The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1867-02-27
FoR THE CENTRAL PREsBYTERIAN.
Ministerial Support.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala, 18Th FeJ., 1867.
Rev. and Dear Brother,-Your correspon-
dent Cfamer in his excellent articles on Min
isterial Support, has made the distinction SO
strangely lost sight of, lin other relations al
SOL between the Kingdom Of Christ which is
spiritual and "not of THIS ,corld, 4. e. the
kingdom of regenerated souls, the kingdom OF
faith, virtue, knowledge, patience, temperance,
brotherly kindness, charity, all under the spe-
cial grace of the unseen Spirit; and, that or
ganized form, which as Of his -aoorld which,
like the body to the inner spirit, takes care of
it, in things of time and sense. That organi.
zation, which, in Bible, and common sense,
has to watch, and see what the "po,oers that
be" are doing in their constitutions, laws and
acts, touching the Church to see to it, what
worldly goods are wanted, what charters to hold
lands or money, what houses, what contracts
to build them, what gifts to be secured, what
sustentation funds to be collected, what obi
cations to be made between pastor and people.
In all these things, the Kingdom of God, is Of
THIS ,oorld This distinction being every where
recognized in the New, as well as the Old Tes-
lament, have no belief at all in an article Of
the Free Christian Commonwealth, to the ef-
feet that ministerial support, and every other
call for money, should be left to depend en-
tirely upon the mere free-will offering of the
people, without any sort of worldly contract
whatsoever. That idea, truly, is in perfect ac-
cord with the notion that Christ's Kingdom is
altogether spiritual, and has nothing to do with
worldly things. But it is an idea which leaves
out half tile .ti,ct, or at least substantial part,
which has always been, and must always be o,
his aeozlI This, .cxtreaie thought has, it
seems to me, been conceived under the excite
ment produced by the unchristian course Of
the Northern Church in carrying out Their per.
cerston of the true worldly rights of the king
dom of God, and its liberty of action. 1t il
the effect mainly of indignant revulsion from
that monstrous contempt of Christian wisdom
and love in the whole Northern mind. But
the pendulum of reason has swung, and
is still swinging among us, far beyond the tenn
perate zone of Southern calmness. 1t viii
swing back.
Having said thus much, for the present, OF
the abstract idea of what the Church can anc
must do, in its aoorldly organization, return
to Crdmer, and other writers on Minis
terial Support. THE thing wanted, is some
rule of action which will work easily, anG
alwayseo realize the money the people have
bound themselves to pay, and are able to meet
Nothing has as yet been suggested which {
business man would say was the way to do til,
thing; will, therefore, offer you one way, fol
the whole Church, every where, and always
which I know will work. l tried it for severa
years before the war, in the collection of sub
scriptions to a Benerolnt Society, with mos
satisfactory results And, it is now securing
the pastors salary here, without let or hin
drance.
The rule is this That the salary be pait
quarterly and in advance. Say, the salary
year begins the first of January Then let thu
collection for the first quarter, and every ont
following, be taken up IN the church, the frs
Sunday; of which collection notice is to be Civ
en- the Sabbath before. The payment of eacf
one indebted, to be enclosed IN an enrelope, OF
other paper, the back ~hereof to haze on 1t til,
name of The person, IN his handwriting, tn
sun enclosed, and addressed to the treasurer.
Now, Mr.. Editor, when that box, bag, plate
or hat, goes along slowly and persistently by
pew or bench, Messrs. A, B, c, D, E, F, G.
H, I, J, X, L, NJ, N, soiW hare their mone
ready. Messrs O and p, and Mrs. @. may b
absent the first time, or may have forgotten til.
notice. Well, that is provided for thus. The
Sunday after the collection, let the proper per
son announce that, the fe,e who we're absent, OF
had not remembered, will be pleased to come
prepared the nert Sunday. And, to help thei
memories, let it be known, from the proper
person, that blank envelopes, with the name
of the absent, and the sums due, haze been lief
an their pe,cs, or regular seats. Mr.. Editor
the money ,ciV be Jorthcomingi
The compulsory power of the rule is in the
fact that the payments have to be made in the
house of God, on the Sabbath day, in time Of
worship and before everybody. Yea, and il
is rather more than the meanest christianized
human nature, of man or woman, can bear UP
under. Why, Sir, when that box, bag, plate,
or hat, begins to move, and stops at each seat,
and says,-not to be then and there denied
"pay what thou Quest to Christ, here IN his
house, and on his dag, and in the pause of has
praise" and, when hundreds of eyes are look
ing to see who puts in the envelope, and who
declines-the test ,cork;s to a charm Mr.. o.,
and Mr.. p, and Mrs. O., when they come,
the next Lords day, supposing that, surely
the bitterness Of death has passed, " will know
that, nor, at least, all see what they did not
see before, under the old system, Of subscrip-
ton, or pew rent, who don't pay. Yea,
moreover, Mr.. O., and Mr. P, and Mrs. G.,
have felt, already, the insupportabe torture Of
those tongues, which, this time, had been
"set on fire" of just and untameable sever
ity. Truly, Mr.. o., and Mr.. P, and Mrs. O.,
will pay. Indeed, Mrs. g., will send her
money before the next Sunday.
Mr.. Editor, this rule will work, in town and