Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-04-17
ANECDOTES OF THE CLERGY

Rev. DIR. Sprague of Albany has just pub
ished Vols Sd and ith of his ANNALS of the
American pulpit From it we take some anus
ing incidents. The following are told of Rev
Samuel Buell., d. D., of East Hampton, L. l. -
There are some amusing traditions in respect
to the matter in which he sometimes contrived
to prevent his hearers from leaving the Church
before the sermon was over. The two follow
ing received from DIR. Miller On one occa-
hearers-he remarked that he had done preach
ing to sinners and they were at liberty to go
the rest of his discourse would be addressed to
good people.
A gentleman, who once went to hear him,
stated that, when the hour-glass was nearly
ready to be turned second time from the COM
mencement of his sermon, he said (much to the
relief of the person who reatedit,)" Once more
after going on some eight or ten minutes long
er, he said TO conclude"-and after another
about equal interval he said" Lastly:" the
gentleman added that he expected every mo-
ment to hear him say" Ereri0Stingly."
lie was a great lover of good company, and
few ministers OF his day were besieged by Wis
itors, especially from New England.
To his clerical brethren he always gave a most
cordial welcome but one more sermons to
his people was the tax which each one had TO
pay for his hospitable reception. From this
cent strength to preach, was exempt. But there
was this amusing diiference-Baptists and Meth
odists must address his people from the dea-
cons seat while those of his own denomination
only were admitted to the pulpit-the " sanctum
sanctorum,' as he was wont TO call it. The
ringing of the bell at or . o'clock in the after
noon, or little before sunset, was the signal
that minister was in town, and that public
worship would commence in about one hour:
and i'll due season respectable audience was
always collected, of Cramm and More. Cramm
preached in the afternoon At the close of the
exercises the Doctor informed the congregation
that there would be preaching in the evening.
lie then turned to the young men in the pulpit
and said, with his characteristic pleasantly,
though certainly with questionable propriety
My people have been C,amm'd but they want
More"
The following is told of the Rev. Dr. Mason
of New York -
There is another sermon of which l retain a
distinct remembrance, and to which l advert,
partly because ! regard it as one of Dr. Mason's
greatest efforts, and partly because 1t serves to
illustrate feature Of character for which he was
distinguished above most men | refer to his
fearless disregard Of consequences in the dis
charge of what he deemed public duty. The
sermon was preached upon Fast day, and at
a time Oh extreme pOullcdl eAClteHeut. Ier-
sonal violence had been threatened in case he
denounced, as he had before done, the proposed
alliance with France. | myself remember TO
have heard Young lawyer and violent parti-
san declare that if the Doctor dared to repeat
the thing, even the horns of the altar should
not protect him, for he would himself be one Of
the first to pull him out of the pulpit"
When the Fast day arrived large audience
assembled, expecting to hear sermon " to the
times" The Doctor chose for his text, Ezekiel
H., 3, and the whole chapter was read in his
most impressive manner. Near the close of his
discourse, he broke forth into solemn and i'm
passioned apostrophe to Deity in nearly these
words " Send US, ii Thou wilt, murrain upon
our cattle, famine upon our land, ceanness of
teeth in our borders send us pestilence to waste
our cities; send us if it please Thee, the sword
to bathe itself in the blood of our sons but
spare us, Lord God Most Mercitul, spare us
that cursc-most dreadful of all curses--an al
lance with Napoleon Bonaparte" As he ut
tered these startling sentences, the blood gush-
ed from his nostris he unconsciousy put his
handkerchief to his face, and the next instant
made gesture which looked as if he were de-
signedly waving it before the audience like a
bloody and symbolic flag. You can fancy bet
ter than can describe the impression which
this incident coupled with the awful apostro-
phe made upon the crowded assembly. Next
day asked the young lawyer why he did not
proceed, as he had promised, to pull the Doc
tor from the pulpit. " "Why," said he, "l was
perfectly horror struck when he wound up that
terrible apostrophe by waving his bloody hand
kerchief" -... ----