Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-04-29
PIETY AND PODOGOGUE.
Rev. r. Dewitt TaImage's Opinion
About OdOriferOus WOrshippers
I'm Church.

in Church.
From the Galaxy.l
In recent issue of the Independent
the Rev. I. Dewitt Talmage, of Brook
lyn, has the following utterance on the
subject of Smells"
II have good Christian friend, who,
if he sat in the front pew in church, and
a working man should enter the door at
the other end, would smell him instantly.
Ny friend is not to blame for the sensi-
tiveness of his nose any more than you
would fog pointer for being keener on
the scent than stupid Watchdog. The
fact is, if you had all the churches free,
by reason of the mixing up of the COM
mon people with the uncommon, you
would keep one-half of Christendom sick
at their stomach. If you are going to
kill the church thus with bad smells, l
will have nothing to do with this work of
evangelization."
We have reason to believe that there
will be laboring men in heaven; and, also,
number of negroes, and Esquimaux,
and Terra del Fuegans and Arabs, and
few Indians, and possibly even some
Spaniards and Portuguese All things
are possible with God We shall have
all these sorts of people in heaven; but,
alas in getting them we shall lose the
society of DR.. Talmage Which is to
say we shall lose the company of one who
could give more real tone" to celestial
society than any other contribution
Brooklyn could furnish And what
would eternal happiness be without the
Doctor? Blissful, unquestionably-
know that well enough-but would it be
distingue, would it be recherche without
him? st. Matthew without stockings or
sandals; st. jerome bareheaded, and with
coarse brown blanket robe dragging the
ground; st. Sebastian with scarcely any
raiment at-all-these we should see, and
should enjoy seeing; but would we not
miss spike-tailed coat and kids, and
turn away regretfully, and say to parties
! from tine Orient: These are well enough,
but you ought to see DR.. Talmage, of
Brooklyn" | fear me that in the better
world we shall not even have DR.. Tai
mage's good Christian friend. For If
he we're sitting under the glory of the
Throne, and the keeper of the keys ad-
mitted d Benjamin Franklin, or other
laboring man, that friend" with his
fine natural powers infinitely augmented
by emancipation from hampering flesh,
would detect him with a single sniff, and
Immediately take his hat and ask to be
excused.
To all outward seeming, the Rev. /.
! Dewitt Talmage is of the same material
as that used in the construction of his
early predecessors in the ministry; and
vet one feels that there must be differ
ence somewhere between him and the
Savior first disciples. 1t may be because
here. in the nineteenth century, DIR. i.
has had advantages which Paul and
Peter and the others could not and did
not have. There was lack of polish
about them, and looseness of etiquette,
and want of eXclusiveness, which one
cannot help noticing. They healed the
very beggars, and held intercourse with
people of villainous odor every day
If the subject of these remarks had been
chosen among the original Twelve Apos-
ties he would not have associated with
the rest, because he could not have stood
the fishy smell of some of his comrades
who came from around the sea of Galilee.
He would have resigned his commission
with some such remark as he makes in
the extract quoted above: Master, II
Thou art going to kill the church thus
with bad smells, / will have nothing to
do with this work of evangelization.
He is disciple, and makes that remark
to the Master; the only difference is that
he makes it in the nineteenth instead of
the first century.
Is there a choir in Mr.. I. S church? -?
And does il ever occur that they have no
better manners than to sing that hymn
which is so suggestive of laborers and
mechanics:
'Son of the Carpenter! receive
This humbls work Of mine."
Now, can it be possible that in hand |
full of centuries the Christian character
has fallen away from an imposing heroism
that seorned even the stake, the cross
and the ak, to poor little effeminacy |
that withers and willis under an unsavory I
smell2 We are not prepared TO believe I
so. the Reverend Doctor and his friend |
to the contrary Notwithstanding.
op