1
CHRISTIAN
>1K R A L D
over to pay. I Juive made a care- ture.
1 could suggest the names erf
fui» estimate since receivipt
. g your
e Co^gregf
■ ---- -, alai L——>
grega- letter, -and 1 consider my prospects Bros. MJ? y - of S-
The RichiMan in th
r
i good for at least fifteen thousand a <>f F—wlm, it Seems to me Çould
tion.
Originai Contributions.
î
BY MATH AT AS.
4«
Your idea of banding brethren of
eacli church together in aid socie
(Continued.)
ties, to spread the Gospel 1 like.
Dear pastor : yours decent date
You can count on my giving liber
received and contents duly noted.
ally to forward such a movement.
I must express myself as somewhat
But you certainly cannot be ig-
surprised at your novel way of
yearly ¿o.iH'BlUtlUllM LU lll^ imTftTTl tli'tlTl!' TìT^t 11 mt ?*>l ki'Hi Id V fill
asking me to “ preach the Gospel.” tllAt
openly call upon the brethren for
I have read your letter, ami con church in every way, amounts to a
such donations that you will be un-
clude that you must certainly mean trifle over one hundred dollars.
Your plan was, that I should sus mercifully criticized ' Why our
this as a joke !
tain a good young num at my own State abounds in well to-do men,
—-F r hiiy appreciate yoi w» ■
deacons and eldbrs in the churches,
in showing what you consider the expense, in some destitute field, at
who will demand of you ScHpture
peculiar advantages of this plan. say, a yearly outlay of one thous
autl»ority for such a scheme as this
One would conclude from your and dollars, and pay what he sent
you are proposing.
reasoning, that rich men, all over me from the field into the treasury
While 1 do not seriously object
the country, would not only become of the Missionary Board. This you to the plan in general, yet 1 can see
richer by this project, but that it argued would not make my whole, many drawbacks to such a move
would consecrate their money to yearly outluy more than twelve ment. You would in the first place
such a holy use that G«xl would hundred dollars and less than “ one- < encourage young men to educate
give them everlasting peace as their tenth ” my . income. 1 see you have ’ themselves for the purpose of mak-
reward. You will permit me to reckoned shrewdly, but it must be- j ing their living by preaching a’one 1
say,-howcvcr;™“thxtH"‘“rrmx^’^
is I10
not ^ Apostolic.
Apostolic? Too”
so much ____________
of an expenditure
at tin* s Surely
cl3 this
tl,ls ,s
es, in s______
._______
fruifi you, wiuclv tvs, flic
-many young men would crowd our
present time.
this matter, as to my sending out a
You 1< qow that it takes money , schools in the hope of gain. The
Gosjiel Agent'
to live in the town of K----—. My ’ ministry _ avou 1<1 be
1... .i...
degraded to a
You are aware that I am greatly family which is moderately large, i money making scheme, and the
counted on to sustain our preacher make many demands upon me I power of the Gospel would be lust.
in the village. As you say we which I must supply. My boy No, sir! it was never intended that
have been without regular preach must be educated and my daughter preachers should have property
ing a long time. Of course Bro. must be allowed some few privileg- and make fine incomes from their
~y.^==TVpca^
e$ granted to other yduhg ladies.
preaching ' But I have run over
of regular preaching, but his farm
Then you know, I came before your pointed question to me, viz:
cares keep his mind thoroughly ta the primaries for nomination in ;tuy “ What are you doing to carry out
ken, and the public-idea seems to district, and was elected some time the Savior’s great commission, * Go
have outgrown the talks he gives since, to the State Legislati ire. preach the Gospel ?’ ” 1 am giving
us from Sunday to Sunday.
You may not know it, but I a rill one hundred dollar# a year here at
Since Mr. M----- came, noW inform you, the time has come in home, but really I feel sometimes
about three months, 1 have been State elections, when more or less that that is too much ; not but that
called upon to donate largely to the money is demanded of the candi I will gladly give that much, and
work at home. 1 subscribed eight date. Taking it altogether 1 hwe even more, to preach the good news
dollars per quarter, but think I been at greater expense, probably, of the kingdom, but when I go to
wilt be obliged to giveten inorder thaw the position will be worth, but church and see how cold and in
there is the necessary tight during different the brethren are ; see Sun
that he may get his pay.
