The daily gazette., 1874-09-17

attracted my attention, have made in
quiries of twenty members of christian
churches, and while all answered at once
and without hesitation that it was the
duty Of the minister to make pastoral
visits, and il he failed they censured
him, every one admitted that for them
selves they could not say that they had
derived any spiritual benefit fyom such
visitations, but had greatly enjoyed the
friendship and social cordiality of the
visiting pastors. | have talked with
many ministers, and they nearly all say
that this work, il methodically and reg
ularly attended to, absorbs their whole
time, and that they believe that thor
ough and radical change at this point
would be a benefit to the church and
relief to its pastors. The Bible does not
in terms lay this work upon the minis
ter, and we feel certain that ninety nine
yielded to sensuality have first yielded
to temptations which came upon them
while making pastoral visits.
The writer knew a young minister OF
more than ordinary ability, of consider
able culture, having the oratorical tenn
perament and q susceptible nature, who,
driven by his church officers to pastoral
visiting, called upon a family, found the
lady alone and prayed with her. Taking
and, clasping his arm, trembled with an
emotion that could not be misunder-
stood. The pastor, suddenly as it came
upon him, could not resist the feeling
common to all humanity, and as this
female rake laid her head upon his
breast, turning her moist lips ami tear
full eyes up to him, he kissed her-and
was ruined. He never went into the
pulpit again, but to-day wanders bro
/ L. .oG 81 -
every abominable lust. l had the story
from his own lips, and do not doubt his
veracity. He told me with tears that
he felt that pastoral visiting was the
sole cause OF his ruin.
Now, SIR, insist that the pastor should
not be crlven by the demands of his
church into service which is e---e My
dangerous to himself, and in which. after
he has once fallen, he become1 dangerous
to others, and in which the wo'" N leep's
cloti Ig has such fatal facilities for tle
seduction of women. Let the clutches
provide women to visit women, and let
the pastor give himself who'll 20 the
mir stry of the Word. Let it be Ely un-
| derstood that all passional ailinities are
not or'" weak but wicked, and let the
~ Tor o his work for human souls pub
icly. and have done with tbs fo' :, O.
| pastoral visiting, which brings the pastor
INTO the family unanuounced. When the
pastor visits in the family as pastor let it
| indeed be religious service, under the
aid and with the assistance of the father
of tho family, instead of this intercourse
| that proceeds all too easily from pure
interchange of ideas to an impure and
dangerous sentimentalism. Mr.. Beecher
NAV not be guilty. We do not think his
guilt is proved, and We feel that he bas
added mis- illustrious name to that of
| hundreds of other clergymen of lesser
note whose fair fame has suffered, end
whose power for good has been lessened
by q wrong view of the pastoral relation
and an intimacy with women which
would have been accorded to none but
| the pastor. We have had enoug gh of this
and we think Christian pastors should re-
fuse to obey the demand, imperative as it
is, for pastoral visitations.*
| When God shall commission angels to
| the work of the Christian ministry such
relations may be proper and useful but
while "men of like passion" with other
men are nut in trust with this ministry
they ought to be guarded in their inter
course with all society, and especially in
their intimacy with women. Inc clergy
men of America do not desire this work !;
they have done it because it has been
pressed upon them rs q dut", and gladly
would they welcome an ADVANCE in the
sentiment of the whole Church that
would not require of them the perform
ance of this useless labor.
sWe differ from the writer.