Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-12-27
REPuBIIcAN MARsHAILrowN IOWA: DECEABER

leaE the fawning and aAulation which
Tie preacher - likely % receive. -.
pse1ally from foolisA and emotional Wo-
mon. He 10 sure to como to believe
that he Is q superior being. ono who
either can Do no wrong or can do only
right. Steady flattsry unfits him for
sound counsel regarding his 1hortcom.
ings: he gets into tho habit Of judging
his own actions, not BY any undertaking
principles but bp the measure Of praise
they receive.
There are peculiar Temptations tnci-
dent TO the work Of any man who ap-
pears to weak minds ~ . dsmigod on
occasions, whose work makes unusual
demands on his nerve forces. and who
10 obliged to work almost exclusively
with women. There Is not only the
temptation to license In personal virtue
coupled with opportunity in pastoral
visitation: there is the tendency to
conformity to feminine standards, 20
that tho man becomes womanly and
usually a poor kind OF an old woman
at that.
Mere preaching puts a tremendous
strain on a mans moral fiber. 1t 10 the
habi,ual statement Of duties and toeals
which tho preacher knows he does not
reach and do. It Is the expression OF
the phrases OF character. not necessari-
ly accompanied with their expressions
in living and doing. II results IN the
mental habit Of considering duty conc
as soon as 1t is declared. 1t exhausts
the moral impetus in phrases 1t
makes the man act the lie."
The editor of The Standard. tho
printing the preachers" article, dis
sents from some Of its positions. ne
denies that the preacher is under "a
special and higher kind OF moral oph-
CATION which ordinary people need not
observe" The idea is at variance with
Protestant ecclesiology." Going on:
That there are grounds for the
charge Of unbus!nesslike standards no
one will deny. but the physician ana
the teacher share with the minister
this limitation which professional
life entails upon them. Saying That the
minister Is unbusinesslike is the same
as saying that the sardine manufactur-
er is a poor sermonizer. or that
banker is not at home in the pulpit. In
common with other learned proiesshns.
the calling OF the ministry does not
bring one into close familiarity with
modern business methods. II 1t did.
would not preponderate IN the sucAe'
lists OF promoters.
"Furthermore, one Of the principal
reasons for the disrespect in which the
preacher is often regarded by the pus-
mess world lies in the shamefuliy UNI
businesslike manner in which s2
preacher has been treated in regard 70
CONDENSATION for his work. This
quotation, which Is from the article In
question really points the gun away
from the minister and turns it upon the
business man, whose WORCESTERSHIRE
methods In church support are realiy
responsibi. for whatever Of truth there
is in this charge.
whenever a minister goes wrons'
the average yellow journal VIII &c.
twice as black in the face as II W.h
over any other person OF equal prom
nerce. a crossroads ciergymen VINO
runs away with his organist VIII ger
more attention than congressman
who goes off with his stenographef.
The senile philanderings OF former
United States senator did not get
front-page position so often as did
comparatively obscure clergyman who
a few years ago failed to get gold out
of sea-water, but did get 1t out Oh the
purses OF customers VINO thouSht tne!
had a good thing Why? The answer
throws a food of light upon the ques-
ton at issue. Because out OF tens OF
thousands of ministers, all of them
working under the obvious limitations
and temptations to which the article
makes reference. those who go wrong
are 80 few that, when such instances
occur, they are played up because they
are news When a lawyer, or physi-
clan, or bank president. or COM
mercial traveller is found with the
broken fragments of the seventh COM
mandment on his person. it IS no news,
at least re!a lively speaking. and ii Is
given an inside page. This is an un-
conscious tribute Of the sensational
press to the high estimate in which the
clerical profession is in general held