The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-03-01
Paving Ministers.

"
ical fraternity, who could not "a tale uniold'
ON this humiliating subjectl IN the hope that
AN adequate remedy may be SldwScl to q Ia
grant evil, We place In our editorial columns
the following pungent and truthful remarks of
our honored friend "Kirwan," and trust that
our readers will ''mark, read, learn, AMI in
warliy digest" the saias:
Some congregations, says DR.. Murray, COM
mence hinking about the collection OF the SAL
ary on the day II should be paid, aud pay part
of II few weeks amer. A part VI the salary
Of each quarter Is permitted TO run into tho
next, until the parish Is hundreds Of dollars in
debt to the pastor. What now Is 10 be dOnet
To sue for Il would seem hard; 10 insist ON It's \
payment would be unpopular; "a permit II 10
increase would be adding To the evil; to cancel
IL. or dissolve the pastoral relation, IL the only
alternative! States cannot repudiate without
losing their character, but churches think Moth
ing Of II. And thus parishes will cheat their
minister, who would not think VI cheating the
carpenter that built their church, or the sex
ton thst takes care VI H. This, IN many cases,
is owing more to neglect and inaiten,ion, aud
the want Of spirit In the officers VI the church,
than to any purpose to wrong the pastor, and
may therefore be remed,e1. A young man set
tied over a church notorious for the pI aciice ~
starving out the minister; when the brst quar-
ter's salary was due, the treasurer came Nth
part VI IL, promising the remainder In short
time.
"IIave failed in any Of my duties," said
the pastor.
"Then," sarfhe to the treasurer, "you must
not fail In yours. You have promised to pay
me my salary quarterly, not part " II; 1want
all Of IL. and will take none Until paid all. !"
The treasurer retired somewhat mortified. IL
not yexei, by the interview. lie soon returned
and paid all. The salary was aaerwari paid
punctually. TO the comfort VI the pastor aud
to the delight of the people. The starvation
process was stopped. A pastor Of church In
New England. years ago,, sen, for one Of tho
professional reyiyalists with which the church,
es were more infested then than now. Before
CON mencing his operations, he learned that tho
church was running yearly In debt to the pas
tor, and was very remiss In meeting their en-
gagements with him. His first address to tho
people was ms follows:
"YOu have sent for me here to preach you,
AMI TO pray that the Lord may revive his work
among you. You have tailed In your promises
To pay your pas or's salary, and the Lord new
er blesses q lying people. icu must confess
before ! begin my work, for ! cannot ask tho
Lord to revive his work In lying congrega-
tion."
This Is one Of the best things ever heard ~
that class OF ministers; the people paid their
minister, AMI great revival followed!
The priyations suffered by ministers becaus
OF the neglect Of their prompt payment, ar
very great. We have known some to sell the
best books from their libraries In order to meeit
current expenses, when the church owed them
hundreds Of dollars. We have known souio
compelled to keep their children from school
because they could not pay their teacher. We
have known m excellent pastor AMI preacher
compelled to borrow from his brother minister
twenty five cents TO get his letters from the post
office, before the law VI prepayment Was en-
acted. Such things are q shame and reproaeh
to congregations bearing the name Of chris
tian.
And so are the ways and customs that OBJ
tain In "paying salary" The people pay In
the produce Of their fields and cattle. and
charge The highest price. Or they supplements
q miserable salary by an annual "bee, Vt ",is-
it," tor which every man, woman and child
every saint and sinner in the parish--is solicit
ed to give something to the poor minister. Why
should not n pastor stand on the rame plat
form. as to his support, rs does the doctor, or
lawyer, or magistrate, or town clerk Aud
the meanness OF some persons toward their min
lister Is almost beyond belief
Glow much Is your oats busheIV' sail
pastor TO one Of his wealthy farmers, as he was
riding along by his door.
..Thrce shllings," was the reply. twas sell
ling for -. 81. in the store.
"Send me six bushels" send the minister;
md rs he rode on he noted the bargain with
pencil In his pocket-book. The pencil.aark
vas faint, and the entry was overlooked. At
he end Of two years the collector said TO him,
mir. H. has not paid his pew-rent Tor now
light quarters; he says be has an account with
lou; that you owe him for oats" AZ once re-
Numbering the transaction, he rodeio his boufe
md paid him, he charging two years interest
~ eighteen shillings.
After some more dunning he paid bis back
,ew.rent, with some grumbling, but paid no
interest on IL All such men should be er-
,elled from the church Of God; they arc too
mean TO bs respectable sinners, much less 10 DO
christians.