Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index.
Vol. 57 —No. 8.
Table of Contents.
First Page.—Alabama Department: The In
fluence of Christianity on the World ; Our
State Mission Board and Its Work; Howard
College; Ought Deacons to be Ordained; Our
Evangelist; Railroad Accident. The Relig
ious Press, etc.
Hkcoxd Page.—Correspondence: The Duty of
Mlhisters In Dangerous Epidemics—Rev. J.
H. Campbell; Letter from Gainesville, Ga.—
A. Van Hoose; A Sabbath Evening in Sa
vannah—C ; Baptist Orphans’ Home—M. J.
Crutchfield; An Acknowledgment— T. C.
Boykin; Our Mission Work-J. W. Butt*;
Text Rooks Used in Southern Colleges—Prof.
Wm. M. Browue.
Third Page.—The Household: Driftwood
poetry; The Troub'esome Scholar: A Wife’s
Faith; How Some Paris Babies Live; Lap
land Babies; Write Them a Letter—poetry ;
Amusement for Little Folks.
Fourth Pagr..—Editorials: Heretics In Heav
en; What are We Coining to?; Why Study?;
Bible Question Books; Georgia Baptist
News; His Devices, National Baptist.
Fifth Pack.—Secular Editorial Items: The
ladex Series of Bible Question Books; Spirit
of Our Magaz ne Literature; Three Class
mates—Bacon, Palmer and Gordon; Literary
Notes and Comments; Bayard Taylor—poe
try, Charles W Hubner; Georgia News, etc.
Sixth Page.— Child rens’Corner: After Christ
mas--poetry: The Imperial Flower; Dell’s
Valentine: Brave Ben; Spelling Lesson, etc.
Seventh Page —The Sunday-School: Delight
In God s House- -Lesson for March 1«, 1B7».
Eighth Page.—Florida Department: South
ern Baptist Convention; Baptist and Relig
ious News; Business Notices, Advertise
ments, etc.
The Christian Index.
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT.
BY SAMUEL' HEXPERSON
THE INFLUENCE OF CHRISTI
ANITY ON THE WORLD.
In a recent sermon of Dr. Tichenor
at Alpine, he put this subject more
tersely than we remember to have
heard. Answering the trite objection
by the world, that professing Christians
were very little in advance of uncon
verted jieople in their morality, nay,
that some of them were not as worthy
as many that make no pretensions to
piety, he said that so far from the
world’s converting the Church to a
lower standard of morality, it was that
Church that had converted the world
to a higher standard—that instead of
• the one being idcprefwd, tho othpr
had been elevated—so that while the
difference was not as striking as it had
been in ages past, it was because this
difference had been lessened by the
higher tone of public morality inspired
by she constant preaching of the Gos
pel. To every ingenuous-minded
thinker, this view of the subject must
commend itself with all the force of
anoverwhelming conviction. One has
only to contrast the state of public
sentiment among ancient and modern
heathens with what it is in Christian
countries, to realize its truth.
In a country where the dawn of in
tellect in the child has been met by
the light of the Gospel to direct its ex
ercises, one can scarcely realize how
much he is indebted to that source for
all that he is. Our whole mental and
moral character and habitudes as a
jieople have been formed in Christian
conditions. These influences, these
conditions, indeed, set in long before
our personal consciousness. They are
a herik4tg6pvhich luis descended to us
from •«. remote ancestry. They are
forces wlfieli have unconsciously min
gled with all the other forces which
have made us what we are. Like
growth in the animal and vegetable
kingdom, they have stealthily gone on,
shaping our characters, directing our
movements, and measuring out the
very hist results of every event of our
lives. Nothing that has ever appealed
to the heart of men, has been sopotent.
No one can doubt that Christianity
was designed by its divine founder to
antagonize sin in all its forms. Christ’s
mission to this world, was designed to
“restore the ruins of the first Adam.’’
