The Principles And Results Of The Ministry At Large, In Boston (1838) (Paperback)

General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1838 Original Publisher: J. Munroe Subjects: City missions Poor Boston (Mass.) Pastoral theology Unitarianism Religion / Christian Ministry / Pastoral Resources Religion / Unitarian Universalism Religion / Christian Ministry / General Social Science / Poverty Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: LETTER IV. THE CONSTITUTION OF PROTESTANT CHCRCHES, AND OF THF, BIINISTRY CONNECTED WITH THEM, CONSIDERED WITH REFERENCE TO THE NUMBERS IN CITIES UNCONNECTED WITH THESE CHURCHES. -- ADVANCEMENT OF OPINION AND FEELING IN RESPECT TO RIGHTS AND CLAIMS. I Hate referred to the incidental influence of freedom in separating large numbers from our churches, and from the ministry connected with them. I would now call your attention to the indirect and unintended, but very considerable influence which has been, and is exerted by the constitution of these churches, and of their ministry, in producing this result. Upon this subject I must be permitted to speak with great plainness. It is proper therefore to premise, that I not only intend no disrespect either to the ministry, or to the churches, but that no one can be more sensible than I am of the great and most salutary influences for which society among us is indebted to these churches, and to this ministry. But constituted as our churches are, and as protestant churches almost everywhere are, is not the administrationof our religion in large towns and cities, as far, I mean, as churches and the clergy are concerned, almost necessarily confined to the proprietors and renters of pews, or of seats in our houses of public worship ? Let us calmly and fairly look at this question. The constitution of prot...