07 - Chapter 7
LECTURE VII MODERN HOMILETICS EUROPE THE place of the nineteenth century in the intellectual development of Europe is generally recognized as the most important and valuable of all. There is no need to specify. All spheres of thought and action were powerfully affected and progress greatly stimulated. The literary expression of the movements of thought was enormous. Of course this applies to preaching and its theory, as well as to all the other branches of intellectual and literary work. The application to modern conditions and the expression in modern forms of the accepted principles of Homiletics created a large and varied literature. On this account the study of the subject is greatly facilitated, and at the same time widely extended, both in scope and complexity. While the writers on Homiletics during the nineteenth century have found little, if anything, new to say on their subject, they have said it so finely and powerfully, and in such a variety of ways that the interest of their readers is not only held, but quickened and sustained.
General View
It will be proper at the outset to take a general view of European Homiletics during the nine-teenth century. Christlieb in his article on Homiletics in Herzog’s Real Encyclopadie, and in his treatise on Homiletics has given an excellent survey for Germany, and has something to say for other countries. In the development of theological education there was increasing recognition of Homiletics as an integral and vital part of the preparation of young men for the ministry. In the theological departments of the universities, and in special schools (where these existed) for the training of preachers and pastors, there were courses of instruction by lecture and text-book in Homiletics. Many of the lecture courses were developed into books and published. No doubt most of the literature of Homiletics was produced in this way, but there were also other treatises by pastors and others, which did not bear the aca demic stamp. Thus, both in lectures and in books, the value of homiletical instruction was empha sized, but not always did it receive due recognition.
Christlieb says that in the early part of the century the improvement of homiletic teaching in Ger many owed much to the spiritual and evangelistic labors of the pious and eloquent preacher, Glaus Harms. On the scientific side of its development, Homiletics, in common with every oth^r thpolosri-cal discipline, was greatly indebted to the srenius and influence of Schleiermacher, the great theo logian and teacher. Ghristlieb remarks: “We see, as always, first that the beginning of better practice works toward the regeneration of theory; and then, that renewed theory works toward the general improvement of practice. “ This improvement, both in the theory and practice of preach ing, seems to have held good throughout Europe, and among both Catholics and Protestants. In England the case was somewhat different. As late as 1864, Dean J. W. Burgon, in the Preface to his Treatise on the Pastoral Office, complained that at the English universities no adequate means were found for the training of preachers for their work, including Homiletics; but says that diocesan colleges had been founded for this purpose.
He further remarks that, though this complaint had often been made, there was still no proper provision for teaching the art of preaching. Of course, in the preparatory schools careful instruction had been given in literary composition, and university rnon were expected to know how to express them solves in English, both spoken and writ ten. But practical homiletical instruction was sadly lacking in schools where preachers received their training. In regard to the present state of homiletical instruction in England, I wrote to Dr. A. E. Gar-vie, Principal of New College, London, an author of useful books on preaching, to which attention is later called. Dr. Garvie’s reply, which I am permitted to quote, is as follows: “As regards your special subject of inquiry, it is very difficult to make a brief statement, as there is no uniformity of practice. In most colleges the Principal has also charge of Pastoral Theology, including Homiletics. In some colleges this is supplemented by special courses of lectures by ministers who have made good as preachers or pastors. A ser mon-class is held, at which the students in turn preach before their teachers and fellow-students, and criticism follows. Some of the Principals are content with informal instruction in Homiletics in their remarks in the sermon-class. Others give lectures on the History of Preaching, or the Theory. Most colleges provide competent instruction in Voice Production and Elocution. I think it may be said that the colleges are paying more attention than they did to the whole subject of practical training, and the churches are becoming very insistent on that. The students, too, are more eager to develop their powers as preachers. The tendency in some colleges to regard academic instruction as alone of value is weakening. I am hopeful of great improvement in the future in this branch of learning. “
Survey of the Literature A complete detailed study of the literature is neither possible nor desirable in a lecture like this.
All that is required for our purpose is to select a few of the outstanding works for such notice as will give a reasonably clear and full conception of the character and quality of homiletical teaching in Europe during the period under review, that is, since the beginning of the nineteenth cen tury.
Among the Catholics of Southern Europe the subject was not wholly neglected, but the books in Spanish and Italian, of which mention is made by various writers, do not appear to have been of any distinguished or original merit. I have not made any study of these. 1 It is, however, a matter of deep interest to us to note that in 1912 there appeared under the auspices of the Baptist Theo logical School at Borne a treatise in Italian by Prof. N. H. Shaw under the title (translated) The Pulpit, or Manual of Homiletics. It is a clear and able and thoroughly modern presentation of the subject, showing both wide study and firm grasp of the materials, acknowledging indebtedness to many writers, and especially to Broadus Preparation and Delivery of Sermons. Of this well-known book he says in the preface: “The most complete treatise on preparation for the ministry is that of Broadus, of which I have taken the lib erty to translate and adopt many passages, some times extensive ones. It is encouraging to know that the preachers in training for evangelical work in Italy are thus furnished with an excellent manual on the art of preaching.
