The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1893-05-23
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THR MINISTER'S MISTAKE.

Nothing Ia more palpabe and in some
ways more deplorable than the fact that
the pulpit in some ways is losing it's
influence as an educator of the public in
the way OF duty and citizenship. There
never has been time when the mimic
ters have tried to do 80 much as now
and there never has been a time when
they accomplished 30 little in the at
tempt TO influence public affairs.
We think little prayer'ul reflection
on their part would show them some of
the reasons of this evident loss of power
and prestige which the pulpit has suf
fered 1t may be that they think they
are unjustly accused OF many worldly
views and not few shortcomings in
their pereonal relations to their fellow
men that they are not believed to be 30
pure as in the olden days. Perhaps
there may be something in this view:
but when properly weighed it seems
pl in that there is a wider ground and
stronger reason for diFcrediting the
clergy mans influence in the commu-
nifty. He may not be 80 good as the old
saints and martyrs, but if he kept
within the lines generally prescribed
and followed by them he would at least
be very much more like them in the
wav of commanding the respect and
confidence of mankind.
| But the solemn fact is that the clergy
men OF the community take hold of GER
/ tain public questions as If they not only
! had the best right, but the exclusive
right, to settle them-or at least to pro-
scribe tneir treatment The result is
that they have grown imprscticable, un.
fair and intolerant. They have not the
highest regard for the rights OF others,
and oitentimes no patience with their
views and desires. They often meet, re-
solve, demand and denounce, just as the
spirit moves, and the poor laymen and
the community generally get very
sharply lectured and rudely handled.
The representatives of all other
interests meet and talk over affairs
calmly and fairly, treating others
views leniently and gently, and their
conclusions are always entitled to weight.
Everybody reads next morning with
great interest what the lawyers have
done the day before about some pro-
posed change in the makeup OF the
courts, and in rules of procedure.
Every body likes to know, for instance,
what the merchants think of the Satur-
day closing question, Everybody is even
! IN Hnnpu x-ha ka II
the bankers meant yesterday. And why
is it2 Simply because all these men
represent the reasonable interests of the
whole community, and it ia felt they
will try and do the practicable thing fol-
the COMMUNICATING in spirit o.
candor that BELTS their responsibility.
But it must be admitted that minis
ters' meetings do not excite the interest
extort the respect or exert the influence
they formerly did. We do not believe
this is, in any considerable degree, due
to the feeling that the personal charsc.
ter OF the ministers has fallen below the
old standard; or that as class, they
are not hard working, deserving, and
worthy gentlemen; but rather that the
public has been led and forced to feel
that the ministers are not very wise OIL
quite just and fair in their treatment o
public questions. They take them W
and declare how they must bs treateC
and what the people must do concerning
them, assuming some peculiar preroga
tive, or at least supreme knowledge in
| the nraraioao Tho l.
under all this, and are even getting re