Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-09-24
The Elders Sermon.


would tell me what your candid opin-
Ion of our minister is
Deacon Brown looked meditatively
at the speaker-a small, wiry-looking
man, whose features were almost as
sharp as the sharp, black eyes fixed
so intently upon him.
81 don't know, Brother Quimby,
as candid opinion of our minister
would do him any good
81 dare say not" responded Mr..
Quimby, darkly; "but then it would
do me good deal of good to hear it. "
81 don't know as to that, either"
"There's no one in the church
whose opinion L think more Of" con-
tinued Mr.. Quimby. ''Not that | ap-
prove of giving it to every one. But
you needn't be afraid of saying just
what you think to me, deacon, for it
won't go any further and it might
serve to clear up some doubts that
trouble me-"
"What doubts p
'sWell, about various things. But
you haven't told me what your opin-
ion is, deacon"
81 have only one opinion of Elder
Wakeman and that is that he is a
man who tries to do his duty in all
the relations of life"
This was evidently something that
Mr.. Quimby neither expected nor de-
sired to hear and he stared blankly
at the speaker. But, quickly recov-
ering himself, he said;
''Hal | think l understand you,
deacon. What you say is well put,
indeed. | have thought that he
might be little more willing to take
advice: but there is no question in
my mind but that he tries to do his
duty, as you say. But is he sound?
"Perhaps not. Some ministers
are all sound.
The merry twinkle in the good
deacon's eyes found no reflection in
the solemn visage opposite him.
''It's no laughing matter, Deacon"
responded Mr.. Quimby, with re-
buking shake of the head. 81 am
surprised that you should speak on
so serious a subject with such un
seeming levity. | referred to being |
sound in doctrine. | have been a |
good deal exercised in my mind in
regard to this ever since l heard his
sermon on classification, which is no
justification at all, as | understand it,
and as good old DR.. Seaver used to
lay it down. Dear old man l won
der what he would say if he could
come back and hear the new-fangled
ideas that are taught from the pulpit
where he preached such good, old
fashioned doctrines nigh on to twenty
years.
eff he is where | think he is he
doesn't want to come back. | only
hope that some things he used to
preach about are clearer to him now
than he succeeded in making them to
me-"
"There is no merit in believing
where everything is made clear. There
are mysteries of faith, deacon. that
nobody has any right to try to under
stand Now Elder Wakeman is for
ever preaching about what we ought
to do, as though such poor, weak
creatures as we can do anything to-
ward effecting our salvation. AS for
me, / am free to own that | don't
consider anything l have done or am
doing of the least account whatever.
ga man ought to know better than
any one else the quality of his own
works, Brother Quimby, so | won't
dispute you on that score. So far
as | am concerned | feel that the
Lord will have quite enough to do in
the work you allude to if 1 /;
help him all ] can"
"Well, deacon, wish could have .
my mind cleared up in regard to FL
der Wakeman. What did you think ;
of his sermon last Sabbath morning"
'sThere is one thing might say
about it if [ thought it prudent
thing to do. We can't be too care ,
full in speaking, especially if it is :
that's likely to affect the
character and usefulness of a man
like Elder Wakeman."
every true, deacon. But you
needn't be afraid of my telling; I'm
not one of the leaBy sort. knew as
we'll as | wanted to that a man of :
your sense couldn't approve of such |
a doctrine as that" 4,
ooh, I've nothing to say against a
the sermon; it was very good dis
won't often find a better. 9
But the fact is, s,every word it contain 9
ed really don't know that | ought !
to mention it, though; if it should get
about it might make trouble"
"I'll never lisp a syllable of it to .
any living SOUL" was the eager re- :
sponse. =
"Well, here the Deacon lowered \
MS voice to an impressive whisper f
81 have a book at home which has f
every word of it in" r
Here the train for which Deacon
Brown was waiting came rushing up
to the depot. + +
els If noCSihIa % aiacu1ated Mr. m