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PREACHERS CALLED BY THE WORLD

At an anniversary meeting recently held in Music Hall, Boston, a very learned and popular minister addressing the laity and speaking of the clergy, said:

“You created us by the power of your own aptitude for religion; we didn’t make ourselves, we didn’t call ourselves; the laity, the world, humanity called for priests and for ministers, … and will have them.”

Paul says, “For there will be a time when they will not endure wholesome teaching, but having itching ears, they will, according to their own lusts, heap to themselves teachers; and from the truth indeed they will turn away their ears, and be turned aside to fables.” 2 Tim. 4:3,4. (MacKnight’s translation.)

This prophecy expresses exactly the same condition of the Christian Church in the “last days” or closing of this age as was expressed by this D.D., who truthfully represented the present condition of the great body of all the professed church. The gospel makes provision for a class of teachers called and qualified of God to teach the people revealed truths, and by this mould their character and form their religious tastes. But instead of this, the carnal and unregenerate, by their fleshy lusts or “itching ears,” reject gospel truth which condemns their self-indulgence and demand quieting teaching. By the gospel rule the people will be lead and their characters moulded by inspired truth taught them by God’s true servants; but in the latter case the unregenerate people will control the teachers, so that none will be allowed to teach religion only such as the people shall select, and they will teach such things and only such as the people shall approve.

In this case a man will be allowed to preach only what the public sentiment approves, which will become the standard by which the preacher will be accepted or rejected, instead of his conformity to the Word of God and a holy life.—Selected.

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— December, 1881 —