Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-17
Preaching.

Preaching.
We make tie following sensible cxtrac
from the Literary columns, of the South,
and commend it to the careful pcrnsal D
the intelligent and candid reader. Thu
writer speaks truly when lie says tia. b
our Ministers ''too much is assumed, to-
little established" While listening witt
delight to one Of our accomplished pulpi
orators, the heart is moved, the fancy pleas.
cd, but the intellect is untouched, unap
pealel to, and still is allowed and dares te
doubt We 40 not attrtbutc this to inabili-
ty on the part of our Ministers, for W.
know they are talented--nor do We attrib-
ute it to the want Of zeal, for we know til e,
are pious AID jealous in their Masters
cause-but to belief which has stolen into
the minds Utmost of them that all sucf
things as skepticism and atheism have van.
ished from the mind. We think this be.
lief erroneous though the bodies ef Vol
taire and Gibbon anI Hume may have re-
turned to the dust from which they came
"they still live''-live in their immortal
works, which will continue to breathe pol
luton and pestilenee on the human race
till tipe shall be no more. But tLore is a
more moders but not less direct form of;n-
fidelity worthy to have sprung ike sin from
the brain Of satan-HLich has grewn up in
our midst, anain tie gaSse Of friend, has
sought, (alaa1 has IA sonc measure, sue
cecded,) to betray eur holy religion with
kiss. We, of course, alude to the reli-
gion Of Carlyle--born in the dark recesses
Of that metaphysical mind nurturol and
defended by that ready sophistry expand
cd by those delightful but sedueing books,
that religion has, at length, become an en-
envy worthy Of all the logic and argument
which our whole Ministry combined can
hurl againstit And what religion would
not be defended BY the mighty intellect Of
Carlyle, aided by many lesser yet not little
minds. We conclude with the hope thas
this suggestion viii be property understood
BY all who may chance to read it.
This .eztraot is certainly pervaeled by o
spirit pf Winning canaor, and, in no part Of
the book does err author give us reason to
believe him less honest than il lis first pac-
es: on the contrary, he accu;nulates ev;.sen-
ces at every step, cf bis fitness for the task
which he discharges, ansiI his severe and
simple reasoning leaves Us nothing more %
ask. Topic after :op.c is discussed. nut;l
we End that tie raark in its wonderful logic
and captivating style, il fit consolation for
the christian and wise guide for she anin
formed The nohie argument expands it.
sell Ike broad md i;npil river until it
er2ptles Itself il Slse great ocean Of Truth,
where the Ain! ghty's form does indeed
s'glass itself" And now, il LAYING down
our Pen after this brief and insufficient no.
tice-fos We have not space FOR q review OF
this admirable bvok--We venture, with al
humility, to suggest to our ecclesiasties that
the mode Of argument pursued in this work
i precisely that whieh the dag demands
This suggestion may seem presume. uons
bat seeing as we see, what clergyman rare
Il ]! ever eneo's. ess eaten atioas ak2pticis.n
il TIE unou!tlvas4d, and vague unb5lief in
mon OF education. &c venture 70 hazard the
opinion thai our sabbath congregations re-
quire tnors log:A-la4 ts,ctoric. in orr oral
religious instruction ard this. be Il re-
memberoJ. is all which the great mass ever
zeceive--too much is assumed, too little es-
tablished the general method lacks severity
q argument and copioHsness Of information.
Discourses simply beautiful in ethical
philosophy or fine illusions will not meet
the exigepcios of tie times for, with sad
ness be it spoken, great aunlber of men,
and women, too, Who attend our churches,
are destitute Of any woll-digestcd informa-
tion-of any regular, systematic religious
education.
We feel assured illa: this suggestion will
be properly understood BY ali who may
chance to read it, and We hope that the seed
here planted may grow up into trees bear
ing good fruit, ''some thirty, some sixty
and some an hundred fold. -