1 There are, however, at least two valuable works on the His tory of Preaching which should be mentioned: L Oratoria Sacra Italiana nel Medio Evo, by Luigi Marenco; and Storia della Predicazione nei Secoli della Letteratura Italiana, by Francesco Zanotto. In Switzerland and France the production of treatises on Homiletics was not so large as in some other countries, but the quality of the works produced is high, and some of them have had extensive influence. 1 First in order and in importance is Homiletics, or the Theory of Preaching, by Alexandre Vinet, D.D. This great book was published after the author’s death in 1847 from his manuscripts, with some additions from the note books of students. It had wide and fruitful use among French Protestants everywhere, and influenced to some extent German thought and treatment. But it is especially interesting to Americans to recall that the book was translated and edited by Thos. H. Skinner, D.D., Professor of Sacred Rhetoric and Pastoral Theology in Union Theological Seminary, New York, in 1854. It was used as a text-book, or a book of reference, in many theological seminaries in this country. Dr. Broadus used it thus for a while in his early work as professor in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His own thinking and treatment were very greatly guided by Vinet. The first edition of Broadus book contained several extensive quo- iHere again we must observe that there were valuable works on the History of Preaching in addition to those on Homiletics proper. Of these special mention should be i-iade of La CKaire Franc.aise au Xllme Siecle, by Bourgain; La Chaire Frangaise au Moyen Age, by Lecoy de la Marche (a masterly work); Leg Libres Predicateurs, by A. Me”ray; Histoire de la Predication parmi les Reformes, by Alexandre Vinet; Histoire de la Predication Protestante, by A. Vincent; Le Sermon au XVIIIme Siecle, by A. Bernard. For fuller bibliography see my History of Preaching, I, 566, and II, 580. tations from Vinet’s treatise. Besides that, there are references and acknowledgments. Vinet was an eminent scholar and literary critic, and was professor at Lausanne from 1837-1847. He was descended from Huguenot parentage, and was thoroughly Protestant, pious and evangelical. On beginning his work as professor he gave the customary inaugural address. In that he thus expresses himself as to his view of his work: “I assure you, that I come in the name and at the call of God, to study with you a human art, which as to its use, and as to its means, has been rendered divine. In particular, be content to know, that the man who offers himself, to aid as far as he can, your meditations and studies in regard to preaching, though firmly resolved to propose to you all the natural resources which give works of art their relative perfection, has the fullest conviction that God alone understands art, that his Spirit alone is eloquent in our discourses.” This promise was fully redeemed, for both the spirituality and scholarship of the author appear in his excellent book. It is one of the classic treatises on the subject of Homiletics. Though published after the author’s death, and therefore without his revision, it remains a great and noble production. As was natural, it was chiefly and avow edly adapted to the needs of the author’s own time, country and people. But it develops and applies the great principles of the art of preaching with keenness of mind, ample learning, and an earnest spirit. Though sometimes diffuse and labored, and in some respects incomplete in its treatment, the book remains a worthy monument of a truly great mind which gave its best strength to the art of which it treats. In the Introduction (page 28) Vinet defines the sermon as a “discourse incorporated with public worship, and designed, concurrently or alternatively, to conduct to Christian truth one who has not yet believed in it, and to explain and apply it to those who admit it. The Apostles Paul and Peter give the same idea of preaching. “ Further he says (page 29), “The object of pulpit eloquence, we are aware, as indeed that of all eloquence, is to determine the will; but this object is closely combined with that of instruction. Eloquence is but the form, the edge, so to speak, of instruction. The preacher is a teacher under the form of an orator/ Again (page 31): “Not only does teaching predominate in the eloquence of the pulpit; the preacher, we add, has a document as the basis of his eloquence. As we have before said, he speaks the Word of God.” He has a long and sensible discussion of preaching as a true art, and says (page 33), “Art, in effect, which we must not confound with artifice, is, in all cases, but the serious search for means suited to an end; so that, to renounce art, we must first prove that, at the first attempt, the whole and the best possible is found. Till this be done, we ask what harm can art do?”
