New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-19
DIR. HILLS CRITICISED.
HIS USE OF NOVELS AS TEXTS STAR
THING INNOVATION.
A VIGOROUS EXPRESSION OF OPINION FROM DR.
CUYI.ER. sUPPLEMENTTNG HIS REMARKS
AT THE MEETING OF THE BROOK

cr;Y1ER. sUpP1.EMENTING HIS REMARKS
AT THE MEETING OF THE BROOK
LYN PREsBYrERY.
Church circles In Brooklyn were stirred yesterday
over the somewhat free criticism directed AT tno
Rev. Dr. n. d. Hills. Of Plymouth Church oy tho
Rev. Dr. Theodore l.. Cuyler on accouh. Oh III
Hills's use OF popular novels texts for his sun
day evening discourses.
Dr. Cuyler was at the April meeting OF the BROOK
lyn Presbytery in his old church. the Lafayette
Avenue Presbyterian. on Monday night ana among
other things he said. In speaking OF the orthoooHy
OF the Brooklyn Presbytery:
II am glad 10 see that the Brooklyn Prespytery
has been spared some OF the Affections that nave
affected the Church the other side or the river
with regard to pulpits here. am giaa 10 see
that no Presbyterian minister IN Brooklyn mas
massacred the Scriptures in his pulpit am gao
to see that no Presbyterian minister has yet oe-
scended to take his text from popular novels
The friends of DR.. Hills could not help but take
affront at this DIR. Hills is the only minister IN
Brooklyn who is taking popular novels as teN's'
Last Sunday night he spoke TO a large congresa-
ton on Hawthornes Scarlet Letter. ana ne Will
follow with sermons on other novels
When DR.. Cuyler was seen at his house. NO io
South Oxford-st.. last night. he said:
81 did not know that the proceedings In my old
church would be generally reported, but now that
I am called to account for my utterances, am
free TO say that I meant all said and more. too
Last night | took ONLY playful shot at the new
conner down the Heights. man whom ad-
miro on account of the praise he received IN the
West and since coming to Brooklyn but feel that
he has made a great mistake In beginning his
pastorate in Brooklyn by laying aside the Bible
and taking his text from. novel 1t is an unpre-
cedented thing for Brooklyn minister to do. and
although l have not spoken to them directly ABOUT
It. am sure that l voice the sentiment or DR..
Behrends Dr. Storrs, DR.. Meredith. and others In
the Congregational and Presbyterian churches in
Brooklyn when say that Dr. Hills has done an
amazing thing in beginning his ministerial career
in Brooklyn by placing the Bible to one side and
taking his texts from novels.
I'm fact know only minister In this country
who ever did such a thing In his pulpit on Sun
days. and he Theodore Parker. OF Boston,
He used to preach from Shakespeare. Such
course would be all right in a course OF lectures
during the week. but Sunday 1t is an entirely
different thing. I am older man than DR.. Hills
and take the liberty OF speaking my mind
about such a step. The people of Brooklyn. am
sure, expected that he would have message OF
salvation for them when he came to Plymouth
Church The Bible has not been preached OUT
and 1t never will be. The greatest ministers In the
world to-day are finding delights In the Bible
from week 10 week. and 1t is what the great tired
and thirsty world wants, draught from the ever
lasting spring Dr. Hills seems 10 oSi on ba iVe
been brought up the popular novels, whereas
the other ministers proceed on the the.e
the people OF Brooklyn have been brought up on
the Bible and feed them that on the SaDDatn day.
II feel very strongly in this matter. i reel that
DR.. Hills has made great mistake In DONG as ne
has DONE and as soon as / see MIN snall tell
him So / expect TO him in May at the seventy
nth anniversary exercises Of the American Sunday
School Union, in Philadelphia. We are both down
10 speak from the same platform on tnat occasioh
and If don't him before shall have word
with him then The great men Of our times and IND
their needs when they came to preach Henry Ward Yard
Beecher. to my knowledge never preached on sun
day. taking his text from popular novels. lie used
wander away from his text good many times
He used 10 say that text gateway into q
field and that when you got In you were privileged
to wander about. but that is a different matter en-
tirey from thrusting aside the Bible on Sundays
the Bible on Sunday. They have the novels during
the week. Sunday is the time for the Good BOOK,
and for a Christian minister to push IT TO one sde
and take n popular novel in It's stead is sign Oh
degeneracy, IL seems to me.
IL hope that Or. Hills will see the error OF his
ways. and cut short his course or novel sermons
There is no message Of salvation In novel. Why
should n sermon he preached from George Eliot by
a Christian minister? Didn't she live openly IN
such manner as to hagranuy violate one o. the
commandments? What sort Of morals could she
inculcate? Gladstone said to me once: The great
danger of the American Republic is the low ideals
of life and the laXnesS OF Its divorce laws win
should a Brooklyn minister preach from n novel
written by a woman who fagrantly violated one or
life? The people need the message of salvation on
Sunday from their ministers GIVING them any
thing else reminds me OF a colored brother read
about the other day. lie announced ms TEX as
and second verse. One Of his church members got
IN and said: Now, Brudder Jones, don't. We done
have dat Philippine business six days IN DE week;
and we want sumthn' outn de Bible on Sunday
DR.. Hills could not be found last night. IL was
said by some of his friends that he had gone TO
Atlantic City account Of his wife serious Illness