Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-03-21
Too Much Pepper.


service, either church or synagogue. In bis
way of thinking churches are encumbrau-
ces and ministers cheats. There ia in the
same business establishment with him a de-
voted disciple of Christ, to whom the house
of God aud the preaching Of the gospel are
chief sources of comfort and support. With
hope of bringing the unbeliever to better
mind this gentle soul kindly urged him to
90, Just once, and see how much he would
enjoy it. At length he promised Of recent
Saturday that next day he was surely going
to see what there was TO be seer. Aud on
the Monday following when the two met he
gave an account Of his visit to church.
"Well, did you attend church, Paul 7"
"Certainly did, shust as / promised"
"Aud how did you enjoy it ? Were you
not pleased with the singing and preach
ing ?"
"Vell, so, so not very mooch."
/" But did not the doctor suit you 2"
"Nah nah Maybe he ish learned
enough, maybe he ish eloquent. But do
you like dat man ? Do you tend his breach.
ing all te time How can you listen to
sooch preaching as dat man breaches
Nah nah l never goes anodder time to
hear such sermons as dat"
By this time the irsscible creature had
wrought himself up to fiery frenzy. And
the sui iect not being either very broad or
very deep, or if it was, his hold Of it was SO
slight that he merely reiterated the i'll ex.
pressions until he tired himself out. Mean
while the Christian friend kept very calm
and quiet, waiting for lull to come, in
which to inquire what it was that had 80
exasperated this seed of Abraham.
But what was there in the sermon that
so distressed you 2"
"Vat was there in the sermons, did you
say Wy, it vas Won dish of pepper. Too
mooch pepper, all de time. He made me
sweat all at once He talked about hell
shust as if der ish hell anyhow So it
vas hot as pepper all de time. Nah, nah,
never goes to hear dat man breach any more
Such preaching make me feel pad. | hate
to feel pad Ven do goes to church wants
to hear beautiful music and some sermons
apout de Abraham and our glorious Moses,
aud all apout de mountains Of Jerusalem,
and sooch like"
Too much pepper was the objection of
this degenerate offspring of Israel. 1t need
not ha inquired whether his criticism was
| according to truth or merely the consequence
of his condition of mind and character.
Doubtless there are sermons with too
much pepper for the salt and too much of
both for the meat. once had brother to
occupy my pulpit for a Sabbath whose
preaching must have been of this character.
| 1t was not that the church were dilletante
people unused to strong speech. They quite
| preferred affectionate plainness to plays Of
| literary fancy or fables of "science falsely
so called" But when | returned it was to
meet first one Of our most devout and es-
Unable brethren in high state of indigna-
ton at the preaching of the previous Sab
BATH The text had been, WOE unto you
scribes, pharisees, hypocrites," etc. And il
| was correctly informed, the endeavor Of
the hour was to denounce the entire audi
ence as natural descendants of those whom
our Lord denounced. A very fair example
this of too much pepper to plate. Such q
presentation Of the pulpit message is sure to
| fail of any good effect. In this case it
aroused re- eminent, where there were hearts
ready to receive and respond kindly if the
preacher had spoken with the gentleness Of
Jesus. A tear of love weighs heavier than
a ton of thunder on the hearer in Gods
house.
Sometimes there may be no resentment
but the result is to harden, and make ear
and heart indifferent to the utterauce.
once attended the Sunday-school anniver
sary services of a church in the country
where this was illustrated. Addressing q
great company of people gathered in grove
through which a pretty stream OF water
went singing along, in tune with the birds
in the trees, and all peIfumed with the sweet
scents of clean country woods in the mid
summer, one could hardly feel other thar
Joyous. And there was nothing more natu
raj TO think and speak of than the goodly
place in which their lot was cast, and OF the
hope that cities had of getting fresh sup
plies of young blood from such rural gardens
of godly homes and holy influences.
When | sat down the worthy pastor o.
the place rose, and stepping to the front o
the platform frowned his brow and doubled
his fist aud proceeded something after thi
fashion First approving of all that hac
been said of religion being the saving sal
for every home he added, Then how dar
you parents who are not Christians continu
in sin How dare you who are Christian
live as carelessly as you know you do
Will you after this dare TO ever do 30 ant
sol" Here he enumerated the prominen
things for which they deserved condemns
tion. And condemn he did, with rattlinl
disregard for feelings or offenders. He lii
orally rained his how dare you and " vii
you dare upon them, until once he reaches
the climax and cried out, " Hereafter dar
you
Well, as a visitor, confess the situation
was embarrassing. If it is good rule tina
parents should not correct their children bt
fore folk, so | think ministers ought moi
But never mind that now we want to kno'
the effect of this furious assault. Sauntel
ing about through the beautiful woods, afte
the speaking was over, met one OF the chic
men of the church. Somewhat nervous les
the pleasures of the day had been marred b
, the eruption of pastoral indignation, ver
, tured to ask the elder II any one took offenc
, at what was said. "Offence why no
didn't mean anything. He always drive
away like that. But We don't mind it. w
get used TO IT,"
And wa can easily see how reproof az
ministered in that way would soon fall Q
harmless, and with as little meaning O
stage-thunder which is recognized at ono
as only make-believe Of the real.
! There is non Sequitur sort of preachin
which deploys on the outskirts OF tex
or spends all the hour in building logici
forts to take it, and ends by saying anei
before anything is done to carry even tn
outer walls of the truth, for which some c
the present day are getting 10 have less an
! less respect. And ii our day does not VI
surely we believe the time will come, whe
the same disapprobation will be visited upo
, the pulpit that uses the two golden hours G
3 Gods day, which are given TO preach th
! gospel salvation from sin, in advertising tn
} latest conceits and contentious concernin
relations of science to religion. There al
/, millions in heaven who never heard ther
were Rny such relations. They got HON