Litchfield enquirer., 1854-08-03

in meditation of the rise of stocks, on the increase of population and trade. on the lTulIiment of those prophecies which speak of the blossoming of the wilderness, must have been agreeable to this natute of ours which so often feels the Sabbath to be "e o0earineSS" Not the least advantage of the sermon must have been the fact, that it could be easily remembered in the midst of the weeks worldly business. Spectators could quote its authority.- Brokers could revert to it as an episode in their negotiations. And perchance, even stockholders might pause in their l business deliberations, 10 give thanks that they were hastening to the millennium Something was probably done in this way something out of the useful ordtr 0! things.
 But, despite of all this, we confess to few misgivipgs. The social and moral benefits of railroads are certainly worthy of consideration. and no man can object to their object being duty set forth with the charms of glowing eloquence. The only difficulty in our way is-the idea of the New Testament about Preachers and Preaching. We were taught 10 think that Sunday was to be devoted to spirit ual matters-that the pulpit was to be confined to a single topic. and that topic nothing less than the redemption of sin. ful character-that tke world was then and there to be forgotten, and the split shut up to the urgent claims of it's i'm. mortal interests. We have been in the habit of supposrng that ministers were men of one work -one office-one purs pose; and that their field, as marked out in the grand economy of Providence was large enough to occupy all their talents and exhaust all their benevolent indus try. Now, if thIs is mlstake-a sheor p'ejudce-we must try to get the better of it. But if it is a sound and sober view of the pulpit. we submit to all sermoni gers on railroads and similar themes, that they are on the wrong road to usefulness. It is altogether outside of their legitimate business. We rather think that railroads do not belong to the Plan of Salvation, and that an order of men, solemnly set apart to preach '' Christ CruciJfed," are singularly forgetful of their commission and amounting, if they exchange their DO. sition on Calvary for a railroad depot. If they want 10 moralize railroads if they aim. as they doubtless do, to christianize , all forms of business, they can do it but in one way. It is the old fashioned way of changing human nature, of educating it's depravity, of subduing it's enmity to goodness by impanling the divine sent ment of love. Let them keep on this ground-- let them toll at this work-and then, human nature will be put right at its fountain head, and railroads with ev. erything else will accomplish tbelr own results in the scheme of the worlds pro- gress. The condition of society is not to be reformed by this new style of preach. ing. It is quackery--the whole of it. Men are not made wiser or better by its agency. On the contrary. it tends to generate spurious religious sentiments, to degrade the pulpit, to bring Christianity down to the calculations of the exchange. , If men are taught from the sacred desk to reverence Christianity because of its s effects on civilization and social order, B they will soon sink into an utter disre> gard of its doctrines and wholesale contempt for it's precepts. No motives of selfish worldly advantages will bind them to it's sacraments and services. IL is a system for the soul-for the souls redemption from sin--and it must be ri> gidly, sternly, faithfully maintained in this solitary office, or it will speedily loose all its high and hallowing power. At pre- sent there is an abundant provision of means for this sideway treatment of the mo,al aspects of the worlds affAirs.-- Newspapers, essayists, lecturers can take care of them. But strange enough, as these very instruments multiply. the pull pit seems to be more inclined 10 forsake its own peculiar task and enter upon other departments. It is bad policy and worse religion.
 People do not attend church to be en. tertained or instructed in any such topics Nor is the Sabbath day for worldly dis cussion. Congregations assemble to hear the Bible expounded as the Bible. They look for Gods message to a sinful race. and they expect it in Gods appointed way. If they are 10 be treated 10 lean' ed disqu;silions on railroads or any kin died subjects, they might as we'll spend their time in some other manner. The wfetcbed prodigal gains nothing by com ing 10 his Fathers house, if he is to be fed on the "husks" that the "ewine did eat" A "fatted clJ'" suits his appetite better.
 l If, however, the clergy are determined to practice this sort of wok. we beg most reverenlly and humbly that railroads be excepted from the schedule of fancy to> pics. Our people a,e quite enough ex cited already in behalf Of these enterpri- ses. Just now. the most of them are fas- tened on 10 locomotives. and Whizzing