The American herald of liberty — Exeter, N.H., 1793-07-30 00:00:00, page 1

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The American Herald of Liberty.
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EXETER (New-HaTnpjhire) Printed arid' Pubiiflied by He^Ry Ka^l&T, in Main-Street, at fix Shillings and eight pence per annum.
. » t ■• , * J • ' '•• , ■ ’ ' .J • '
Volume VIII.]
[The following is part of a SERMON, which
was preached by a worthy. Baptifl Minister,
in England, t6Bl taken from Mr.Ke a c h 's
Metipnors, page 2 fl, and inserted in the
Minutes of the . Warren Association, held al
• the Buptift Mceing-Hofe tn Sturbridge,
V B 9- ; ——— A
SERMON 4 .
ill Cor. ix. 14. . Even So hath the
LORD ordained, That they which
preach the GofpelShould live of the
Gospel.
THESE words call not only for the
maintenance of Ministers, but sot
such plinriful contribution, as
may make them partakers with
you in all good things. If God
bless the congregation with a plentiful por
tion of this world’s goods, it is their dory to
make rheir Minister a party with them in their
flouriftiing condition. and confideiing rhe
place and employment he is in, and the ser
vice he attends, it would be extremely on,
worthy to think you have done enough, if his
prefling necefficies be answered, while you
abound in fuper^uities. If the congregation,
be poor, their Minister muff be content to be
poor with them, yea, rejoice to approve him
a Minister of Christ, by hunger and naked
ness, if the Providence of Ged call him there
to : but whilst it is in the power of your hand
to provide better for him, • God expeds it
from you(; and be rot deceived, God is not
mocked, neither will he fofler his commands
to be fligbr^d and evaded without rendering a
just rebuke to the offends ; for whatfiever
a man joweth, that (hall he aldo reap.
‘ Now that you may the better understand
how far you are concerned in this duty, before
I proceed to rhe further piaffing of it, let me
pur you in remembrance i
' 1. Tftat a minister is bound to attend
wholly and only upon bis calling in the min
istry, and not to entangle himfelf in the af
fairs of life, that he may please him by whom
he is called to his spiritual warfare—-and.no-t
thing but real neceflity may dispense with the
contrary. His whole time and ftrengch is
little enough to be employed in the work &
service he is called to. He mult give him*
felf to the ministry of the word, and prayer ;’
and continue in reading, meditation, &c. as
a man wholly devoted to gofpei-ferwice; and
. is therefore, by his call to the ministry, fe
eluded from those ways and means of provid
ing for his own subsistence, as the trades and
i'ecular employments of others furnift them
with, that his mind, by the cares of worldly •
business, may not be diverted from that study
of God’s word, and care of fouls, which the
duty of his ftayon engageth him to. And if
he may not expose himfelf to the careful
thoughts that accompany worldly business,
though tending to his profit ; certainly it is
no way meet, that he ftiould be left eon
flid with the thorny cares of a neceflitous
condition, whilst those he ministers to, have
means to prevent it.
2. It is no less the duty of a minister, than
of other men, to provide for his family, and
(what lies in him) to take care of his , wife
and children, that they may not be exposed
to a thousand miseries and temptations, when „
heisgone. I confefs,of all tpen ip the world,
a covetous, raking temper worst becomes a
Minister; but we greatly miftaice,if we think
he must divest himfelf of the due affeftion of
an husband towards his wife, or of a father
towards his children ; or, that these fruits
thereof, which are joflly esteemed commend
able in others, Ihbuld be a fault in him.
3. An Elder, or.Bifhop is under a spe
cial charge to use hospitality, and to set in
himfelf a pattern of charity,and compassion
ate bounty to poor fouls ; and if it be his
duty to be hospitable and charitable in an'
eminent degree, theft without dontroverfy
the people are concerned to endeavour that
he may be capable of giving proof of this
grace 4n him, by the exercise of it as there
is occasion, ’ , 7
• These things being premtfed^ I shall flSew
you, that you lie under the strongest obliga
tion imaginable to this duty :
‘i. By the law of nature.
<2. By the express command and ap
pointment of Christ.
*3. Oh the account of the great and
manifeft evil and inconvenience,that follows
the negled thereof
* Fifft ; The law and light of nature o i
bligeth you to it, as to the matter of equity
and jnftice. And from hence our Apostle
takes his firft plea, in 1 Cor. ix, 7, &c. Who .
goeth a warfare any 'time at his o^un charges -H.
Who planteth a ^vineyard, andeateth not of the
fruit thereof ? Or who feedeth aflock, and eat,
eth not of the milk of theflock ? 'The ministry
i a warfare, uukertaken at the command of
Christ, for the service of your fouls; and it
as reasonable that the ministry ftiould re*
ceive a supply of outward things from, you,
as that a faithful fol di er ftiould receive his
pay from his captain, at the charge of^he
Com mon weal th. for whole good he militates.