Coming to the main treatment (page 49) lie defines thus: “The division of a course upon the art of Oratory, has always been, as it ever must be, Invention, Disposition, Elocution. Invention, strictly speaking, expands itself over the whole field of Rhetoric. We invent our plan, we invent our language. The same faculty is applied to everything; it is the whole talent, it is the whole art. But if we consider here, not the faculty, the exercise of which is unlimited, but the object, which is special, we shall find a real difference and distinction between those three things; the matter or ground (which is to be invented), the order (which is to be invented), and the style (which is to be invented), a division which corresponds to the ancient one, and which, perhaps, we may use to advantage. While, however, we retain the terms, we premise that by the word invention, we understand only the invention of the ideas, or the matter, of which the disposition and expression are afterwards to be invented. “ By elocution he means style. In a resume at the end of Part I (page 254), he clearly sums up by saying: “The whole of art, say the ancient rhetoricians, consists in inventing, disposing, expressing; this is the whole of art, repeat the moderns. We pretend to no improvement. These three operations comprise the whole of art, and they are indeed three operations. We cannot better express ourselves than in terms borrowed from the art of architecture, matter, structure, style. “ The book expands these three main topics. It does not treat of Delivery. Perhaps this was covered in lectures which have not been preserved. Under the head of Invention, Vinet discusses Subjects, Texts and Matter, treating the last under the terms Explication and Proof. Under the latter head he allows considerable latitude, meaning what Aristotle understands by the “ means of persuasion. In Part II, Vinet takes up the subject of Disposition or Arrangement, which he discusses with great brevity, but with good sense, pointing out the need and value of an orderly plan, both from the oratorical and the logical points of view. He then comes to the third general division of Elocution (Style). That is, the expression of subjects and materials in discourse, especially written discourse. He. again brings up the subject of preaching as an art and finally says (page 350), “Neither an anathema on art, nor art for art’s sake, but art for God’s sake, is what we insist upon. It results, as it seems to us, from what we have said, that good style is necessary, and that good style does not come of itself.” In stating the “funda mental qualities of style, “ he names them (page 367) as “Perspicuity, purity, correctness, propri ety, precision, order, naturalness, suitableness.”
Then he has a chapter on the superior qualities or virtues of style: Strength, beauty, color, move ment, under the last of which he discusses the use of figures, dramatism, and elegance. There is an evident incompleteness and abruptness about the close of the book. The author had not worked it out. To-day the book is valuable chiefly for what it did. It is too diffuse, and too remote from the happenings of our day to be of practical importance now. Of other French treatises, a few are important. The eloquent and saintly Protestant preacher, Adolphe Monod, published a lecture on the Delivery of Sermons, which Broadus characterizes as “singularly good.” Growing out of the experience s of one of the greatest preachers of modern times, it bore the stamp of his fine intellect and warm heart. The advanced wing of the French Protestant ministry had also a distinguished representative in the department of Homiletics. This was the younger Athanase Coquerel, who published about 1860 a brilliant and delightful little book under the title (translated), Practical Observations on Preaching. The book is neither in lecture nor text book form, but is readable, practical and competent. The author treats with fine discrimination, good judgment, scholarly ability, and excellent style the usual subjects of Homiletics. He writes of the proper interpretation of the Scripture, the choice of texts, and of dangers to be avoided, such as taking subjects of relatively little importance, and going into minute details, which are neither dignified nor interesting. He discusses courage and reality in preaching. He writes helpfully of plans and of the modes of delivery, preferring the extemporaneous method, after careful preparation. He emphasizes the need of hard and continuous work, and of the moral and artistic points of view in making sermons. He closes with three chapters devoted to the importance of the sermon in worship, the good produced by preaching, and the responsibility of the preacher. It was a very excellent little work in its day, and is worth reading any day. The art of preaching was not neglected among the Catholics of France. Somewhere about 1870 (exact date not given) the eminent Bishop Dupan-loup put forth a series of lectures under the title The Ministry of Preaching; an Essay on Pastoral and Popular Oratory. It was translated into Eng lish by Samuel J. Eales, and published both in England and in this country. The author was well known as a devout and excellent prelate, highly esteemed for his work and influence. The book gives some wise and good counsels especially appropriate to parish priests on the subject of preaching. It is not a treatise in the technical sense, and of course presents the matters discussed from the Catholic point of view. But it is a good book. The author refers much to Augustine and Fenelon. He urges that preaching should be popular and paternal in tone, looking to the spiritual instruction and profit of the hearers. He quotes with approval a fine saying of Augustine: “It is better that the grammarians should criticize us than that the people should not understand us.” In Germany, during the period we are consider ing, the literature of Homiletics is very large; of course varied in quality and in value, but marked by the well-known German qualities. It is scientific and thorough in treatment, often involved and unattractive in style, and frequently still laboring under the burden of scholastic analysis and expression. Yet, there is an evident trend toward a more practical and popular treatment of the subject. The German treatises naturally adapt themselves to the peculiarities of the German mind, and to ecclesiastical customs and habits of thought as they exist in Germany. For example, the German pastor and preacher, much like the rector of an English parish in the Established Church, must conform to churchly regulations which do not exist among us. The discussions of Homiletics, therefore, are usually a part of general instructions on parish or pastoral duties. The pastor must catechize the children and prepare them for confirmation. He must, of course, look after the sick in mind and body, who are under his care. He must conduct the worship according to the prescribed arrangements. The sacred seasons must be observed, and the Scripture lessons are appointed for every Sunday of the year. The preaching must fit in with these established customs. Hence, instructions in Horniletics, likewise, take account of these requirements of an established church. 1
Early in the century, Rudolf Stier tried to bring in a more Biblical conception of the theory of preaching, and published a little book called Keryktik. This is from the Greek kerux, a herald, a word several times found in the New Testament for preacher. His idea was to try to get this term used instead of Homiletics, to indicate that the preacher’s main business was to be a herald of the gospel. The author was rather one-sided in his attack upon the misuse of rhetoric, but the good point in his treatment of the subject was not with out fruit. In the same direction, Franz Theremin put out a small volume called Preaching a Virtue, in which he stresses the moral and spiritual elements of the preacher’s office, along with other good counsels on preaching. This book also had good influence. It was translated by Professor Shedd, of Princeton, and was well known in this country a generation ago.
