The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-01
the MODERN MINISTER.
Whence lie Comes. Who lie l.. what He
Does. aud " hat the People Pay HIM.

| Whence lie Comes. Who lie l.. What lie
Does. aud What the People Pay Him.
| The average annual salary of the Amcri-
can clcreyman Is two hundred and seventy i've
| paper dollars Audyet he IL not happvl
From the princelv revenue OF Cardinal to
| the wretched pittance Of q Presbyterian Help
err the distance Is great, although in uoint OF
time. occupation. constancy ana devotion. the
| highest and the lowest occupy common level.
| In view OF the fact that the churches Of
America cannot accommodate one-hllf Of the
| population. aud OF the other fact that as a rule
not more than twO-tnirds Of the accommoda-
| tions provided are required or awaited of, II
would not be the most difcut matter In the
| world to raise question as to the actual value
u the average clergyman to mankind. There
Is u great deal that iniglt be sail, with truth.
on both sides. but instead Of that hill pre-
sent rather. lew facts OF In crest. from which
others MY draw texts for controversy.
The forty millions OF people in the United
states support annuity nfty thousand clergy
men. at an expense " thirteen millions. seven
hundred ana nifty thousand dollars (sl3,15D0JOi
! Fif,v thousand men. vino are recoSnzs I'd aud
RESPECTFULLY saluled as religious teachers"
| Wuo are thew Are they selected for their
position uy reason 81 obvious ntnss-l DO thew
elect the profession Of their own vOllton? Are
they silc and worthy Of their trustf Are
| they happy IN their businessl Are they gene
rally siucero, bearing out in thelr private lives
tne doctrines taught from the pulpity
| havs lived all my life among clergymen OF
all denominations. Catholics, Epscopalians,
Bipti-ts. PresDyterilns, and Cpnsro gati lists
know. a. one knows his own family; ana Of
! Umitari us, Cniyessnlists. Dutch Reformed.
| Lutheran. aud mis-iOnarie, ! an by a IN ans
| ignprali. IN oae seutcuc, let me say that III any
,eara Of close observation convince me that
there is vast amount OF human nature In them.
They are men. l.e the rest OF u. II inger,
thi.st, disease unknown" Is a line in hynn,
but it applies TO the disembodi,d saints, II 10
ANY, aud AZ au events not Ia the remotest de-
gree to the living saints Of the nineteenth
century.
In the first place II IA a fact that men are
rarely made ministers because as children or
lads they manifest any special calling or fitness
Tor the profession. 4 trade is trade, all tho
world over II a merchant, PROSPEROUS in NE,
has three sons, ono of wnom cures nothing for
books. while TIC others are s.udious or average
wel ~ school he is apt TO take the one into his
,tore or once ana send tho others to college.
| Whatever l. the father noe ui uiits. - "A
rule, hnGs in that son dtvutee. The Others 20
TO college. e ming OUT. one Is yer, likely taken
iu,o business, ana the other chooses "A profess
sion. u revival wave has Hooded tne e. lese,
II ~ possible that one OF the Coy may maks a
| deliberate cholte 81 the ministry, aui prepare
TO. II. As rule. however, sucl ab- olute choice
Is not frequent
Inc tatIer'- occupation. aud ITS coGnaie
! branches. have muc to do win the drift whcl
uineiy-nine times in hundred hoats our
Young men Into trade OF proies-ion. IT a man
| he leTgVm an, With--is il generally tine case -
large family, the sous became minister and
the daughters mary ministers. IN ordinary
business hfe ninety per cent fail, three per cent
succeed aud Two per cent. rise 20 pronounced
and notable prosperity. so II Is IN the pulpit.
me vast majority Of ciergymen fail rs preach 10
trs. tail AS edchers fal IS couvinccrs, and are
saved from thorough uselessue-s solely 10y reason
Its u mistake TO eaythat iuency " speech, the
gilt OF = 10. Induces young men To become minis
tets. he average preacher IS not uhcnt OF
cerh Good speak - = are the executions,
Written sermons nro-ilv delivered are the rule.
and IL the success at the great Christian church
depenued on tue ei' quence aud rhetorical nuish
As from a West Point class may come one
sherman. 50 from tucologic Glass may come
but as an the West Points in the world could
never have gwen sherman iis military genius,
So WoIll II be idrtlca TO cl i'm that any teacher
Of theology create tbs power winch in tho
clerNncu named ewes lhem ruoc'ss and IN
Ia tnem wsll-hned wallets.
There Isl Wild dilerence between popular
IRE Nnpl-lN'' cnihu tsic, ana eloquent uut
they are rir.iy good pastors. Good pastprs are
hlhh u hfleh' si MP hHetlc' attentive 10 the MS
the sick counsel with the afflicted, and literally
munster u the households ~ theif HOOKS but
such men arc never head Of, never known,
never reported. lney live hunlDll and die Il BE-
nlticed-also poor.
Us all, that the M iurity Of living cierRymon be
came such either because their fathers were
ministers orpY the mcrest accident. need but
refer 20 the Tyngs, the Storrs the Beechers, tho
L wIrdsc., the fortors, tine Potter, the Cox ,
the Iari dis as pIOpt " tue former tlct. u was
cvirCtN natural cor Lyman Beecher's sons T.
follow their fathers footsteps; lie WIS poor,
themsolvc7. rhey NIT became cieTgymcn some
c,ss. And as Il was WITH that ianIly Il is in
% H., In All l.k A. a. -