Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1856-02-07
For the Times.

The following from the Presbyterian,
with slight emendation, will be duly appre-
ciated by the just and equitable, and will not
be out Of place, take it, in your useful and
most respectable paper,
PLAIN LETTER TO ANY CONGREGA-
TON WHOM IT MAY SUIT.
Dear Brethren: The writer of this, though
not favored with your personal acquaintance,
would nevertheless be glad to exchange with
you friendly situations; and if you are pros
porous, to congratulate you; and if suffer-
ing adversely either temporal Or spiritual, to
unite his prayers with yours for a better
state of things. But waving for the pre-
sent particular reference to your spiritual
Estate, except the e,thortotio-r Ito love and
| to good works. he desires, in the present
address, to institute, in a friendly way, a
few plain and familiar inquiries respectin G
the temporal affairs of your minister,
You are aware, Cor ought to have been
aware that previously to the present high
rates Of Hring, his salary was scarcely SUI
fcient to meet his annual expenses. Have
you inquired whether his present receipts
do fully relieve his jest and reasonable wants?
Having been compelled the past year to re-
trench in the several items of household ex-
penses and books, has not such necessity
seriously affected the comfort Of himself and
family? Have you inquired whether your
minister has not against him long unpaid
merchants and grocers' bills without the
present means for liquidation? If so, are
you very sure that you are in no wise at
| fault in this matter? How is it with his
meat-house and in the meat market 2
Have not some of you or of your children
overheard the tradesman or the creditor re-
marking to some ungodly neighbor, that
your pastor, though he purchased but little,
was the slackest paying customer he had
How is it with the aeo,1robe of your minis
ter and family? His wife and children ap-
pear comfortable in their Sunday clothes, D
which is perhaps the only occasion on which
some of you see them; but what is the con-
dition of their stock of ''every day clothing?
Have you lately taken the trouble Of look
ing Gas generous and considerable friends)
into your minister's provision for comfort
as we'll against the rigours of the times as
the rigours Of the season? In his endea-
YOURS to replenish his store of provisions,
(that he may not be justly adjudicated
':worse than an infdel, y have you inquired
whether he is compelled, on account OF
straitened resources, to obtain such small
quantities as make his purchases greatly dis
advanta geous; or if he purchases on credit,
(Which is nuisance and sore burden to
him, to compel him to pay advanced prices
Now allow me to ask you Individually
whether you have lately made these and
such like inquiries? [ have no doubt your
minister has often suffered on most Or all
these points from the want of your prone1
information, as to his condition. For feal
of being regarded mercenary, (to the re-
proach and injury of his holy calling, anc
from his own native and cherished delicacJ
of feeling, he may have--nay, often has,
refrained from complaints; while God knows
that in the event of his being laid aside from
his labours, his family could not subsist ;
month without drawing upon the charity o
their friends, or the public Of certainty
our divine and blessed Master never mean
that they who preach His Gospel should Sc
olive of the Gospel"
Now, dear brethren, by taking little
trouble in the way of inquiry. you would b,
able to understand the wants of your minis
ter; and by few timely perquisites from
your abundance. you would cheer his heart