The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1905-09-27
The Tree Light of the Church.

A very intelligent meeting was held in Hartford
Conn.,, the other day to consider the question why
more people do not go to church One speaker men
toned the preaching, but only in the that this
was not always as strong and cogent might be
L hat obstacle stands in the way of all intellectual
work, whether this is done in church or a news
paper, in university a Senate. In our opinion
it is great obstacle in any particular generation
the men who undertake these intellectual tasks for
their time, and who manage to continue these tasks
being as the rule better fitted to perform them than
their neighborS.
Within day or two after that Hartford meeting
we read in newspaper of preacher who had de-
nounced basketball brutal game, etc., ETC. He
was Miss Nancy of man, of course-but that is
not the point The point is that basketball has no
to do with the business of the church than break
fast foods; and when the church is served by man
who thinks that it is his duty to chip in with his un-
instructed or instructed opinion about human detail
of that sort, great many human people have the
feeling that pulpit upon that basis is not worth
while, and they cut it.
There is beauty of the church that all men, from
the most cultivated to the hopeless police bum recog-
nze This beauty is that of unaffected human good
ness. Real and unvaryng human goodness is SO
scarce commodity in this world that no one fails
to see it when it exists There are few persons of
middle age who recall than two or three
specimens of this sort of goodness. Sometimes it is
preached and sometimes not; but whatever the
side form be- there doubt about the apostolic
benediction CARR ed by it to all who within its
gentle and winning presence A good man! He NAV
be intellectual, learned, or witty or what not All
that is incidental and belongs the field of human
reputation OF earthly fame, and not to the separate
be in these incidental aspects his goodness be
paramount perpetual exhalation from his inner
life, coming forth unconscously the blush of
the the blue of the violet coming forth in
constant because the possessor cannot hold
it back; because it is he himself and he could
keep 1t back If he would. Such is gentle with
sin and loving with sinners; he thnketh no evil of
others because he knows that the world is full of evil
and that God has that matter in His hands, and
has made His trustee he could not sit in
Judgment his fellows if he would for is his
sense of falliblity of laundering of stupidity even,
hat make
him gentle and sympathetic, and filled with great
and honest wonder that hosts of men good
they are-that those who very bad in many
ways have and then the impulse toward better
and more unsel6sh things. Such stands forth
the world of men-in this scientific and <now-t-all
and penetrating His goodness is seen of all men.
1t is men of this sort that pulpits need. These
may be served UP with many trimmings of
oratory, or logic, poetic power you please; but
whatever these additional earthly qualities may be-
the themselves must shine with that wonderful
light of goodness-that light that, because it is
among men, and because it seems to come from some
superior region we call divine. This may seem to
many to be counsel of perfectionto be saying that
the church needs what is unattainable. That would
be confession, it strikes us, of what the church has
not done-of the work that is still left for it to do
1t is fair conclusion that what has not been very
generally tried is the thing needed The church has
had power and wealth and pride and all these things
have only served for their day. The church has al
ways had goodness, too. and this is why say that
goodness is needed-that goodness whose magic
wins its way with hearts the most stoid and most
selfish; and-what would be farreaching-s
able to pick up and bring in weak and distorted and
helpless human souls by its actual handn-hand broth
erhood.-Hdrfford "CRrrdnt"