Each man performs his own
labor, Independent and knowing moth
ing Of the work of the Others This
has Influenced the professions. Success
depends upon specialization. We hear
of real estate lawyers, criminal law
yers. There are oculists and aurists.
So the minister, If he would be success
full, must specialize, stick to his call
ing. The moment he steps into the
realms of education and tries to dictate
because he is a clergyman he is told to
look after his own business. If he at
temps to instruct business men, he
must face the problem that there are
men just as honest and honorable as
he who know about these things and
he finds he cannot interfere. How
great power is this very Limitation to
the pulpit! Upon the ministry to-day
is forced the words Of Paul. Il am de-
termined to know nothing among you
but Christ and Him crucified." If the
minister goes out and NEEDLES with
things that don't belong to him he must
not complain if he once In a while gets
a kick.
The growth of democracy is having
its influence. Everywhere we hear of
the power of the individual Rank and
incident oF birth have Ioe+ tbaIr voo,,,o,-