" And the
clergy--how would they bring about such a time? They do not even believe
that God has a word to his people through them. They think that his word is
petrified for use in the Bible and Prayer-book; that the wise men of old
heard so much of the word of God, and have so set it down, that there is
no need for any more words of the Lord coming to the prophets of a land;
therefore they look down upon the prophesying--that is, the preaching
of the word--make light of it, the best of them, say these prayers are
everything, or all but everything: _their_ hearts are not set upon hearing
what God the Lord will speak that they may speak it abroad to his people
again. Therefore it is no wonder if the church bells are obedient only to
the clock, are no longer subject to the spirit of the minister, and have
nothing to do in telegraphing between heaven and earth. They make little of
this part of their duty; and no wonder, if what is to be spoken must remain
such as they speak. They put the Church for God, and the prayers which are
the word of man to God, for the word of God to man. But when the prophets
see no vision, how should they have any word to speak?
These thoughts were passing through my mind when my eye fell upon my guide.
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