Dr.  E.  G.  Robinson,  first  professor  of  theology  at
Rochester  and  later  President  of  Brown  University,
had  few  equals  in  his  day  as  a  platform  speaker.  He
had  a  subtle,  sensitive  nature  that  interpreted  the  com-
mon thought,  especially  of  critical  hours,  and  a  mag-
netic personality  that  charmed  and  swayed  a  multi-
tude by  his  thought.  The  older  citizens  of  Rochester
have  never  forgotten  his  impromptu  speech  at  the
assassination  of  Abraham  Lincoln  and  speak  of  it  as
one  of  the  great  experiences  of  their  lives.
190  THE  PULPIT  AND  AMERICAN  LIFE

Dr.  Broadus  was  the  great  preacher  of  the  South
and  could  have  had  any  pulpit  of  his  church,  but  surely
he  was  right  in  putting  his  conception  of  thorough
study  and  honest  interpretation  of  the  Gospel  and
simple,  persuasive  speech  into  generations  of  young
men.  His  voice  is  multiplied  a  hundred  times  by  the
service  he  gave  to  the  training  of  the  ministry.
Any  view  of  the  Baptist  pulpit  could  hardly  fail  to
mention  George  A.  Lorimer,  the  actor-preacher  who
brought  dramatic  feeling  and  the  most  facile  expres-
sion to  the  giving  of  a  Gospel  always  thoughtful  and
worthy;  P.  S.  Henson,  whose  wit  and  imagination
and  original  thought  and  manner  added  persuasion  to
his  fearless  and  searching  message;  Wayland  Hoyt,
effective  with  pen  and  voice,  untiring  in  energy,  heard
widely  on  platform  and  in  pulpit,  a  stimulating  exam-
ple for  the  pulpit  of  his  day.  The  standard  of  preach-
ing in  the  Baptist  pulpit  has  been  immensely  raised
in  fifty  years.  No  Seminaries  have  more  gifted  teach-
ers and  no  pulpit  is  receiving  a  larger  number  of  well-
equipped,  enthusiastic  preachers.
