Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-05-11
CalnnaSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaoe, b. D.

Los Angeles. Cal, May TN this
sermon the preacher, while appreciat.
ing at their true value the higher
flights Of oratory and the famous tri,
umphs Of great speakers, shows how
even the humblest may be effective in
the eloquence Of Christinn converse
ton and example. The text is John
vii, 46, "Never man spake like this
man."
What Is true oratory? Mere conjura.
ton, bewitchery. enchantment. mysti-
cism, mesmerism or animal magnet
ism. n mere transitory magic spell
with which great public speaker is
able to hypnotic an audience for an
evening or for night alone? Is 1t
few poetic garlands made up of pretty
wax flowers which never grew in n
garden. which never caught the in.
cense laden breath Of the soil, which
cannot stand the light Of the day and
which, like the moon flowers, melt
away as soon as the morning sun has
touched their painted checks? Is 1t
mere galvanic shock which can make
a human corpse tremble for n little
while and even lift hand or shake II
head and vet current which can new
er bring the dead body back to life?
Is 1t a mere magnetic needle which
will momentarily move an iron heart.
as many magnetic needles can make
nails and screws stand upon their
heads for n few seconds and then fall
back cold. motonless screws and nails
as soon rs their lifting touch Is taken
away? Oh, no; true oratory is more
than that
True oratory il one of the most pc.
tent gifts. If not the most potent gift,
with which God has endowed man. 1t Is
mighty for good or mighty for evil. 1t
is Il social factor which creates and
molds and upbuilds or 1t is social
factor which undermines and destroys
and wrecks. If 1t were possible for
me to believe in the doctrine Of the
transmigration Of souls. then l would
believe in this doctrine In reference
to oratory. With mere words skill.
full orator can have his spirit incar-
mated in the minds and the hearts Of
his hearers. With mere words not
only can the true orator compel his
fellow countrymen to think as he
thinks, but to do as he would have
them do and as he himself wants to
do.
The gift Of true oratory is second in
power to no other human gift An
overstatement Is this? I think not.
Andrew Fletcher. the great English
dramatist and poet once said. II be-
lieve IL q man were permitted to make
all the ballads Of a country he need
not care who should make it's laws.
A true orator has all the power OF
the sweet singer Of the fields. He has
more than that. In his own realm he
has the power Of personal touch. He
has the influence Of the flashing eye.
Of the quivering lip. Of the power which
comes from soul on Are, which reach
es forth and as whirlwind drives op.
position before him or consumes them
as in a mighty confiagration. II the
pen be mightier than the sword, then
the orators scepter is greater than
that of the warriors or the writer's
The Demosthenean tongue compelled
mems ears to hear what his pen could
:: not compel his auditors eyes to read
.. Great Is the eloquent tongue Of silver
speech!
Beecher's Services "a Orator.
Great If not the greatest Of all gifts
l. with which God has endowed man II
oratory. Who but one like Henry
a Ward Beecher could have conquered
q England during the dark days Of 1868
c Then the British factories had theil
q cotton supply cut on by northern ships
&c blockading the southern ports. British
e capitalists were calling out, "Th'
American war must stop or British
employees must starve and the British
Il merchants will have no goods to sell.
Not only that. but the peerage or th'
landowners almost to man hated on
y republican form Of government. The.
believed the American congress was
A perpetual menace to British interests
e Beecher accomplished with his tongu
|e what an invading army OF 10000
T. men could not have accomplished will
II bayonets. Alone he faced audience aft
d err audience, bitter In their hatred ia
ward him and his people. lie face'
)" enemies lie left friends. He faccl
q his country's censors. He left behin'
!! him his country's applauders. Henr.
D. Ward Beecher won this victory for hi
country by the tongue, and the tongu
Is alone.
70 Great is the power of oratory AM
orators! But II 1t ia great in the pres
"a ent age how much greater must
II have been in the times of the ancients
- Then the modern printing press ha
II aot yet been born, and the human min
could only appeal to the human min
81 through the influence Of the huma
tongue. But. though the generation
n preceding Christ sat at the feet O
W some of the greatest orators who eve
lie lived. though Pericles and Lyslas an
n Lycurgus and Eschines had won thei
NJ marvellous triumphs in old Athen.
he though the mighty Roman orators ha
ived and. like Marcus Tullius Cicer,
"a lad hurled their verbal thunderbolt,
p yet when Jesus began to speak ever
be sne of his auditors intuitively felt ths
" / now power Of oratory had been borl
~ The words Of my text prove 1t. wit
sne accord Christ's hearers salt
ne kNovor man anoLo tito thtc vr,ouv