Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-10-04
DECLINE OF THE PULPIT.

DEOLlNE Uf IHE fULflI.
a correspondent OF ;he New York
Evening sun asserts that the modern
pulpit has lost much Of It's power TO
influence men for good. There are,
he says, many reasons for this, aud
one Of the principal ones Is that the
congregations are now better educat-
cd than they were formerly and that
the preachers. consequently. cannot
interest their hearers. as IN days gone
by There was a time. we are told
when the preacher was the source Of
knowledge" the educated" man. the
learned" man of the community. He
was the community's repository Of
knowledge, and his unique position
gave his preaching commanding
force and authority But that time
has passed. The preacher no longer
carries the keys Of knowledge. and
outside Of his especial business" OF
talking on religious matters he has no
word for the people Of the present.
Generally he Is not scholar
philosopher, historian, man Of
science, thinker, a specialist or au-
thority on anything, and therefore
HIS preaching" except IN narrow
field IL without influence and has
greatly declined
This presupposes that unless the oc-
cupants ~ pulpits are great philoso-
piers, historians, or scientists they
can have no influence upon their au-
diences. II takes for granted that
every pulpit ought to be university
chair occupied by some great scholar
capable of drawing an audience. by
learned lectures on topics of scientific
interest. But this Is one OF the great
mistakes OF the modern times and
one which many preachers themselves
fan into. and therefore drive away
their hearers by learned dissertations
on various dry topics. John the Bap.
list did not draw the immense audi.
ences around him In the wilderness
by means OF any learned lectures upon
the questions with which philoso-
piers were busy but because he had
a message from God to His people.
concerning the coming Of the kingdom
Of heaven, and because he delivered
that message faithfully, rebuking sin
and urging repentance The presence
OF the Holy Ghost was the secret of
his power and influence.
The apostles Of our Lord were SINH
larly endowed. 1t was the power OF
the divine Spirit that made their
preaching an irresistible force 1t
was not their oratory nor their phil
osophy Paul warned his brethren
against the falsely so-called phlIoso-
ply Of the world. and It was his boast
that, when he came to Corlnth. a not
ed center OF ancient culture. he ala
not come with exceIency of speech
or of wisdom" for, he says Il deter
mined not TO know anything among
you, save Jesus Christ, and Him cru
cited" Whatever may have been
the sentiments OF the great Apostle TO
the Gentlles when he addressed the
stole philosophers on the Mars Hill
az Nthens Mt Corinth he humbly
proclaimed the doctrine which the
philosophers OF the world branded as
"foolishness' And that proved a
power FOR good.
IL was always thus Doctors Of
philosophy and theology gladly Hs-
tened to the humble shoemaker. Jacob
Boehme. John Bunyan to this day
Is probably studied by scholars as
well as the unoarned Sturgeon
used to draw immense crowds to the
Metropolitan Tabernacle by the most
old-fashloued but earnest appeals 20
HIS fellow-men. 1t Is not true that
learning and rhetoric constitute the
power Of the pulpit II II Is without
Influence. It is because the Spirit OF
God has withdrawn from It. And for
this reason many preachers. as me
correspondent OF the sun remarks. no
longer sneak 70 men as men Of God |
divinely chosen and set apart 10 voice
His holy viii and word. Right or
wrong. the people OF today look upon |
The preacher simply as a professional
man who has chosen a vocation IN 1
which to make living. and wher-
ever the best diving is there win he /
surely be found. If by any means ne
can attain thereto. OF course. this /
Is not true OF large numbers OF ex.
cellent preachers but II Is true OF
large enough number Ito discount the
whole business In the opinion " the
average man.
That touches o sore spot IN the evil
complained or Preaching has been
made business by too many preach
ers Being business man. the
preacher can no longer proclaim the
truth, as he sees IL, but must cater to
the taste Of those who pay his SAL
airy The Spirit Of the Lord cannot
be with him when ne makes the sal
yetion Of souls matter Of barter.
That is the secret OF the present dc.
cay OF the pulpi; and the unsatisaed
hunger for tho word OF the Lord
among vast numbers OF protessed
Christians