Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-01-07
Independent in all things,


Wy which tney may promote tne cause
in which they are engaged, by the labors
OF others rather than their own, by diff
fusng among their people the thoughts
and labors of others--of those who have
the immediate charge OF these papers,
rather than by any thoughts Of their
own.
The point Of inquiry which I wish TO
make is not what is, in fact, the influence
OF the newspaper on the community
where pastor labors, or on the COM
munity at large nor is it the inquiry
how he may make the most use, in his
work, Of the newspaper in securing it's
distribution and circulation among his
people but how far he may use il in
dlffusing bis own views of truth, and
making it direct auxiliary, in his work,
by availing himself OF its columns, in
promoting the great purpose of bis life,
in diff'using knowledge Of the truth in
the world. Are ministers OF the gospel
doing all that they might do, or might
be expected to do, in regard TO an agency
so mighty az the newspaper press
In illustration of this point, the follow.
ing considerations seem worthy of attcn.
ton:
The number of educated clergymen
III this land, as compared with educated
men in other professions, is very large.
Perhaps the exact number could not be
easily ascertained, for there are some
Christian denominations, very large in
themselves, as the Baptist and the Meth
odist, in which the numbers of educated
ministers, III the ordinary sense of that
term, is exceedingly small. it should
be remarked, however, that in reference
to these denominations, an important
change is taking place on this subject,
and the time may not be very fsr dis
tant, when in this respect, they will be
quite on level with other denonina-
tions. II, however, it is admitted that
in each of the denominations in our
country there are clergymen who can in
no proper sense be said to educated, or
who have never enjoyed the advantages
Of liberal training, still the number of
educated ministers is large. OF the
graduates in our colleges, i'll some cases
one-half, in others one-third, in others
one.fourth-and rarely less than this
become ministers of the gospel. The
remainder are distributed through the
various occupations OF secular charac-
ter, as lawyers, physicians, authors, pro-
fessorS, teachers, editors, gentlemen of
leisure, and gentlemen OF learned idle
ness. 1t is safe TO say that there are by
far more educated men in the ministry
than are to be found in any other one
profession more absolutely--more in
proportion, than are to be found at the
bar or in the medical profession more
than there are engaged in commerce, or
in scientific and literary pursuits. More
over, many of the ministers of the gospel
are eminent for scientific attainments,
for classical learning, and tor general
acquaintance with literature and what
is quiet material, as a body of men, they
''keep up" their acquaintance with their
college studies, more than any other
class of men. Chancellor Kent, indeed,
pursued his classical studies all his life,
and even in old age was eminent among
the scholars of the land. The writer CT
this article, as any one else might, could
easily refer to more than one man dis
tinguished at the bar or in midcine who
has done the same thing but it is no
dsparagement to any other profession to
say that there are more by far who con-
tinue to cultivate an acquaintance with
classical learning and with general litera-
ture, in the ministry than in any other
of the "learned" professions.
The ministers of the gospel have more
leisure for this kind of writing than any
other class of professional men. am
not ignorant that they have much to do.
| do not deny that it is a constant draft
on the intellect and the heart TO prepare
two or three sermons a week to attend
on the proper PASTORAL duties of the
ministry to visit the sick, and to attend
on the service of funerals nor ain |
ignorant that there is often much outside
work of public kind which ministers of
the gospel are expected to perform but
with the full knowledge OF all this, the
affirmation is made that ministers OF the
gospel, as a class, have more leisure for
the services to which | am now referring
than any other class of men that they
have much time which is not very pro-
itably employed, and that there are few,
perhaps none, who could not with per.
feet ease find time enough each week of
their lives to furnish printing matter
sufficient to fill two columns of a country
newspaper. Can We forget that Baxter
was one of the most laborious of pas.
tors ? Yet Baxter's works of a religious
kind fill four large folio volumes Of closely
printed pages. Can we forget that
Jonathan Edwards was one of the most
faithful preachers in the land that he
was engaged more than once in q great
revival Of religion that he was hum
bic missionary laboring with patience to
instil the elements of gospel truth into
the minds of rude savages Yet tn,
works of Edwards fill ten volumes, and
have filled the world with their fame
Can we forget that Cotton Maiher was
all his life pastor in Boston, laboring
always with one congregation ? And
/, yet it is said of him that he wrote and
published as many volumes as there are
! dayu in the year.
There is some professional advantage
it may be, in the representations so otter
made in the "charges" delivered to new
lv ordained DastOrs resDectinQ thu