The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-08
TIE NEW york CONFERENCE.
Bishop CranSton on the Decline Of Pulpit
PoWer-Address to the Candidates.

Bishop CranSton> on the Decline Of Pulpit
POWer-Address to the Candidates.
NEwBURoH, April In the devotional
exercises at the New York Methodist con-
ference to-day Bishop Cranston made a
strong address on the reported decline OF
pulpit power in these days as compared
with olden times. There was, he said, a
vast difference in the conditions past and
present. The relative power Of the pulpit
as compared with other days had, he said
decreased. and the numerous attractions
OF these times were what drew people away
from the pulpit. Among the adverse
influences was. he thought, the une1ampled
prosperity Of the country, and it had not
yet beer settled whether 1t was a blessing
or a curse.
A resolution was adopted disseminating
the Usual miscellaneous collection at the
end Of eaoh session OF the conference. 1t
has always been lone and gave rise to a
spirited discussion.
DR.. F. C. Iglehart Of Peekskill was APP
pointed by Bishop Cranston as field secre-
tary of the Anti-Saloon League for the
State Of New York. 1t is the first appoint
ment made at this conference.
Among the speakers to-day was DR..
John P. Henuance, who said 1t was his
sixty-ffth conference. He began in is45,
and except two years when sick he had
answered every roll call. He came in with
a class Of eighty and Aaron Hunt and
himself were the only survivors OF all that
membership. ,
Bishop Cranston's practical, caustic and
foroeful style OF talking was demonstrated
to-day more than ever. 1t came in his ad-
dress to the candidates for full admission
to the oonference-Paul st. John Cole man,
Horace E. Hewitt, Edgar Allen. Lowther,
Charles E. Rignal, Willis Tunniclife and
Charles A. Gilbert. He did not want to tell
didn't care a tuppence whether they became
great preachers or not. There was no CON-
plete recovery, he said, for a preacher when
his name was once coupled with moral
detection. When a mans weakness was
toward women he had acquired q faint
that would abide with him.
The young men were warned against
oultivating vanity. Those who do that,
| said he, are not all in the episcoracy, and
not all out Of it. Laughter Vanity, he
said, is the little devil that holds the key
that unlocks the heart Of the preacher to
all the little demons that Turk about in his
neighborhood. He cautioned them against
the a%ppropriatin9 Of other mems thoughts
or sermons for the feeding of their vanity:
The preacher who did that was in peril OF
the deadly dOuDte column ana uncer COLI
| slant suspicion Of overworkinG his memory
ILauRhterl. The effect was bad on the man
himself, even IL men did not know Of his
thefts, for he knew that God knew 1t and
that the divine signature had been with
drawn from his credentials. Henceforth he
was a mere ~trespasser on the Kings domain.
This business Of blowing soap bubbles
the Bishop stamped as a miserable industry.
A breath of the wind and the bubble is gone:
The man that builds for reputation will
find some day that his congregation has
declined to provide soap suds for his clay
pipe, 1t was proper for the lay people TO
say to a minister that a certain sermon
helped them wonderfully. But if it was
said that Is the greatest sermon that has
been preached in this church in the last
five years that was m~ischievods. Boys"
said the Bishop, don't you believe it.
Pomposity, he said, was defined as twollen
mediocrity. The preacher should not be-
come too familiar with his people, should
not be loafing on the streets nor spinning
yarns with good fellows, not joining the
keyhole scavengers to find salacious stuff
to be repeated, not be pulpit acrobats and
fill the newspapers with accounts OF theil
tricks. and thus show that such a preachel
run the only circus that was carried on with
out a license.
Some of the older ministers WINGED at the
Bishops remarks.