Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-07-22
REV. Mr.. BAILEY's SERMON

REV. Mr.. BAILEY's SERMON ON
CHRISTIAN ENTHUsIAsM.-We had the
pleasure of listening, last evening, to the
views of the Rev. Mr.. Bailey, pastor of
the Methodist church, upon Religious
Enthusiasm, also to the reading of the
views of the Rev. DR.. Chalmers, which
are variant in our judgment as were the
methods and manners of the two indi-
viduals who wrote them. Mr.. Bailey ad-
vocated congregated religious enthusiasm,
while the lecture of DIR. Chalmers, as read
by Mr.. Bailey, advocated personal, quiet,
Individual enthusiasm, and it must have
been very apparent to the audience that.
although. Dr. Chalmers was brought to
sustain the opinions of Mr.. Bailey, there
was great lack of harmony between
these two opinions, as expressed.
The preacher announced as his text,
Acts, Goth chapter, 25th verse:
But he said, am not mad, most noble
Festus; but speak forth words of truth
and soberness.
In opening the discourse a comparison
was made between the feelings and utter
ances Of the man of the world and the
Christian, and that the feelings of the
latter were often so expressed as to
makes the locker on think the christian
man was drunk with new wine," and it
was not an unusual sight to see those
who were filled with the power of truly
christian enthusiast act like drunken
men, for they were not as other men I'M
der this influence, but the power which
was given them from God made them
superior to other men, and hence their fer
vid expressions of religious enthusiasm,
as often exhibited before the world. He
cited as an instance, Paul before the Ro-
man Proconsul, who said with a loud
voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself
much learning doth make thee mad"
He then proceeded to look at this sort
of madness and TO commend it to the peo-
pie as an ent usiasm which takes full
control of the individual, making him to
forget all temporal objects, announcing
that such intense devotion was the great
need of our times and Of this place.
The speaker then proceeded to give
some very undignifed hints, for we know
not what other term to apply to them, in
reference to mems becoming fronzied
in reference to the Jondiny Of tie totcn for
three hundred thousand dollars. To build
railroad, suggesting the recent town
meeting rs q defence Of religious zealot-
At this point we will say that the SGeae-
of the receipt town meeting, as 5ois.erouS
as they may have been upon both sides,
were far less disgraceful than were those
at the Rutland depot on Thursday night ;
and We say, without fear of contradiction
from any person who witnessed both
scenes, that such was the fact, and II
Mr.. Bailey, as an honorable charistian,
minister had witnessed both scenes.
would so proclaim At the Rutland town
meeting thcre was no taking of men by
into the midst Of circle, nor such cx-
preston as this: Come along here, you
hell born wretch" Come to this altar,
you hell bound sinner, for you may die
ere the light Of another morning" The
Lord has sent me especially to bring you
to our altar" and many others too bias
phemous to 'me even in a. public prin
Neither at the town meet NJ was there
any rolling upon the floor, like persons III
acute physical pain Such scenes and
such bla-phemy was not heard at the
town meeting however much bh,.phemy
of a different kind may have been ut
tered.
We cannot believe that Mr. Bailey,
however much he may advocate religions
enthusiasm, or any sensible clergyman or
person in his denomination, can stand up
in Caristian church, before civilized
audience, ,.ui couatenance such pro-
ceedings
At the conclusion OF such personal and
local illusions as he was pleased to make,
be proceeded to read the celebrated SER
mon or lecture Of Dr. Thomas Chalmers,
upon religious enthusiasm, which ha.
been widely read by all denominations Of
christians, and was not new To II. even
who do not profess to be theologian
Presbyterian Divine, and his whole line Of
argument was in favor of personal chris
tan. enthusiasm, and that religious per-
sons should separate themselves from the
world, giving themselves wholly to
Christ, but does III no sense advocate the
boistrous scenes that are sometime enact
ed III these days, and Il careful reading of
the sermon will not indicate such a con-
clusion
We have the greatest respect for Rev.
Mr.. Bailey personally, and for that branch
of the Christian church he represents, and
regret that he should have seen fit to at
tick our brief paragraph in reference to
the scenes at the depot on Thursday even
ing, for we know full well what we saw
and heard, and he did net, but upon the
spur of the moment came to the rescue of
those boister6us proceedings, without
knowing what they were, and at the same
time, after dealing in various suggestions
as to our being annoyed, announces that
on Sunday evening he would preach
sermon upon "Relgious Enthusiasm"
giving outwardly to the public the i'm
preston that he sanctioned the demon
strations of that evening, and after his
personal illusions to local questions, in
which he slurred the project before the
town meeting full as much as anything
in our brief paragraph could have been
tortured into slur of his denomination,
and hence the necessity of informing the
public of some of the proceedings and
expressions at the prayer meeting, that a