Now, let us select one phase of its in
fluence as illustrating its general drift
—its influence upon the selfishness of
the human heart. We all know that
sin has not only isolated man from his
God, but from his fellowman. As the
sum of all moral excellence is found in
the cultivation of the spirit of disinter
ested Ik-nevolenec.so impressively .man
ifested in our Redeemer, so the sum of
all moral depravity is found in that
supreme selfishness that makes the
man the centre and circumference of
all the plana and movements of his life
What effect has Christiimity had upon
this aspect of our common depravity?
Strike a line lietween Christendom ami
the balance of the world, whether Pa
ganism, Mohamedanism, or what not
and then consider on what side of that
line all the humanities that alleviate
the calamities and sufferings of our
race will fall. Where do we find the
asylums for the blind, the deaf, and
the insane? Where do we find all J
theme tender charities that touch at a
thousand points the miseries, the woes,
the vices and crimes, which are the sad
heritage of our humanity? What ha*
created that enlightened, benevolent
SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST.
of Alabama.
public sentiment which has demanded
of our public authorities, the forthput
ting of all those agencies to relieve the
distresses and reform the vices of the
unfortunate and the vicious? Why it
has been truthfully said that the lan
guages of neither ancient nor modern
heathen nations has so much as a sin
gle word answering to these Christian
charities—that among all the treasures
that have been exhumed from their
ancient cities, not a single evidence
has been discovered that they ever
comprehended the existence of such
institutions as now constitute the very
glory of our civilization. These are
the epistles of Christianity, “known
and read of all men.’’ Their “seed
thoughts” are found in the “Glorious
Gospel of the blessed God,” and the
piety which that Gospel has developed,
has given form and substance to them, i
as embodying that philanthropy which '
brought our Savior from heaven to I
earth, bringing peace and good will to ;
men.
OUR STATE MISSION ROA RD
AND ITS WORK.
Our brother R. 11. Hudson, in a let
ter published in the Alabama Baptist
\of the 13th, says : “I propose to make
; one of fifty in the State ro raise five
hundred dollars for brother Baily, and
one of twenty-five in the Bethel Asso
; ciation to raise two hundred and fifty
, dollars for brother Kirven. Each pledg
ing to pay ten dollars a* soon as the
requisite number of names are recorded
at the office of the Alabama Raptist;
; money to be paid into and distributed
from that office." (Italics ours.)
Alluding to this letter, the editors of
the Alabama Baptist say: “We call
attention to the article of brother R.
H. Hudson, of Hoboken, on our ‘State
Missionary Work.’ We will cheerfully
receive the names and amounts, and
acknowledge receipts in the Alabama
Raptist. We have now the name of
brother Robert Hasty to follow that of
brother Hudson on the list for brother
Kirven.”
In behalf of the State Board, we beg
to say, that we feel gratified to brother
Hudson and the editorsof the Alabama
Baptist for their kindly offices. But
I with the utmost kindness we suggest
j that the State Mission Board, locot-ul
i at'Talladcgfi, at Al its* Secretary, brother
I Baily, have been constituted by the
I Convention the proper custodians of
all the funds tabe received and disburs
ied to the proper work of the Board.
Any other plan of receiving and dis
bursing money will be attended with
no little confusion. We hope our
brethren will see the propriety of this,
as the Board could not recognize and
report upon funds that have never been
received and distributed by its properly
constituted officials.
While on this subject, we desire to
say with more than common emphasis,
that the salary pledged at the Conven
tion at Talladega last July to our hard
working, pains-taking and efficient
Secretary, brother Baily, must be paid,
or Hts work Mt'sT cease, and when
that ceases, the driving-wheel of our
whole machinery stops. We wish our
brethren to know this. Out of aliout
thirteen hundred dollars pledged at the
Convention, but little over four hun
dred dollars have been paid up to this
month (February.) Os this sum, one
hundred and forty dollars have been ex
pended by him in traveling and other
necessary expenses, leaving but about
two hundred and sixty or seventy dol
lars for the support of his family. It
is humiliating to say this, but candor
requires that we shall lift this signal
of distress, and say plainly to those
brethren, who made these pledges,
either for themselves or their churches,
you love this work better than yon lore
the money you pledged, send it on at
once, either directly to brother Baily.
at Marion,or t<Hhe Board at Tnlladega.