One of the most important and widely influential German works, about the middle of the nineteenth century, was the Evangelical Homiletics (title translated), by Dr. Christian Palmer, published in 1842, and in later editions to the fifth in 1867.
Like most of the German treatises, the book is too exclusively adapted to German church life and customs to be of special practical value to others
1 There are in German a number of notable works on the His tory of Preaching. See the bibliographies in my History of Preaching, Vol. I, p. 566, Vol. II, p. 580ff. than students of Homiletics. Much of the book is taken up with the German ideas of pastoral service, worship, Bible study and interpretation, a subject suited to the church seasons and other special occasions. When he comes to the principles of Homiletics as such, Palmer gives a careful and thoughtful arrangement and study. His general division is peculiar. After some introductory remarks, he discusses, as the main parts of the book: the Word of God, Churchly Customs, the Congregation, the Personality of the Preacher. It is under the general topic of Churchly Custom that the author considers technical Homiletics. Dis cussing first the sacred seasons and the ordinances, he comes to the Text, grouping what he has to say on this subject, in reference still to the church seasons. These, in a general way, must determine the preacher’s choice of his text and theme. As a rule, the German preacher gets his text from the scripture adapted for reading on the particular Sunday of the church year. This leaves him only limited choice. For the evening service and week days he has more liberty of choice. In these cases, he should wisely and conscientiously select his text with a view to the spiritual benefit of the congregation. In the more distinctly homiletical part of his discussion, Palmer treats of the Sermon as a Work of Art, the Disposition (or Ar rangement), the Theme, the Development, the Introduction, the Conclusion, with a sort of post script on the liturgical and hymnological elements of preaching. Under the head of the Congregation, Palmer considers how the preaching should be adapted to the people’s needs, to the influences at work among them, and related practical matters. Under the head of the Personality of the Preacher, the author treats of Delivery. He insists on what he calls free delivery. That is, unhampered by close dependence upon manuscript.
If one reads, it must be free reading, not slavish. But Palmer seems to prefer the method of recitation, provided the memorizing has been so thoroughly done as to assure both preacher and audience against painful and embarrassing hesitation.
He admits that many prefer free speech after careful preparation, and grants that, for those who can do this well, it is an admissible method. The preacher’s appearance, bearing, manner, and character should, of course, be such as to win and hold the respect of his hearers. Finally, the personality of the preacher must be trained and disciplined for the suitable exercise of his great office of bringing the Word of God to bear upon his hearers.
Much in the same general line as Palmer’s is the treatise of Alexander Schweitzer, a pastor and teacher in Zurich. His treatise pursues the usual German method of discussing Homiletics as a part of Practical Theology. He gives considerable space to discussing the relation of preaching to other parts of the pastoral office. In the strictly homiletical part of the book, there is not much that is new, either in arrangement or thought. The author divides Homiletics proper into Principal, Material, and Formal Homiletics. It is under the last head that he discusses Theme, Partition, Development (including Grouping and Style), and Delivery. Under the last he insists, as Palmer does, that the delivery should be alive and personal, and growing out of what is the preacher’s own. Whether he should read from manuscript or recite from memory, or speak freely what has been carefully thought or written out beforehand, must be decided by each one for him self. Each preacher must pursue the plan which he can use to best advantage. A number of learned and able treatises in Ger man appeared from the middle to the end of the nineteenth century. It would be impossible to describe or analyze them in detail, but at least the names of the most distinguished authors should be mentioned. Karl Immanuel Nitzsch, the devoted and beloved preacher, published a volume on Homiletics, which is mentioned by the authorities as very able, but it has not fallen into my hands to examine it. Karl F. Gaupp sought a somewhat new method of presenting the subject of Homiletics. He gave more attention to the Bible itself as affording proper instructions on the art of preaching, and he held that Homiletics was to be distinguished from rhetoric, on the ground that preaching, being the delivery of the Word of God, was in some sense a divine inspiration and not a merely human art. This view, as we shall see later, was held by one noted American writer on the subject and by one of the eminent English preachers, who gave one year the Yale Lectures.
