Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1854-01-13
The New England Clergy,

The New England Clergy,
Til! following capital speech was de!iv
cred at the anniversary If the Sons of New
! England on the 22nd # Decemter last il
New York L. is full Of hum II and spark
ling with wit.
The President said lie had now toas
to give, which he felt sure they would al
, honor:
Tie Cisrey Of Te,r Eagiuna-Successors 0
, BaEwsrEn, ,CorroS andDAy yssPoRr-.ike them
I!ous, learned, and faithful.
Rev Henry Ward Beecher responded t.
the toast in the following language:
GENTLEMEN Il find myself in an IN
usual place, and under such circumstance:
that end it difficult to speak, lam some
what Ike the deacon, who, when asked tt
lead in prayer at a conference meeting, de
clined to do SO. He was expostulated with
by lis venerable pastor, who assured hin
he had tine ability, and he ought to exercise
it; to which the deacon very ueekly replied
that he knew be could pray, bu: that he al
ways hated it. [Applausc and laughter
/ feel not unlike that deacon myself on this
occasion, [rencwed laughter j and, speak
ing Of the deacons, they are the next step
to the ministers, of whom am called upon
to speak. Why / should have been select
ed can not tell, unless it be because Of
my very clerical ways, known and beard of
by men in limited sphere. 1t is possible,
sir, that there might have been some knowl-
edge on the part Of gentleman who made
these toasts, Of private matters which are
not divulged as, fer exsmple, as the bless
ing that followed ministerial fidelity, there
were thirteen children in my father family
and, eight Of them being boys, only seven
Of the number turned out ministers
TApplause aud laughter. There were two
more, the father and brother-in-law con-
nected with the order; and, to make up
the number to more than dozen, | mar
ried into ! family having only four more.
T Renewed laughter. Being thus a Hebrew
among Hebrews, l suppose it was thought
by the gentleman that | could say some
thing Of the clergy, and, asking the " be-
nefit Of clergy" | will make few remarks.
And yet no one knows the men of whom
be speaks While be will say many things
that will afford diversion, no son of New
England can broach this subject, if he have
any feeling of reverence, or any thoug ght,
but what must ack knowledge, all things con-
sidcred, that no men have created such
impressions upon him as the clergy of New
England. They were no scapegraces, that
they rant in the pulpit because they could
not 60 anywhere else. They were men
whose talents and influence were wanted
elsewhere, provided they w'ra willing to
make their consciences their stepping
stones to high prefermcnts. In their hearts
they were simple, honest, and godly men
Not many clergymen came to NewEng'and,
who were second in their scholarship aud
learning, elo1uence and influence, to those
whom they left behind them. The settlers
of New England had the best of ministers. .
They would have as soon thought of COM
ing to New England without the captains
to their ships, as without their ministers; !
and their was on an average minister to
every forty families, and they would
have been as much at loss without one
as without the other: But the events .
which transpirc1 then We will never t
see again. Ministers will never again be
upon terms of intimacy with the magis-
trates as they were then. Magistrates
never consult ministers nowadays, and
have given up, all along, the idea Of ever /
being called upon by governor to help .
him draw up a public document, though
did draw up proclamation for Thanks /
giving once for governor of Indiana, and
that is the only instance in NY life when
was thus employed. [Laughter,] But
in older times they were accustomed to 60
to the minister, for the Ecry best of reasons,
because they were aware that he knew the /
most. They were not merely wise in theo-
logy, for they had the bcst Of all wisdom,
common sense. In early times the minis
terial function was different from what it |
is now, 1t is now our business to preach
on the Sabbath aud lecture during the
week, and, if we make calls, to make calls |
Of courtesy; but what ! should dol were ,
led hack to the days Of the colonies, l am