Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 July 1891 — ANALYZING TALMAGE. [ARTICLE]

ANALYZING TALMAGE.

Presbyterian Minister Discuss a Few of His Idiosy iicrmies. , Pittsburg Special to New York Sun. The Rev. T. De Witt Talmage was handled without gloves by some ol the members of the United Ministerial Association this Morning. It was ■-.the regular weekly meeting of the association, and the Rev. J. 0. Boyd was scheduled to read a paper entitled. “What lessons can we learn from Dr. Talmage as a preacher?” After devotional exercises and business the Rev. Mr. Boyd opened the Talmage discussion. He said: “What are some of the features ol this minister s popularity and power? Not great oratory. Dr. Talmage is not an orator. If Henry Clay and Wendell Phillips were platform orators, then Talmage is not. He has less dramatic pswer than the average Brooklyn preacher. Indeed it is a question whether he has any dramatic power at all. There, is no dramatic art iri the distortions of countenance which he sometimes assumes. I saw Tom Corwin, perhaps the first stump speaker in America, a generation ago, by a simple curl of his lip, without speaking a word, deeply move an audience of thousands. Dr. Talmage has hardly a single gesture, posture, or movement of the body that pertains to the true orator. His manner is awkward,uncouth, unnatural and distorted. To many it is absolutely repulsive. “The first and most important element of Talmage's popularity and power is his Christian earnestness. He believes, and therefore speaks. He is a man of God. A second element of his power is his staunch orthodoxy. He has not been carried away by any of the theories of thy new school of theology. He believes in heaven and hell, in a first God and a Divine Savior. He believes in the Bible; the whole Bible. He believes in the Church of God and the ordinances of religion, and will not coordinate them with secret lodges and their heathenish rituals. Some may think that Talmage would be more popular and possess more influence il he would have a title once in a while with thePrincetonians; try to knock the bottom out of the Westminster Confession, and occasionally venture into the arena of theological conflict as the champion of that grossly sian dered and persecuted Dr. Briggs. But it is a mistake to think that any minister can permanently increase his popularity or influence by attack? on his own Church or its creeds.” At the conclusion of the Rev. Mr. Boyd’s talk a general discussion was 'field. The Rev. Mr. Grayam said: “Talmage is reckless. He is unique and does as he pleases. I have known him to acknowledge things he said were strained. He cares no more for church authority or for presbytery than he does so—well, for anything you choose to imagine. I de not think he is profitable. I onc< hearel him preface an orthodox sermoi with remarks that were positively re pulsive. I don’t think it would do tc copy after Dr. Talmage. I don’t be lieve he could present a satisfactory sermon before our Allegheny oi ! Xenia colleges." :