The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-01-21

FfOtR u6Bdlf0. AtHkTtetIi "'
I'VE have published quite number Of
communications In reply, or rather In re-
Spouse, to our remarks upon the pulpit
and the Press and We have no doubt
that the subject Is generally Attracting
the considerable attention 81 both the pew
and the pulpit We admit that tic press
has the advantageof the pulpit, iAasmuch
rs however stupid It's editorials may be,
1t has, or should have, all the stirring
news Of Tho day, to compensate Tor the,
IdullhesS Oi It's uttcranceS. The pulpit, on
the other hand, II It should not furnish d
discourse that Is both Interesting and in
structive, provides inotlllhg TO save the
pew from nodiing and l:Yfpktng al tho
preacher. 1t would not be in order 10
take up book to read or TO get up and
escape the infieti6n by aaretTeat The
reader can throw down tho newspaper
when 1t fails TO interest him. but The pew
must hold Oh mahtully totlie end and keep
awake as best he may, Human nature
cannot stand everything, and which OF
our leaders can say lie has not, at times,
while listening to { dull and lmonoton
repetition Of Christian truthslthat he has
heard better expounded tiAy tunes before,
faltit impossible to resist the 'inauence Of
sleep, and almost jerked Ills neck
awfy nhis efforts to keep his head In
steady positiong We can goto aplaGe Of
amusement and sit three or four hours in
one position without any feeling ofdrowsi.
moss, because the mind Is deeply interest,"
ed, but one hour Of q dull and spritless
sermon will test the, .somnolency Of the
bestoi u.s. Then again the press, YheTit
has nothing to say that Is regarded of
sufficient interest 70 write about, can fill
up its space with selections from the
writings Of others. Rather than publish
dull and spiritless editorials, the intelli.
gent and expericncedledlto regards 1t as
much the wisest course 70 say nothing, edl1
torially. And here comes tho point
which we wish 10 make with the clergy,
whetherit wouldnot be better for them,
when they feel particularly dull and stu
pidy Il. take book from their library and
read to tlleir congregations some one Of
the eloquent and able sermons that can be
found there. The editor whowritCs mere;
lyitodillnp ledilofialspace, witliDutre'
gard to the interest he may impart 10 his
readers, has mistaken his vocation, and we
are rather inclined To think that the .di.
vine who breaches merely 10 consume his
allotted hour has mistaken his calling ifl
But the. real trouble is, that, Us gen.
eral thing, young men of yigor, energy
and active thought seldom study for the
ministry. The best editors arc those who,
like, Greeley, have, lpbored with their
hands, and picked up an education amid
the toll and sweat Of hardiworkI He did
not imagine that he had"a CALI 10 be.
come an editor, but had pressing upon
him the necessity Of making o living, and
brought into the service both brain aud
muscle. A man cannot be educated for
IN editor; nine attempts out Of ten would
produce miserable failures. SO it's with
the trades, there being TO every good
workman at least ten botches. Whilst
we can get along with poor editors and
inferior w0rkmen, there can be no man.
ner Of doubt that care should DO taken
that preachers should not only DO good
men, butshould have all the qualifications
necessary to lead and guide and control
the minds Of those whom they propose to
instruct and teach. II o man Is o poor
lawyer ho will be able to gettno cases to
try; II he Is % poor mechanic he will only
get work when there Is q scarcity Of good
hands; II he Is 0 poor editor he will soon
havctno readers; but he Is a poor preach
rit seems tolbe the order of the day that
we must listen to his weak discusses,
and, i we keep awake, show, no signs Of
our dissatisfaction. ~ 49,, .',I '.'.y
ia father has a weak and sickly son
he is apt to imagine that he can make q
minister Of him. He Is semitic college,
and an effort 10 made to make something
out OF him that God never intended.
Young men who are supposed to be good
fol. nothing else arc given the charitable
scholarships, In our colleges, in some cases
as an act of charity, and In Others 10 get
Of the hands OF relatives Ion.productive
member ofthe household Would itnot
be better 10 select young men TO- the
ministry who have first-ln Bible classes
and Sabbath schools and Young Mems
Christian Associations-shown some evi.
dence that education will make them
powerful, eloquent and effective preach
ersg II clerical students were composed
Of this class Of young men, we imagine
that there would not be so many dull dis.
courses inflicted upon the patience Of
those who 20 TO churcllfor something else
than the performance of % mere formal