Shall a man feed a flock, (as a Pastor does)
and i>e denied to eat,of the milk of that
flock, which it is his work to keep and feed ?
Or, is it confident with juftice^ todeprive
a man of the fruit of that vineyard, which
is planted and manured by his own labour ?
Such is the case, in refpefl of maintenance,
between a minister and the people. It is not
your charity that I a(k for him, but juflice
and debt that I plead for : He is employed in .
your service, and’ of right ftiould live
upon your charge ; Nay, you have called
him off from other business, and therefore
h, s maintenance is due from you, ns is the
wages of your servant; though I fear fame
give more to the meanest servant in their
house, ihan they aje willing so do to their
minister. Certainly, if you chufe as you
ought, your ministers are not of the lowest of
people, but may be allowed to have a (hare
of parts, common prudence, and ability for
business, with other men ; and could m^bage
, trades, or fall into other employments, and.
get estates as well.as you,if they were not de
moted to a better (emice : And must they needs
be devoted to neceflities and misery, in the
fame hour that they enter upon the|miniftry?
My brethren, this ought not to be. Let your
ministers hav€ as good a treatment at least
as the law provided for the Ox that treads out
the Corn, who might not be wu%%led. Nei
ther was this written for the fake of oxen ;
for, aoth God take care of oxen 1 or were there
; no higher end of this law,than that the bru:e
creature ftiould not be abused ? Certainly
there liras ; ^ind for our fakes no doubt 4vas
this written, that he that ploweth, Jhould
ploms in hope I and he that threjheth in hope
jhould be partaker of his hope ; For if we have
down unto you spiritual things, is it a great
thing if we /hall reap your carnal things ?
♦ Secondly ; The Lord hath not left us to
argue this only from general principles of
reafon,and common ecquity ; but, to put the
matter beyond dilpute, hath fuprradded his
express command. Thus he provided for his
ministers in the time of the law, which the
apostle urgeth in the next place, 1 Cor. hr, 13,
Do ye not know, that they which mini Her about
jooly things, Udte of the things of the temple ?
and they which wait at the altar, are parta
kers with the altar ? God did no sooner Sep
arate the Levices to the service of the Sanc
tuary, but he by law provided fay their
subsistence ; and though they were but one
tribe in twelve, yet the tenth of the increase
of the whole Land was given to them, be
sides the firft-fruits and offerings and divers
other advantages ; so that their lot might e
qual, yea, exceed that of their brelhrep.-
This law is now abrogated, and we pretend
td no right of tithing your estates ; but rhe
moral ecquity of it can never ceaie : Neith
er hath Christ 14ft gospel-ministers to the
wide' world, but hath made provision for
them also, so far as the intereftof his com
mand will go with them that profefs his name;
for sq it follows, v'. 14. Even Jo hath the
Lord ordained, that they which preach the
goffel, jhould live of the gospel. The labour
er is (till worthy of his Hire, and not the Jess
worthy, because he labours in the gospel.—- •"
Though indeed (ff men did fully come up tb
their duty, yet still) the charge of gofpel-'
worfliip will appear very inconsiderable,
when compared with that qf the law jj for^
were that my bufinefsj think Icould demons
ftrate, that the fifth part of their estates was
yearly to befpent inthings relating to thse ;
temple-service. And if we .are sensible of the .
great privilege and blessing of the gospel, on
higher accounts than merely the ease of those
burthens, we shall never think much to'de
fray, the moderate charge of a gospel minis
try, in such a manner .as to give reputation ’
Jo our profeffion.
* Thirdly ; Tha^you may prevent the e
vil and inconvenience that follows’ the ne
gle£t of this duty, it concerns you cheerfully
to pradife'it: I might havefaid, evils and
inconveniences, as of many, for many there
are, and those of easy observation to an bh
prejudiced eye ; bur it is the difeeuragement
of Study, which at prefen.t I chiefly aim at.
That Study must need^^e(l
intend the Study of ?^eol4rg^B^ ^nr 3 £eo
plc’s neg led to make a comfortable pruvi-
T U E S D AY, July 30, 1793.
