Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-01-25
that PASTORAL Letter.

hattSth EfAaAFiA& SVhfHaa-
AS the Reverend gentlemen who is
sned their pastoral letter did not see
proper to answer the questions pro-
pounded them through the same chan
nel they frst chose for its appearances, l
concluded 70 take your advice and 90
and bear their reason Tor the grounds
taken in said letter.
On Sunday evening last, the clergy
man who took Theatres for his SUD
iect, introduced his discourse by saying
that his remarks we're intended solely
TOR professors of religion, aud that be
had nothing to say to non-professors,
neither should lie attempt to prove that
theatres were sinful in themselves: but
that from their surroundings and acces-
cries they were unfit places for Chris
tiaos 10 be found in Bat do not pro-
pose to follow out his lecture AS | sup
| pose be would consider me an outsider,
Il would be very much out Of place for
me 20 contradict his assertions, for be
/ produced 40 argument either from the
| Word OF God ca any other source, to
prove that 10 itself the Drama vas sin
/ fui. The gisl Of bis lecture Of 6lty-ave
/ minutes was, that immoral people at
/ tended aud supported theatres; that the
actors were banishsd from all good so
ciety; that theatres were surrounded
with liquor shops, gambling deHs, and
brothels; and that il was enough 10
know that lady or gentleman attended
the theatre TO preclude them from OBJ
tanning situation IS 4 clerk in a store
Or teacher 10 our pahlie schools
| / will only say thst # he taxes the
same grounds against everything which,
carried to excess, or improperly used,
becomes sinful, fear that there are
lev amusemenls AID few kiads Of busi.
ness that would escape bis condemns.
lion.
] am free to acknowledge that have
mistaken the object Of the pastoral
Letter, and | see nov that il ia 9 kind
o. Bull 10 the faithful, which they
are to accept as the rod Of the law. II
evidently is intended as kind Of warn
ing to them, that as they have got 50
far asiray that they can only be reached
through the columns Of a secular news
paper, that no means will be spared to
= bring them back to the fold
Bat Is not somebody else ia the wrong
So far as ! know anything OF church
government, IL il the duty Of the Pastor
and session to watch over their flock
and if any get astray, bring them to tria
: and discipline them accordingly, and
= the outside world is not allowed any
knosledge Of sneh proceedings Wha
are the facts Ia this ease3 Here are sil
Of the prominent elergymen Of this Cit
e Who gravely proclaim to the world--no
through q religious periodical, bu
through the columns Of q secular, poiiti
cal, daily Journal, that their members
> have jumped the fence, and gone e
Q drinking, card playing, wine drinking
. attending theatres, and are IN fair VA
1 of going to the devil generally, IN VIC
lation Of tho rules Of the church, ane
these six clergymen by 50 doing &C
o knowledge that either they have no con
r troll over their own church members d
, that they themselves are ia fault, tina
they have not disciplined these errint
ones and brought them back as peni
b tents to the fold, or turned them on
into the world
! suppose shall be considered a
scorning or scofing at religion, bn
: such certainly is not my intention
t feel deep interest in the good cause
a aud desire 10 see i prosper. | am not
, however, Of the number who think tha
/, il is sufficient to get up the cry o
l. heresyl and denoanee all who d
n not do as we do and think as W. think
i without a good and sufficient reason
:. Such E course never made Christian
God has given US the Bible to teach u
= our duty, and If We are intelligent an
d reasoning creatures, that is suficieu
r for US, without the simple assertion c
!, this or that fallible man, that this
right and the other wrong. To our ON
Master We stand or fall
ot Here | leave the subject. Let ID
Of pastors aud people settle these question
= as best salt themselves. As for mysel
81 the risk Of being considered her
. TIC, [ shalt never consent to surrende
Z either body or soul to the Thus "a
J. shalt thou go and no farther of ii
d Pope of Rome or any of his iniitators