1 cannot see why you should put the campaign, and in our land of day after Sunday the same small
me down as a “ rich man,” though various shades ami colors of belief audiences out morning and evening.
1 do feel a pardonable pride in be and opinions, 1 was compelled to I think its most a waste of money
ing addressed by you, and have .you condescend more or less to my con to hire preachers. The people do
write that “ to no one else have I stituency. You are well \nware not appreciate preaching any mow.
mentioned this,” placing it thus on that I could not be elected by the
We have a good preacher; we are
me to set the ball rolling—confer vote of the church, so was forced paying him eight hundred dollarea
ring great honor 1 spp|x>se.
to use some measures, my dear old year, and I let him have the brown
You certainly over estimate my pastor, that you might not consider cottage for eighteen dollars per-
wealth very greatly. I cannot lie quite correct wdth your peculiar month, two dollars cheaper than it
said to have* in real, and personal views. You know me to be a lib rented last year, but he seems so
property more than two hundred eral man, ami as such, addressed me worried with his family cares, that
and fifty thousand, and you must in g<xxl faith, but you can surely sometimes I think he is not pre-
know in this day, that such a sum see that such a measure would not pared to preach.
scarcely cuts a figure in the money be consistent with my place in the
But truly 1 had not intended
halls
of
legislature.
Of
course
it
markets. Your figures are not far
writing so much. I close by wish
notTje
wrong however when you caTcuTaXe.
ing your Hovel, butT think, -feasibly
• that my income is at least fifteen :me, only in the event of reelection ! plan, much success.'
thousand dollars ; I take pride in I heartily concur with you in the ,J am yours truly and fraternally,
Hon. A. B. L----- ,of K—.
'saying that I have made uiy money liope that this may be carried
myself, and know how to turn it | ou| by very many in the near fu-
And thus the “ Rich Man.” reus-
triHe. If I had the wealth of some
men, nothing could prevent me
taking immediate steps to further-
the cause of my Master which 1
love with.all my heart, -
On looking over my books, 1 find
^umnjmmamjaiuawaiiauuiuiniaKrouituttUAWBiaTiu um imiug n i mmnun iimmiM.r.ii^yTiT,^,
oned, whilp the pastor’s fantastic
aircastle faded out. We suppose,
that should a thousand letters be
written to a thousand Heli men, ho
4.WU would.., answer in
language, but why any should an-
swer as did the Hon. L----- , is
something mysterious. There can
be no doubt but that he wished the
cause well; he certainly offered no
argument to show that one tenth of —
or airy mie^ i i icmn e is tu tywr ueh '—-
to give to the Lord ; he did not ad
duce a single Scripture condemning
the action of a brother or sister,
should they semi out preachers at
their own charges. One strong ar
gument was “ It is novel' ’ There
is not so much good proof for that
as might be supposed, for the pastor
had gathered from history that such .
a work was not wholly unknown.
There can be but little objection to
communities of Christians banding
together to preach the Gospel, and
that being true, no one could object
to having an Evangelist sent out
even by one individual. But why
should the pastor thus give’ up his
cherished scheme ? Alas ' it never
has occurred to the rich men, men
who have been wonderfully pros
pered in the midst of Christian
civilization, that they in any way,
have greater ability to preach the
Gospel than the poor .young wan__
who lias been impelled by the
whitening harvest, to go into the
field, trusting the future for his un
certain stipend.
Thus the pastor reasoned : “ Why
should I, with but ordinary talents,
and suffering almost daily from an
infinhity of the flesh, use every
available means to fit myself for
preaching, while around me on
every side, are those with God
given abilities (See Acts 11 : 29)
who will not aid me in this struggle
to tell, in an acceptable manner
these ‘ Wonderful Words of Life? ”
To the young man who fits himself
for the ministry, the living is un
certain Of course J know it is the
same in law, medicine, ami almost
every branch of labor, in which we
engage. But in law or medicine
there is Some prescribed fee bill,
and what is better, a chance to rise,
by industry, to command a compe
tence. The daily and hourly strug
gle unlit preacher to make himself
master of language, a mover and
director of those under his care, for
positive remuneration. I know I
will *1« seriously charged with
sordid motives in this matter, and .
on me will be poured severe critic
ism, but why ? Is it not al-out ’
A
*