The times., 1897-11-22
CRlTICISING DR.. TALMAGE
Rev. Alexander Kent Replies 10
One Of His Sermons.
Says the Noted Preachers Theories
Tend to Impoverish the Many
and Enrich the Few.

Rev. Alexander Kent devoted himself yes
terday to reply to a recent sermon by
Rev. T. Dewitt TaIuage, entitled THE
Battle for Bread" He said in part:
am not in the habit of
spending much time over Brother Tai
images sermons. AS a rule, they don't
interest me- and I generally feel sorry
that they interest anybedy else. It doesn't
seem t. me that they ought to. They
impress me as altogether the trashest and
most unwholasume sort of pabulam that
anyone can take into bis theological
stomach. aud the most utterly untitled
to Dourish any genuine religious life. Ney
ertheless. as Dr. Ialmage is confessedly
sort OF Genids in his way and has ali uu-
usual noId upon the public ear | like 10
glance over his published utterances Mon
day morning and note at least the general
trend Uf tie teaching that seems TO have
such interest Tor the average nearer and
reader.
A few y eeks ago my attention was
caughG by the following headlines, in which
the editor had summed up the salient
points OF the sermon: Help the Human
Pace, God Gives Plenty For An,i etc.
All this looked encouraging. 1t seemed
radical enough to have come from the
bllr > RihiChg anu cO L idStGIltN III AlilI
what wGrrant such headlines had in the
BODY OF the sermon. | found Il good
text, to begin v ith. 1t was that David
had lived for his generation. He lived
for mea ana wCmen He did not spend
his strength on generations past or on
generations 20 come. And this, DR.. Tai
mage urgei, WAS a good example to follow
in this age. DR.. Talmage points out the
abundance OF the earth and its adequa ~
TO meet every need, and yet he says:
The vast mH Iorlty Of The human family
are now suffering either from the lack
Of food or tie right Kind OF food
Our civilization, lte says, is all askeW.
Many OF the grea test estates of today have
been built out OF the blood and bone OF
unreqUitec toll. The lack of proper foud
ne declares to be responsible for much OF
the drunkenness Dr. Talmage is not blind
TO the wants Of the ma SSes. The only
remedy DT. Talmage offers is an open
handed charity And then the doctor goes
Off into the usual eXhortation urging upon
ali the necessity Of a personal salvation.
Believe that jesus died to save you from
sin and tnat death ends in hell, and You
are saved. This is the whole scheme of
Or. Faluiage for saving the present genera.
tion from hunger and cold and ma 4 ness in
this world and eternal dannatIan in the
next. The poor are to live through the
bounty OF those who have surplus Tie
saved.
Now, this might have some sembIance
OF reason If salvation, as Dr. Talma re
understands it, mad any relation to good
ness or generosity-any tendency u ma ke
men Just toward their fellows. But it
does not. II is process that has kept
pace with the growth Of the
| Church. The Church has fustered it.
The Church has given its sanction TO this
policy, which is working the impoverish-
ment of the many and the enrichment Of
the few. Everywhere the Church has ca
tered To wealth ana cultivated the wealthy
Everywhere IL has trained the Young TO
regard their gifts as personal possessions
to be used by them for their own all
vancement 1t has been the buIwark OF
q narrow indiyidualism, entirely at yarl
ance with the teaching OF Him it pro-
! fesses TO regard as It's founder and ex-
| emplar.
Now, / hold that all such men rs Dr..
| Ialmage men who are upholdng a sys-
! tenn by which they cOncede the few are
! coming into unjust possession OF the goods
| OF the many, are really, however uncOn-
| sciously, the worst enemies OF their kind
| and the greatest traitors 10 the religion
! they profess 10 revere. 1t is the great
| body OF ministers, pledged in disciplesbip
TO the NaZarene, that stands today as the
chief obstacle 10 the triumph OF the prin-
| ciples He taught. The masses are ready
| to welcome the principles He taught, but
| the ministers are not.
Rev. DR.. Kent reviewed the sermon of DR..
Talmage at considera ble length, and meas
ured against it the arguments which have
made the pastor of the People S Church a
| power in the domain of higher economic
! Thought.