Excuse us for piiftifig the case strong
ly—the emergency leaves us no alter
native.
HOWARD CDLLEGE.
We are gratified to know that the
present term of the Howard has open
ed so well. One hundred and twenty
five students are already in attendance,
and others arc coining constantly. A
noble manly spirit animates the whole
corps, lx)th of Professors and students.
We trust the day is not distant when
it will number its pupils by hundreds.
The Judson is also doing well, its
halls being well crowded, inul ncc’cs
sions coming in every week. Under
Dr. Gwaltney, it is enjoying a solid,
steady growth, and will take no back
ward steps. No man in Alabama de
serves a higher measure of success than
its honored principal.
■■ ■' —' - ■ ■
Got the “blues,” have you?—feel
terribly depressed ?—scarcely call claim
to boa Christiun? See prescription,
Jainoa 1 ; 27. Leave a nice little pack
age of sugar and coffee, or a sack of
flour when you say “good-bye," and it
will knock the “blues” so fur behind
you that they won’t overtake you in a
week or n month. Luke.
Atlanta, Georgia, February 27, 1879.
OUGHT DEACONS TO RE OR-}
DAINED?
This question was recently asked us |
by a brother, with the request that we I
submit our views on it. Suppose we
state the question in a more exhaustive
form, thus: A brother possessing all
the Scriptural qualifications for that
office, is chosen by his church to fill it,
but not being convinced from the
Scriptures that ordination is necessary,
declines it. does that declination in
capacitate him from filling the office?
Is ordination an essential prerequisite
to the office of deacon?
In the Church of Jesus Christ there
are substantially but two permanent
offices known—“bishops and deacons.”
These two officers have under their ju
| risdietion the only two departments of
■ service that ever can come under the
supervision of the Church of Christ—
I spiritual and temporal. They abso
lutely exhaust all the demands of the ,
situation. Whatsoever is more than i
this cometh of tradition, pride and am- j
bition. The spiritual office is known i
by the several terms, bishop, elder,
I evangelist, presbyter, etc. But accord
ing to the New Testament, they all re
fer to the one grand office—preaching !
the Gospel of the Word of God. Any
man acquainted with the Scriptures
can make this plain.
A deacon, among Baptists, is “a ’
I steward of the church treasury:” To
I the deacons of a church, therefore, are
turned over the administration of all
its secular affairs. The office, as wp
suppose, had its origin in the necessity
of disbursing the public charities of
the church at Jerusalem impartially to
the “Grecian” as well as to the “He
brew widows.” True, the “seven men”
chosen by the Jerusalem church, are
not called deacons in the sacred nar
| rative, but they were appointed to
“serve tables.” They were appointed
to fill the office subsequently known as
the deacon’s office; and this became a
permanent office in the Church of Christ,
Iso understood and accepted by all
Christians, some connecting with it a
subordinate relation to the ministerial
office, but all, perhaps, recognizing it
as relating primarily to the temporal
ity (of the church
Ar ‘weven jiominated and set
tiff-' lit thfe chvtreh ut'i
Jerusalem were set apart to their work
by prayer and the imposition of hands
by ordination. So, that recognizing
the fact, that they were deacons, and I
recognizing the principle as well, that I
New Testament example is equivalent |
to New Testament command, we have i
all the authority that would seem to be I
needed for the ordination of deacons.
Indeed, it would seem that an office so
obvious in its necessities, so honorable !
in its origin, and that demands so va
rious and high qualifications in those
who fill it, see I. Tim. 3: 8-13, would
call for some solemn, formal induction
to its varied responsibilities. Ordina
tion among Baptists is nothing more
than a recognition of those gifts,
whether spiritual or secular, which
have been conferred by our glorified
Intercessor upon the parties. It is a
simple indorsement by the church,
that she believes those gifts exist in the
parties and are necessary to her pros
perity. Ordination no more confers
gifts, than the oath prescribed in civil
law confers the qualifications to ad
minister a civil office. The qualifica
tions in both cases must exist before
induction into office.
