The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 1
Recapitulation to Second Edition
Recapitulation to Second Edition.
The first edition places the Methodist divines at the top of the criminal calendar. They still hold that bad pre-eminence. During the last year 156 of the 202 preachers charged with crime have been assigned to their respective churches: thus, Methodists, 54; Baptists, 32; Catholics, 20; Episcopalians, 13; Congregationalists, 10; Lutherans, 10; Presbyterians, 9; Campbellites, 2; United Brethren, 2; Hebrews, 2; Adventists, 1; Universalists, 1. So if the 35,000 holy men have committed 73,000 sexual crimes during the last year, the Methodist preachers have assisted in 24,333 cases, the Baptists in 12,000, the Catholics in 9,000, the Episcopalians in 7,000, the Congregationalists in 4,500, the Lutherans in 4,500, the Presbyterians in 4,000, the Campbellites 1,000, the United Brethren in 1,000, the Hebrews in 1.000, the Adventists in 500, the Universalists in 500.
Again must we ask, Are men nearer pure the farther they set from orthodoxy, and vice versa?
Then 220 of these crimes charged have been against the morality, chastity, and decency of women! Has the author been able to obtain published accounts of half of those deeds of the dark? Have the reverend adulterers, seducers, and ravishers been caught and published in one case out of sixteen of that carefully covered crime? If not, and the lecherous men of God have committed but one offense each, then these 35,000 vicegerents of heaven have committed twenty sexual sins per day during the last year! Did each repeat his crime ten times, then the female dupes of the "oily gammons" have suffered from their beastly lusts to the amount of two hundred instances per day. Computing at the same ratio which statisticians use with other classes of criminals, these 35,000 messengers of peace are guilty of 73,000 sexual crimes every year, two for each one of their number every day, including Sundays. And why not? Have they less opportunity than laborers, mechanics, lawyers, doctors, miners, farmers, traders, merchants, sailors, or other hardy sons of toil? Surely not. Every opportunity is thrown in their way. Women will admit perfect strangers into their houses, into their society, into their confidence, if they but prefix the pompous title Reverend" to their names. Few care to even notice a laborer, sailor, farmer, mechanic, or miner. Yet while computing the criminal statistics the compiler includes as well the noble sons of toil as the priesthood. Who does not know that if so much sexual crime is committed the smooth-tongued wolf in a lamb's pelt has better opportunities than the busy man of useful life, even if nothing be allowed for the indolent lives, highly-seasoned food, and depraved appetites of these lambs of God?
And now, after a year spent in waiting, hoping that the previous publication might deter the elect of God from such exhibitions of depravity, we come again to the fore with a new list of 202 criminal preachers in one year, taken, as before, from the northern half of the United States and Canada. Four hundred and forty-seven in five years was a fearful list, unprecedented in the annals of crime! That made over 89 to the year! But here comes 202 in one year! 16.8 to the month! 4 each week! more than one every other day! Sundays included! Just think. 35,000 educated men, well versed in our civil and moral code, claiming secular holiness, and demanding special privileges because of their good works; committing gross and horrid crimes every other day, even if not one of them repeats his crime—does this so publicly that it is published in the papers. How much done so darkly no one ever knows of it unless it be perhaps a suffering victim. Do they, like the rest of criminals, hide fifteen out of sixteen crimes? If so, these 35,000 holy men commit 10 crimes each day! Has the author yet failed to get more than half of the published accounts? then these "sky-pilots" commit over 20 crimes every day, including Sundays, even if each commits but one crime in all his life! But these 202 priests and preachers are charged with an aggregate of 500 crimes in the last year. Four crimes each three days, so far as published! Did the author see but half, then they have been published as having committed 8 crimes every three days! Did they hide 15 crimes for every one published, then they have committed 128 crimes each three days! Have the clergy in the northern half of the United States committed 42 heinous crimes every day during the last year?