There were notable works on Homiletics by Hagen-bach, Bassermann, Otto, Christlieb, and others, which rank high in the literature of our subject. The work of Christlieb was translated into English and was read both in England and America.
Books of special interest are those of Hettinger, Aphorisms on Preaching and Preachers a collection of sayings and teachings from many authors; of Bindemann, who discussed the significance of the Old Testament for Christian preaching; and Jewish Homiletics, by Rabbi Maybaum, who gives much material of historical and practical value and interest. The later German writers on Homiletics pay attention to the history as well as to the art of preaching. Dr. D. Hering, in his Die Lehre von der Predigt (Instruction on Preaching), devotes the first half to the history, and the second to the theory of preaching. One of the fullest of recent German books is the History and Theory of Preaching (title translated), by Dr. Th. Harnack. Following the German custom, Harnack treats Homiletics as a division of Practical Theology. He divides his work into three parts:
Foundational, Historical, and Constructive. Under the first the treatise presents the nature and principles of preaching; under the second its history, under the third its materials and aims, and the construction of sermons. This division is thoroughgoing and suggestive, but it obviously covers too much ground for adequate treatment as a manual; and for practical use as a textbook, it is too severely philosophical. Harnack distinguishes between what we would call evangelistic preaching and preaching to a Christian congregation. He treats Homiletics under the latter point of view. This, of course, is one-sided and objectionable both in theory and in practice, for preaching includes both elements, and the laws governing sermon structure could not be essentially different in the two connections. The author clearly and strongly states that Homiletics as an art can not give nor take the place of talent and divine grace. It is only an instrumental helper to these.
He further vindicates the individual homiletics each man must make his own. The theory can only give general rules. He denies that preaching is only a certain kind of oratory. He puts it upon the higher plane of differing both in principle and method from ordinary oratory, and yet does not go so far as to destroy the natural relationship of the two. Preaching is discourse, and as such is subject to the recognized laws of discourse. But it is more than this, because of its relation to the fundamentals of Christianity. Harnack considers Homiletics according to four fundamental principles: (1) From the standpoint of truth, especially saving truth. (2) Fellowship and mutuality. (3) Freedom and individuality. (4)
Order oral. By these he means the Biblical, churchly, personal and rhetorical character of preaching. He lays down the principle that preaching, as we have it, is an essential part of Christian worship, so he divides his treatment under the rather artificial heads: (1) The act of worship considered as discourse; (2) Discourse considered as an act of worship. Holding this fundamental principle in view, he divides his treatment into the three parts already indicated: foundational, historical, constructive. When he comes to the third, or constructive part, the first half considers preaching as an act of worship in discourse, where he discusses the conception of preaching, its material, its relation to the Word of God, the selection and handling of the text, the application of the text. He also considers the relation of preaching to the life of the church and congregation. That is, to the church seasons, special occasions and the like. In the second half of this part of his treatment, he takes up preaching as the act of discourse in worship. Here he lays down the aim of preaching as being the edification of the hearers, especially influencing the will. It is in this part also that he discusses the customary homiletical subjects of Material, or Invention, Theme, Division, and the rest. On the whole, as remarked at the outset, the German books are too academic and theoretic. They show research and mastery, as regards history, depth of thought, and more or less thoroughness of analysis. Many of them breathe a very devout spirit, and insist upon character and piety as essential to the right sort of preaching. In Holland the study and teaching of Homiletics was not neglected. A number of treatises on the subject appear. 1 The most important of these was Practical Theology, a Manual for Theological Students, by Prof. J. J. van Oosterzee, D.D. The original edition in Dutch was published in Utrecht in 1878. The English translation, by Maurice J. Evans, was published both in England and in this country, and is therefore well known to English-speaking students. The work contains a discussion of the general subject of practical theology, which he divides into the four topics of Homiletics, Liturgies, Catechetics, and Poimenics. That is, preaching, worship, instruction of children, and pastoral oversight. We are concerned only with the homiletic part. This is presented in two general divisions, which he calls, (1) the Preparatory Part, and (2) the Developing Part. The first part treats of the Idea, Importance, His tory and Literature, and Present Conditions of Homiletics. The second part takes up Homiletics proper, which he treats under the three excellent divisions of Principles, Material, and Form. On Homiletics in relation to its principles, the author discusses first the nature and character of the sermon, which he defines (page 166) thus: i On the History of Preaching, besides the sketch in Van Ooster zee, there is a very able book by J. Hartog, Geschiedenis van dePredikkunde, etc.