We would therefore say, that in or
der to preserve the New Testament
order, as well as the dignity of the
Church of Jesus Christ, that dem ons
ought to be ordained. The Gospel may
be made the power of God unto salva
tion as much before ns after a minister’s
ordination ; hut then Apostolic usage,
as well as good order, ifemand a solemn
consecration of the minister to the
work by the eldership of the church
acting under her authority. This we
call ordination, ns it certainly impnits
to the office the sanction of divine
truth.
Perhaps, while we are discussing this
subject, it is well to say, that reason ns
well ns revelation unite in demanding
that when persons arc chosen to fill
important offices in Church or State,
sonic solemn act shatl mark their en
lrance into office, which shall express
, th and esteeni of who
have chosen them, mid impress upon
their minds, in' a, serious manner, the
responsibilities of the position to which
they are called. It serve* to impart
that kind of importance mid dignity to
tho office which inspire respect and
I confidence. True, it is n form, but
these forms are necessary in nil things
human and divine. Goilliijess must
have its “form” as well as its “power,”
in order to nccomplish its highest re
isults. While many are making too
much of forms and ceremonies, we
may take the opposite extreme, Jike the
Quaker*, and make too little hf them.
If we may so express it, forms nre
necessary to give exprolfaion to power.
If we had ttl clioose bet wetin tho form
and the power, of course We shouM
I take the .-power, but then no such al
! ternative is offered. If forms are
i abused, that does not diminish their
| value. There are special duties that
1 may be performed by special appointees
who need ho other ceremonial than a
bare appointment by a church ; but an
office crested by the New Testament is
a diffefFut matter, and requires, in our
judgment, that New Testament usage
should be observed in regard to it.
EVANGELIST.
.
RCt. W ellington Wilks, paid us a
visit at Jfif.ine during his tour through
the GooSn River Association, on Friday
before thg seqond Lord’s day in Febru
ary. ■ Me were glad to hear from him.
that ’alt) pugb the weather was quite
inclemu'-st most of the time, very fair
eongregnlions met him at most of his
appointments. He preached us a most
excellent sermon on “The preparation
1 of the people to hear,” prefacing his
: remarks by saying that as so much
i had been said and written on "the
preparation of the pulpit,” he thought
it lime discuss “the preparation of
pew,” for that the latter was quite as
important as the former. The dis
course was well thought out, and deliv
ered with the accustomed earnestness
of the preacher. We could but think
as he spoke to us with such unction
and power,'what a vast amount of good
must eoine of placing suoh men in the
field time like this. Brethren!
help on the work!
RAILROUD ACCIDENT.
On '.Tuesday the 18th inst. (Februa
ry) the outward bound train of the
Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad,
fell through the Mulberry Creek bridge,
about thirteen miles north of Selma,
killing tour men, three negroes and one
white inan, and seriously injuring
others; among the injured is Mr.
Stantuffi* Superintendent of the Road,
it is fevofi seriously. We should be
gladfto hear otherwise. At all events
we trust be will recover, at an early
day, to give bis efficient services to the
Road. Miss Nannie Welch, of Alpine,
was also on board, but we are glad to
hear ****jlhti was not seriously hurt,
m broken, and X'H be ”P in
a short time. After spending UVo or
three months in Selma with her sister,
Mrs. Hardie, she hail just taken the
' train that morning to return home.
|'We had missed her very much from
| our cbpiches, and were looking out
I for her return with great anticipated
! pleasure, when the sad accident occur
| red. Her wound though painful is
not likely to entail any serious result.
Miss Bradford, of Talladega, is much
j more seriously injured. So are several
i others.
the second disaster of the
s kind on the road, within a few months.
' The truth is, nearly all the bridges on
; the route are dangerous. Mr. Stanton,
I who is so seriously injured, has been
I urging the company for months to re;
build and repair, and only recently in
formed the President ot the Road, Mr.
Tucker, that unless the necessary ap
propriations were made, he should re
sign his position of Superintendent.
It will be difficult to fill his place.
Since the above was written, we pro
foundly regret to learn that Mr. Stan
ton is dead.
