New-York tribune., 1899-05-28
SELECTIONS NAIL
WHY MANY cLBRGYMEN FAIL
,,,,p DIT OFFERINGS NOT WHAT THE PEo-
PIE wANr-Too MUCH ETHICAL PREACH
,ro NOT ENOUGH RELIGIOUS.

I.E
mo. NOT ENOUGH RELIGIOUS.
To the Editor Of The Tribune 49,.
s,r. In the discussion Of mems failure 20 ATTEND
.n,,rcb services which has broken out anew Ia p .
-. .ra nress many causes have been assisne''
So, there are some which have received 100 n'oe
attention and others OF equal Importance WIN"
have been ignored -, ...,r
Those charged with direction OF theological 'ra,n-
,cg seem not to have recognized properly 'he "
..r.c,ua, advance of the times that training IN
stead OF being broader. Is In some respeo's "a.
~o,sr than a. was formerly. The collegiate prepa-
ration is apt TO be confined too closely 70 iinsus
s,d philosophy, to the exclusion Oh s'"o'es "
Ing with material things. The maj prepa'auo" -
aanc.rnsa more with criticism. abstract dogma
and history than with the al-important WORK o'
ot,,ns men 10 be preachers and pastors such mat
80. q. tho last one might suppose. are expec'eo
"a ,ake care Of themselves. The man comes ou.
~. the seminary almost ignorant OF the ma.e'ia'
World about him. yet labelled as competent u oe
. leader OF thought at time when the sc'eh'ihc
vn.,bod nrevails and when progress In ma'erai
development is the one striking phenomenon AZ
mo, strange that :he clergyman finds himseii SO
os,sn merely in the world. but decidedly not Oh H.
. q md not in sympathy with IT,
No, is ~ strange under such conditions that SO
many cIergymen fail. and. failing. mistake ''e
csu.e Of failure. Thinking that men are urea OF
the old story they endeavor so 10 oiiu'e oocui"e
.nd 90 TO present morals that these may not De
o0snsive An examination of topics adveruseo OH
Saturdays leads one TO think that not ie" ee' 's'
men have forgotten their errand OF that tnoS "ie
more desirous Of attracting audiences thah OF aA
ing converts But. be the opinion OF sueh c'e's'
mon what II may there never was time Wheh
- ,,o,, better than now what is the minister's ;
.rr.rd Those ministers who remember the'r er-
,s,a have rarely complained that men fall 10 at
tend church Mere intellectual power was not ',e
msgret which drew men to Dr John nan VI W
Dt. W NJ Taylor. who told the simple s'or' ma
,osn yearied BIZ everyday strife wanted 10 near
even though unwilling to accept 1t. II wouu oe
,nytaous 10 speak Of living pastors in this CITY put
all know OF churches where men love 10 co"siee".e
and TO work They those whose pastors seen "
tell the old story simply. telling II as hom u'''s
men TO dying men a.. h
Asise from this. there are some causes 10 De
,.'.d q, ,hs tome CT the pulpit itself In effect
,anv cIerevuen preach that II Is not necessary ior
men living in a land Of churches 10 max S re-
sion OF belief in Christianity py assuming H M" com
snonsihiIity of church membership IL IS COZ, con-
,ronnlace that men have been praiseu III r. '.rh
nent @ bod rsfsed to obey the fundamental require
ments OF Christianity Ihere is no ,nan heIeying
PR, ,Ss purely ethical side of christianity that
side which Il has in common WIN so some re,ISions or
sniritual side is comparatively unInpor'an., h,oh
But ,nete II one ano NAV Judge from his knowl
edge and from newspaper reports OF h, in.i,ts, IN
meetings too many Sfs Character Of the
nessage which they bring Evidently 100 !iias ,a,ls
niergvmen regard subscription TO cree1s ar
or Confessions as mere formalty win no p,J h
Inc force and think that "imfeignedly unoeI SUN
rirc,msfances sigrihes with abundant nen'a. M a.
ye.ervotion The code OF morals among Isyhei, az, az
bueiness or politics may not be very n9h H uu ~ -
/ cs-sainlv exDects a mans yea To be yea lnu M -,
NAV nav Men trained in that every-day scn9ol , y.
\ morals however poorly that they may aDiue us
I its nrecepis cannot have much respeC' lot pINp
fess onai teachers Of honor a-d honesty VINO IanA &
II iv l. r., 9 the Basal principles OF ooth h!u w m.
asserf cir right TO antagoniZe tne ols Sh
features Of their denomination. denouncihe repUn
nv disriplnn as an interference with ietuoIn vi vi
tbou~ht worthy only OF meGPval heresy- -huntei @ :
The tndienation Of such persons is quite as cCIi-
s,stent as would that Of saloonkeeper Wno ,..
should denounce his expulsion from a prohiOiuo'
society as a trespass upon personal nocrV. s,
There are other reasons which one uares mn mn
to mention Not a few believe that the cie,sy< U. u
4 to-day as a whole. is not equal TO tnat 0l nan a
cerfury ago They assert that Educatlcn boa.us III
a some denominations tend to pauperzation ana PL
n vent many self-respectng men from undeI' NUE. NUE.
the work while they encourage men OF other Epes s
IA drift into II a profession am cohH.ne-u
that there is much force in this statement otheis
| Mold that as the Church is no longer tne naln
agency for doing good. and other organiIauoIs
! have taken up many forms OF necessary put pre-
,,iou<ly neglected work men no longer Ieel y es'
II sentiai 10 Identify themselves with the ChuIcn
These causes may be summed up IN one-tnat ~
q ynoSt cases men refuse "a go 10 church oecau,se
they do not obtain there what the WORD cnurch
a rness.,s"s G w JOHN J. STEVENSON.
n f%ev-york May 13 1899