“The Sermon is a concatenated address of Christian-religious contents to be delivered in an unfettered style by the minister of the gospel at the public worship of the congregation, in the name and at the command of the Lord, with the explicit aim that the congregation be thereby edified, and the coming of the kingdom of God advanced.
He develops these ideas, discusses the personality of the preacher, and then takes up Material. He rules out certain things from the material of preaching, such as political partisanry, needless doctrinal disputes, and various other inappropriate things. We must preach not ourselves, but the gospel. Our preaching must be thoroughly Biblical, though it should take account of times, seasons, and occasions. Begarding a particular sermon, he treats of the Text, Theme, Introduction, Divisions, Application and Conclusion. On Homiletics in regard to form, which of course is closely related to material, the author presents the general subject of Arrangement, Style and Delivery. With regard to Division (page 316) he says, Clearly defined division, far from being an arbitrary demand, much less an intolerable yoke, is on the contrary the condition sine qua non of the well-ordered and effective pulpit address.” The style, he insists, should be clear, dignified and Biblical. With regard to delivery he has the usual good counsels. The opening sentence of the discussion (page 330) is as follows: “The Sermon thus carefully prepared ought naturally to be spoken freely and with dignity; in such wise that neither the ear nor the eye of the hearer be hurt. But on the contrary, even the outward presentation be made, as far as possible, subservient to the great end of preaching. “In England, 1 during the early part of the nineteenth century, the works of Campbell and Blair, noticed in the preceding lecture, and the translations of Claude’s Essay on the Composition of a Sermon were still widely read. In 1838 there appeared what Kidder calls 1 1 a voluminous expansion of Claude’s Essay” in The Preacher’s Manual, by Rev. S. T. Sturtevant. The book was later published in this country. It consists of more than six hundred closely printed pages, based somewhat on the teachings of Claude, but with much expansion, illustration, example and comment. It presents the accepted homiletical teachings, discussing the usual topics through thirty-two lectures and an appendix. Authors and readers in those days had plenty of time on their hands! In his preface the author says (page 6), “The design of this work is to assist those preachers who are destitute of better help in the preparation of their own discourses, to furnish them with the means of giving an original cast to the divisions and discussion, an object to which it is presumed the following pages are fully adequate, and thus to relieve them from the painful and i For works on the History see my History of Preaching, II., p.
579f. Worthy of special mention are Ker’s Lectures on the History of Preaching, and Blaikie’s The Preachers of Scotland, etc. mortifying necessity of adopting the outlines and skeletons of others, or of preaching printed discourses, which may be in the possession of some of their hearers, to the discredit of the preacher, thus convicted of delivering the sermons of an other as his own.” In carrying out this laudable purpose the author covers the ground from selection of text, theme, divisions and treatment to style and delivery. The book would not appeal to readers of our time, but no doubt served a useful purpose in its day. A much better book for practical purposes is Gresley’s Treatise on Preaching, which appeared in 1840. The author was a clergyman of the Church of England and his book was avowedly adapted principally to his brethren of that communion. Another limitation lies in the fact that in form the book is a series of letters addressed to a young clergyman. That was a kind of a literary fad which the good taste of modern times has rejected. Notwithstanding these and other defects, the treatise had value in its day, and remains a worthy contribution to the literature of Homiletics. It adopts the four general divisions of Matter, Style, Method (or Disposition), and Delivery. This arrangement is open to criticism, but the topics are presented in a clear, sensible and attractive way. In 1868 the Rev. E. Paxton Hood published a series of lectures which had been given to the students of Spurgeon’s Pastors College under the odd title Lamps, Pitchers, and Trumpets. These lectures were later expanded into two stout volumes, The Throne of Eloquence, and The Vocation of the Preacher. These works contain much that is of value on the subject of preaching historical, illustrative and homiletical but they are not formal treatises. Charles H. Spurgeon him self, the world-renowned pastor and preacher of London, published three short volumes under the title Lectures to My Students. Not by any means are these either in form or purpose treatises on Homiletics, but they are familiar talks to successive groups of students in the college of which Spurgeon was the founder and president. They grow out of the experiences and they express the genius of the great popular preacher. They are pleasant to read, full of practical suggestions, bubbling with quaint humor, but warm in devotion and strong in common sense. The other great London