Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-10-12
Preachers Reform society.

| An aged and Influential gentleman, VIII
has been an active and useful citizen of Knol
county, for the last fifty years. and whose in
| f1uence means. and good will, have all tina
| time been on the side of Christianity, propo
| sed to us. in good faith, during the past week
/ to organize a preachers REFORM SOCIETY,
| with a view to save the Churches of oul
| country from utter extinction, and to restore
| to society. the usefulness of a large body Of
men, who have, with here and there an hon.
I>orable exception, apostasized from the faith
and practice of their Fathers, and are now
| prostituting the pulpits of the country, to the
most wicked and disgraceful purposes. He
said that but a few years ago, 5000 pulpits
at the North were arrayed against the South,
and the stability of the Union; and that g.
900 Preacher power, was brought to bear
upon President Buchanan, in the form of a
wicked and insolent petition. Now the scene
had changed, and the pulpits of the South
had opened their batteries, and were doing
more harm than good.
We fully concur in all that our experienced
friend has suggested; and we add, more in
sorrow than in anger, that with here and
there an exception, as he says. the worst class
of men in the country, are Preachers. They
are doing more mischief, and setting worse
example to the young and rising generation
than our first class Doqgry- Keepers, and are
more to be dreaded. Thirty-ive years ago,
when we first joined the Methodist Church,
we found her ministers pointing the people to
JESUS CHRIST, and Offering them as an inheri-
taEce. the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN Now, great
portion of them, point the people to JEFF.
DAVIS, and offer them the joys of a SOUTHERN
CoNFEDERACY. What change. ~ u, y !.
When Paul and Barnabas "had ordained
them Elders in every Church, and prayed
with fasting, they commended them to the
Lordr-not to any political party. In PauFs
address to the elders of the Church at Ephe-
sus, he says: sTake heed, therefore, unto
yourselves, and to all the flock over which
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers."
The peachers were thus set apart to an inn
portant work-not to preach Secession or
Union sentiments-not to volunteer to fight
with carnal weapons, but to preach Christ
and him crucified. Nay, they were comman-
ded to take heed to all the flock, both these
on one and the other side of any political con-
test that might be going on. Now, it is be-
cause the preachers generally are neglecting
these things, that Reform Socizy is called
for. How can Church prosper whose min
listers are secularized? Some ministers aban-
don their charges, where they got two or
three hundred dollars per year to take posi-
tons where the pay is increased from seven
TO ten hundred per annum. They will have
to meet the souls of these deserted charges at
the Judgment Bar. and there give an account
Of their stewardship. sEagg Haaz e.
4. We copy the above from the last number of
BrOscnloaV's Whig that we have seen. He has
considerable experience in the business of
mixing politics and religion, and is prepared
to speak from practical knowledge OF his
subject. We hail his article as an indication
OF his sense of the necessity of reformation.
He will, no doubt, become devout member
Of the Preachers Reform Society," $