Litchfield enquirer., 1872-02-22
The Presbyterian Fiasco.

Rev. Theodore Cuyler, D. D., of Brook lyn, undoubtedly influenced by our high commentators of the preaching and in- dorsement of the orthodoxy of Miss Smilie-the gifted Quaker woman who is attracting crowds to hear her and making tears of penitence course down cheeks that have long since forgotten how to blush-invited her to preach in his pulpit. She did so with excellent effect But alas for brother Cuyler, who was on the point l of snatching little popularity by his gal lant and truly Christian act. The Pres bytery took note of his innovation, and called him up for disobeying the stand ard of his sect. The case was tried last week and while small party headed by Mir. Talmadge strongly approved of open ing the pulpit to women whenever they were found worthy and qualified to fill it, ] the majority decided against the innova- ton. It was finally voted that s'To teach, and to exhort, and to lead us in prayer in public and promiscuous assemblies is clearly forbidden to women in the Holy Oracles.'
 It was sad and humiliating spectacle -that trial Brother Cuyler cut sorry 1 figure, and excited general commiseration when at its close he went back on himself, and whined like schoolboy who had eat 1 en another boys dinner and been found
 out and reported. He did not care SO much for the thing, but to be censured for the thing, and to have the censure report 1 cd, and to have the odium of being the
 one man who opened his pulpit to wo-
 man fixed upon him, and to be suspected
 of woman's rights and free love, and all this just as he was going to EuFope-it
 was more than he could bear. The poor
 man. The Presbytery was moved. His
 brethren had compassion on his weak
 ness, and let him of without rebuke. And l again to snatch little ephemeral popular
 ity by stepping out of the straight and mar l row path prescribed by the Presbyterian
 discipline Roses are set in thornes that only the brave shall pluck them-except
 the roses on woman bonnet; and Broth
 CT Cuylef has learned that a woman bon
 net in q Presbyterian pulpit is bonuet
 set in buck-thornes.
 The Presbytery was on trial. It stood
 in the open court of the nineteenth cen-
 tury, before the bar of public opinion, to see whether 1t was rational and Christian enough to bury old-time prejudices and accept the circumstances, and meet the 1 opportunities, and do the work of the new 
 age. Is it so in earnest to save souls and
 establish the Kingdom, that it will receive
 the new Apostles, who at the call of Du- 1 ty and with the baptism of the Spirit, are
 entering into the field and showing by their works that they are ordained to the
 Vineyard by the Master himself?
 | There is no question in regard to the
 character, the orthodoxy, or the spirit of the gifted Quakeress. Her work is indis-
 putab1e. She represents a class. She
 stands for the New Order, Priestess of
 the new civilization. And the Presbytery
 looks at her, and behind her to those who
 would come through the door were it once opened, and bolts the door with 6 text
 And so it stands self-condemned. Gu, worst wish for it it is that when it's church 1 es languish and are dying, and it ahal
 send and entreat some of the new order O
 preachers to come and revive them, the,
 will recall the death-sentence it pronounc 1 ed on itaelf. Golden Age.