The Indebtedness of the State to the Clergy

HIS EXCELLENCY GEORGE N. BRIGGS, GOVERNOR, MIs HONOR JOHN REED, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, THE HONORABLE COUNCIL, AND THE LEGISLATURE OF MASSACHUSETTS, AT THE ANNUAL ELECTION, JANUARY 2, 1851. BY EDWARDS A. PARK, Abbot Professor in Andover Theological Seminary. BOSTON: DUTTON & WENTWORTH, STATE PRINTERS. 1851. iA ae ee | y ry (eee : jl E — x + . ’ 7 ‘ * ae - guy . mors : Fi ye * i ; the, 7 2m Ge A F et ee is “ xa (bE % ‘ X r x J - : be : 3 a , «x » 1 ee igi j ho o a | e. ‘Sree ie pe ue tT ee i ry Da VV ti-5 + ; Sad ae 4 PY = ‘ " : hee Be Ne rir. seen tl. = 4 a Communmectth of AMaggarhusetts. In SenaTeE, January 3, 1851. ORDERED, That Messrs. Russell and Keyes be a Committee to present the thanks of the Senate to Professor E>warps A. Park, for the sermon delivered by him on Thursday last, before the Executive and the two branches of the Legislature of the Commonwealth, and that a copy of the same be requested for publication. C. L. KNAPP, Crurk, ia: ri U %.: a. ee ae = *Higetoai W “ifeidagensy. ‘. eee ied . 7a * ne . - ue ek Pee i , a v4 { Ce ae oe e a a a> at att Plies : Sally ae ere cm nase Pe ibe % ok a Ty! eaten ef : ea ie ; pick y ; ae f . > ar 3 pel Mien ts a , fein ‘ fra = Pe a 3 <F a ora Tt ‘ Se ae ec rere dace aia a iaivwny Aiinebo met fy suet phils 2 le fi dae gpa rae * ania a ee nies te oy Ree hor che ene _ , ‘8 = aN 18 ce ’ o ‘ =e i A iby ee by vi : 7 ’ aes oe pam on ol ek ee a oye ’ 7 + « , £2 é ‘ - . 3 LOGI ON Reaee i ee SERMON. EccLisiastEs 1x, 15. Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the eity ; yet no man remembered that same poor man. In the kingdom of nature the greatest effects are produced by occult forces. Magnetism and elec- tricity had been performing their mightiest results for ages before their existence was recognized. Gravitation is a latent power which worlds obey in silence. Throughout the sphere of mind, also, energies are felt when not acknowledged. By the force of an idea, one man will move a whole com- munity, and he will be forgotten while his idea lives on. ‘There is a class of persons who, in some states of our Union, are debarred by law from.all civil office, and among whom a rich man is a phe- nomenon. The spirit of their profession and their habits of thought disincline, or perhaps incapacitate them for pecuniary speculation. They are persons whose rightful influence comes from their good thoughts and good character. ‘These are their wis- dom, and by it, through the aid of Heaven, they deliver the State from many an evil. Still, the re- sults of their labor are often delicate, refined, and therefore unnoticed. The consequence is, that no one who limits his view to tangible benefits remem- bereth these same poor men. It may be thought a singular and forced process by which this description can be applied to clergy- men. They have often dwelt in ceiled houses ; they have been the first officers in the realm, and have held their foot on the neck of kings. And as they have not been always poor, neither, by any means, have they been always wise; for it has been said by one who has, however, overstated the truth, “that the surest sign of the divine authority of our religion is, that it has not yet been exterminated by those who have essayed to preach it.” In lieu of delivering the State from harm, the State has often prayed to be delivered from them; and, so far from not being remembered, it is impossible for the mil- lions who have suffered by them ever to forget them. For the faults of the clergy we have no time now to apologize. It were as unsafe to condemn them in a mass as to extol them in amass. Their ranks have included some of the worst, and some of the best men whom the world has ever seen. “We may consider them, however, not as they have uniformly been in fact, but as we may reasonably expect them to be; as complying with the tenden- cies of their office; as representatives of a doctrinal system which is better than they are themselves ; as faithful, in some good measure, to their profes- sions ; as identifying their own history with much of the history of the gospel; as “living epistles,” imperfect, indeed, but yet fairly expressive of the truth. We may consider them as they have usually appeared among the various sects of this Common- wealth ; and, not dilating on their highest useful- ness to the spiritual and eternal interests of men, we may take a narrower view of their function, and in this grave presence may consider, I trust, with- out any unfitness, Tue INDEBTEDNESS OF THE STATE To THE CLERGY. We might illustrate this indebtedness by describ- ing the effort which would be needed for undoing the good already done through clerical influence, and by describing the scenes which would ensue if this influence should now entirely cease. But, pur- suing a more direct method, we may remark, that I. The State is indebted to the clergy for their influence in promoting the comfort of the people. …