Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-01-31
From the Congregationalist.
Minister'S Work.


We are convinced that but few men
outside the minister's own walk are stu
ated so as to pass an intelligent judgment
on the actual amount of toll which enters
into the work of clergyman. And in
asmuch as great error prevails in this
matter, and out of this error great prac-
tical evils and Misunderstanding arise,
it is perhaps worth while that one who is
so situated as to know the facts, and yet
to tell them without incurring the charge
of clarifying his own profession, should
let little light into the public mind
touching Ministers Work. We can
speak personally in this matter from ex-
perience, yet for more than four years
the hand of sickness has made the pull
pit less than the pew our home.
The minister writes during the year
an amount of matter, which, were it
printed, would make a goodly row Of
volumes. The amount of thought and
care which he puts into what he writes,
is quite equal, and in fact superior, to
that bestowed on the larger part of the
books and magazines which are printed,
while in nervous force, sermons cost much
more than do published works. But not
to press this point, which it were difficult
to prove, it is an easy matter for a person
to verify the fact, that the number Of
pages written yearly for the pulpit, by
every hard working minister, who is pour
ing out fresh sermons, is equal to the
work done by the most prolific authors
of our time. Eight sermons if printed,
would make an ordinary sized duodeci-
mo dollar and half volume, and hun
dred and four sermons, (offsetting vaca-
ton by preparatory lectures) would make
almost thirteen volumes. Now make
any reasonable allowance for exchanges.
and the repitition of sermons, and there
still remains goodly row of books, long
er than is published by the most prolific
authors, excepting our popular novelists,
and hardly excepting any Of these save
Miss Braddon and her school, No edi-
tor writes more than this few so much.
No magazinist writes more than this !;
almost none so much. As an author, the
active clergyman takes place among the
most prolific of his time. As an author
he does one mans hard work.
But this is only part. The number
of calls made by an active pastor yearly,
ranges from five to fifteen hundred.
These cost about as much time, and sym
pathy, and thought as the average calls
of a physician. Were they charged for,
as are the calls of a physician, they
would yield good living. While they
do not equal in number the visits of a
physician in first class practice, and
while they do not often take the minister
at inclement seasons and at late hours,
they yet pursue him with haunting
i sense of incompleted work, and in many
cases they amount to list equal to q
fair medical practice. There are scores
J of physicians who would count them
: selves happy, if charging fifteen hundred
J visits during the year. Many do much
more than this; but what l want to make
/ out is this, that in addition to the work
of voluminous author, the minister does
l the work of physician in fair practice
D There are two mems work. as
| Next is the advice which a clergyman
. has to give. If there is anything to bt
asked and answered about schools and
+; libraries, about lectures and newspapers
about books and pictures, if a widow
i wants counsel, or father to know where
J to send his son to college, or a young
E man to ask about going to the city, il
: there is any town work to be done, ol
t general reform to be attended to, o.
= speech making to be effected, if anybod,
: is going to get up anything good, ant
: anybody else is going to put down any
2 thing bad, if there is to be any advising