Litchfield enquirer., 1857-10-01
Health of Ministers.

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 In describing Old Princeton," after an ab- sence of eighteen years, the Rev Dr.. Hill, the editor of the " Presbyterian Herald" of Lou isville, Ky, says: "Of nearly one hundred and fifty students who then trod the halls of the Seminary, the greater number have rested from their labors" Upon this, Dr. Hall, in his Journal of Health" remarks
 There was time when, of all the clergy men dying in single year whose ages Were re corded, more than one half had passed the age of three score and ten But of the coeyals of Dr. Hills Seminary life more than one-haf scarcely passed their fortieth year. Here is a cutting short of clerical life of quarter of century Ought not fact of this kind to ] elicit inquiry among the friends of religion ev- anywhere ? And is there not an inconsistency on the part of the Church, in so earnestly sp- liciting the contributions of the public for mo- 1 ney to aid young men to enter the ministry, and yet not devote single dollar in an age towards the means of keeping them in the field until good old age, by iustructiug them as to the best means of sustaining their health ill full vigor! A good General is careful of the health of his soldiers Common policy re- quires 1t, not only because the veteran of dozen battles is worth more than d dozen young recruits but because of the cost in put ting d soldier in the field of his operations. It i costs at least two thousand dollars to take a youth of eighteen and put him into tEe full ministry ; and yet, as to the preservation of his health, and as to taking measures to keep him in the field until he grows old in the ser vice, no system has ever yet been proposed not a dollar has been specifically eXpcnded"
 The suggestions here made are certainly worthy of serious consideration. We have often been painfully impressed with the ire queucy with which failure of health and early death occur amongst the ministry of the pres ent age There certainly must be cause for this and our instincts would naturally prompt us to search it out, and provide a remedy for it, if possible Is there rot something con nected with our present system of education, upon which this evil is chargeable ? Are the proper precautions taken to preserve and pro- mote the health of the body, as we'll as to i'm prove the mind May there not also be something connected with the mode of life pursued by the ministry generally, which con- tributes to the same lamentable result h. quries, like these, are certainly very natural n the circumstances and it would be well, were they to be generally taken up and fol- lowed out to some favorable results
 The evil is not chargcabIe to any particu- lar system of education. It result, from the excess of mental and spiritual toll over bodily labor. Without a due proportion of the lat ter, no mortal man, whatever his occupation or profession may be, has a right to expect the enjoyment of good health The Apostles " labored with their hancs, that they might not be clargeable to any man" Old-faShlon- ed ministers lad glehe lands in the shape of snug little farms, which they cultivated with commendable asSiduity and skill, and had am pie time to attend to all their parocha du- ties besides. And so it should be at the pres cnt day. Then we should no longer hear com plaintS of the declining health and brief pro- bation of ministers. No man has right to sacrifice himself victim to mental intcmpe- rance. Away with all false and mawkIsh sympathy. Talk no longer of the "martyr stulcnt," wasting the quintesSence of his fife, as he does his midnight oil. Why, the man is d downright suicide. He neglects all those means for the promotion and preservation of his health, which a kind Providence has placed within his reach. He fans the smouldering flame of h;s spiritual essence, that it may pre- maturely consume his bodily functions. Alas l! for his nfatuaton ! alas that he should have dcspised the healthgiving Sweat of the brow ]"