Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-12-22
cONFEssION OF A CLEgGYMAE
A Curious Argument for Religious
Magazine.
From tas Palplt for NOyemserI

From tile Pulplt for NOFem 1er
We infer from what We hear 10 private
conversation, and what We read in the
public Journals, that the public think it
| very marvellous that so many OF the
! clergy are wrecked upon the rock Of SEN
susIity. The astouishment is not aston
1 ishing. People who do not make habit
OF thinking, will hardly be thoughtful
enough 10 Know the fact with reference
to this matter. The fact is that there
! il no profession, class, or avOcatiOn,
so exposed to or tempted by the devil Of
I seusuaIity as the ministry. The very
] sauetity of theiT office is an occasion Of
/ their stumbling. The office is confOund-
ed with its occupants. The sanctity Of
4 the former is made the possession OF the
/ lstter. Now, the Office is an invulnera-
I bic myth its occupant is a man Of like
psssiOns with other mem No tempta-
! iion is sufficient to overcome the other
/ Office. while 50 ostout-faithed a. occupant
Of II as Peter, the apostle, may fall
vrievously at the first approach Of the
! adversary. UnthinkiOg women may
seem to be only tempting the Office,
when they are the unwittingly laying
snares for It's occupant. BY their persistent
/ exhibition of confidence in the office they
are cOnfiding psrsistencly IN It's occu-
pant. And so it came 70 pass IN this
4 way that the minister, With all his flesh
and blood about him, has the door OF
/ temptation thrown open to him and then
I lOsed behind him. Blind confidence on
/ the one side, and ungusrded sOciabuity
on the other, lead to eQutvOcal circum-
/ stanees As to 10th. No man in the world
/ has so few conditions imposed upon him
st the threshold of society rs the clergy
. / ia IN
! a carte blanche. Women Of both states
/ and all ages are his companions, socially
/ and professionally. TIE rules OF social
! INSTRUMENTATION between the sexes are
/ in his case virtually suspended. What
would be an indiscretion with other men
| Is a matter Of course vita him. he
I shares, or is alter n2tely admitted to the
] privacy of the sick room with the ply
sioian Wherever spiritual advice is
called for, there he reigns alone and Un-
mOlested And he is - sedentsTy man.
of ueryous-sanguine temperament, snd,
/ like ali men Of this sort aud life, feels
the law of this flesh warning against the
7 law Of his religion. None have such
passions as those Of setsntaTy life. In
proportion to the Edlensss Of the muscles,
Is the activity Of the passions. The devi.
1 tempts the industrious idle men tempt
the devil The clergy should give more
earnest heed to muscular Christianity"
But not only is their life afflicted with
deficiency Ia bodily exercise, but it is
I additionally aecUrsed with the tempts-
ton that take advantage of this physical
fsebleuess. Halfthe crimes of sensuality
come Of physical feebleness. Considering,
then, this sandy haired composition,
this nervous comDusuibiHty, this super
abundance Of sexual heat from a def
cheney ia physical eXertlon and this
extraordinary expOcure 70 the wiles OF the
wicked, anu the insinuative intiuaccss
Of unsuspicion, the H1GTUce, nay, the
miracle IS not that so DsGily btt sofetO Of
the clergy f9H into sins of ssrsaIlHy.
The wonder l., not that SO many yield,
but that so many stand firm,
and SO far from these clerical sins OF
sensuality being the inexplicsble lspses
they are represented TO be by the public
press and private Grundys they are not
only the least surprising, but the most
ercuSd6is sins the clergy cdIa commit.
But we do not excuse, we explain them.
We are giving their comparative and
not their actual criminality.
While we regard sudden trip into
sensual sin as COM paratively the moSl
/ exeusable Of the obliquties OF which the
clergy can be guilty, we certainly advise
all those who are thus guilty, or feel
themselves in danger Of being, to quit the
pulpit at once and forever. And let none
20 10 the sacred Office who are not strong
in the flesh as we'll Ms in the Lord, and
let the physically feeble who are in II
leave X, lest worse fate comes upon
them. Divine grace will not make
amends for physical infrmities.
AS for seduction, that Is a crime than
which none are more hsinOus internal
and dsmnable, let who will commit it
The man who is convicted Of II deserve:
every twinge of the torture 70 which h'
can be subjected by the retributive law
of the Divine Government. Nor is ther'
any explanation to be offered for tina
horrible species Of the genus sensuslity
of which several elergymen in this cOun
try have recently been found guilty, snC
which shall be nameless here. such OF
! fenses are very peculiarly odious aht
abhOrreut, In view Of the facts that sensua
qualification is possible without sddini
more than one 10 the number OF tn
debRushed. E =
Let these putrid brethren be cut 0tf an'
! put away, and let there be a rigorous en-
, deavor 70 lift the standard OF clerical pu
3 rity in the above as well as in ever,
T other respect, but let it be remembers
also that the stesdfastness Of the clerg.
is matter Ofams2ement, when the Con
sideratiORs we have named are take
into the account.