preacher of that age, Joseph Parker, published a little volume with the Latin title Ad Clerum (To the Clergy), which Broadus describes as “a lively and interesting little book, though not always judicious.” In 1881 was published the Art of Preaching, by the Rev. Henry Burgess. The book was meant chiefly for theological students and the younger clergy of the English Church. The author felt, as others have done before and since, that the subject of Homiletics had been too much neglected in his church. His book is an earnest and serious one, unstated for use as a textbook, but interesting, readable, and full of good counsel. There is a valuable introduction on the state of preaching in the Anglican Church at the time of writing. The first chapter is devoted to a consideration of the Moral Preparation for Sermon Writing, and the author begins with the fervent appeal for a deep and sincere spiritual life on the part of the preacher. In thirty-five chapters Burgess considers the familiar subjects of homiletical study: The selection and use of texts, introduction, division, conclusion, style, and delivery. The treatment is discursive and sometimes prolix. But the book marked a distinct advance in the consideration and treatment of Homiletics in the Church of England. In Scotland a valuable contribution to homiletical literature was made by Dr. W. Garden Blaikie in his For the Work of the Ministry, which treats briefly and with excellent judgment both Pastoral Duties and Homiletics. In Ireland the Catholic Church was represented by two good works in this field. They were written by Thomas J. Potter, a priest and professor at Dublin. One is entitled Sacred Eloquence, in which the chief subjects of Homiletics are presented with force and illustrated by many quotations from Catholic writers. The other is called The Spoken Word, and deals chiefly with delivery, advocating free speech after suitable preparation. A number of notable British preachers have been invited to deliver the Yale Lectures in this country, and their works are a very worthy part of that series. The lecturers have been E. “W-Dale, James Stalker, A. M. Fairbairn, E. F. Hor-ton, John Watson, George Adam Smith, John Brown, P. T. Forsyth, H. H. Henson, J. H. Jowett (then in New York), and C. Silvester Home. In the main these volumes are not strictly homiletical, and not one of the course is in textbook form or adapted to teaching purposes. But the series as a whole is a remarkable, able, and sometimes brilliant discussion of modern pulpit problems and principles, as understood by men who are fully representative of the finest British culture and religious thinking of the age. Among the numerous writings of the Eev. F. B. Meyer, the veteran preacher, pastor and lecturer, is a brief but useful treatise on Expository Preaching, which contains much that is worth while on that important subject. A brief but thoughtful little work by the Bishop of Eipon, Dr. William Boyd Carpenter, Lectures on Preaching, appeared in 1895. It consists of six lectures before the Divinity School of the University of Cambridge with the titles: The Preacher Himself, The Training of the Preacher, The Sermon, The Structure of the Sermon, The Preacher and His Age, The Aim of the Preacher. The book abounds in wise counsel on these themes and is written in a very clear and attractive style.
It remains to notice two works by Dr. Alfred E. Garvie, Principal of New College, London, of the Independent or Congregational body, and well known as a preacher, leader, teacher and writer.
Dr. Garvie has contributed two valuable books to the literature of Homiletics. The first of these, A Guide to Preachers, appeared in 1906, and consists of a course of lectures originally given to a class of lay preachers, but afterwards expanded and published. The book is a very useful, practical, and judicious manual. The first section is on How to Study the Bible, with good advice on that subject. The second section discusses How to State the Gospel, and is full of wise counsel concerning the more important subjects to be dealt with in preaching. The third section is properly homiletical, and treats of the personality of the preacher and his preparation, choice and treatment of texts and subjects, gathering materials, choice of language, use of argument, and delivery. As to the last, Dr. Garvie condemns recitation from memory and leaves the preacher to choose between a free reading from manuscript or extemporaneous speaking after careful preparation, with personal preference for the latter. The fourth section is on How to Meet the Age, and contains a sane and thoughtful discussion of the principal and pressing religious problems of the day and their right treatment in the pulpit.
More recently Dr. Garvie has published a strong and attractive book entitled The Christian Preacher. It is a volume in the well-known International Theological Library, and is worthy of a place in that collection of scholarly and able works. It is a more elaborate and complete discussion than the earlier book. After an introduction on the importance, the definition, and the characteristics of Christian preaching, the author proceeds to treat his subject in three main parts: The History of Preaching; the Credentials, Qualifications and Functions of the Preacher; the Preparation and the Production of the Sermon.
