Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-08-23

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country. It IS no longer hampered by the |
rigid and formal constraints which ia some
countries make Pulpit ninistrations only
so much mummery or ceremony. The
Preacher is no longer, in the estima-
ton Of the people, being SO exalted that
he cannot be approached by ordinary NOR
tails except with fear and trembling
Whatever position clergyman may have
in the eyes fsensible, practical men, now
days, is due to those qualities of character by
which man is intrinsically worthy and to
those intellectual requirements which COM
nand respect. If he does not possess these
qualities, he is tolerated simply from the
sacred importance of what he has to say,
and not from any inherent sanctity Of the
speaker. Among the peculiarities incident
to Pulpit ministrations, and which are cal
oulated to weaken the influence OF a min
ister, we may mention the following: In
the first place, we believe that, as arule, the
Clergy underestimate the ability and in
telligence Of their audiences. There are no
doubt some communities in far OF rural
districts, where an exceedingly simple and
slsu98nysssss ysss -yS6Tt n be accommodated Rnt
in villages, towns and cities such mistake
is fatal to the efficiency of minister
Means of information areso widely difused,
all the channels of life are so filed with
the rich arteriaI forces Of our modern civ
ilization, there is such constant inde-
pendenoe of thought and such intellectual
activity among the people, that q great
deal of culture is obtained by average men
and women before they reach the age Of
forty. But especially is it SO with those
who from week to week and year to year,
listen to the utterance of Pulpit teachings
They grow very familiar in time with the
cardinal doctrines Of the Church, and very
often discover that a few months have been
sufficient to exhaust all the invention,
knowledge and ideas of the Preacher. Men
and women of Thought and religious feel
ings may attend subsequent ministrations
from a regard for religious truth, but the
Pulpit is no longer a source of ever-fresh-
ening interest. They viii sit through
mortal hour and endure with a stole hero
ism, thep platitudes and commonplaces Of the
speaker, but with no-very marked benefit,
we suspect, to their souls. Now we believe
that there are too many ministers who IN
der-estimate the cultivation and thought of
their audiences, whereas the truth is no
preaching is too good, too vigorous or
muscular in thought for any audience
of average American people If the
pulpit is to be a place hebdomadally
to drone out weary. and ever-rccurring
thoughts and modes of expression, without
scarcely FISH Of invention, with nothing
but the halfvitalized skeletons" that
have been in use from time immemori-
al, the clergy must not be disappointed
if their hearers take the monotony of their
ministrations as an opiate for a good sleep |
or gradually drop off from the numbers of |
their auditors.
Another peculiarly Of many pulpits is
the fact that two written sermons are re-
quired weekly, when not one man in
thousand is able to prepare more than one
during week. The custom of requiring
ministers to write two sermons week in |
addition to their regular work, is cruel and
1t is very seldom that the
innate weakness of such hasty preparation
does not painfully intrude itself upon your
sight. If, instead of this, but one written
sermon is exacted, and the other Is extern
pore in delivery, it would be far better for
both pulpit and people. We are not dis
posed to go SO far as to think that mans
theology must necessarily be unsound be-
eanse he has the Dyspepsia Or Gout but
do think that man whose vital forces are
drained by the cruel exactions of two writ
ten sermons a week, is scarcely prepared
10 present his thoughts in an acceptable
style. There can be butlittle ofthat agpon-
ianeous combustion" with which a mans
soul is afame when he is considering great
and important truths.
Another popularity of the Pulpit is found
n the fact that ministers are too much
lmong books, dead men embalmed, and too
title among the living. A few hours each
ay spent in conversing with men Of all
lasses and opinions, not only familiarizes a
minister with the current feelings and
deas Of the people on questions ofa re-
igious nature, but brings them into more
ctive sympathy with thewants ofthe world
There is far too little of hearty communion
With the world, too much priestly isolation,
90 much communion with the musty vol
mes Of the last century, instead Of with ,
he living, suffering, hoping human hearts
to-day. 1t will not do, as we heard a ,
Minister in this city a few nights ago say.
D rely on the truth itself as all-prevalent.
Ne know that Truth, though mighty, often
oes not prevail, simply from the absence of i
-nannerofsPeeeh which is convincingt to all c
no hear, or from the want of little in
ention and originality in preparing ideas. t
Judy the p eoplei study brevity, as a gen. y
raj rulei tudy the art of being vitalized L
18th physical yigor and enthusiasm; study
lvention and originalityi study muscular
r of thought; study manner that is con-
ncing, and the Pulpit will be a greater Il
over than ever. RI
A comparison Of the remarks of Mr.. Il
ernando Wood at the Syracuse Peace D
onvention with the condition and char III
ter Of the faction he represents, viii
ow how little Mr.. Wood and his friends BE-