The Circuit Court of Pike county,
. Ala., under the new law of the State,
' is to be held on the 3d Mondays after
the 4th Mondays in March and Sep
tember, and may continue two weeks
at each term. The Circuit Court of
< lumbers,on the 2d Mondays in March
and September, and each term may
continue two weeks. The Circuit Court
of Tallapoosa, on the 4th Mondays in
March and Septemlier, and each term
may continue two weeks. The Circuit
Court of Macon, on the 3d Mondays
after the 4th Mondays in March and
September, and each term nuif contin
ue two weeks.
■— - W' W - - '■■■—
The Baptist says: “Men that are
j lying around loose, waiting for sorfli
-5 thing to turn up, have not the stuff in
’ tbeni that makes educators. The men
! 1 of the future, the presidents and pro
, feasors of ojw universities, are now
young, full of nnibitioii and aspiration
in their line of study, nieq of iron
i nerve and resolute will: all they need
; is time to grow.”
Tho National Baptist ( Phil.) thus
expresses itself fnodestly, yet with beau-
I ty and witfcf'j lower:
As ui Jhti full meaning of the yet unfa)-
filleW'propliedicH, we me willing to confess
•attiielves ignorant. Wwventure to form an
■ opinion of whsl God has Sone. As to wlmt
He isgoing todo, wo wish 11 (peak witfi no
a little diffidence.
We remember that God allowed Moses to
see Hint after He had phmroH; but His face
Moses could not nee. We bf-lieve that now
then, it is safer and wiser to look at the
track over which the Deity has pained, than
to mjike any positive assertion as to His fu
ture acts
THE CHRISTIAN HERALD,
of Tennbssee.
The Religious Press.
—The Methodist (N. Y.) commands
our respect in the following extract by
its fairness and honesty. Many of the
Northern papers make the impression
on their readers, that with them at the
North, there is no intimidation of vo
ters, and that with ns at the South
there is nothing but intimidation. The
truth is, that there never has been a
warmly contested election in this, or in
any other country, without more or
less of fraud. We have always believ
ed, that in this respect we are quite as
good as our neighbors, and that is
not claiming much. The day when
all this wrong will cease, will not dawn
until the prayer, "Thy kingdom come,”
is fully answered. But hear the out
spoken Methodist :
There is the strongest reason for believing
that the object of the marking (tickets) is of
the nature of intimidation. Our friend, to
whom we ref i red in the second paragraph
ol this article, declares that he was socially
and profession illy punished for his vote in
1876, and that he did not vote in 1878 be
cause he “could not afford it.” This, again,
is the inildes' form of the evil we are con
sidering. The big ba lot in Massachusetts
may have been devised for innocent pur
poses.
i [He refers to the Republican ticket
i used in Massachusetts which was
i twelve inches long by six inches wide,
and 1: ,d a flaming pink border, the
' object of which was to prevent secrecy.]
I Consider, however, that an employer of
' labor might have used these ballots to secure
the voting of his men. Capital and labor
were at war. It is charged by Gen. Butler
th it capital intimidated labor. We know
. nothing of the evidence, but this injmense
ticket suggests reflection. We readily con
cede that worse tilings are charged in South
Carolina, and we believe there is some truth
in the charge. .What is important now—and
we believe it has no partban squint—is to
arrest attention upon the use which may be
made of a marked ticket. Either party may
compel colored men to vote as i' ordains if it
cm mark the ticket-. Every community,
North or Sou'h, has a proportion of de
pendent laborers, professional men and clerks,
who are no longer free to vote ns they choo-e
if the secret ballot no long-r exists We
have not the smallest doubt chat intimida
tion prevails on a vast scale, is more or leas
i present in every election in every State, and
that the ma’ked ball t is the effective instru-
, ment of these outrages.
—We know very little of election
tricks, nor is it likely that anything
• wVttuy. **y will reacfi tbo.Hye <4 aty
who manipulate such 'fiiatKhsf putt it
Occurs to us, that when the opposite
party in Massachusetts, discovered the
tactics above described, they might
have flooded the country with tickets
of exactly the same size and color, and
this would have countered the shallow
device effectually. A dozen printing
presses can get of! a good many tickets
in an hour or two.
