POPULAR PREACHING

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1987, 18 February 1914, Page 8

POPULAR PREACHING

HOW FAR MAY IT Gα?

DISCUSSION BY CUERCYMEN.

(By TelfETftph-JProw Aooolattoa.l : ' Auckland, February 17. j Tho Congregational Union of New Zealand held a conference to-day on the subject "How Far Can We Go in for ; Popularising the Gospel?" An inter-esting-discussion followed. The discussion was opened by the Rev. C. Heighway, of:Dunedin. "Lot - ' people- have done," said Mr. Heigh- • way,.."with the cant of claiming for the-majority of non-churchgoers that they wero outsido becauso the services were below their .level oY interest. .That,was simply untrue. Rather, the services wero above their, level. Was it -not a , fact that all high work that rnado largo demands upon thought and earnestness v was unpopular? Were the best books eagerly sought and earnestly redd?,'_ Scrappy stuff of a most do? •■ moralising kind was perpetually increasing in response to a ravenous demand, but. books .of profound thought and infitriiotivencss wero found in tho' hands of'but few.. Patrons of the theatre would scarcely venture to doubt the beauty of Shakespeare's poetry, .or his dramatic genius, but, nevertheless, the majority of them preferred modern French plays, > and light frivolities, l.liey found their level, there. ' If a University professor amiouncod a series or.,scientific or literr.ry lectures, oould he maintain an.audience oven in one of the smaller;, public halls? Where, then, ..was this. high. thd.ughtfultiess which was said to .make men turn "way^in. disgust from tho intellectual poverty of:'the Churches? 'The chief reason.why people worejoutsido] not only thej Churches, but also all. the good tilings of life, was because tho higher ~ Bldo or their natures' was deliberately neglected and forgotten:" They lived on a low plane, and tried to avoid discipline and the work that was imperative, to inakofolk. This, was the heart-break of Christ, and it was still the heart-break-to-day. Those who tried to influ- . enca others for gpod 'know, how difficult it. was to "reuse 'them to any kind of P/K a l «a'rn?stness .respecting their .ftiilings The very last,,thing that'people wanted-..t0 .hear-about-was their- sin. Ihero .was a large, section of humanity crying to tho Church; that, if it could show them how to get clothes and food, better houses,, and easier circumstances, they would hoar'it,- but if id was going* to talkabouttheirsouls and their faults they.-would not'-listeri; , , ,They/,'did not want to hear abi-mt-sin, or"eyWtp';,think that there was anything '-very" wrong with them, or their, .way of living.'' When " wanted to epjoy himself he would pay a price, and go where lie could got his .money's worth, but it was degradation"; when tho scrvicosof God's 'house, with 'ifs solemn appeal about tho unseen and eternal, were regarded as interesting entertainments for a somewhat idle-' haiir.,; , .".Christianity as men teach it may easily be popular," said • Mr. Heighway in conclusion; "bait as Christ taught it'it cannot, for it rebukes sin. ' It puts'res'traiiits..upron lsclftmdulgonce,.Jt means, tho.crucifixion, of self, it' .tells the wealthy pietist who grinds his "employees .to;'give.'.uiito your servants what.is-just and 'equal,' and, of course, . lie does iidt like that. It.tells the servant -not to purloin, not to answer again, and ho docs not like that either. God help us! Do all'we can to win incn, but wo dare,not modify tho truth, becauso it 'is iinple'asant' 'and therefore uilpopiilar."/ '"'.';: .''.,'. ._".,.' i"o,iir., not tp bring Christ!- . aiiityj into, confdrrnity with' tho, modern mind,-but ..to bring tho modern mind into'.: conformity.'with Christianity," declared the Rev. J. Reed Glasson. of Wellington, "llie Gospel cannot' b© popularised.' Natural man is opposed to the spirit of God,'; and our duty'is to so preach-the Gosjjelas to bring' men into' bafmo'nv with God." Tho Rev. W. A. Keay, Nowton, had a' number of questions to ask. As Christ had usedthe pictorial method, was iii not'permissible to use moving pictures, tho world of song, and tho realm of artr , '■' ■■'• '.,' " ' " - ' ■ •' ; "We must learn tho language of the age if we are to preach a living,message to ( the age," declared the Rev. H. Johnson,' "of Christchurch. "//We can go to aiiy extent that the -, mind of man can devise," said Mr. j. iW. Sibree, of Samoa. "That is our duty, .Wo should-apply tho Gospel tp the people tp whom we. speak. Tho Gospel cau.be popularised without being / minimised." ■'. - ,

'.'lt is not necessary to present truth ' m its boldest and , driest form," said tho Roy. A. E. Hunt, of Wellington. "Greatscieniiists often present their truths in a forms that can be understood by children. Wo cannot popularise tho Gospel'in the sense o* lowering or lessenjng its demands, but any means of presentment such as thoso mentioned— sdngsjr pictures, etc. —are permissible if we can convey the truth." The Rev. Dr. Adeney, late principal of the Lancashire Independent College, England, suggested that all tho speakors v.'cro.in agreement if they only knew it. It was a question of less stiffness and starch. In reply, the Rev. Mr. Heighway said that his-position was that they must Jiot try to ..."tickle-the ears of tho groundlings."-; Pictures'. were all right .in their place.' ■ ■■■■■'' '■■■ ' "■ •.