The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1879-02-12
SIoraIItg Is ne Pulpil.

Morality In s.le PHlpil.
thing that ought to be pref
rty well understood by this time, that
the clerical profession is not wholly
eomposed,of saints. No more is it
open to the charge oftuniyersal by
pociisy, nor Shouldn't alwayssbo e&-
pected lopostIlreil the attitude Of
Offering prayer The perverted pub
lie sentimcntwh which seeks 10 selar.
ute ininistersfrom common people,
and make them, both in imagination
and personals appcarance, something
surerhumaniis relic Of barbarism.
II lisa hopeful sign when any of the
class rebel az the insult which ambi.
tious merchant tailors would putup-
on them, in the shape Of clerical
snits," which, ias Dr. Eggleston says,
would proclaim: 81 am not a com
mon man, but a man Of Coda kind
Of Burmese sacred white elephant, to
betreated gingerly. Plcasehideyour
wickednessles it shock my delicate
clerical nerves. Gentlemen never
Fin my presence, any more than
they would,smoke where there are
ladies'" In some respects il wonld
seem a pity not to put it on when,
as the Doctor further preserves, this
"outward sign Of inward grace" is to
be had for the small sum Of twenty
two dollars. Even the basket col
lections must be very poor not to en-
able a minister to display so much
piety, especially as there is chance
Of IA clerical discount Of ten per cent.
But this must be ashort disquisition
on diyines, and we are not about to
discuss the subject Of clerical attire.
That which we wish to protest
against is the assumption, that min
listers asa class, are any better or
worse than the same number of pro
tessedly Christian merchants, orlaw-
yers, or doctors, or even editors, to
make the comparison strong, indeed.
Why then should they assume, or so.
ciety accord to them peculiar sancity
and be unspeakably shocked when
one goes astray? VIGOROUSLY they
are unfamiliar with practical affairs,
and it is natural that they shold be.
They know almost as little of the
world as a boy, who has just gradua-
ted from a Reform School; but are not
wanting in the human tendencies
which impel men tocommit breaches
Of the Ten Commandments. Albeit,
they may know the decalogue better
than others, and have no more pro-
found respect for moral obligations
than u politician. Hence, we Affirm,
that theyshould stand upon the same
platform as respectable men in other
professions. The time has passed, if
it ever was, when the public believe
that any sacred JUNCTION passes to the
candidatefor clerical order, with the
laying on Of hands. Whatever nc.
was he remains, which is is no de-
NAL of the tauth that some men are
verify "purged from dead works to
serve the living God" But SO ought
all men to be, and in the rightappli-
cation Of human endeavor, to any
lawful work, there is nothing incon-
sistent with holiness of life; and he
is the holy man, who loves his fellow
d
men and tries to serve them. For
the reasons here suggested, we pro-
test against ministers assuming So
cial liberties, which would not be
tolerated in other men; and for their
own sake, they should abandon the
white choker, ETC., which have some
times proven snare of the devil
Commend us to a manly man, Of no
peculiarly sacred pretensions, who
means to earn an honest living like
other men, in the service Of his kind;
and who realizes that no sanctimon.
ious exterior can add one whit to the
strength Of his own moral purposes
or render his example, if it is what
it should be, more impressive or at,
tractive to his fellowmen.