American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1822-08-16

A gentleman in Ohio, who forwarded copy oil
the Address to his friend in Philadelphia. says
"ln or,er to enable you to Judge correctly of the
truth OF the instnudttons contained in the pamphlet
cbeside teao Methodist and Baptist Preachers ;,
am able to state from good authority, that with.
lin the Connecticut Western Reserve, there is al
this time tcenty eight regular Methodist preachers
the number of Baptist preachers not so we'll ascer
tanned, but is rery considerable. There are also
some Episcopalian preachers, and some who belong
to no particular persuasion. Whether the differ
lent preachers above mentioned are, according to
the ideas OF the pamphlet writer's, ',cet qualified.
shall not pretend to say, but of this am satisfied
that there are among them, those who are SO ',oel
IqualJed,' that the writers of the pamphlet or any
lot their sort, dare not look them in the face"
Now, because these Methodist, Baptist and other
ministers are not of the same persuasion with the
/ committee OF acays and means who framed the
i Address'-or because they have not received a
collegiate education, they are not considered quail
flied to instruct in the things of eternity Like in
tsinuations have been thrown out in the reports
drawn up by men who have been sent from Theo
Illogical Semnares to spy the land and ascertain the
population and number of qualified ministers re-
lquise 10 instruct them in the things of eternity
in which reports they have generally considered a:
unqualified for their office, all preachers who have
not been made such at College: Notwithstanding
many who have never rubbed their backs against .
college WALL are the most able, 'active, QUALIFIED,
and asefut ministers of the gospel. All the inse
logic of the Stranger can not make it appear
that it is laudable object !; or consistent with the
practice Of gospel times:' the nunctons of the
scriptures to persuade and thrust meninto the min
lstry, as is the practice oftbe present day.
The Stranger says Every precaution that wis
dom devise, and holy cunning invent, is pract
sed in selecting benehciaries.' What utter Stran
lgers TO the simplicity, and holiness and practice
+ gospel times, must those be, who can degrade
themselves SO much as to use sHoLY CUNNING il
order to get men into the ministry HOLY
ICUNNING!!! Now Mr.. Stranger in answer t,
your question Does the W understand me !?
we must acknowledge that in many places it il
somewhat difficult to understand you but partic
ularly when you speak of 'hoLy cunning.' Yor
must have learnt this language in your travels il
the Land Of Education Societies where what yo,
call 'hoty cunning is extensively pracsed; fol
neither the phrase nor the practice was in use in
| gospel tines 1t appears, however, that nowith
standing every precaution that wisdom can devise
and holy cunning invent, is practsed in selecting
|bene6ciaries: the Education Societies are some
times deceived; for some who have intmated
aciSh to be educated and prepared for the ministry
Tor protested that they were called to preach tn,
|gospcl, have commenced their studies but not k
ing the business, or growing weary of stammerinf
over Latin and Greek, they have returned to thei
former occupation, or are going to be Lawyers
Such men may truly say, 1 know little of the COS
pei ministry Mr.. Stranger would such twis-
ting and turning this be Accounted virtuous ir
gospel times We trow not. But perhaps Edu-
Icaton Societies deem themselves privileged to trl
ie1perimeatS. Itrequires the hardness ola Stran
ger to deny that many of these benehciariss ar,
worthless oungers ard that the love of gain is the
ruling passion We do not venture this assertion
without good grounds. Hear the voice of one O
your own oraces, which you doubtless deem nfal
hble. The Boston Recorder tells us that Their
are very many ministers, men oftalents and piety
who are already prepared to preach, who canno
find employment And why cannot they fin
employment z For the plain reason no man hat
hired them > and they will not work for nothing
and Notwithstanding many of them received the
education freely, they know not to minister freely
They will not dig or they might find employ
men = yet they have not been ASHAMED to beg o
to suffer others to beg for them in order that the
might be prepared for the ministry-and now they
are prepared, their love of gain is so strong, tha
they are determined to lounge on the funds Q
, some Society until they can obtain handsom
salary. If there are more ministers than can fin
employment why are SO many thousands mon
wanted to supply the destitute places even 10 ow
ba,a fad ap ,co,,o.,oJ