Dr. Garvie adopts with modification Phillips Brooks famous definition of preaching as “the communication of truth through personality,” but regards it as incomplete and modifies it to read “the communication of divine truth through human personality for eternal life. Dr. Garvie believes that the historical method is “the best approach to any subject,” and that “the Christian preacher will be better equipped for his task to day if he has some knowledge of how men have preached in former days.” Accordingly, more than half of the book is given to a rapid and condensed, but valuable survey of the History of Preaching from the days of our Lord and the Apostles down to present times. In Part II the preacher himself is discussed, and much that is worth while is said about the preacher as apostle, prophet, scribe, scholar, sage, seer, saint, priest, teacher, pastor and evangelist. These terms, though exceptions may be taken to some of them, suggest the many and varied aspects of the preacher’s character and work which must have a vital and important bearing on his preaching. In Part III the Preparation and Production of the Sermon, Dr. Garvie reaches the more distinctly homiletical aspect of his general subject. In the introductory remarks about preparation, the author well says (pages 344-345): “All that makes the preacher also makes the sermon. The entire development of the personality as the channel of Truth may be said to belong to the preparation. As apostle, prophet and scribe the preacher is get ting the content of his preaching. As scholar, sage, seer and saint he is fitting himself to convey the message he receives. As priest, teacher, pastor and evangelist he is fixing the forms of his preaching by its purposes. It seems necessary to lay stress on the preparation in the wider sense, as on that will depend the facility and the excellence of the preparation in the narrower sense.
Each sermon should not in itself be an immense labor and crushing care to the preacher, who has constantly and diligently been making himself fit and ready for the task. It should be a free and happy exercise of powers that have been fully developed by a fruitful self-discipline. It should not be necessary for him to spend hours in trying to find a text; but he should be so familiar with the Scriptures that a multitude of texts should be at his command, and that these texts should suggest their treatment at once because he so thoroughly knows their contexts. It should not be necessary for him to search high and low for material for his sermon; but he should be so much at home in Christian thought and life that he will have abundance to say worth hearing about doc trine and practice, principle and application alike.
It should not be necessary for him to go in search of illustrations, but his reading and his experience alike should readily offer him the pictures through which the truth may shine. It should not be necessary for him to rack his brains to discover divisions or heads, but his logic should be keen enough, and his psychology subtle enough, to put him in the way of an arrangement that will be spontaneous and effective, and not arbitrary and futile. Many preachers find their preparation so painful and fruitless a toil, because they forget or neglect the fact that the stream cannot rise higher than its source; the poor personality will not produce the rich sermon. Here at the outset of the discussion all emphasis must be put again on the definition of preaching as truth through personality.” To the familiar topics of homiletical instruction Dr. Grarvie Drives a fresh, vigorous and modern treatment. He refers to a number of other writers especially Vinet, Christlieb and Hoyt but the study and expression are his own. (One may be permitted to wonder why there is no quotation from Broadus book, or even any discoverable reference to that great work.) The main lines of study, as conveyed by the chapter titles, are the character of the sermon, the choice of subjects and text, the contents, arrangement, disposition, and delivery of the sermon. There must be earnest study in the gathering of material, careful attention to the tested principles of composition, including, of course, the cultivation of good style, and a delivery suitable to convey and impress the preacher’s message.
Summary Our survey of homiletical teaching in Europe since the beginning of the nineteenth century, hasty and imperfect as it has been, impresses us with several important facts.
1. Preaching has come to be recognized as, in the highest and best sense, a function or art, capable of scientific expression and treatment. The study of Homiletics is fully and decidedly established as a vital and necessary part of the preparation and practice of the modern preacher. If he would excel in his work, he must master his art, both in theory and in practice. At the same time he must recognize that, owing to its origin in a divine commission, and in its purpose to win and save men spiritually, it is more than an art, even a sacred vocation.
2. The history of Homiletics shows that the science is a natural development of certain fundamental principles of public speaking from the very beginning. This development implies the constant application of these universal principles to changed conditions. False ideas and useless appendages in the treatment of Homiletics have been laid aside and the essentials of oratory as applied to preaching remain. As Aristotle long ago pointed out, the three essential things are the speaker, the hearer and the speech. In order that public speaking shall be effective there must be study of each of these elements, according as conditions require.
3. European Homiletics in modern times strongly and wisely insists upon a better interpretation and a more vivid and practical application of Scripture. Modern historical criticism and exegesis have forever discredited the fanciful, forced and often false interpretation, which was only too easily tolerated in days gone by. The Bible is still the living Word of God, and as such, its real teachings must be laid upon the minds, consciences, and social relations of the people of to day.
4. Modern Homiletics has become less academic and more practical in tone and style. If it has lost something of scholarly dignity and severity, it has gained much of practical reality and effect through all modern discussions. The fundamental ancient principle persists: The object of the preacher is to inform the understanding, move the feelings, and influence the will of his hearers. The Latin formula adopted if not coined by Augus tine remains: Docere, mover -e, flectere. The preacher’s whole study and practice of his divinely given art is to learn how he can best, for the greater glory of his Lord, do for his hearers these three things. As Garvie has expressed it, the object of the preacher’s art is “to bring God in Christ to man, and man through Christ to God.”