PRESBYTERIANS AND THE "PRINTED WORD."

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2937, 24 November 1916, Page 6

PRESBYTERIANS AND THE "PRINTED WORD."

A HINT TO LEARN FROM OTHERS. Presbyterians—particularly Presbyterian ministers—have a reputation, real or imaginary, for conservatism. It was, thereforo, with some surprise that many listened to the excellent speech made yesterday morning by the Rev. S. F. Hunter, a young pastor, urging that the printed page might do more to winning people to Christianity than the preached word.. Ho informed tho Assembly that, though tho Anglican Church was notably, conservative, he happened to have ventured there tl»o day before, and in the vestibule he found a number of little booklets on subjects that he felt sure would be helpful to seekers after the light. The idea was to give a penny and take a book, and with that he exhibited half a dozen, so "hang went saxpence" when the' visiting pastor made his call. He thon produced half a dozen other little booklets (purchased for a pmny each in a city bookshop) dealing with religious tonics. Ho thought that the Church which could not learn from outside could not do much, and made a plea that tho Presbyterian Church should cultivate tho printed word as well as the spoken one, feeling sure, that such booklets or pamphlets issued under the imprimatur of the Assembly would carry great weight, and be rend with interest by many, who perhaps did not attend church. ,