Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1871-12-16
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90 =.
TROUBLE TH THE PARysry.
RUNNING TO THE MINISTER A TRor-
BLEsoME PARIsn1oNER ASKS ADVICE
Irr IN

it three times. Had you given me Won
address, so that private letter wCul,
reach you, would have answered bv mail
but as you ask SO many questions. and sn,
"it is matter of conscience about which
wish to consult you, you make il uerras
| sary to reply in this way. And ms Won,
| '"case' is typical and exceedingly common
! 1t may be useful to make the answer nub.
lie. L have seen aud heard of so many
! persons liko you, that you seem like an old
acquaintance. You say:
My greatest fault now, in the estimation OF
some is my inordinato love for ,,Rv ;l -. -. ~
nae ,,9 Tepn srowin I to my pastor with ever
'..Sng OF the least interest in the church with ~,
experience OF what | read, all the little cares
pleasures or anything which has the least con-,
ncction with our religions lifc'
You then tell me of trouble which This
has occnsioned. You arc very severe in
your criticisms upon those who dislike
your habits, and you exhibit in your letter
q vast amount of ell.consciousnrss, an en-
tire absence of Christian humility, great
consciousness, strong desire to seek adj
vice with n self-wil that assures me Won
40 not care for advice and will not take il
py whoinsoever given.
our habit of running to your ''pastOr
with everything of the least interest in the
church, - makes trouble an The pdriSb. Is
that too severe? Let us look at it a mo.
ment. If you may run TO him, with
every little thug, others NAV. If Won
ought to do il, they ought to do it. It is
not your DUTY more than others. And if
the habit becomes general, what is the un-
happy paster to do with himself? lie has
duties in his study, his church, his family,
his parish, and to the world. When is he
to perform them, if you and the rest, or
ynn only, are always ''ruuning'' to him
Ifytonn aiN3 afiN3Sssything - OF the least interest 20
of time should restqi%a,,.'s stqi%, sense Of the value
his. lfyou are Il woman, YOU -s%na mah "s "s
propriety should prevent YOU from doina
what never can be done in any civilized
community without giving just occasion
for scandal. 1t is not surprising that Your
habit has made for your enemies. You
ask me "to pray that" you "mav have
charity for those who oppose you re-
spect!ully decline TO do any sucb praying
for you. If pray ut al! in reference to the
matter, it Will be that you may give them
no further occasion to be obliged to stretch
the mantle of charity III order to cover you.
| am on the side OF those who oppose"
you. They are right, you are wrong.
You have been doing wrong very long
time. fno one has had the trankness and
came to me for advice ON "a case of con-
s,ience,' so that ycd should get this plain
letter. which will doyon g"oJ' ifyou are
ia any church, ifa man or n woman gets |
into the habit which '"Ycoe. is ynprs, II /
makes trouble always, l.. Sucti sue " run,
oilers orc Srloved and offended. If it'll I
...,neiy submitted TO as AN EfyEio ioo,ons, VS
TosGC,os y CREWS worse nra and Most unhappy consa
becomes Oecona s. u followed. The disruption of
ih,, ies, the separation of pastor and pco-
Ne, OF husband and wife, have been ,0cGGa,
Toned by just the pracfi"" 5I'' "''''''5
o fond Of O,riSreglllon.
If YOU were in my parish, l would serve
on as did one Of my dear people at Mat
nawan, on the Hudson, where | was pas
or some years AGO. He loved me Che Of
en- said so, aud | have no doubt III so
much So that he made it point and pleas
ire to come to see me daily in the midst ot
ny study hours and tell me everything OF
The least interest" especially the tcdSt; all ,
he little gossip that was GolnG on how !
his old woman likcd OF disl:kvd the ser |
mon, and the remark Mr. Carver made, |
and what Mr.. Royce said, and the trouble
that was brewing in the choir, and III that
and more, till finally determined that he
or must quit that place. L went TO W.
Il. Leonard, Esq, the agent ol great
mauulactuying establishment there, ana
said to him, "lOu must get can Tor lhat
man to 90 somewhere else, or ! VIII EtI
one for myself" He understood 1t instant
ly. In less than month, the man came
10 tell me that he had received an oNer TO
30 TO distant place, where ms income
would be largely increased and his position
much improved; he said his only regret
was parting with his dear pastor, Gut duty
TO his family required him to make tAe
sacrifice. | cuincidpd with lin IN this
opinion, and he went. remained, great
ly relieved.
Your pastor has not the power TO rid
himself cf amoyauvcs in this way, and 1t
may be that he does It feel himself annoy
ed Ry your habit. lie may like II. All
the worse for him and you. Ii IL an eN'l
i'm itself aud Justly gives offence /" others,
iniurcs YOU, Injuries him and rs the "l'
Gu.se comes hy Nuu, thrlst's WOE Is ON
vou. And that is the key t. al! the mls
irrips of your experience about which y"u
/ wish to consult me.
Your bcsclting SIN is cgnllsm, In
modified form the vice may be called se"
consciousncss, or an opinion that you nT'
of considerable importance that what lu'
thsnk of this nan, ur that woman, or "
tels or that measure, IN uI Interest l, ON,
nrople. You want to make yourself ltl'
To- be consulted and referred 10, ana to haN
your own way and " uleyt this, you pt,
Tend 10 he very humble AMI pegt city MI
ng that othcrs should d. just a. the
plcase, but al the time you are striving
carry YOUR points, and agu pat "nt " y"
nU. You SAY that your ''sr't ca twl
inordlnato love Of yuur pastor" That 10
sin. though you did npi think 50 when ~
. confessed il. Rut that II not lur sr'alr
: sin No; b l. inogdlnalo luyu ol loG,s'l
Quite uucuusc,pusly yDu haze sulNf'd 'I
J ,ioe la grow unlilil has obpcnFed Your n'
AL Vision. and with eullFa sincerity y"u d' ?
lie Impeachment and say that Dhvr n.
. iulsed you that my letIer y unehrls1'a
and 4 ought "a ho ashamed tn wiiln
=, harshy ~ an earnest inquirer aneF lta
u aud duty. fyGu thus receive ny gna"'
, thrn 1 asa suru ~ belns ushl' hl' y
y y,ry last le,sOn lhe heart kagns 'a a.
kuuHr,Fc
A Tlurs IL probably not hnii'an hr'hs
:" q.Fih WIN Il abs A. have hls 80 hri iAN
r..l A ...at l....U.F Kindly. Without ffNl