The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-05-14
The question of a 5plvlae Can 70

lProm the Chicago AlliAnse-l religious paper :
When aclergyman bases his claim only
upon a miraculous call from God, be
separates himself from oil other profess
sions. The ministry is not suffered by
special grace. II Is not ono Of the
miracles that stands like Lots vile, q pill
lar OF salt, by special act It'll q part ol
humanity, oil Unborn, and inwogen, like
liberty Of reason or taste. Young men
contemplating the ministry used TO watch
their dreams, or SEQ what events followed
their prayers, or were wont 10 let the
Bible fall open In their hands, and mark
upon what text the eye fell first. If the
words were "Go preach my Gospel" or
"The Lord hath need OF him." the eyi-
denCe OF divine commission was complete,
and thus invited, they began 10 array
themselves for the career. This method
not only gave to the pulpit thousands who
belonged 70 the saw or TO the plow; Il also
built wall Of partition between the min.
istry and other professions, and marred
that brotherhood, that friendship, without
which truth makes little progress, and the
profession is narrowed In It's inmost soul.
Hence the legal man, the medical man,
the scientific man, the orator, meeting a
common preacher on the street or in the
social circle, ielt that discordant elements
had met, and, after cold words, they
sought separation in body again, to accord
with the perpetual separation Of spirit, =.
But God works very much In and
through society; and as we say that So
clety demanded and created the office Of
lawyer, and poet, and naturalist, 80 we
feel that society demands the pulpit, and
has created 1t and endowed Il by It's
longings and tolls. Outol liEe's casuistry,
out Of It's sorrows and sim, out Of It's grest
mystery Of death, out Of It's dream ot an
immortal life, has grown up the sacred
office, q plant watered by two kinds Of
tears, those oi sorrow and Of 10y, and
with roots and branches spreading 10 two
worlds. Instead, therefore, Of referring |
its claim back 10 falling open'o OF the |
Bible, or 10 recovery from sickness, how
gladly should the pulpit refer to man
kind for It's warrant, and move along
upon the never.changing basis Of the
worlds common sense. Happy Is that
minister who can sit down with the nat
uralist, and the statesman, and tho. en-;
gineer, and the farmer, and the poet, and
feel that mankind has ordered the whole
group with the samO sweet but resistless
voice.
1t Is well that upon the head Of the
Episcopal candidate the hands of the
Bishop must rest; and that the Preaby-
terian licentiate must be sent forth BY
the laying on ofhands Of the Presbytery.
The methods are guard and an impres.
slve solemnity. But there Is q grander
laying on Of the hands than this. There
is solemnity Of which this Bishop scene
or Presbyterial scene is but faint
shadow. Society in all It's moral depths
and heighths; society in its ENHANCEMENT
Of mystery; society sweeping along to the
grave; society trying to penetrate the
future, has reached out It's
two hands in holy prayer, and has rested
them upon the servant Of God as never
rested the palm Of Bishop, or OF any Of
the children Of morality.
1t was not any laying on oil sectarian
hands that made poetry an art. Il was
the wants Of the human race. And so It
Is not Bishop, nor q conference, nor
Pres5ytery, that stands back Of the pul.
pit. It is the nature Of the world, Of men,
here and hereafter.