Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-05-23
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
SUBJECT THE GOSPEL AND
THE NEWSPAPERS.
From tho Text: "The Children OF This
World Are, In Their Generation, Wiser
Than the Children OF Light'-Luke
XVI, ver.e s-The Church and Press.

the gospel and those who make news
papers, the spoken word and the PRINT
ed word to go side by side; text, Luke
xvi, s, The children of this world are
in their generation wiser than the
children of light"
Sacred stupidity and solemn incom-
potency and sanctihed laziness are here
rebuked by Christ He says worldlings
are wider awake for opportunities than
are Christians. Men OF the world grab
occasions, while Christian people let
the most valuable occasions drift by
unimproyed. That is the meaning OF
our Lord when he says. The children
of this world are in their generation
wiser than the children OF light"
The Plain Truth.
A marked illustration OF the truth of
that maxim is in the slowness OF the
Christian religion to take possession OF
the secular printing press. The oppor-
tunity is open and has been for some
time open, but the ecclesiastical courts
and the churches and the ministers of
religion are for the most part allowing
the golden opportunity to pass unim-
proved That the opportunity is open
declare from the fact that all the sec
ular newspapers are glad OF any re-
ligious facts or statistics that you pre-
sent them. Any animated and stirring
article relating to religious themes
they would gladly print. They thank
you for any information in regard to
churches. II a wrong has been done
TO any Christian church or Christian
institution you could go into any news
paper office of the land and have the
real truth stated. Dedication services,
ministerial ordinations and pastoral
installations, cornerstone laying OF
church, anniversary Of charitable So
ciety. will have reasonable space in any
secular journal if it have previous no
tice given. If had some great injus-
tice done me. there is not an editorial
or reportorial room in the United
States into which | could not go and
get myself set right, and that is true
Of any well-known Christian man.
Why. then, does not our glorious Chris
tianity embrace these magnificent OPP
portunities? have before me sub
ject of first and last Importance: How
shall we secure the secular press as
mighty reinforcement to religion and
the pulpit?
Indi.crlminate Hostility.
The first thing toward this result is
cessation of indiscriminate hostility
against newspaperdom. You might as
we'll denounce the legal profession be-
cause of the shysters, or the medical
| profession because of the quacks, or
/ merchandise because of the swindling
bargain makers, as to slambang news
papers because there are recreant edi-
tors and unfair reporters and unclean
columns Gutenberg, the inventor Of
the art OF printing, was about to de-
stroy his types and extinguish the art
because 1t was suggested to him that
printing might be suborned into the
service of the devil, but afterward he
bethought himself that the right use
of the art might more than overcome
the evil use OF ii, and so he spared the
type and the intelligence of all fol-
lowing ages. But there are many to-
day in the depressed mood OF Guten-
berg, with uplifted hammer, wanting
to pound TO pieces the type, who have
not reached his better mood, in which
he saw the art OF printing to be the
rising sun OF the worlds illumination.
II, instead Of fighting newspapers we
spend the same length Of time and the
same vehemence in marshaling their
help In religious directions We would
be as much wiser as the man who gets
consent OF the railroad superintendent
to fasten car to the end OF rail
train, shows better sense than he who
runs his wheelbarrow up the track to
meet and drive back the Chicago lin
| tied express. The silliest thing that
man ever does is to fight a newspaper,
for you may have the floor for utter
ance perhaps for one day In the week,
while the newspaper has the floor
every day in the week. Napoleon,
though a mighty man, had many weak
nesses. and one of the weakest things
he ever did was to threaten that IL the
J English newspapers did not stop their
adverse criticism of himself he would,
with 100000 bayonets, cross the chan
mel for their chastisement. Don't fight
newspapers Attack provokes attack.
Better wait until the excitement blows
over and then go in and get justice.
for get 1t you will II you have patience
and common sense and equipoise OF
disposition. II ought to be a mighty
sedative that there is an enormous
amount Of common sense In the world.
and you will eventually be taken foS
what you are really worth. and you
cannot be puffed up, and you cannot
be written down, and II you are the
enemy OF good society, that fact will
come out and IL you are the friend OF
good society, that fact will be estab-
| lished
Reinforcement OF Religion.
Again, IL you would secure the secu-
lar press as a mightier reinforcement
OF religion and the pulpit. extend wild
est and highest Christian courtesies
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