The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-01-22
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ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN PULPIT or, Commemorative
Notes OF Distinguished American Clergymen of VarOu
Denominations, from the Early Settlement OF the Coun
ty TO the close of the year 1855 With Historical Intro
auctions BY William Sprague D. D. Vols and II
New York; Robert Carter & Brothers 1857. For salt
by Gray Balantyne, Washington d. c.
1t has been known for years past that DR.
Sprasue was engaged in preparing work or
the American Pulpit. Distinguished as he is
for his zeal in gathering autographs and relics
OF celebrated men, and acquainted also with
many of this class, both in his own and others
OF the learned professions, a writer known for
graceful style and easy flow Of words, as
well as an earnest and eloquent preacher, the
reading public, of course, waited with not q
little Impotence the result of his labors. The
present two goodly volumes furnish us with
the first instalment, and we find it richer in ma
terial and interest than we could have antici-
pated. 1t is mainly confined to that branch of
the Church known as the Trinitarian Congre-
gationalists, and the volumes which are to fol.
low will be devoted to similar records of the
other denominations. Some may think this
course not the most satisfactory, but we believe
the reasons for his plan, stated in the General
Preface, sufficient to vindicate his choice. The
work, as it should do, goes back to the earliest
settlement, and even commences with JOHN ROB
INsoN; because, though he did not live to reach
this country, he was booked, as we may say, for
the enterprise, and by his influence and labors
oh a. IL
of the Pilgrim Fathers. 1t is now above two
and quarter centuries since those devoted
men first set foot on the rock bound coast of
Plymouth, and strong as they were in faith,
hardly was it possible for them to anticipate
the spectacle which is now presented of the
country they found, bowling wilderness, in
habited only by savage men. The day of their
landing, "Forefathers Day." as it is termed, is
now greeted with this record of many of their
preachers, and of a part of the multitude of
those who have been engaged in following their
footsteps and publishing their glad tidings of
salvation to their fellow-men in the cities and
villages that cover New England and vari GUS
parts of this widely extended land, whittier they
have gone to fulfil their mission And what
record it is. When the 5000 New England
clergymen came forward with their protest
against the Kansas ebraska bill, they were
treated with contumely by some persons in the
National Legislature, and especially in the
Senate of the United States. The volumes be.
fore US bear evidence that those men had a
right so to come forward with an expression of
their views as to what they regarded great
national evil, and protest against what they
felt was a violation of national integrity, and
might well subject US to the displeasure of God.
These records of the labors Of our fathers, their
not undeserved influence in shaping the opin-
ions and feelings of their felow-citizens the
bold and manly stand they took and the part
they bore in the times that tried mems souls"
show that they knew what they were about, and
that to them we are in no small degree in
debted for the prosperity of the States where
their lives were spent and their labors were an.
preciated. Had they lived to see that day, they
would have been foremost Oh the list The
lessons derived from them, the examples they
had given, with the traditional or long-remem-
bered faith and sense of obligation to God, it
was, which left the impress on the hearts of
their successors, and caused them, even coming
from their CLOSETS and their sanctuaries. to af
fix their names to solemn remonstrance that
might 60 up and be read in the Capitol of the
Nation. 1t has been related that Southern
Member of Congress or Senator, once visiting
friend in a similar position in New England,
and while gazing with wonder and admiration
at the progress of improvement and the smi-
ling landscape outspread, turned with inquiring
curiosity to his friend for the solution of the
problem. "Do you see," said his Northern
friend, "that steeple yonder?" "Yes!" "And
that small building there?" eyes What
then?" There" said he, 6" is the meeting
house, and this is the school-house; and, under
God, these have made New England what she
is " Many an anecdote and statement in these
volumes show that such is, indeed, the truth
of a great number of these persons whose char
acters are delineated, it may be said that they
are intellectual giants, men patient and per-
severing, and steady, ready to grapple with
questions the most profound, and whose condi-
ton might put to blush those who are counted
among the learned among us Of the present
day, that with such immensely superior advan-
tages they have done no more
1t was under the training of these men that
statesmen came forth, as they did, vigorous and
mighty, to rank among the foremost of the
worlds worthless We meet here accounts of
ministers who, in their families read off their
uors;on from, tho nv; o;naI uobrou, o,1 C.ool-
of the Bible; and, in one instance, it is related
of a minister, that when his brethren called
on him in reference to some question, he
answered them in Latin when they followed
him in Latin, he answered them in Greek and
as they, too, did the same, he tried them in
Hebrew and, not to be foiled by their readiness
to go with him there, he took refuge in Arabic.
These were the founders and supporters of the
Colleges; these the men who, for life of
many years, were stationed on various points
of observation, like the sun, in their several
systems, unvaryingly pouring forth their radi-
ance, and guiding all around them to discern
the path of their duty, and cheering them even
on to the grave. Many of them are mentioned,
whose ministries reached to fifty, sixty, and, in
one or two instances, to seventy years, some.
times in the same village We had the curiosi-
ty to enumerate part of the Oldest mentioned,
both of men and women, in the first volume.
and found that we had counted four of over
100 years, thrty-one over 80 and almost to
100, and ITO above so and up to 80, besides
vast number more who had gone beyond their
three score and ten years, and almost to eighty.
A large proportion of the above were ministers
of the Gospel all Of the remainder, their sons,