Year: 1874

by these three considerations from falling into
sin. But the truth is that we live in day in
which good character is no guaranty Of =
good reputation. There is a settled purpose on
the part of q large and growing element in So
ciety to afiix the stigma Of lewdness to the
whole Christian ministry, to evade which actu-
al innocence is not nearly so eff-ctual as world
ly wisdom and cunning. A great many minis
ters in our day are the victims Of the malice
and foul imaginations If their enemies. who
in many cases are of their own religious house
hold.


1t is we'll known that there are some people
of both sexes who have a weakness for believ-
ing that everyone Of the opposite sex they
meet is in love with them. This is in the high
est degree comical. But it is no joking matter
to ministers at least. that there are women who
labor under the hallucination that every man
they meet has some dark design on them.
They are always women of hid-ous appear
ance. who cannot identify false appearances Of
admiration for the simple reason that they have
never been, and never can be. the object Of real
admiration. This infirm,ty is sometimes great
~ aggravated by a apell of nervousness. during
which if pastor hand the lady q glass of wa
ter, or pick up her fan. he runs the risk of be-
ing charged with beastly assault on her Writ
ne How many ministers have had their rep
uta,ions clouded for life BY the open complaints
or whispered insinuatons of such characters.
we shall never in this world know. but no
donbt they have been numerous.


Uncharitable suspicious Of impurity are
aimed most frequently. perhaps. at unmarried
pastors. One half of the people who look at
them and hear them preach humble to them.
selves: ut is not possible: he can't be as good
as he looks; I'll be; be has done wrong some
time or other: have done So. and know l
am as good as he is How often we hear the
remark. mo man onght to be minister un,
less he is married. And not unfrequently we
are told that Paul commands ministers to be
married, because he said: "A Bishop must be
the husband Of one wife," meaning, as every
idiot knows that he must not have more than
one wife. Now. on what is all this prejudice
against bachelor ministers based! Certainly
not on facts. When you have heard of five ca
ses Of misconduct among ministers. you may
easily observe that four ot the sinners are mar
ried. .men. And on little inquiry any man
NAV satisfy himself that the social evil could
not exist If il were not for the support of mar
ried men. Indeed. little reflection will con-
vince anyone that the temptations of married
men are. as a rule. greater than those OF SIM
Gle men. And then what Of all the bachelors
among the laity Of the church; why are they
not suspected. The truth is, nothing will ex-
plain this inv.terate suspicion except the prln-
ciples already laid down. that there is some
thing to fascinate people who have lost their vir-
IN. in sedncing others from virtue or. IT they can
seduce them from virtue, to slander their Writ
ue: or. in case they cannot do that, at least to
believe or suspect that they are as corrupt as
themselves And this impulse is strong exact
IL in proportion to the presumption or proof
there is that the object of their suspicion is
pure man.


Applyinc these observations now to the pain
full case of Mr. Beecher, it is very difficult, as
vet. To form any opinion as to his purity or i'm
purity. But while with trembling we are walt
inc for the verdict" we should never lose sight
Of the terrible enmity which sexual lewdness
bears to sexual purity, and the irrePressloie
envy and jealousy that impure people feel for
pure people. To libertines OF either sex tnere
ia nothing in heaven or earth 90 enjoyable AZ
the prospect Of finding out that some nooie
sp;rit like Mr.. Beecher is as bad as themselves
Tbev would rather have a vision Of Mr. Beech
ara sin than to have Queen Victorias crown
diamonds. They would rather sit down and
imagine him straying from the paths of virtue
than 70 90 70 heaven And the rationale ls OBJ
vious: ..If Mr.. Beecher is a lecher and hypo-
critic then" they argue. ''men are all bad alike.
and we are as good as the rest"


There is no doubt that if ministers OF the
oosnel continue to be the objects Of wholesale
and wanton aspereion. they will ultimately oe'
come exactly as bad as they are represented 10
he or course it is to be presumed that they
are pure from religious motives and not for the
sake of ENJOYING the good opinion OF men. But
IA /. matter of fact, both motives are operating
mon them. And when they find that minis
ter NAV live never so purely and yet that ne
has oniy to cross one Of his deacons in order
tn he biackguarded out Of existence. and when
they discover that real purity 10 not near ~
good security tor good reputation as httie
tact or little money, the effect on them Will
he deplorable, If course. And tins oaroar"us
habit of suspecting and slander'ng ministers
will tend to demoralize them IN another way
It is rapidly coming to pass that IL 10 NOT e1
pected that ministers can live ABOVE Suspicion
| & i even now almost accepted as matter OF
nonrsa that minister will have more or less
of . had name for familiarity with women.


And Il ia easy to see that this has direct
and oowerful tendency to lower the standard
of m;n;sterial purity in both pastor and people.
Moreover. It throws down one of the greatest
barriers to impurity that protect the minister
nr;ncinles. No man will make any effort 70
I;ve m A To avoid dirty suspicious and dirty
slanders when he knows that they come upon
All alike, irrespective Of their conduct, and nc


nan vc;li care for them when he knows tna'


thew thew are universal, inevitable and innocuons


Essrv one has heard the practical joke toa' q


w.s w played BY several conssderates on victim


.honf ia health; one after another. to the mum


her Of do1en. sclemnly assured him snas q, ~ g


was looking wretchedly and must % ~; sns s


s..,,t w"s ,... That he went 70 bed and had spei