The same paper gives most excellent
counsel in the extract which we copy
! below. We are glad that such sound
doctrine is inculcated by a paper
which has such large Circulation at the
' North as our esteemed contemporary
| the Methodist; and we do what we can
I to give it circulation at the South, by
| presenting it to our readers, with the
' hope that all who tead will apply the
lesson to themselves, and hot to their
! neighbors. Here it is :
It is a common device of Satan to interest
individuals and communities n the wicked
nesi of other persons and places; aod this
>eni|>er is usually manifested inclose connec
tion with self adulation. When a noted
preacher set himseW to show how wicked
' New York is, he very naturally fell into a
( strain of extravagant encojiium regarding
the superior virtue of his own city. The
I err r is a grave one, and it violates the
plainest teaching of our Saviour, who, in
more than one form, teaches self-inspection,
and condemns the«crutiny of our neighbors.
Tlie beam and the mote, the order that the
sinless should cast the first stone, and other
passiges, contain the les-on we are now con
sulering. If some of our Fiodern people had
lieen present on a memorable occasion they
would nor have gone. Ujt o e by one, but
each wiFild have grattfed a stone, hurled it,
and considered that valiant attack on a sin
ful fellow creat'ire to lie the sufficient proof
of Ms own puri y. '
We are set to house c eaning at home be
cause we alone know where the dirt ready s.
We are poor judges of the need of house
cleaning abroad, becanKe we do notriive in
the spiritual houses of our neighbors. Anil
it is plain that, if we will, we can purify our
own dwellings, while the effort to do work
f the same kind abio ul must spend itself in
tiselem denunciation. If we were permitted
Io believe that others’■ breasts are very un
clean, no good need be expected from violent
language aliotil it. SoHeitude for their well
b ing *i> ‘not lie apt intake the form f ob
jurgation. We liny tendetly help lh«m,
we may seriously reason with them; but
denunciation is n t our calling of God in
Christ Jesus.
A sound peisomd life nnd n large charity
are apt to go together as cause and i flbct
The m n who bigins his religious life and
prosecutes it in attempts to prove the sinful •
ties* of others, begins and continms an un
christian course. Self-scrutiny is our bus
iness, and by self-cure we an- really curing
our fellows. The trouble given to keeping
the lump burning within is profitable be
cause the light ot our life shines on the road
to God The pains wc take to be right our
selves are rewarded by our becoming guide
boards that pointtoward heaven Make the
light within burn strong and high, and that
light will expose to other men their sin and
need more effectually than any declamation
against the beams in their eyes, or any facil
ity in hurling stones at those who have
sinned.
Whole No. 2358.
—The Standard (Baptist, Chicago,)
has this to say aliout "Evangelism :”
If there were some wav to lay out upon
neglected and destitute fields in the newer
est the zeal, and the preaching tnlent. and
the effective methods of some of t ese breth
ren, that would be “evangelism” in t e true
sense of the word, and a c eck might be thus
placed upon lie tendency which judicious
brethren look upon with so no eh distrust,
to make over the evangeli t into a profes
sional revivalist, and nurturein thechurehes
the notion that souls can be saved only un
der the preaching of a partimflar class of
men, and only at certain seasons of the yew*,,
Therein reason for what has ben written'*
and said upon this phas* of the subject; and
it is one that should cominsnd the attention
of thoughtful Christians everywhere.
The Index has observed that some of
the most zealous of these evangelists
do not go to the “neglected and desti
tute” places, but are generally found
in places where there are plenty of
other preachers, and often good pas
tors ; in places where they are sure to
be well housed and well fed, and well
paid. And sometimes they resort to
other devices altogether outside of
preaching, or any other religious ser
vice, to get money! This phase of the
subject demands thoughtful attention.
The above remarks are not, intended
for any to whom they do not apply.