JL A. A. .a. .. A. X.
t fion for their misters, is tod evident so re- '
quire a proof. Who will apply himfelf to
gather and lay bp those stores of (olid learn-,
jpg, which arc heedful to a mtnfter, when he
can exped to* porch’jfe nothing to himWf ft .
but poverty and distress thereby i Gt, ' hqXA ,
shall a mihifter be capable to foruifh him fell
with univerlal knowledge of things'relating
- to this worknfrat hath nojmeatis'Vor provi
d;ng forbis own inferrmotion, ‘or no time
frte from cares and worldly business ? And
the difadvautage pf this will at last fall to the
Lare of the people tharh? ministers unto
He that confiders, that the holy scrip ures
were originally written in Hebrew and
Greek, muftha've an hard forehead, if he
dens the ufefufnefs of learning to a minister;
befides,many.other things there are that call
for it, in reference to ihe opening of the
scriptures, which! teannot now insist upon^
Ard it is not without diligent and continu
ed Study, that the deep things of God can
be fearthed opt, and so proposed to you, as
to enrich your min'd with the clear and fol id
knowledge of them. I confefs, a little lear
ning, and Jess Stud), may furnifh 3 ' a ,man
with such a difeourfe. as may pleife feme
weak peTons, * that pdge of a Sermon By
the loudness of the .voice, and' affeclionaie ,
sentences, or'ean fancy themselves to be fed
with the afties of jingling words, and Ca- X ..
deucy of terms in a difeourfe. But. alas I
the feetning warmth ofWeflion that-is stir- *
ed by such means, is as fhart-liv’d as a land- .
flood that hath no spring ro feed it. He that
will do the.fouls o^his people good, and ap.
prove himfelf a pastor aftei God’s own heart,
must feed them with knowledge and under- '
standing, and endeavour to m»intain*a *con
flant zeal and afiiedion in them, by well in
forming their judgments, and Lch an open- '
ing of the mind.of G r d from the Scriptures,,
as may command their consciences; And
this is not to be expefled, but from him that
labours in his study, as well as in the pulpit.
Mistake me not; I know the Sutcefs' and
fruit of all the studies and Labours* of men
that preach in the gospel, is from tiie grace
and power of the holy ghost ; but the assist-
Mnce of the spirit is to be expedited by us rn
tjie.way of our duty. These things might be
yet applied more home to my. prelent pur
pose ; but perhaps some will think there is
too much said already,, (though I heartily
wifll more were not needful) and my time
Calls me to put a- period to this Exercise.”
Two questions yer remain to be considered
which belong to this important fubjeft, viz.
I. In what method may this duty Be dif-’
charged.- 2. To what penalty are members
of churches fubjefted, who, though able,
refnfe to obey this law of jefus Christ ? '
First, -By what method may the churches"
Support the gospel ministry ? *Anfwer» tvCry
Church is at liberty *6 chufe its own me^.od.’
There are three methods whick we beg leave -
to mention. l - -*< 4 " , ’ ■ - • "
1. By;arifolanMiYfubfcTipfiojL B^fit M ha^^^
been foynd by long experience that- this is'
not the most elegrble/ JTf is an eafy/thing '
for a man to sign his came to a paper, but it
has been found extremely'<fiffi;ult>nd'in*ma4*'
ny instances impossible tq obtain rhe money
that Bad been fifbfCrlbed. Hence many mi
nisters have contracted debts towthe support
^df their families, who in confidence of the
money fubferibed, hive been unable <6 pay
them ; And thereby their feelings and their
charaden have been woupded. . • ’
2. A second method is fey -a fund z
in the refpe&ive churches,and approprjati^-
.the anubal inrereft of it rib. tht maintenance-.
of the gospel ministry. . There are jpatry.-
ways by which futh funds may be raifi?d, Y
which will be easy ro the peoplei.,
weekly, monthly, or quarterly aflbciaticpf of
rhe friends of religion, whd'may spend tbcfr*
time at fiiph meetings pn : Tome doiiftrine/<-or
pradice in rhe churches, and at each meet
ing throw into a'comrhbn'ftcck i/. df more
qy ; lefj as fhey ftia,Fagree 4 emoqg themselves.
Flowever small this fund may appear at the
‘ beginning, if^il? in time increase fp nroch.
as to become i^itrer of importance. Such *
perfoni at -have “li in 'thetr p6psei 'in9y give
whiieiivingy or. bequeath at their death cer
rjin sums to be deposited iff the standing
fund.-i-Thus fome'of our churches td tile
Westward support the Gofpel*
A third method is by a, voluntary afTefT
ment upon the estate of each meinber of the
congregation. Let a lift of property be gi
ven in to the Society, and each perfoiTs pfo.
portion of the expence be aicertained by It*
•in this case there will be an .eqaality
each- member of the Society/ Will. bear>^i : s H
p4rt of the burden. Nor can we think-jhei .
any but the covetous will object to it. j /Kelt
man in this case will pay more than he can
afford, according to h^^
2. To whar'penalty Fo those members of
churches fubjed themfeives, who though able
refofe to obey this law of Christ ? Answer,
They fly in the face of.davitje authority ; and
(pre guilty 0/an ad of <difobedience to the*
command of Jefes Christ: and an ad of in
'juftKp to their minifter,\as observed in the
jex.^d ; therefore we believe that they ought
to ^e^deak wjth as any ether delinquent
members- . Moft^erfarply they walk difer
derly V loved .tEeir adorable mafler
and his caul*,.-.cbty wpuljl not refufe to sup
port it according to their ability.
