The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-02-17
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
REMOVING TO A NEW CHARGE.

REMOVING TO A NEW CHARGE.
The fourth requisite of a general nature
mentioned as essential to ministerial success,
is Common Sense.
l think Buckle in his book on Civilization
SAYS, that Common Sense is the knowledge
possessed by the mass of mankind of those
things which science has not formulated. |
am not sure that quote him Alright, but
what 1 mean by saying that a minister ought
to possess Common Sense, is that he should
not be ignorant of the things that other peo-
pie generally know. For example, have
heard of minister who asked one of his
parishioners whatsort of COWS gaze butter-milk.
And 1 laughed the other day in hearing some
one describe the perplexity in which he
found minister, who was trying to drive his
buggy after the collar had dropped from the
neck of his horse. | once asked one of
the most distinguished Professors Princeton
ever had, to open gate that we might drive
through; being unwilling to trust the reins
in his hands, if should get out He re-
piled cheerfully that he would if he could,
and when he attemptedit, candidly confessed
that he did not know how.
These are extreme illustrations, but they
Justify the remark that every body. ought to
try to know what every body else knows.
You ought not to be entirely ignorant of
law, medicine, banks, railroads, politics, cir
cusses, insurance, and sewing machines, &C.,
&c. Yet you ought not to be, nor aim to
be, an expert in anything out of your line.
1t is not desirable that country clergyman
should know so much about horses as to be
able to trace pedigrees, and quote the rate
of fast trotters. And it makes one feel un-
comfortable sometimes to hear city preach
er describe so accurately the arrangements
conveniences conventionalities and
things of our large, fashionable hotq
you wonder where, when, and no
world he ever picked up all thes
But aim only, as l have said, to ky
the generality of people know; to
share of the folklore that is gatl
mother-wit. Nor do l say that pi
as a class, are more wanting in Co
Sense than other men, professors and adS
thors for example, whose walks in life lie
equally aside from the throng of business.
But then the lack of Common Sense does
more harm to a minister than to other men
whose influence is less important. Paul
shows his Common Sense everywhere, wheth-
er escaping in basket down wall, or in
structing sailors and soldiers how to manage
in storm, or gathering sticks to make a
fire, or sending for his old cloak that he had
left behind.
In Buckles notion of Common Sense, Gf
indeed it is his there is another element
that furnishes view somewhat different
from that we have just been taking. Com
mon Sense not only gathers up for us as We
go along, the knowledge of common things
possessed by people in general, but it is also
our guide, and our only guide, where rules
fail. If every thing could be reduced to
rules, he would be the wisest man who knew
the most rules. But this is far from being
the case. Every rule of life has annexed to
it condition, to disregard which is fatal !;
the limitation is ne mamas-not too much.
| Or to put it into a more familiar shape, ask
what you ought to do, and in nine cases out
of ten, the reply will be, "That depends
upon circumstances. Now what are the
circumstances limiting the rule What is
too much9 The rule cannot explain its
own condition, nor its own limitation. Moth
ing but Common Sense can. Let single
illustration suffice. Ought pastor to have
worship when he makes a pastoral visit !?
One man will say, 81 make it an invariable
rule to do so" Another, "My rule is,
never to do it unless requested by the head
of the house." A third, 81 am guided by
circumstances The two first will be wrong
as often as right, and will sometimes make
hurtful blunders the last, if he has COM
mon sense, will seldom err, and never eyre
giously. The man who is conscious of
weakness in practical judgment, (he does
not call it want of common sense, though it
is really so,) braces himself by inaexible
rules, while the man whom success has rem
dered self-reliant, trusts to his present re-
sources for the case in hand. Some times,
unquestionably, his confidence is overween-
ing and hurtful Common Sense is not in
fallible, though very helpful. Only by
common sense can man make as near an
approximation to fair estimate of himself
as the original and ineradicable sin of self
conceit will allow: what he can do-what he
can do best-and what is beyond his power.
This will enable him to determine with rea-
sonable certainty when he getsa call, wheth-
er he ought to accept it, or to remain where
he is. Common sense will teach you what
to expect from people, and what not, and