American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-07-30
Communicated
methodists In Ono o,

Il
munication published July 18th, said: SIT
is understood that there are nearly forty of
them now in office in the Executive Depart
ments" -meaning Methodist preachers. / had
been so informed by worthy members of the
Methodist church.
g "No Clerk" in reply, July 3d. says; Snow,
sirs, if he will go to the trouble of gathering
the statistics, he will probably not find more
than twelve or fourteen, at the outside, thus
engaged"
rejoined to this, July 25th, as follows
"No Clerk says there are nothing like forty
Methodist ministers in office in the Executive
Departments | am glad to learn the fact"
After this fair and candid admission that there
might be far less than forty Methodist ministers
in the Executive Departmental had never
asserted that there were forty-"No Clerk"
divesting himself of all meekness and Christian
charity in his response yesterday, talks after
this wise:
:" But what has this to do with his statement
that there are forty Methodist preachers in
ofhce, when in truth there are but twelve or four
teen? To this point hold Mr.. /" Commentator"
and desire to know why he made such state
ment. Ii he were ignorant Of the number,
why specify at all Men do not act without
motives and ask him the question, What were
his motives? Let him tell us this, and we will
excuse him from any further details of his Me-
thodistical genealogy, for we are very little
concerned to know whether he descended from
Christian or Pagan, from English or German,
French or Hottentots; but we are concerned to
know why he made false statement which
~ NJ he aoI ohar 80
in Office. Justice to himself and to discern
ing public demands this at his hands, But in
stead of offering such amends, his false state
ments remain, as if designed to injure himself
and increase his own condemnation
Here "No Clerk the volunteer champion
and defender of the meek and lowly followers
of good old John Wesley and George Whitfield,
accuses me of making false statement, i'm
pugns my motives, and repeats the charge that
| have made false statement and have not the
fairness to retract it. What ought to be thought
of such writer? can hardly justify myself
for condescending to notice him at m But l
will expose him for the benefit of ethodist
ministers and church, that they m row him
to be just what he is-a prevaricatOr and false
accuser.
In his first communication, "No Clerk" in
abiding to me, said: "He has made, as we
Methodist preachers"
In reply said, 4" No Clerk" labors in vain to
represent me as attacking that worthy class Of
diyines, the Methodist preachers. What have
published was intended to benefit, and not to
assail, the Methodsts."
To this fair disclaimer, "No Clerk" in his
yesterdays article, uses this anti Christian Ian
guage:
He now denies that he made any attack on
the Methodist preachers. Happily, am not
alone in my Interpretation Of his insidious
ticle; the worthy editor understood it as assal-
ing Methodist ministers-hence his exceptions
in an editorial note"
/ shall leave it with the editors to decide
whether they consider my article as ''insidious,"
in the first place, and whether after my frank
disclaimer they believed intended to assail the
Methodist preachers.
How noble the sight and the contemplation,
to behold meek, humble, and devout men en-
tering into the ministry, for its owR sate, and
following the example, and in the wake, of
those glorious pioneers of the Methodist church,
Wesley and Whitfield, resolving to devote their
lives to the cause of their church, almost with
out salary or hire, receiving only one hundred
dollars year for each preacher, and small
sum for each member of his family, where he
may have a family For such pious, good
Snll5llduo, tuc mtluOulSL CHuTCH has u large
fund in store, which takes care of them in sick
ness, lameness and old age.
But is the sight so noble to behold those of
the flock who set out in the humble calling,
with bright prospect of reaping q crown of
immortal glory, turning away from their cir
cults and pulpits, in robust health, to accept at
the hands of ambitious, political leaders, high
in office, clerkships with salaries Of $1,000,
Sl400 and $500 year? Does it not look as
if they might be after the fesh-pots rather
than to save the souls of their fellow-men,
and confer unfading honor upon the Methodist
church?
Besides, if some leave their circuits and pull
pits, to help ambitious political leaders, and
thereby exchange their 800 year for $1,000,
$1400, $1,000, or even moro than either of
those sums, will not their example lead others
to wish to go and do likewiseg
When the holy oracles tell us that q the har-
vest is great and the laborers are few" as it
regards that vast portion of the world yet un-
christianized, is it not melancholy to behold
learned and experienced preachers, who started
out to help to evangelize the world, and asked
for nothing but living in their holy cause,
and to be taken care Of should they live to old
age and decrepitude, turning back to look
earnestly after office, money, and flesh pots, in
the bestowal of politicians high in temporal
powerY
Every christian minister is an ambassador
for the Saviour of mankind. He is commits
stoned by the court of heaven to offer terms of
mercy to q rebellious world. John Wesley or
George Whitfield, or even our own Bishop An
drews, who was unchurched by the exertions
in part of q Methodist preacher, appointed to
a high-salaried government office by Mr. Secre-
tary Stuart would have disdained commits
sion from any earthly power. The sainted
Wesley inculcated the doctrine of sanctifcation
or sinless perfection. In these degenerate GAL
phin and Mexican Commission times, office is
poor school, beg leave to judge, to cultivate
this brightest of christian attainments.
In conclusion | recommend "No Clerk" to
study charity and to avoid false accusations,
else the Methodist preachers will not be apt to