. Thofet peifons who go froth other Societies
to save their money, ought to find no pr ?rec
tlon .ainong the Baptist. churches ; and ue
must believe rhis is their motive, if they refufe
to pay their proportion of the expence’of rhe
gospel among us. ' •
From the NEW- YORK JOURNAL.
0n the San§ Culottes, or Meri
without Breeches.
^ ani Culottes we ‘freautnfly hear in
the accounts frem France Et is a name given
^to certain inhabitants of that Country ; and sol
diers in the army, probably, at flrfl, bv .way of
'^lterijiCn. It is natur-aLJo^enquire, what is the
*rtafon that these men Wear 'no breeches s’ Is it a.
matter of choice cr of necejjitq bat it is a mat
ter pf choice is not .to be /uppofed. France is
an old and civilitced nutlfr ff .Its court was re
snarkable for all- 'the conveniences, elegancies and
flu* uries of life. The' poorer fort, and these in
the most di slant farts o f 'the kinflem, would have
followed thefajhion of tht^icberand those around
the court, had they been abiefl Whence, then,
came the necejflty'of omitting this part of cover
ing ? Certainly from their poverty; and this
again from the opprefans Under which they have
long labored fl he greater part of wbat they
could raifl fro,mTibeir Tndujfry was"exhorted.front
them to rdrry-on ambitious wars, to jurni/fj
(umptuous tables and cojlly apparel for the king
and his. family, the nobility and clergy. When
this exfenjive ejfablijhment i^ lopped of and
equal liberty extended to all, they. will all wear
breeches. • a .. .
■This small cireumflance may give us some
.idea of the wretchedness which flowery brings
upon men* In the finefl joil and mod jalutarj
. cltmatef the bulk of .jbe people, are flarv
ed in [order that a few may -gratify their
< pride and roll in every luxury^ With .wbat
cruel snfults, too, are they repaid F Their ru
lers flrfl deprive them of ihe- means^ and-then,
ridffule-.ihem.i like Pharaoh's tajfmafiers who
refufed thr. Ifraelttes' flraw, and still required
Jhecufutd tale of'.bricksl '
. ~The want of breeches , however, is immate.
rial 1 -as so the- fucctfs- of- the revolution. The
k Americhns wanted j dxEat is v'erje'f Jboes and
ftdekings^': They W^re them o'uf in marching
.tajier their'enemy, as the French, Jaft cam
paigrt, . tore wbat few breecho jhey had in
pursuing- tibt.^tcfir(aits and Prussians. The fans
cuilo\HS 'inaf not appear jo w- ll upon a parhde
day:, but they ' are formiaablefip, the field
-Thotf bufine(P is'^Of jhodv but r'ealitd. The
breechesuf tbein-oaemy do net jerwe'fo flop the
fPo.ifit qf a. bayonet, ddnlF^e Tri^t^ seldom turn
"ihyir.bfiackts. except ^-bf^ntentioually flowing
their pofarngS' to, provoke ^td-aßion the heavy
Germans.- ft■ is- a ■common' f&ytdg with the
Englifl^ands indhejdays of ‘ighbrbhce, believ-^
edin lthjsfiouJdry^r Engliflman is a
" pialch for .flbreefrencbihinfl 'but tfly^rstnee will
. evir~prove i-t fedfet The faying Wasinvent
“ yd,, .and is faund^ecejfafl to byjnculcaied, in.
order tji* i^!pn*e'cowards ' I U/ith' f ntfidgnce.
vpkturt^it ■ here 4nly ‘as a '-tonyejffure, that
• ‘F.dmpkd flprke, vfltn- hi' jaw Hu: (^France the
^fldedi^htful -vtfioiFi vs AntlniettE,^ iSight have
jfem on bis\ toirsy '• the^ifio^ of I a "jcAis culotte ;
afid fufpojir^it^itr bd mea^ by^ of insult
to an 'Eifgliflmumtaluttucb fli' Ty fFyfcQine and
—a- he hat been ripping yiser^ jfiicE' -, »
fl some particular advantages of t fie want of
' hreches might be mentioned', add it might be.
flown, from the examples of the ancient Remans^
the fiigblandetts Ifil-the Savages , that they are by
jnf means.a neceflar^ apparatus for flar; but the
reader will not judge the jubj eEi importfld/ensugh
to be pur/ued farther. (May alhthe Fyencfihavt
breeches to put’on ; other words, may they
fiflily accomplifl the delirnEiiosuofdyrany- .
LETTERS "Remaining in the If oft-Office
firmer, July ij i/qy. 4
Mr.,Nicholas Smith, 2. 7 r ,
Mr. Jbiepb ■ jir'
’ Joh nW. Gilman, Poft.Mafler.■
— i— e .
[Numb. 4