The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-07-29
A Letter from Gossip.
DETROIT, July Oath, lS


and now, lest you should forget the fact, re.
peat that ours is a queer world-very queer
world indeed, That it is progressive, have al
so informed you might say that it is very pro.
gressive. We do things on grander scale than
our foretathers did, and this is true no less in
spiritual than in temporal matters. The exam
pie set the world by our Savior is too primitive,
too old-fogyish for this go-ahead age. Fancy
any of our Divines so humble, so unpretcnding,
so owly as He whom they profess to follow
They would scarcely look at home riding on an
ass through our streets, even if on the best of
spiritual errands. IL we have one class Of per.
sons more fashionable than another among us, it
is the clergy. They dress, and live, and may
| add, act up to the most modern improvements" !"
in the various societies where they reside. This
IS one argument 10 show that our country is pro-
gressive. saw statement in q New York pa
per few days since of what the leading cler-
gymen of that city are paid annually for their
spiritual services. The Rev. DR.. Hawks has a
salary Of $40 000 SO also has the pastor of Grace
Church, and about dozen other cergymen Of
different denominations have salaries ranging
from $4,000 TO $4,000 per annum. These sala-
ries do not include all, either, that they receive
many have IN addition, houses furnished them
by their congregations Aside, too, from these
salaries, most of these well fed divines have in
comes from lectures, given during the Fall aud
Winter, equal, almost, to their regular salaries.
Now this demonstrates that we, the reople oil
the United States, are progressive people. Re-
ligion instead of being disadvantage to q m in
in the eyes of the world, is of the greatest ad-
vantage--by the word religion, mean being
member of church. Why, the devil has no
chance -days--we are all reigious--its the
fashion Who would have thought thot religion
would so soon be relieved of its cross One is
scarcely respected nowadays unless he is
member of some church. Cross, indeed The
cross is in not being regular pay member OF
some church. do not wish to be thought an
enemy of the church no, not by any manner of
means. only wish to show you, dear Journal,
that Times arnt now as they used to was"
when to be follower of Christ was to give up
the word--to be meek and lowly-to be friend
to the poor, the suffering, the despised, and the
outcasts. Those were old-fogy times, when the
world was comparatively in its infancy, and
when the lights of religion were dim and ndis-
tinct. Our ministers have an easy time of il
compared with those of former times Their
road is gilded and made beautiful and cheery
BY the flowers which are strewn along the way.
Think of $4,000 per annum! Why, dear Jour
nal, there's many poor devil of a sinner thai
would be satisfied with the half of it. Ten thou
sand dollars year! A great cross Ia very
great cross might say golden cross Our
ceIgymen nowadays have free and easy time
of it compared with those OF former DAYS, in
fact they are to be envcd, almost. The ladies'
the dear creatures, are always rivaling each 9th
er in their attentions to their pastors They are
working him slippers or smoking caps, or they
are sending him turkey or cheese, jug of pre-
serves or something Of that sort, continualy.--
Spiritually, then, our world is mo ing, and why
should 1t not move, since we pay so much to
have it move Idon't know what you may think
dear Journal, but am free to say that like to
see religion in so aourishng a state. When
ministers receive such fat salaries it shows con
that here must be men and women
who are willing - contribute handsomely to
those whose office it is to disseminate it. II
have not time now to point out the many and
vast temporal reforms that are evident all around
us, and it would be talk thrown away should |
attempt to enlighten you respecting them you
have but to open your eyes to behold them.
Religion is free gift, although we pay literally
Tor 1t and any poor devil of sinner barefooted
and out at the elbows--although he could not
think of drinking in the Word from the Inns of
those ten thousand dollar divnes, nor even get
room in any of their gilded churches,
may, nevertheless listen to it from some hum
bier representative of the Church, or If he be
ashamed OF his rags aad his poverty he can 90 in
to the fields and woods, and be his own teacher. |
These ten thousand dollar gentlemen, and these |
six thousand dollar gentlemen, and these three
thousand dollar gentlemen, of course do a gre t !
deal for the world, They beg for the missions,
for the Sabbath Schools. the Bible Societies, and
the Tract Societies. and the ten thousand other
societies which you have doubtless heard off,
They not only beg Tor them, but, dear Journal,
they conlescend to pray for them--pray too, in |
KID gloves and French broad cloths. Only think
Of it! Who can say that this is not progression
like progress; like religion q mean $4,000
less) | Ike the clergy, like
TO go into DR.. Hawks Church, on Third Ave-
nue, or into Grace Church. on Broadway, or
trinity Church, opposite Wall Street, or Mr.
Beecher's Church, in Brooklyn, or the dozen and
'ne similar churches in New York, and listen to
he polished prayers and the polished sermons,
md the polished singing, aud to see the silver
passed around, and to see the golden tray in
which they were piled, it always gives me
''ch idea of Christianity and speaks so plainly,
30 audibly the progress of the world in spiritual
hlnss' What is true of New York is also true
II every other city in the Union--I mean that
hTOuUhOnt The cnun,ry rat;,;o,, e IL oJo oOo