Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-04-06
The Sensual Dlns o. she Clergy.
Eros the paIpit, Chicaes.l

1aO UOoD00A W1oo - ne NShetOys
Eros the psIpit, Chicaes.l
10 reply T. our article on this subject, the
Springfield, (Nsss.) Rspu6licss says:
ut 10 svidsntly true, - the writer argusA
that the ire social intercourse allowed 70
clergy exposes him to peculiar temptations.
but he IL also supposed by the very nature
Of HE ministerial Office, to have constantly
present with him the motives and influences
that protect man against the abuse Of his
opportunities. With mere worldly men Il
is held infamous to abuse the rights Of hos
pltal:ty and friendship to ruin the other
sex, and tho clergyman should certainly
have this sense Of honor, common to oil
gentlemen, in addition to the restraints i'm
posed by his sacred Office. We, therefore,
diffsr entirely from the Pulpit, and by no
means held the sensual sins Of the clergy
to be tho most sxcusable they can COM
NIT"
We agree - to the extraordinary Tex
posurs," and the cause Of it, but disagree
% to the comparative excusability Of Civ.
ing way under it. The reader must be left
to judge which Of these two conclusions 10
the more logical. Al TO the 'ssnse Of hon
orr and the restraints imposed BY bis
scored oflcs." that 10 begging the question.
which is that 90 peculiar" are the tsmpts-
tons, and 30 extraordinary 10 the "sxpos-
urs," that the sense Of homer and restraints
Of office are subjected to . trial they meet
with nowhere else. We have said. and We
say again, that thsrs 10 10 profession or
avocation 90 bsset, and cot upon. and dog
ged, and waylaid. and sntiesd, and ensnar-
Cd, and bsdesiled generally By the devil Of
ssnsualit7, Is that Of the clergy. Their
temptations in this respect are not only "pe
culiar," but unparalleled.
If mans virtue is meritorious In pro-
portion to its triumphs, the virtue TO -
put on the highes: scroll Of merit 10 that Of
the clergy. The necessary ignorance Of
such persons - those who penned the Re
pv6ljooN article explains and excuses the
position they take in the discussion. None
but the clergy are Or can be posted in the
premises. None but they are aware Of the
psrsistsncy with which they ere tosnsutsd
BY the devil II criaoline. Ne leyman ueed
enter into this discussion. for he can not
know what he 10 talkisg about.
But ~ must mot be understood % exeusing
the sins to which ~ alluds No sin 10 to
absolutely excused. We speak in the CON-
parative degree. We explain, and the
clergy deserve the explanation in the face
Of . maliciously adjudging public ssnti-
msnt.
And the guilty should quit the ministry.
No service can atone for sensual "fall,'
and no gifts eau Offset sin Of this sort. In
the earlier and grosser times this was not
90. But il SO now. The times ere purer,
the standard higher, and the laws ssvsisr
than in the infant days of Christian minis
try. The world moves on and up. Public
sentiment 10 eighteen hundred years ia 3D.
vance Of what il was when Peter stumbled
and Judas fell. A clergyman who loses bic
reputation for moral integrity or personal
purity 10 irrctricvably ruined in public o..
timation. His influence 10 gone. He may
get to heaven, o. doubtless, David, and Pc
ter, and Augustine did, but hia hold upon
the public conscience 10 gone forever. Right
OF wrong this 10 the law. Il IS useless to
quarrel with it. Better bow to it. A "spot-
ted preacher" Is under ban from which ne
power out Of heaven can deliver him. Par
tial friends may stay up his hands, and mul
ttudes may listen TO his preaching. but his
words are as the idle wind, and be 10 blast
ID tree that yields no fruit. He may b.
IRE instated" by the ecclesiastical authori-
ties, but be can never BE- re-instated iu the
confidence Of those be dssigns to reach and
save. With them he will always BE- 40 OBJ
jsst Of suspicion. While that suspicion lasts
his words and works will come 10 naught
man convicted Of open immortality should
leave the pulpit forever, and those who have
any doubt of their being able to resist the
temptations TO which the clergy arc exposed
should forever abandon the idea of entering
their ranks.