Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-01-04
TIE PnPuLAR CLERGYMAN.

A man with moderate intellect, NOR
n standard not higher than the average
some rhetorical affluence and great glib
ness of speech, what is the career IN
which. without the aid of birth or mon
ey. he may most easily attain power and
reputation in English society? Where Is
that Goshen Of mediocrity in which al
smattering of science and learning viii
pass for profound instruction, where plat
itudes will be accepted as wisdom, bigot-
ed narrowness as holy zeal, unctuous
egotism as God-given piety! Let such a
man become an evangelical preacher, he
viii then find II possible TO reconcile small
ability with great ambition, superficial
knowledge with the prestige of erudition,
a middling morale with high reputation
for sanctity. Let him shun practical eA-
tremes and be ultra only in what is pure
" theoretie: let him be stringent on pre-
destination, but latitudinarian on fasting
unfinching in insisting on the eternity OF
punishment, but diffidentof curtailingthe
substantial comforts of time ardent and
imaginative on the pre-millenial advent
of Christ. but cold and cautious towards
any other infringement of the status gao.
Let him fish for souls not with the incon-
venient bait of singularity, but with the
drag-net of comfortable conformity. Let
him be hard and literal in his intcrpreta-
ton only when he wants to hurl texts at
the heads of unbelevers and adversa-
ries; but when the letter Of the Scrip
lures presses too closely on the genteel
Christianity of the nineteenth century,
let him use his spirituaHzing alembic and
dispense it into impalpable ether. Let
him preach less of Christ than of Anti
christ; let him be less definite in showing
what sin is than in showing who is the
Man Of Sin-less expansive on the bless
edness of faith than on the accursedness
of infdelity. Above all, let him set up
as an interpreter of prophecy, and rival
Moore's Almanac in the prediction of po-
litical events, tickling the interest ofhear-
ers who are but moderately spiritual by
showing how the Holy Spirit has dictated
problems and charades for their benefit
and how, if they are ingenious enough tc
solve these, they may have their Chris
tian graces nourished by learning pre-,
cisely to whom they may point as the
''horn that had eyes," ''the lying proph
ct" and the "unclean spirits" In thi;
way he will draw men to him by the
strong cords Of their passions, made rea
son-proof by being baptized with the
name Of piety. In this way he may gair
a metropolitan pulpit the aTenues to hi:
church will be as crowded as the passag'
e8 to the opera; he has but to print his
prophetic sermons and bind them in lilaC
and gold, and they will adorn the draw
ing-room table of all evangelical ladies
who will regard them as a sort of pious
eight reading the demonstration and the
prophecy of the locusts whose sting is il
their tail, Is fulfilled in the act Of the
Turkish commanders having taken a
horses tail for his standard, and that the
French are the very frogs predicted in
the Revelations.
Pleasant to the clerical flesh under suct
circumstances is the arrival of Sunday
Somewhat at disadvantage during the
week, in the presence of working-day in
terests and lay splendors, on Sunday thu
preacher becomes the cynosure of thou.
sand eyes, and predominates at once over
the Amphitryon with whom he dimes, anG
the most captious member of his churcf
or vestry. He has an immense advan
tage over all other public speakers. TIL,
platform orator is subject to the criticism
of Kisses and groans. Counsel for tn
plaintiff expects the retort of counsel 70
tie defendant. The honorable gentle
man on one side of the House isliable t,
have his facts and figures shown up b.
his honorable friend on the opposite side
Even the scientific or literary lecturer, !
he is dull or incompetent, may see thc
best part Of his audience quietly slip our
one by one. But the preacher Is com
pletely master of the situation: no onc
may hiss, no one may depart. Like the
writer Of the imaginary conversations, he
may put what imbecilities he pIeases into
the mouths Of his antagonists, and swell
with triumph when he has refuted them
He may riot in gratuitous assertions, con.
fident that no man win contradict him
ne may exercise perfect free-will in logic
and inysnt illustrative experience; he
may givean evangelical edition Of history
with theinconvenientf facts omitted Al
this he may do with impunity, certain thai
those Of his hearers who are not synpa
thlzing are not listening. For TIE press