Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-01-23
PREACHING ASA PROFESSION.

II Is q habit among certain independent
minds of the present day 10 ridicule religion
and express contempt for clergymen as
body. These "free-thinkers" only attend those
churches where such saints as Talmage or
Beecher, tricked out in meretricious garb,
make a sham and mockery Of "God's Holy
Word" The sensational clap-trap and rant
ing dissertations which draw such large au-
diences are only enjoyed or relished by those
whose spiritual appetite is in morbid or
moribund condition.
This style of preaching is merely cloak
to serve the devil in. The prostitution of the
forms and ceremonies of religion to adj
vance personal ambition or vanity, is damn
ing crime against the most sacred, cherished
convictions of the human heart Such re-
voting sacrilege should be made an example
Of by hurting the scoffers from their high
places. They poison the minds, pervert the
tastes and morals of those with whom they
come in contact, by panderng TO the pas
sions, the prejudices and weaknesses of
their hearers through the invidious
charms of rhetoric, or the witchery of elo-
quence OF course, outside Of their fashion
able city admirers and patrons, they are held
in wel-merited scorn and derision.
Bob Ingersoll, with all his fascination of
poetic thought and sentiment-his rare gift
of eloquence, and his wonderful personal
magnetism, has infinitely less capacity for
evil than man like Talmage. The former
is open and aggressive; he hurls his enven-
omed shafts of satire and invective in the
broad light of day. While we abhor and
condemn the practices Of the inadel, We can
not but admire the independence and bold
ness of the man.
Talmage and Beecher we despise for their
hypocrisy, in using the ceremonies and sym
bols of religion to foster their love of notorie-
ty, or promote schemes of private greed or
ambition. The former, prostitutes the ex-
allied talents God has given him to destroy
the religion of Christ and the day is not
far distant when this modern Judas lscariot
will realize, in all its terrible meaning, the
fact that the wages of sin is DEATH The
latter who has employed religion as a means
10 an end-as lever to foist himself into
place and power through duplicity and
cunning, like the "whited sepulchre," in
the parable, will stand lasting monument
of ministerial wickedness and hypocrisy
II is true, indeed, that the class Of which
Tslmage ia the type and representative il
small and insignificant. We are gratitied
to think that the great body Of the clergy il
composed of men thoroughly good, zealou:
and conscientious, whose aim is to tighten The
burden of the heavily lsden-to console the
grief OF the afflicted-to elevate the aspira
tons Of the Observation-Disclosures thu
faith of the faltering-to keep immortal SOUL
"pure and unspotted from the world" Th'
only rule by which to judge Of a clergyman
fitness to perform these delicate ministerial
duties is the rule of success This ia tn
test we apply to all the avocations in life
and VIC judge a man by the success h
achieves in his calling. Poor pay, poo
preach" is sound doctrine, and is applicable
alike TO all professions, and the country par
ishes, as q rule, realize the truth of the re
mark with the exception of few cases whicl
come under our own observation, wher
men of brilliant talent and splendid attain
ments retire to some secluded parish, AM
there lead the noiseless tenor Of their way
BY the memorable conditions of our society
tAs law of supply and demand operate i
theoloq y. a. IN
rover both the legal and medical. In tn,
first place it assures men of average capacit,
and culture settlement at once. Tn
young clergyman has living from the start
The young lawyer and physician have Il
struggle for years before they obtain client
and patients. Unlike the latter, too, tn
clergyman has the privilege Of looking a
every question from the highest ethica
point of view and is not hampered or tram
meled by the necessity Of making out case
His creed is the keystone and arch of intel
lectual thought and acumen. The fixed dis
ciplinc, the unvarying routine Of his life anc
habits arc calculated to sap the ments
vigor. Unlike the former, too by force o.
habit, discipline, and education, he never
travels beyond the wel-beaten paths marked
out for his guidance. The professions o.
law and medicine are constantly presenting
some new, startling phase Of thought and
action, which preserves intact the mental
equipoise and renders tho mind keen, incis-
i've and aggressive. The great body of the
clergy, among the early Christians, were
martyrs The martyrs Of the present day
are those without eloquence or magnetic
influence They are still the "dispised OF
men," The clergyman who has native
strength Of character, suavity of manners,
and power to thrill his listeners is always
:" in demand" Such men are wanted in the
large cities TO minister to esthetic souls.
They are the adored Of women and men.
Like the great Apostle Saint Paul, they
should go out into tho high ways and by
ways and exchange places occasionally with
the country parsons.
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Iron our o'en Correponden,.l
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