The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-07-08

-4S~$-
Relations of Clergy and Lalty.
From JawOs Freeman Clarkes Recent Address be-
fore the Young Mems Christian Union at Boston.
There were two ideas Of the position Of
the church and the clergy-the old idea
and the new one. The old idea and 1t is
still held in the Roman Catholic Church
andin ntigated form in many Protest
ant observation-disclosures that the clergy
arc body entirely separated from the
laity, having in their sole possession the
means OF grace; that their business is to
save mankind by the sacraments and in
strumentalibes Of the church; that they
themselves arc saCramental body with
the indelible character Of priest stamped
upon them; and that II the whole body OF
the laity should disappear and leave only
the clergy, the Christian Church wOuldstill
remain; while, little clergy should disap.
pear and all the fatty be left the Christian
church would egonel The new theory held
by our Congregational ancestors, holdsthat
the clergyman Is an officer Of the church
simply, chosen from the church to per-
form certain duties all officer while he
performs those duties, but losing his oili.
cial character when be ceases TO perform
them; and that the whole body OF officers
and people together constitute the church.
We have passed from the control OF the
old idea, but have not as yet fully adopted
the new one. This is shown by the fact
that II church loses its minister, in many
cases It stops its operations. Without the
,,,tT, mon ha
preaching, no public worship. We are
not all in that category, however. But our
churches will never DO the real work OF
the CHURCH until the old idea has wholly
passed away and tho distinction between
the clergy and the laity is removed.
One OF the evils of this distinction is
that it tends to foster the idea that it is the
duty OF the church simply 10 meet tOg eth
Pr for public worship, the laity being en-
tireIy passive, and believing their duty to
be done IL they pay their pew rent and
taxes and regularly attend public service.
This makes the duty OF church members
simply a matter Of routine. They 90
round and round In circle, and never
think OF taking any active part in the
benevolent or retormatory movements OF
the day. He 1.-THE speaker had lately seen
new motor which typifes the action OF
such church. BY the combination Of
few magnets and little piece OF soft iron
something was produced which will turn
round and round, seemingly without ever
stopping; and it asperfectly evident that
there was nothing but the power OF
these magnets to make itrevolve. When,
however, he asked the inventor il it
would do any work, he said TINT it would
not as yet; that he hoped to improve 1t so
that il would, but it could do nothing at
present but go round and round! Laugh.
ter. The case is the same with the
churches described. Now, under the true
idea Of the church, there can be no more
noble work than that Of minister OF the
gospel, standing on the broad platform OF
Christianity, with his fellow. Christians
around him, claiming no privileges which
Others do not share, and believing that
every man md every woman is meant to
grow, as he hopes to grow, into the
measure Of the stature Of fullness OF
Christ. With this high liberty, no Young
man in the land is more to be envicd than
he who is invited to do such q work.
And that was the work which the
laity wanted the clergy to do. He
(Dr, Clarke had never heard oil a church
which would not welcome and stand BY
the clergyman who came among them
simply 10 do all the good he could, no mat.
ter what his theological ideas might be, or
how much he might differ from them on
questions Of naturalism and supernatural
ism; no matter how far advanced he
was in the one direction, or how strongly
he held back in the other. II they plainly
see that his heart and soul and strength
nre given to the work Of making them
better men and women, they are glad to
have him. lie is to help them forward.
lie is to represent the principle OF pro.
gressiOn-a principle which the Unitarian
denomination has asserted and helped
others to assert. 1t is the principle upon
whicl. Jesus acted. Any custom or opin.
ion which WIS useless, or baselcss, or I'M.
founded, he was ready to lay aside.