The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-12-25
THE sENsUAx SINS OF TIE
clergy.
A Curi0us Argument for "a Esail-
gEnus i5aea zine.
From the Pulpit, for Novcm her.

lie icurE ais, that the public thinks u very
marvellous that 50 many Of the clergy are
wrecked uuon tie rock Of seasIaliiy. The
astonishnont is not astoniChing. People
who do not make haAit Of thinking will
hardly be thoughtiGl enough to know the
fact with reference to the matter. The fact
is that there is no profession, class, or avo-
cation, 50 exposed to or tempted by the Ge-
vii Of Sensuality as the ministry. Thevery
sancity of their Office is an occasion Of their
stubling. The Office is coniounded With its
occupant. The Sancity Of the former is
made the possession Of the latter Now
the Office is an invunerable myth, is occu-
pant is man of Ike passions with other
men. No temptation is sufficient to over
come the Office, while so stoutrii ithed an
occupant of it as Peter, the apostle. may
fall grievously at the first approach Of the
adversary. Untlsinking woman may seem
to be only tempting the office, when they
are upwittipgly laying suares for its otcu-
nant. By their persistent exhibition ct
confidence in the Office they are confding
persistently in its occupant. And SO 1t
came to pass in this way that The minister,
with all the flesh and blood about him, Ess
the door of temptation thrown oncn to hlm
and then closed behind him. Blind conf
dence on the one side, and unregarded socj
ability on the other lead to eQulyccal cir
cumstances as to both. No man in tie
wotIl has SO lew conditions imposed upon
him at the thretheid OF society Is the Cer-
gynIan. His OasSpoit to social !te Is almost
a carte 6laachg Women Of both states
and all ages are his COMPANIONS, socially and
professionally. The rules Of social inter.
coupmun;on between the seX.s s are, IN his
case, virtually suspended. What wond be
an inGiscretion with other men Is matter
OF course with him. lie shares, or is alter
natey a3G.ittcd to rho privacy Of the sick
ioura with the physician. Whenever spir
jtual advice is called Tor there he relgns
above and molesied Aud he is a sedenta
ry man, of nervous sanguine temperament,
and like all men # this saIt and life, teels
the law OF his flesh warning against the law
oi his religion. None have such passions
as those OF sedeUtary life. In proportion to
the idleress Of the muscles, is the activity
Of the passions. The devil tempts the in
dustrious; idle men tempt The devil. lht
clergy should give more earnest need 10 the
muscular Christianity" But not only iI
their life afflicted with deficiency N bodly
exercise. it is additionally accui73ed with the
temptations that take advantage OF HIS tea-
bleness. Hall the crimes Of sens uaiHy G0mG
Of physical iet blencSs Considering, then,
this nervous combuotibi'ity, this supcfabon-
dance Of sexual heat from deficiency IN
physical cxrr.ion atn! this extraordinary eX-
posure to the Wiies al the wicked, and the
msihuatiYe Influences OF unsuspiCion, TIC
laoryf, a0H NoMu9cQL X not Hsdt 50 mug
Jut 50 fac Of the cierDg ydit into the S{aS q
SenSnufiN The wonder is, not that SO ma
nv Weld, bur that SO many stand firm.
And so far from these clerical sins Of SEN
suality being the incxplicabe lapse they re-
presented TO be by the public press ard the
private Grundys. they are not only the least
surprising int The most e.cctmaOle SINS The
c}eygy can conDtit But we 90 NOT excuse,
we explain them. We are giving Their COM
parative and not their actual criminaity.
While we regard a sudden trip into sen
Sual sin as comparatively the most e1cusa-
bic OF the obIiquities OF which the clergy
can be gully, we certainly advise all those
who are thos guilty, or feel themselves IN
danger Of being, to quit the pulpit at cree
and forever. And let none go 10 the sa'
cred Office who are not strong III tIee Il sh As
well as in the Lord, and let the physical
feeble who are in it leave it, lest a worse
fate come upon them. Divine grace will
not nuke amends for physical infrlnities.
As for seduction, that is crime than
which none are more heinous, internal and
damuatlo, let who will commit it. The man
who is convicted Of it deserves every tWlnge
OF the torture 10 which he can be subjected
b5 tAe retrbufive laws Of the Divine Gov
crnmeut. Nor is there any explanation to