, 1889-01-10
MaNIsTEms SHOULD WE'D.
Celibscy Fast G"i"g Out of Clerici
FRahl0n.

Celtbscy Fast G"i"g Out OF Clerica
Fashion.
"Why notp"
"Eyad, are not ministers mortalp"
What q question:
What! Why, what do you meanp"
These are some of the exclamation'
which greeted reporter who ventured u
ask OF q number OF leading ministers Ol
should ministers wedp" 1t was the
unanimous opinion Of the parsons that
there was no good reason, either in holy
writ or the laws Of society. why they
should be denied the solace and comfort oil
sweet woman. while there were many
things that could he said in favor of the
marriage relation.
"Why do you ask me whether the
clergy should wed2" said Rev. Russell II.
| Conwell, but without waiting for reply
he proceeded to answer the question.
''Certaiply. certainly they shoald. They
set q good example to the rest OF the
world. We marry because IL makes US
better men, and because il is Gods com :
mand both IN nature and scripture A
married clergyman can better sympathize
| with his psrishiOners 10 their losses and
sorrows. Every minister should marry,
because If he ia q decent man some
woman weuld be terribly sorry IL he did
not"
A leading pulpit orator. who was mod.
est about having his name used. az he had
unwittinQly revealed his age, spoke very
freely on the subject. II would that we
follow the example set by the Eastern
church of compelling all her priests to
marry once, but never the second time,"
he said. 81 vas not married until
reached the age Of AZ years. aud every day
] feel like kicking myself forty eight times
for not marrying twenty-five years sooner.
have witnessed such revelation since
my marriage that feel compelled to dis
close it. While bachelor preacher no
married woman felt free enough to con6de
to me any of those innumerabIe household
trials and otner delicate matters which
have constantly been poured in my ear
since was bound IN Hymen tolls. Now
young lovers come to me to settle spats.
aad those suffering from unrequited love
6nd ineffable consolation IN receiving from
me words of encouragement and heart
felt benediction."
This Is the ans wer of Rev. DIR Henry G.
McCook: "A minister Is man, and AZ
man why should be not we'd. The
scriptures say that marriage is honorable
in all ls nota minister one OF the alp
st. Peter, according to the New Testa.
ment. had u wife, FOR we read that our
Savior healed Peters wife Is mother of a
fever The Holy Spirit in the First
Epistle of Timothy says the bishop must
be the husband OF one wife, and the word
bishop means pastor. lt is the express
authority and command of the scriptures
that we should marry. 1t is honorable
and hunian."
Rev. DR.. S. A. Mutchmore is very
strongly in favor of ministers marrying.
"Why should the clergy be an exceptionp"
no asked. with the Apostle Paul the
question was one of expediencv. | an
swer the question with the question: why
should not the most intelligent and ex-
emplary men marryp' Marriage makes
the minister more influential among his
congregation. and In some directions a
spouse has just AZ much in
fuence as her husband. There should be
marriage. believe in allowing marriage
even to couples as young as l8 or 20 years,
provided thev are fervently attached. The
Bible nowhere forbidS lawful marriage.
Ii forbids social crime, and many a minis.
ter would have had less scandal about mis-
bachelor habits If he had been married"
In answer. to the question, Rev. DIR.
Francis Robbins said: ut is q matter Of
largely. Some men can
stand by themselves. Others require wom
an s sympathy to enable them to live and
work up to the best that Ia in them. The
more coutented and happy man is, the
more he is likely to make his ministry of
the word acceptable and beneficial to
others. There is no law, written or un-
written, among Prosestants concerning
this matter. Every minister or religion
will decided III the light of his own nap
piness ana his own usefulness.
"Ceibacy il going out of clerical fash
ion, and is only relegated as solace to
those poor unsophisticate} mortals who
are either not very we'll favored with this
worlds goods or to those who are unable TO
pucker up their lips to propose This
confession was drawn from "a bachelor
preacher, who earnestly requested that his
name should be withheld from the public.
as one month of leap year yet remains. Il
am a celibate, he said with regretful
sigh, but have often longed to have
q dear, sweet wife. but such
u consumation has not fallen
to nv lot. Am !! really. happy
in my cellbacvp Need confess the
truth of the old scientific adage, Nature
abhors a vacuum, and say mo wife for
me?' With companion | could have
been much more successful in life, and my
advice to every black frock is TO marry at
the first chance. There have been times
in my life when have thought seriously
Of proposing, but my heart failed me.
Write this for the edifcation of those
young clericals who are scratching their
doubling heads over this Important ques.
ton, but don't mention my name, or else
should be worried to death with eligible
daughters and crafty mothers. p hila-
delphia Record.