The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-08-16
ImperfecIioss OF the CLERGY.
WHEELING, August 18th, 1861

kdltor OF tue htSlSteV:
notice in your own, and other secu.
lar papers, repeated notices of deprav-
ity in the ministerial profession.
Whenever clergyman commits an er-
ror, or q crime, if you please, the world
IN prints seem To take special care to
publish it, while the vast number of
our ministers who are true to their call
ing, are unnuticcd. Do you think this
discrimination Just -
would ask, further, what good pur-
poso can be reached 10y this constant
reference To the vices of unworthy
shepherds Will it not impair the
usetulHess of the faithful preacherf
Ii seems to me that the benefit you
confer upon your readers by furnishing
this questionable sort Of news, is over
burue by the harm done in weakening
The influence OF the clerical vocation.
If Won consider this worthy Of notice,
/, ~ we'll as other readers rf your paper
would be pleased t" have you give, at
yuur earliest leisure, NOnr views upon
tins subject FAIR PLAY.
We present the above note for the
purpose of complying, as best We can,
with its concluding request. Like the
wriGer. we have also observed the re-
cent frequent publication Of "notices
nf dopTavity in the ministerial profess
sion" In regard TO the "discrimina-
ton" complained of, We are free to con-
Tess that it would be grossly unjdst to
convey Intentionally, and by frequent
alluSions TO clerical vices, the idea that
there is no such thing IL clerical virtue.
We thing we express the sentiments of
the secular papers generally, when We
say that is not designed, by the pub
licatiOns referred To, to injurc or i'm
pngn the character of such ministers
as are true to their calling" The pure
and faithful Christian minister has
no more ardent admirers, and no more
hearty co.wOrkers than the men who
control the secular press of the country,
and the earnestness with which they
second his efforts is the best evidence
that they appreciate his individual
merit, and that they recognize the dig
nifty and Importance of his mission. Dis
criminatu against him. they wonld not. If
rhey fail to laud him. constantly, pub
.icly and by name, it is 10 evidence
that they ignore II 5 worth. They know
tbat genuine excellence, in any calling,
is avrrse tn unnecessary nutoriety, and
in rcfraining fIom frequent and osten-
tatious parade of his virtues, they ac-
knowledge, at once, his. merit and his
Inodes:y. ---
Orr correspondent next inquiries asto
the purpose to be reached by constant
reference to the vices of unworthy shep-
herds" The reference" is no more
mcoustant" than the occurrence to which
il relates. 1t is the business of news
paper to put its readers in possession
of all transactions of passing interest.
The shortcomings of the ministry are
published, just as are the shortcomings
af other vocatiOns and Iust as are the
details Of fires, burglaries, railroad acci-
dents. steamboat explosions, and the
Thousand other facts that make up the
current news of the country. If a
preacher of the gospel flies the track, !"
we give the item just as We give the
analogous caper of locomotive. The
purpose Ia he reached" is general one
aud the same in both cases; if is to
inform our T, alers of all matters of news
transpiring around us.
Our correspondent evidently antici--
pated this reply when he stated that
the benefit you confer upon your read
ers by publishing this questionable sort
of news, is overborne by the harm done
in weakening he influence of the cleri-
cal vocation" We must insist upon
taking issue with our friend just here.
The responsibility for weakening the
influence of clergy men ought not to rest
upon those who publish the derelictions
of unworthy members of that profess
sion. If these derelictions were not
committed they would not be published,
so the responsibility must be located
farther back than the publication. 1t
must rest upon the authors Of the dam
aging offences. Surely "Fair Play"
wonld not have the details Of these de-
linquencies all concealed, and we are
satisfied that the great body of the clergy
would scora to retain their influence
through the muzzling of the press and
the suppression of the record of pretend
ars, who have assumed the garb of holi-
ness.
After all, we think that the usefulness
of faithful ministers, if impaired in any
degree, will he but temporarily impaired
hy the publici y gisent the fanlts of
the erripg ones in their vocation. The
people will withhold confidence, for the
time being, from the untried, and will
serntinize with care the department. of
she unsnoMn minister, but if he be
genuine material his character will be
all the brighter and his usefulness all
the greater for the test. On the other
hand, the canton of the people and
the danger Of detection will deter
pretenders from entering the pulpit
The evil, in hegetting prudence and
compelling careful investigation, will,
to great extent, remedy itself.
In conclusion, we may repeat the as
surance, that, in the publications We
havediscussed, there has been no design,
whatever to sssail BY implication the
entire membership of the clergy. The
good ministers of she land have difficult
ties enough to overcome and enemies
enough to oppose, in all conscience,
without enoountering opposition from
the newspapers, We see every reason
for alliance, and none for aptagonism