Evidently a fair-minded and law-abiding citizen, the "town clark of
Ephesus"; but—what of it?
What shadow of interest, to modern life, has this chatty anecdote about the attitude of the Ancient Ephesian toward visiting preachers?
It is barely possible; intellectually conceivable, that is, that the distinguished clergyman was drawing a parallel between these long dead gentry, and ourselves; in our attitude toward the advocates of new faiths.
For instance, there come among us persons teaching Socialism; and we all cry with one voice for about the space of fifty years, "Great is the Competitive System!"—and are minded to destroy the teachers, no "town clark" intervening.
But this did not seem to be in his mind at all. He was talking about ancient history pure and simple; the only merit in his extract lying in its location—it was in the Bible.
Whence to my title—Why texts?
Why does a modern sermon to modern people have to be based upon and buttressed by a quotation from the writings of the ancient Hebrews, or the more modern group of mixed blood and more mixed language through whom came the New Testament?
This is no question either verbal or general; but a very sincere question of the need of such quotation in the religious teaching of the present time.
Suppose we have a glaring modern instance of good or evil, which every live minister feels called upon to preach about; to the genuine edification of his hearers; why must he get out his concordance and ransack the Scriptures to find an applicable remark?
In the Hebrew Church the Reading is longer and the Exposition closer, I understand; and in the "Christian Science" church there is Reading without even that much licence; but in our liberal Christian "services" the sermon is generally intended to be of immediate use to the hearers, not merely to give them an extract from "that which is written."