The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-13

now forced from me by the charges of the
"Presbyterian clergymon." He Gays | am
not n proper judge in the case. Admit it.
/ merely give facts and let the reader be the
judge. My own convictions, however, are
strengthened by the review, and the Same
estimate may be applied to the clergy of
Brooklyn.
CORRECT LITERARY TASTE.
do not hold this TO be essential to pul.
pit success, however desirable it may be.
Preaching, however, is one thing, and pub
fishing is another When a man sends his
children into the world he generally dresses
them as well as possible. Should he not
do the same with his opinions l have said
that 1t is ''pitiable TO notice the inferiority
of most OF the metropolitan clergy in cor
rect taste" Others have made the same
remark. ], however, have gone 80 far as
to suggest that In some cases before pub.
lication, they should employ Bohemian to
revise their fcrmons. l gave the same ad-
vice to physician who was about TO issue
thesis. he thanked me and acted on the
hint with decided improvement.
MY REWARD.
The reward receive for a well-meant
suggestion is the accusation that In my
writings 'the abilities Of the New York
clergymen are uniformly disparaged, their
standing belitted, aud their work ignored
q ask pardon Of the reader for introducing
the word "igaored," even in a quotation
1t is not used by the Bohemians of this city. y
In reply l merely say | have only shown
how some of the Clergy behttled themselves
and even this is limited to two instances,
One of these is found in Duryea's Ozark
lantern sermon / here confess my sur
prise that my critic should overlook the er-
rors in that discourse of which | spoke.
Instead OF meeting that point, he notifies
the public "that / am a Bohemian almost
anywhere" II this be go, then let me try
to be worthy of place in that laborious
and ill-paid fraternity. He adds that "my
locality is as hard to determine as my pro-
fessiOn." Let me then remember that a
much better man than | confessed that he
had mo certain dwelling place" But what
has this to do with the case before us
When l call attention to what l considered
to be errors in published sermon, have
right to expect that in reply irected to
me those errors should be met. NV critic,
however omits any such reference. Turn
| lD5 bucIclOIC lIOlu nlll, i SUBMIT lDe pro-
| position to any Of his Sunday school teach
ers that the Old Testament il not dark
| lantern. On the other hand, It claims to be
luminous, as is expressed in the nineteenth
| psalm. l submit that it is human under
standing which is dark, and that Christ, in
stead of opening "thc dark lantern of the
Old Testament" opens the dark under
standing that it may receive light. This
fact is referred to in Pauls letter to the
Ephesians, chapter ], verses II and 1S
More particularly, however, 1t is described
in Luke 24;45, to which the reader is d.
rected.
| NY OPPORTUNITIES.
The critic suggests doubt of my qualifi-
cation TO 'say anything canddly," etc.
This point will but discuss, but 1 may
properly add tha. my name was for some
considerable time upon the roll of a Fifth
ayenue congregation whose pastor, could
he return to life, would, believe, be shock
ed at the absurdites which have exposed
l cannot here omit the remark, that the
most elegant and finished preacher the Fifth
avenue ever contained was one who, 10
quote my critic. was "a Bohemian almost
everywhere" l refer to the late James
w. Alexander, whose admirable pulpit
style was IN no small degree due to his life
long connection with the press. He was
not only the reviewer in the Repert0ry and
contributor to religious journals as well as
a book-maker, but also wa, the "Charles
| Quill" OF the Newark advertiser. To these
labors, done in addition to pulpit work, be
thought to add the post of New York cor
respondent of a foreign journal. Falling
health prevented this, much as he desired
the fee to aid in his beneticence. Having
sat at the feet of an Alexander, feel that
| have clear right to speak concerning the
Metropolitan pulpit.
THOUGHTS ON GOSSIP.
My critic insists that "the chief interest
in my letters depends on their gossiping
character" Well, can only say that the
same remark applies to large part of our
best literature. The Spectator is of gos-
sipng style. Many of our best essayists
only gossip with the reader. as in the case
of Charles Lamb. James w. Alexander,
clergyman eminent for learning and ele-
giant culture, gossipped in the Newark I'D.
0ertiser in a series of articles called Litter
ary Trifles." There lie also the great Chris
topher North who gossiped in the pages cf
BIacklcood, and whose N0ctes -4m6roSidnG
did more for the fame Of John Wilson than
all his other productions. have already
mentioned, Alexanders published letters.
They abound IN gossip aud in personal al
lusions, but have found them highly in-
structive. have also learned something
from the pages of "Pope's Diary" and
Goldsmtih's "Citizen OF the World" both
Of gossipy character. Then there is
THE Dsctor," the only book of Southey e
which will live, and which is a delightful
gossip from beginning to end. 1 have
learned from auch books that gossip eau
be made the medium of truth, and that both
philosophy and learning may feel its value.
Whether l have, even in small degree,
succeeded in this point, leave my readers
TO say, but whatever have been my errors,
have never toadied around the rich, nor
"crooked the pregnant hinges of the knee,
that thrift may follow fawning," nor have
| ever
nHeaped the shrine OF luxury and pride
| With incense gathered at the Muses. shrine"
If have not given "ethicdE discourse" l
have not, on the other hand, trayestied d.
vine truth.
MORE SERIOUS MATTER.
Being accused of defaming the clergy, !
reply by denying that 1 have made any
charges against them. excepting in two in
stances, one Of which have sufficiently
referred TO. The other case is one in which
my "disparagement" was only too mild.
Some men would charge the preacher whom
l mentioned, with gross irregularity. The
ground on which such charge could be
based is his administering the communion
to man who, at the very time Of its Iecep-
tion, was the chief railway Sabbath breaker
In the union. If the reverend doctor
Ito give him his "well earned title") be-
lieyes in administering the sacrament to the
sick because of its inherent efficacy, would
1t not be well for him to join that body