The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-08-13
WHERE A GREAT DANGER LIES.
Some Thoughts Suggested by the Topic Of
the Hour.
From the New York Observer.

It is doubtless known to the most
distant and secluded of our American
readers that the religious and irrelig-
ious community in New York and
Brooklyn, and the country generally,
is just now agitated by an inquiry in
to the moral character of the most
conspicuous preacher Of the age. Re-
serving all expression of opinion on
the merits Of the case for another time,
we have serious sermon to deliver,
at least great inference to draw, in
the midst Of the melancholy proceed
ings.
| The relations into which pastor
is brought with members of his flock,
and the power which he prossesses
when he has inspired them with
strong personal affection for him as a
man, place him in circumstances de-
manding the utmost circumspection
and discretion. Ministers are cen.
surable in high degree who encour-
age their people, men or women, to
come to them with family matters or
secret sores. Some men are them
selves gossips, and delight to get and
give all they can Of social news, and
the more secret, the richer the prize.
They encourage revelations when
their ears should be deaf to everything
approaching to scandal. All judi
cious pastors discourage familiarity
on the part of their people, especially
Of the female denomination.
For this way lies the danger. A
silly woman, pious perhaps, but very
soft and shallow, hears the stirring
words of her eloquent pastor; is rous-
ed, warmed, soothed, exalted she
thinks edyfed-and straightway she
believes him to be the man sent to do
her good. She goes to his study to
tell him so: how much enjoyment
she finds in his words; or she writes
him a letter and pours out her little
SOULFUL Of twaddle about her graft
tude for what her dear pastor has
done for her: how she "is lifted up"
by his instructions how she loves
him as friend given to be her guide
and comfort, and so on, and so on,
more and worse, running into a
mawkish sentimentality, a sickening
man-worship, disgusting to every SEN
sible person, but very nectar to vain,
worldly preacher, who seeks only to
make his hearers "feel good" Such
people never go to their pastor to ask
'*what they must do to be saved" 1t
is to tell him how good they feel; how
he is ''exalting" them, "flling them
with Joy, peace and love-" We can
not 60 into particulars without offend
ing the tastes Of every reader We
make our meaning plain. We wish
to be understood as saying that what
worldly preachers and sentimental
women call Communion of soul' and
kindred spirits" mutual help and
"holy sympathy" and words in the
same strain, is not religion-it is not
even religious. It is of the earth,
earthly. 1t is "carnal conceived in
sin" 1t is simply the lower nature,
the human passion Of one creature to-
ward another. God is not in it. God
never led man or woman to desire
forbidden fruit. "Let no man say
when he is tempted, I am tempted of
God; every man, when he is tempt
ed, is drawn away Of his own lust and
enticed. Then lust, when it hath
conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and
sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth
DEATH" 1t is in immediate connec-
| ton with those divine teachings that
the inspired writer goes on to say:
"Wherefore lay aside all flthiness
and superfuity of naughtiness and
receive with meekness the engrafted
word which is able to save your
souls"
Religion is not passion. 1t is a
principle. Religion does not consist
in feeling. Religion is the intelligent
belief of truth that leads to right do
ing; the very meaning of the word is
"binding or drawing back" to God
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