—The Christian Observer (Ky.)
would seem to have been making a
tour of observation in Georgia. Hear
him:
But there is a great danger connec ed with
joining the Church. It is vey easy to con
sider joining he Church as the end of relig
ion. If they jo n the Church, many seem to
think, they are perfectly safe. They have
ncthi tig mure to do. Thencefurtti they are
to go to heaven a- a matter < f course. Join
ing the Church is made the goal of religious
activity.
This is the gre«t test between true and
false revivals of religi n. When the ener
gies of the preacher are concentrated on this
object, when his exhortations look only to
this, when the efforts of the congregation are
directed chiefly to swelling the lists of c iu
municants, it is a false revival, a curse to the
community, the murder of souls. For after
the converts have been receiv'd, they will
find that they are the same as they were be
fore. The old temptations have lost none of
their power. It is no easier to resist them.
I They have been deceived. Ihe Church,
and not Christ, his been held up as the
Saviour, and the Church has no power to
save, lheir bright hope- boon vanish.
They think that they know all the aid there
I is in religion, and there is no help in joining
I the Church. Their names are sfieedily
I -4, frinn th« church books, and they- are
i U* « wo*Se cotKftioo than they wre before.
■ln a true revival, the effort is to persuade
men to faith towards Christ and repentance
towards God, by all the terrorsuf ihe law
and the promises of the gospel. In a false
revival, the eflort is to induce men to conre
to the anx<‘ us bench, snu to join the Church.
—The Texas Baptist Herald hits this
to say about the support of pastors by
country churches:
But is it possible for country churches to
support a minister ? As a general rule we
believe it is. Under the Jewish economy
every man gave a ten h of iris gross income
to the service of God. Now if a church has
in its mvmbeiship ten families, and each one
should give a lenth to the ci.ureh, then they
would have nine-tent' s left for family sup
port. The minister would have nine-tenths
for his supp rt, as much as the membersand
al-o a tentn to give to the work of the Lord.
I'his c uld be done without the use of much
money. Have the minister settled in tha
community. Give him corn, meat, peas,
potatoes, etc These things cannot always
be converted into money, but they are iust
what the preacher wotil l be ‘-ompelled to
buy if the members should pay him tho
money. It may be said that if the church
membership was poor, as is the case with
many country churches, that a tenth of their
small incomes would not provide an
’ support for the pastor. He would have
amount that would be the av,rage of what 1 3
his members lived on. and no minister should
wish for more If them* mb rship was well
off he could live well, and if poor, he should
live like them, or he is not worthy of his
position.
A church w th less than ten families should
tin te with some other, except in extreme
ca-es, as missionary churches. If churches
would pay in kind, and each member give
in proportion to income, and the minisU’r not
expect to live like the He' csto' he members,
but on an average with his people, this dif
ficult qu stion woubt be met. An -- church
with ten families, then, however poor they
may be. cm sustain a pastor on an a 'erage
with ihe membership. It is no a question
of ability, but of proper in tructiou and aelf
consecruticn In the early sett einent of the
colonies this phin was pu'sued, ami th peo
ple, as poor a- any community in Texas,
sustained sett ed pastors in their midst. It
can lie done now with s little teachi- g and
system. Let it be understood that the church
is willing t i give such as its m'tubers have,
nd that each one, however poor, w>il bring
in the tithes, and the churches will be sup
plied. There may be a few men who will be
driven fr >m the ministry by the phut, lut
the sooner such leave it, l>e better. Let it
lie understood th it to be a church member
means to help supply the chu ch with regu
lar s- rvices. and the work will be done. A
few limy refuse to join a church where sonic
t' ing more is meant than mere re-pectabilit)
and social position, but the church will be
better oil without such tnemliers than with
them. It may be said these ideas are old
fogyish and behind the »ge A'l change is
not improvement, and the crying destitution
from hundreds of destitute country places
should teach us that something is wrong in
the present customs of our churches and
preachers. With exception o< mission sta
tions every church is able to sustain a min
ister, and should do it. We hope to hear
that some church, we care not how [>oor, has
tried the plan, and should it fail, we pledge
ourself to support a preach* for them one
year at our own exjieniie '