The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-24
The Protestant Confessional.
From the Chicago Times

from he thscdg0 Times.
In late issue of the Tines our CORES
pendent a. Peoria detailed an interview
with the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, the
man who called the Rev. John S. Glen
denning from the scene of the tragic death
Of Mary Pomeroy to minister to the
spiritual wants of the Presbyterians of
Henry. In the course of this interview,
the divine, who has the best Calvinistie
pedigree of any man in this country, said:
MARY Pomeroy was poor girl. and the organist
Of the church In which Glendenning preached. She
was struggling for livelihood, and Glendenning
assisted her in secur ng music scholars. Glcnden
ming was asomewhat attractive minister, young and
unmarried, and the girl was drawn towards him.
1t Is fact that In nearly every large city the
ladies in a congregation become sentimental re-
gardng their pastor Itis the experience of nearly
every minister OF my acquaintance. In cities, you
know, there Is more sentiment than in the country.
Sentiment is the result of idleness aud living in
luxury. Religion is akin to sentiment and when
minister breaches religious sentiment he draws
toward him natural sentiment. The minister is the
confddnte OF his congregation. He possesses, more
than any other man, the secrets of households.
Women have always had this scntimentality re-
garding ministers and probably always will. Why,
knew minister in Philadelphia once, of whom
1t is said he received two barrels OF slippers one
| Christmas. Mary Pomeroy shared this senti-
mentality In common with her sex, and she used to
send Glepdenning presents that he knew were be
| yond her means to make, He did not refuse them
for fear OF hurting her feelings. SO he gave her
| gifts in return"
| We do not propose to take up the story
OF Mary PomerOy, or to express an opinion
on the guilt or innocence of Mr. Glen
denning, 1t is of the statements of the
Rev. Jonathan Edwards in relation to
other matters that we wish to speak. The
Protestant church, ever since the days of
Luther, has condemned the confessions Of
the Roman Catholic church, chiefly on
account OF the influence which it gives the
priest over the persons whose secrets he
has gained. We all know that the person
who confdes his secrets to another, places
himself in his power to the extent that it
would be dangerous to have these secrets
divulged. The girl who tells her pastor
that she has parted with her honor for any
cause is without power to resist his ad-
} vances; in truth, she has made the first
advance herself. The same is true of the
wife. According to the statements of DR.
Edwards, and they are by no means new
every Protestant minister is the repository
of the secrets Of the female members Of
of his flock. He knows the women who
are dissatisfied with their husbands fol
! any cause. He knows in advance o.
J the lawyers when divorce suit is to bt
: her home on account of any fancied wrong
1t is perhaps difficult to state will
certainty when the Protestant confession
commenced, or 70 name the severa
: churches that have adopted it. But it i.
certain that it exists in all those churcl
edifices that contain q room or rooms
denominated the pastor study, and wher,
: hours are set apart for the reception o
Iu1c II i, a.
fessionals are rarely visited by men. Mel
have generally little time in which to re
turn pastoral calls, and as q rule, if they
! have unpleasant secrets, they keep then
r to themselves. These confessionals ar
: generally visited by women Of the senti
t mental sort, who are drawn" toward tn
, pastor. Whatever woes they have, rea
: or imaginary, present or prospective
$ they pour into his ear. Women neve
d appear so interesting as when in dee
!, distress, and when he learns from ther
It that they are naughty, a minister needs I
d keep that fragment of prayer, flea
10 us not into temptation" ever on his lip
u A man is something above ordinal
'e mortals who only uses the secrets game
y from others for their good. There
er ordinarily a disposition TO use them f
c. ones own advantage.
er In the remarks made by DR.. Edwar,
IN on the subject of sentiment of warrior
OF kinds, we see the reason why two-thirds
IN the members of churches are females.
u must be confessed that the Peoria divil
as gives a rather low estimate of religi
n when he says it SIS akin to sentiment
a and that sentiment is the result
il, 'idleness and living in luxury" As tn
do are sort of natural cousins, it would see
altogether likely that many women mlsta
es one for the other, and confound ''natul
ed sentiment with religion pure a
or indebted. On the whole, DIR. Il
to wards's estimate of the sentimentality
to women toward their pastor is not We
n complimentary to the ladies who thro
IS our churches or who 20 singly to t
lit private confessional, misnamed It
n pastors study" But he has had c
rt perience, and probably knows whereof
VI speaks.
er