The Sierra citizen., 1854-02-25
Preachers and Miners.

written letter from gentleman at Bull
lard's Bar, which we take pleasure in laying
before our readers. The columns of the
Citizen are always open to such commu-
nications, particularly from "Yuba."
California wants preachers. Not men
to come and settle down in the cities only;
not preachers to come here with the belief
that everything is wrong and must
remain wrong, until everything becomes
remodeled upon the New England plan !;
not preachers who will come to parade
the great sacrifice they have made in
leaving home to care for the lost souls who
have come to California to dig gold; not
preachers who will exact polite Difference
on account of their cloth, and be shocked
at the free and easy familiarity of miners;
not preachers who smell of the study
and smack of the theological seminary,
and remind one of the reverend lion of a
Yankee sewing society. California wants
no mealy-mouthed, mincing, precise, ''good
young men, who imagine themselves
apostles because they have been regularly
educated for the ministry" until all their
best qualifications have been ground off
in the process.
And yet California wants preachers
Not to tell men that it is very wicked to
swear and extremely improper to break
the Sabbath-as ii they did mt know it
before. Certainly not to continue here
the insult which the ministry III the older
States are continually Offering to 1.-THE rest
of mankind by denouneing dcncing as
crime, and theater-going as cardinal
sin. All men know that profanity is
wrong--ail men, even those who do not
believe in the Jewish Sabbath being
q divine institution believe that
Sunday should neither be made q day
OF business nor Of sport. And almost all
men know that dancing is as innocent as
kissing. and bail not whit worse than
an apple-cutting or candy-pulling, and
all OF them we'll enough in their way
And most men are sure that the theater
might be d most useful institution, if puri-
tanism did not abandon it to the unbe-
levers, and denounce it for the faults thus
forced upon it.
But California wants preachers
preachers Of the Gospel OF Jesus Christ
preachers whose hearts are big and brave
full of the warmtil Of Christs love for
men-who are willing to work and preach,
and pray out Of u genuine Christian zeal.
Are there any such? California wants
preachers who can withstand something
who can take hold of mems hearts here
and ill them with early memories, and
kindle the hopes Of goodness, we'll nigh
dead, and renew the longings Of by-gone
times when the heavens seemed full OF
good spirits wooing them to purity
Preachers who can not only reprove, in a
loving spirit, the sins which all acknowl-
edge, but give a chance to us poor devils
to grow better. We don't want, when
now and then we get into church, to be
made to feel that we are utter devils
f;,irly shocking to the tender senslbilities
of the amiabIe minister who thinks his
best plan Of drawing US to q better life is
by painting, in the highest coioring, the
iniquities for which we are already sorry
and perhaps ashamed. | know L am a
great sinner never go to church to learn
tiat. But when | am edited by half an
hours painting of all my worst faults,
and many which are neither mine nor
any bodys else, it would be pleasant to
have something said which would appeal
to what little good there may be crowded
down into the bottom of soul by the
weary burden which has somelo low gath
cred over it during a hard lie. How
often a man is forced to wonder at the
ignorance Of very smart preachers! How
little they know about men! Is it because
their religion separates them so far from
Us? May it not be that they intrench
themselves so closely within professional
walls that they know nothing beyond
them? DO we mott put it to sinners"
like myself-unconsciousy treat the few
preachers we meet, as if, as matter Ct
course, they knew nothing of the world?
Are we not utterly surprised. and mex
pressibiy pleased when we happen upon
man who can be talked to just like other
men. although he as a preacher. How
eagerly we listen to such a man--how
gratefully we listen to his counsel, though
alas, we may not follow it-how our hearts
warm toward his goodness--how we wish
we were christians, Ike hsm! And how
we tell our ungodiy cronies about him
always remembering to say she has got
common sense
Possibly, if this should chance to catch
some minister's eye and he should think
it worth moments thought, his first word
would be "he wants us to prophecy snootl.
Mings" Not bit Of it. l despise-
every honest man despises-a preacher
who smooths over everything. A bold,
frank, outspoken preacher, is always best
liked in the long run by the boldcst sinners,
and the sneaks who are wicked everywhere
else, and pious in the presence OF preach
ers and pious women, are hardly worth
preachers trying to saye-but an abusive
one, never. Honest men, who know they
are sinners, because they honestly (when
they think of it, desire to be better,
have a contempt for a preacher who has
the cowardice to rebuke sinners in a
"present company excepted style.
We want preachers preachers with
common ssass-preachers who have warm,
true, brotherly hearts in them-preachers
who can give expression to words
J., c,,r