Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-12-27
Religious Department.
ONE SERMON OR TWO.
By ELInU BURRIT.

sabbath, il would be we'll to elicit from
intelligent members of the congregations
all over the country their frank and hon
est opinion on this question /: do you
think, from your o'cn experience, that
one mind ia thousand can dig through |
the layer Of The last sermon into the first,
tciH the vacuum of only tCo hours be-
treen, and dra'o mp from At any distinct |
and LASTING impressions?
The fact is, the religious services on
Sunday have been growing at killing
pace both for pastors and people in these
latter years, and more and more work is
likely to be crowded into the day unless
the cry Of ''haltv' is put forth and
obeyed by common or stipulated consent.
Under the present rule it is misnomer
to call the day the Sabbath. The idea
of duty and rest are eliminated from it
entirely, for it is the most exhausting
day of the week to the pastor and the
most active members Of his congregation.
Let us glance for a moment at this
growth Of Sunday work, and see by what
ratio it has increased upon pulpit and
pew.
About fifty years ago new Sunday
work was interpolated into the religious
system of this country. The Sunday
school was brought in to fill the narrow
space between the two sermons. The
great duty of teaching the young in re-
ligious truth and life was crowded into
this crevice Of time. The minister was
not only expected to write two sermons
a week, and preach them with only
ninety minutes space between them, but
also TO ell two.thirds Of this space in
teaching a Bible class, or overlooking or
addressing the Sunday-school. He was
allowed less time for his dinner than
the whistle in the shortest days of win
ter aecords 10 factory operatives. How
could such days work be called a
Sabbath, or a day of rest, to him? But
how much less could it be such to the
children Think how their young feet
are fettered to the pew as we'll as his tC
the pulpit Think what comes to them
between his 'amen." at twelve and the
ehurch-bell at half-past one With the
morning sermon on their minds, they
have to 60, without a breathing Of
thinking space of ten minutes, into Their
classes and be drilled in Scripture anC
religious instruction till one o'clock
Then they are given half an hour 70
bread and butter at home or at som
corner Of the church or chapel. TIL
bell often interrupts them between tn
cup and the lip and calls them to secon
sermon. Is it hard on the minister t
preach it? Let him think of the chill
dren. Is it not hard on their wearie,
minds to hear it. after all that has bee
put upon them in the three foregoin
hours? Think of their teachers an
their work. delicate, devoted youn
women who do not recover from the Fl
tigue Of their Sabbath work until tn
middle of the week.
This may be called killing pace fC
pastors and people; and it is the paC
of nine churches in ten in the whole
New England. For in that proportic
of them the minister is chained to IL
pulpit twice on Sunday between hal
past ten and half.past two, with Sa
bath school between in which he is oft
cruelty expected to take regular or occ
siOnal work, and the young and old
be present and active as learners
teachers.
But there is another aspect to Il
excessive Sunday work which is me-
likely to be overlooked. Think VIII
changes in the intellectual level of
our communities, in small towns a
villages as well as cities, are being p
duced by our common-school syste
which IS graduating generation af
generation Of higher intelligence. Thi
how much easier it was to write a
preach a sermon up TO the level of
rural congregation fifty years ago tn
it is to produce one to-day which sh
satisfy the expectation of its heare
Every year, in every town in these N
thern States, new class of young a
and women 60 out from the III
School" into the local community v
have studied grammar, rhetoric, lol
and the composition of elegant lit,
ture. They carry with them not onl
taste for reading, but educated perc
tons Of what is correct in style and
livery. The minister knows and {
this, and what is necessary in his
mon to satisfy hears constantly incr
ing in intellectual force and cult
Now let US see how all this bears U
the young minister, and lot us syn
thize generously with his position
prospects. r
The young pastor knows what is
fore him 4; the weight of the two-ser
burden he is to carry He does not
with the middle-life minister have
ed, al cannot stand it," No; h