Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-01-31
nRcItIr ElnINn ~ nl.ll rIAlE.s.


I have BEARD some preacleri.say hey would not
preach n.iless the church peope wqnld pay item.
Or al essti,ie,lge them support. Was this the
spirit AMI practice Of the apostles and FIRST Cum
beriand Presbyterian preachers? Did they prac4
tee on this principle? If they had, we had now
had no Cumberland Prtsiiyierian church. Hav-
ing the spirit of the gospel like fire shut up IN their
bones, they went boldly into the work trusting in
tie Lord of Sabbath. Bat did the reople remun-
crate them? In 827 the Old Cumberland SYNOD
MET at Russelville, Ky. 1t was then and there
stated By Cumberland Presbyterian minister
from Tennessee. perhaps member of the Nash
vile Presbytcry( that the Missionaries in their
Pre-hytery had received fourteen cents per day for
riding and preaching. Do you call this remunera-
ton? Some years previous to that Missionary
reported, in my hearing, that he had not received
one cent for riding and preaching for the last six
MONTHS All the rest had done little better, hay-
ing received small pitance, and one of them went
round with his hat, and they ALL of the little they
had, gave little, and passed over ten dollars to
that brother. About this time another reported
that he had received one saddle girth for his SER
vics. l knew another who after riding and preach
ing twelve month"; had one cut bit in his pocket
only when the time came to start to Presbytery-
MANY readers will not know what cut bit means
In that day the people cut larger pieces of silver
into smaller pieces to make change cut bit
was the eighth part of dollar, called sharpskinl
One of these was all the money he could raise to
start journey of $50 miles. What did he do?-
Why he started determined to go on or fail in the
attempt. He had appointments on the road for
about seventy miles; he followed out to the end,
and it not until the last service was concluded
that the cloud bursted. A friend having learned
his situation made brief statement Of the fact to
the people. In few minutes enough of money
handed over to bear his expenses to Presbyte-.
ry and back to his circuit, where he labored anoth-
er whole year for SO %.
These instances were not rare cases but exam
pies OF what was very common among Cumberland
Presbyterians in early tmes and yet they were not
driven from the field. Do not understand me to
say that the preacher should not be paid, and even
well paid. Surely he has as good right to good
remuneration for that service as any other But
do say that he should give himself as wholly to
the ministry as possible whether he receive little or
much But does It not require more now than
formerly for preacher to get along at all in his
work? BE 1t so, there are great many more men,
bers and much more means in the church to helm
and there is not so great risk to run, if we NAV
so speak as formerly. Many of the old Mission
aries took fields where we had neither members nor
friends and labored until they made them; neither
was there any Missionary society behind to sus-
tain them when they could go no longer; like Paul,
they would go to work with their own hands until
they could 60 again. | never knew man who
adopted the sentiment in the first sentence in this
piece who was of much service to the church, but
l have known some such to give the church much
trouble. What are we to think of men who pro-
ess to be called to preach, but seldom ever do it,
and yet enjoy health and plenty of the comforts of
life? Will God call man to preach when he
knows that his circumstances will be such that he
cannot do it, nor place himself in situation to do
it, When God calls a man to preach does he not
need all his time and talents in the work of the
ministry?
Ministers prepared for the work should endeavor
to seek out and place themselves in situation to
labor all the time for God and the church. | fur.
Their say it is the duty of the church to provide as
far as possible, for the support of the preachers
God has given her. Our church has doubtless suf-
fered, and still is suffering much loss because she
has neglected her duty in this matter. Therefore
many of her able and valuable men are compelled
for time to quit the work in the church and with
their own hands mieister to their own necessi-
ties. Thesethngs ought not to be so. Let us be
sacrificing ministry and people both. So it was in
the Apostolic day.
...-....~ AN OLD CIRCUIT RIDER