The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-08-30
Mlisfellonp.
From the Christian Messenger
A Needed Reform.

For long time we have been convinced
that too much preaching 10 the same congre-
CATION has been demanded of the stationed
preacher, all Of our congregations demanding,
at least, two, and often three sermons upon
the Sabbath. Under this arrangement we
have comparatively no time for the Sabbath
School or social meetings, and the preacher is
expected to do all tho work. The minister
is ovcrtaxed with pulpit preparations during
the week, which oblige him to neglect pas
toral work, and the free, social intercourse
with the people which is indispensable for the
success and usefulness of the pastor. An
other serious evil resulting from this course
is, that we give no opportunity for the de-
velopment and application Of the lay talent
of the Church, and the result is a want of
piety and efficiency on the part of the laity.
The preacher, under ordinary clrcom-
stances, can preach two or more sermons
upon the Sabbath, and do it with compara-
tive ease, if allowed to preach to two differ
ent congregations. We have in New Eng
land many weak societies that are not able
to pay the full salary of pastor for all the
time, and in this case two or more societies
might, in many instances, be united in his
support, and let the same preacher supply
them with Sabbauh preaching a portion of
each Sabbath, and let the other portion be
devoted to the Sabbath School and social
meetings. We are confident that such an ar
rangement might be better for each than
crowd all the day at each place with preach
ing.
We are glad to sec that this reform in
Sabbath services is demanding attention in
congregations of influence, and in large
Churches, where they are apundantly able to
pay for the entire services of the pastor.
We commend the following article from
the Springfield Republican to the attention
of our readers Let not its length deter any
one from it's careful perusal. 1t shows how
portion Of the laity regard the subject.
The article was called forth by recent meet
ing of the Sabbath School Superintendent
of that city who have under discussion the
plan to have for three months las an expert
ment) the regular sermon and services in the
morning and the Sunday School in the alter
noon, to be attended by the congregation en-
masse, or otherwise as they may elect, and
to have regular services in the evening or
not as the churches may think best. This
is plan that has recently been discussed in
our preachers meetings in this section. The
preachers approve the plan, but fear the
churches would be 10th to adopt it. In ref
ercnce to this plan the Republican says
we have long thought one sermon day
sufficient for any practical Christian purpose.
We have no doubt of this. One we'll consid.
cred sermon, we'll delivered, is all that any
congregation can remember and carry off. ,
1t is an absolute damage to the impression OF
this sermon to rush at once into new
series of impressions; but when we come
to follow both sermon and school with
another sermon, all the impressions of the
morning are wiped out, and all the impress
sions Of the day are blurred. 1t is contrary
to the laws of the human mind that instruc:
t;on upon religious subjects thus conducted
w., w. ''"rwise than wasted breath. A
snouio DC otn0.' ""owded and cram
cnits1, IN school, may pe ~.-.. that
med as many of them are, with facts
only engage the memory; but, in religious
Instruction. truth which is undigesed and
unapplied to the purposes of life is of no poss-
ible value. Nay, it is worse than nothing for
it is notorious that the mind Of Christendom
has become indurated and obtunded by being
constantly hammered with truth. There is
no field of effort in this world in which so
much labor is worse than thrown away, as in
the field of Sabbath religious instruction in
we'll o. ganized Christian communities, The
work is overdone in the matter of preaching
beyond all question; and we may say, also,
that it is undone in other departments. Two
thirds of the Christian church of America are
doing nothing, except going to church and
cramming on Sunday. They are simply pas
sive and receptive. We do not see them in
the Sabbath school, we do not see them in the
mission school, we do not see them in any ac-
tive Christian labor whatever. They pay
their slip rent swallow the preaching, and