The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-12-02
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
Ministerial Liberality.

a brother minister on the Sabbath on
which the collection for the cause of
Education was taken up. 1t is one OF
the largest churches in our bounds, but
its pastor, who is in very moderate cir
cumstances, never has received salary
sufficient to meet his necessary expenses !;
and yet on that Sabbath he and his fami-
ly gave more than one-fourth of the
whole amount collected for the important
cause of Education. And this is not a
solitary case. [ suppose it could easily
be proved, if access could be had to the
facts, that the ministry, as class, give
in proportion to their means, vastly more
than any others, to the various benevo-
lent operations of the Church. And
this is the case, too, where insufficient
salaries are given, and great selfdenial
has to be exercised.
A case has recently come to my know
ledge, which is very instructive, as Illus
trating this very point showing that the
ministry are far more ready to make
sacrifices in order to preach the Gospel
than the people are to have the Gospel
preached to them.
In letter received lately from wor-
thy brother, who has been. laboring for
years in the far South, he gives me this
statement: 81 have been preaching sew
enteen years, and have kept an accurate
account of all monies received and ex.
pended during that time. For the sew
enteen years l have received $6,833, for
preaching the Gospel. This is an aver
age of $4O2 year; but of this 1 have
given to benevolent and charitable OBJ
jects 5000 a year-the one-half of my
salary. In order to preach the Gospel
during these seventeen years / have been
at an expense of $12,S60. This is an
average of $3.50 each year. The differ
ence between my income for preaching
($4O2) and my outlay in preaching
(759) is 1855 each year. So you see l
have had the privilege of paying every
year, for seventeen years, 1855 out Of
my own pocket, over and above all that
l have received. 1t is true, that is not
much to give to the Church; but it
amounts to $6,O35 over and above my
time, my labor and everything else
Now in this brothers charge there
were men more able in a worldly point
of view to give for the support of the
Gospel for their own benefit, than he was
to give in order that they might have
the Gospel.
This case is by no means singular
one. Multtudes of such cases exist all
over the land; and we have occasion to
bless God that it is so-that He has
given the Church ministry who will
preach the Gospel at their own charges,
rather than not preach it. But is it
right that the Church should thus treat
her ministry? Is it right for any people
who are able to pay for the preaching Of
the Gospel to be really objects of charity
to their pastors For instance-is this
right or honorable: Here is charge
consisting Of some eighty families; none
wealthy, but all enjoying good liVeli-
hood They give their pastor $500 a
year, or an average of $40 per family.
But upon the closest economy he cannot
live on less than 81, 900, so that he gives
out Of his own pocket 5000 year for
the privilege of preaching to them the
Gospel.
The eighty families give in an average
of $40 per year; the one family-that
of the pastor too-gives 5000.
Now this is not an imaginary case-ii
the churches of our land would examine
carefully this matter, many of them
would find that they are suffering this
very thing to exist in their midst. With
in my own limited range l could name a
number of cases even worse than the one
supposed.
Now the cure for this, verify believe
is simply to get the people to look calm
ly and honestly at the matter; and il
the hope that some congregations might
be induced so to do, have written thus
much. N. P.