Fifty Notable Years: Views of the Ministry of Christian Universalism During the Last Half-Century; with Biographical SketchesAdams, John G. (John Greenleaf)
Religion
Fifty Notable Years: Views of the Ministry of Christian Universalism During the Last Half-Century; with Biographical Sketches
Adams, John G. (John Greenleaf)
Universalism; Universalist Church -- Biography; Universalists -- Biography; Universalists -- United States -- History
During most of his ministry, Mr. Streeter was a zealous and successful
advocate of the temperance reform. His addresses were always lively
and interesting, full of anecdote, ludicrous hits, and quaint sayings.
He was popular in all places and with all sects in this work, and many
who would hardly consent to hear him advocate his religious sentiments
realized much enjoyment in listening to his defence of temperance
principles. On one occasion he was in the pulpit with a clergyman
whose sense of self-dignity was "above the ordinary," and who
evidently had no strong inclination to be the subject of a joke. While
Mr. Streeter was addressing the meeting, he took occasion to describe
the different mixtures of strong drink which were in use almost
everywhere previous to the temperance reformation. "The last article
of all," said he, "added to perfect the dram, was--was--really,
strange to say, but I have just now lost the name! Will some one
please to mention it?" "Nutmeg!" exclaimed the dignified clergyman
near him. "That's it!" responded Mr. Streeter. "He's well informed in
these matters, I'll warrant you."
We have heard an account of his attendance, in Western New York, at a
meeting where a Methodist and a Universalist were to preach in the
same meeting-house one Sunday. The Universalist was to speak in the
morning, and the Methodist in the afternoon. In the last sermon the
preacher was very severe in his treatment of Universalists and their
doctrine. Mr. Streeter, seeing that there would be no opportunity for
a rejoinder to his statements, asked his ministering brother the
privilege of taking his place in offering the closing prayer, in
which, in the most reverential, solemn, and emphatic manner, he
briefly noted what he considered the misrepresentations of the last
speaker, and left upon the audience an impression decidedly favorable
to his own faith. The whole exercise, quaint as it was, was so
remarkably able and timely, that all criticism of it seemed to be
silenced.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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