Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-03-05
New England Correspondence.
RocHEsrRR. N. II. Feb. 18Th.

DEAR MAntus: The miserics Of q newspaper
correspondents, and parish misnistcr, are much
the same IL 5nc rcspcct-and unfortunately
know something OF both from experimental,
encounter. Topics or themes, Of sermons and
letters, are the constant demand Of both. A
minister who has hundred or two of sermons
to write per annum, has often great trouble for
luck Of subjects To meet this calamity, tho
ministers COMPANION" was coneeiycd-a
book OF some hundreds of pages, full of Texts,
TOPICS, and plans aud skeletons oi sERMuxs +;
filed up with hints and suggestions on sermon
making, so that stephen Boroughs, had he pos
sessesscd copy, might have preached to his
" Pclhamitcs" till this day, without cxhausting
his material.
And so long as the minister confines himself
to his hook he is in no danger Of lIcrcsy. For
the Primer itself, the bubhling fountain of all
modern opinion in the Calvinistic faith, is not
moro sound and orthodox.
Unfortunately fer me. when a minister,
had not the "Companion," consequently had
to depend on other means to supply me with
subjects, and being but a novice in the business
of preaching my selections were often very
indiscrect and injudicious. For instance, ono
Of my parishes was VIGOROUSLY given 10 drum.
kcnness. The evil extended far into tho church
itself. Several of my richest supporters, were
ovcrtaken and overcome with it. One of them
more than once, had been carried home beast
ly. (not beastly but manly, drunk. by his
neighbors, and thai, too. on tho very next
Sunday after the sacrament.
Being but a novice in the work OF parish
minister, very stupidity passed directly by the
sins Of the Scribes and Pharasces of the 6rst
century, and drew in one of my sermons, a
somewhat graphic picture of the sins of the
same fraternity eighteen centuries later. But
l paid dear for my temcrity. Two brethren of
the church Immediately declared meant them.
Ard they said they wouldn't pay their mon
ey to have their cars wrung at that rate" And
they kept their word. They owe me now,
principal and interest, nearly a hundred dollars
according to contract, from payment of which
they are hereby discharged. 1 will do them
the justice to say, however, that they didn't
steal much of my preaching afterwards. For
as soon us they had satisfied themselves that
did not mean in my rebukes, the derout Deten.
ders Of tho Faith who killed Christ eighteen
hundred years ago, but some who lived a good
while afterwards, they bought their preaching
somewhere else, and abandoned me altogether.
And the end of the matter was, l was "bc-
sought to depart out of their coasts" And to
this hour, the Maine Liquor Law and my gos-
pei are both very unpopular in that town.
had reason to blame myself all the more
for this piece of i'll luck, from the fact, that the
Professors in both Theological Seminaries,
where spent little time, had faithfully warn
ed me that this was the very rock on which
would be in most danger of splitting. They
had warned me very particularly, that the young
minister was exposed to the temptation Of de-
string to see his church and people repenting
OF their own personal sins, rather than of any
others. They had often told me, that the " er-
eeedin9 sirfuiness Of sin," and the "beauty of
holiness, as seen in God and tho angels" were
most fruitful topics for sermons; and besides,
could be expatiated upon at very great length,
without endangering the peace of Zion, and
with great edifcation to the old and substan-
lial members of the church.
needed the instruction for time. But
when one day, at Festival or Frolic of some
kind, two OF these " substantial members be-
came u',substantial, by intoxication immo
diately forsook the pious counsels of my teach
ers and the results, have already shown
Nor had after that, any trouble to find texts
and subjects for my sermons. As you see
have not to-day for hasty communication to
the Bugle-for whose success. and for the hap
piness of whose Editor, ever prays,
Your sincere friend,
PARKER PILLSBURY,