The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1846-07-04
EGISOLNLLLlANNOlTSo
From the Lowell Offering.
VILLAGE PASTORS.

The old village pastor of New England
was "a man having authority His deacOnt
were under him, and not, as is now offer
the case, his tyranical rulers; and whenever
his parishioners met him. they DOTTED their
hats and said. Your reverence. What
ever passed his lips was both law and goS-
pel and when too old and nfrm TO minso
ter 10 his charge, he was not turned away,
like an old worn out beast, TO die Of hunger
or to gather up, with failing strength, the
coarse BIT whioh might exc Out little long
er his remaining days; but he was still treat
ed with all the deIerence, and supported
with all the muniicence, which was be-
leved due Io him whom they regarded as
Gods viCcgetent upon earth lie deem
ed himself, and was considered by his par
ishioners, if not infaliabIe, yet something
approaching it. Those were indeed the
days Of glcry for New England clergy.
men.
Perhaps, | am wrong. The present pas
tor, with his more humble mien and cOncl-
ialOry tone, his closer application and un-
activity, may be, in wider sphere, as lru-
ly glorious an OBJECT of contemplation. Ma
ny are lhe tolls, plans, and enterprises, en-
trusted TO him, which in former days were
not permitted to interfere with The duties
exclusively appertaining to the holy voCa-
ton. Yel, with added abors. the modern
pastor receives neither added remuneration
nor added hoDors. Perhaps il is well, nay
perhaps it is better, but am confident thai
if the old pastor could return, and take q
bird's,eye view of the situations of his sue
cessors, he would excIalm, 'How has the
glory departed from Israel, and how have
they cas-, down the sons Of Levir
have been led to these reflections by q
contemplation of the characters of the first
three occupants Of the pulpit in my native
village.
Our old pastor was settled, as all thOn
were, for life. can remember him but
in his declining years, yet even then was
he a hale ana vigorous Old man. HOnored
and beloved by all his flock, his lays pass
ed undislurbcd by the storms and tempesls
which have since then so often darkened
ard disturbed the theological world. The
opinions and creeds, handed down by his
Pilgrim Fathers, he carefully cherished,
neither adding thereto nor taking Iher9fIOm
he indOcttnated the young in all the mys
series of his GsiIh with an undoublIng belief
in lis iniOIiability. There was much OF
the patriarch in his look and manner, and
shs was heightened by the nature of his
avoca'ions, in which rural Iabors were min
gled with clerical duties. No farms were
in better order than that at the parsonage,
no fields looked more thriving END no nocks
were more profitable than were those Of
the good clergyman, indeed, ne sometimes
almost forgot his spiritual field, in the cuI
tyation Of lha! which was more earthly.
On Saturday afternoon the minister was
very busiIy engaged in curing hay. His
good wife had observed that during the
week he had been unusually bound up in
temporal affairs and feared for The well be
ing Of his flock as she saw halho could not
break lbe earthly spell even upon this last
day Of Ihe week, She looked and in vain