The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-02-23


"lhiladclphus' has kindly Undertaken to 1--WE
your religious readers. bo.h Law and clerical a
sketch of AN imaginary clergyman" and To this
So far rs the mere Indulgence Of fancy ou the part
ct the writer Is concerned, no one need object -
every man has a :. .;ht to hold up hi, own ideals
OF excellence 70 ne gaze of Others but he should
not mdulS &C IL unjust or injurious personalities.
INST 1eS leave, however, 10 dI.tcr with the cl
"g' writer in the estimate he appears to set up
GA TIE character and labors If the Rev. JACOB
L.NNFP he being doubtless the wandering crr
3 cal ,umuary" referred to1 Without vl-lIu, 70 be
understood a endorsing anything pertaining to ii
Their the matter or manner of that geu'lrmlns
preaching cannot but regard Your correspondent
aS hborlnS IN ley gIIeyous mistake, M UnpU-
ting his pecularitlcs to the influence ola dn.'uat
lc or ntolerant spirit | rather think that the coin
mon sense Of the community will recognize a. the
| principal cause of these things an ey,raurlmary
amount Of moral courage on the p,It ct MIR Knapp,
/ imprung 4 remarkable tendency to PLAN dealing
IN all his mlustrations and accountn. lDg the en-.
tire absence Of u mnn-ttarlug spirit These are
qualities absolutely essential to- retorrls-. either
religious or political aud 1t i implied almost nee
essarllv, that they are accompanied by sharp an.
gle~ and IlpsvnCrasics IN the mental constitution
ofthe subject, whichars wholly incompatible with
that smoothnesS and perfection of style and man
ncr contemplated in the character Of our friends
imaginary clergyman and, by thu way, 1t mus;
be very obvious to all rejecting minds, whether
professors Of religion or otherwise that ,Uirginf4
characters, constructed according 10 the deallty
Of al mlAriiSni mind, are not adapted 10 ths
wants OF the world as Il u.s. or 10 the condition OF
men as they I-,. That judgment IS highly falla
ClOas which passes condemnation on religious
teacher, because his manner = At var with our owl
preconceiy.d p0t,uns ofcoui taste and pruprety
The only way IN winch We can form true stanl.
ard Of pruprlety, ia from actual observation Of tn
fitness and and adaptation of that agency on whicl
Judgment is passed to answer the desired end
In this view uf the subject, :hen We thIrk vi
Knapp occupies a truly euvlablc position; for, al
though his plain and fearless denuncia,ion Of 81
and iniqUity NAV excite the wrath % the guilty
his pointed and somewhat rough way Of handlIn;
what he esteems essential error, draw down upo
him the charge of gross Intolerance and abuse an
his familiar and sometimes coarse illustrations, q
iend the more sensitive and refined vet We ma
ascrlbe TO HIM while in Ottawa the same pra..
and honor awarded to the great teacher OF mar
: kind while on earth; the common people hear
him gladly This was the great distnc uy
mission OF Christ, ITO preach the gospel to til
, poor" and surely those OF his proiessed HmbasSi
{ doris whose style and manner render their mni
tratons peculiarly acceptable and consequent
. useful 10 the common people are deserving
the highes, honor in the church of God
Although connected with another branch of tn
visible church, vet as regard the efforts Of sue
men as Jacob Knapp, a. having an importar
bearing on the interests Of our common christian
ty, and on the present and eternal welfare Of tn
human race have felt impelled BY these gen,
raj considerations to offer the foregoing brief r,
marks The very first step to be- taken, in aw;
, keuIuya religious interest among men, il to tur
, the public attention in the right direction, an
. kind Of measures not Objectionable in their ow
nature, having this tendency must be regarded,
auxiliaries ia the great work Of human salyatio
, Thus We see that for the proposed friends Of r.
. gon to oppose religious excitement as such,
q eminently Inconsistent and unphiosophcal
n As very humble, unworthy, and obscure o
|, cupant Of the desk" thank "Phlladelphus' {,
i hi well meant model of "a preacher as he shou
\ be- and remain yours, with respect
q February IL, 1850. THOMAS CoTTos.