Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1868-09-03
For the Fayetteville Observer
TIED PULPIT.
Rv A M r.

Are pulpits SO many watch-tow-
ers set along.tse battlements Of
Zion, from which truth is proclaim
ed to world tottering in the bal
ance? Then, why are they filled
with inefficiency nine times out of
ten, as though any clod of dullness
were good enough to tread what
should be holy ground? If the
pulpit is no better than the thou
sand idol shrines that have gone
to decay, it is well enough opaa 1t
up to the loacest bidder, that the
winner may suit the sordid price
given-always the result in such
cases. Insufficiency of the one
must purchase inefliciency of the
other, to end in a dearth of church
going people, while vacancy in
habits where congregation ought
to be. Truly, the pulpit is every
thing or worse than nothing. If
| it be nothing, let it &C down to
Inject its sister shades-let its voice
he mute as the Delphic oracle
hushed as the music of stony
Memnon-treat the Bible as
collection of ancient myths, fit
ly for the antiquary to puzzle his
brains over. Then we will admit
that any quantum of capacity
willsuft to drawl, whine, or thun-
der it's texts into the ears of such
as choose to be led darkly. God
will take care of ignorarice, if it
lis not perversely SO. No need,
therefore, to consult its desires in
the choice of ministers. The
greater need springs from the
greater danger. Common minds
accept anything-any belief pre-
pared by their forefathers, and think
themselves devout, not question
ing what they do not understand.
Hence, the masses do not hunger
after that higher order of pulpit
Ieloquence = master of sinuous
reasoning that can lay bare the
thread OF argument as it moves on
through labarynths, which few may
dare to wind as leaders, though
the many may follow, men and
women of intellect, who "will not
feed on garbage" such as is served
to them on piled plattefs, the
nine times out of ten. Give the
pulpit a tongue to "charm wisely"
and the churches will be filled
with something more than ga beg
carly account of empty pews"
sabbath after sabbath-men Of
mind who lounge in their sane
tums while the sweet sabbath bells
call In vain to "no feast Of reason"
no nice net work Of argument
to mesh and chain the mind-per-
haps convict it. ~
There are people who do not go
10 church to show their fine APP
parel!! Some have none to ex-
hibit, and no loving eye to see it,
if they had, without which few
care for appearance or anything
but the body's comfort or minds
enjoyment. Such would like to
hear, but hearing naught, grow
weary in their 9pews; and for
aught know, sleepy too, or wan
der off in thought-land until the
doxology. There are many of |
the thinking sort who go to church |
hoping for rational exposition
of the things that trouble them,
but return on the verge of infdeli-
ty, disguised with some irrational
laundering. i presume none are
perversely inhdel, and who knows
but if more care We're observed in
filling pulpits, that the infdellty
teeming in town and country
might be lessened. There are
many others with minds not SO
well balanced as might be, whose
thoughts set toward spiritual things,
wandering among theories that are
built iiaa and Of mist, falling Of
their own insuficiency. Such ma
zy minds need a master hand to
click their vagaries into shape"
and rescue their befogged brains
If there IS balm in Gilead."
Is bible knowledge of less mo-
ment than any other =? We dare
not fill other professorships with
incompetency: that of mathe-
matics must be thorough-the Ian
guage master complete from Alpha
to Omega-professors of the diff.
ferent sciences must be no mere
pretenders. Then why pick up any