The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-14
RELIGIOUS.
Church Work and How To Do

The following article, from the pen of Rev. Bal
lard 8. Dunn, pastor Of the Episcopalisn Church
at New Iberia, will be perused with much pleas
ure by those of our READERS who are interested il
the subject Of which IL treats:
"Upon the day the week, every of ls
BY him in store God has prospered him VI Gen. XVI
HOW CAN WE REBUILD OUR CHURCH EDIFIcEs
| SUPPORT TIE CLERGY; AND RESTORE TO TIL
1 CHURCH HER PRIMITIVE, AGGRESSIVE CHARACTER
This is the question which Southern churchmer
have now before them, and it is question which
demands our prayerful attention, until some salts
factory solution is reached.
/ have chosen the passage at the head of THU
article es an appropriate one from which to ofel
few thoughts on the subject. -.t.,
Many will doubtless anticipate, upon reading
the passage, that am about to propose return
70 the divine plan for sustaining the church that
Is, to the plan laid down and practiced by inspired
men. This is just what would be glad to see
every churchmsn and every lover Of sound moral.
ty In the land doing, for God certainly knows best
how his church ought to be supported; and as he
10 the author of the apostolic plan, set forth by
St. Paul, we may confidently expect his blessing
upon the means which he has ordained for the
spread and support Of his Gospel.
would remark, at the outset Of this subject,
that the system which We are about to consider.
does not permit rs to sell any portion of Gods
house. nor to give proprietorship, in considera.
equally to all the children Of God, however well
ii may be said TO pay, as the mercenaries of the
church express themselves. Nor does it permit
the very questionable practice Of holding fairs,
concerts, tablesux, and such like nor in fact any
of the many indirect practices so commonly re-
sorted TO as means Of snatching from the IN
wary or beguiling from the parsimonious. that
which they should be taught to give, not grudg-
ingly or Of necessity, but of free heart. into the
the Lords treasury. EL
Nor is the so.called charity sermon or begging
discourse, any part Of the spostolicsl plan /; for
such efforts are always tful, irregular and spas.
modical-marks that sufficiently identify them as
cbinery Of Christ's kingdom. In Lieu Of all these
modern and equivocal inventions for raising the
means TO support the church, let her clergy set
forth and enforce, with the authority that apper.
tains to their office, the plan adopted by her
founders, and We will soon behold her present
sickly, shameful, starvation status, give place to
one Of abundant means and healthful moral vigor
When say let the clergy set forth and enforce
with the authority that appertains to their Office
the plan adopted BY the ch1rch's founders, do
not mean to advocate any of the taxing schemes
Of Rome-nor the assessing" systems of the
church in this country, which are but another way
Of requiring the people to pay-but simply that
they should stand upon the elevated platform
upon which their ordination places them, instruct
ing the people in the things pertaining to the king
dom OF God. III the clergy will but " seek first
the kingdom of God. and His righteousness"
there is no fear but that all things necessary will
be added unto them" But il they forget that
" give " is the word land not "pay,'o that opens
the door for the support Of the church, under the
new dispensation, and straghtwsy begin to
chatter with the pew system and other selfish and
worldly devices of taxation, they had as well
make up their minds that they will never see res
tored TO the church any of her primitive aggres.
sive character.
When the clergy instruct the people in the duty
of giving for the spread of the Gospel, let them fol-
low the apostolic style so nearly that the people
will understand that they are not making de-
mand not asking at their hands gin, but Simply
for the love Of Christ, bidding them to duty,
without the performance of which they have no
certain promise of " salvation and eternal life."
+" Charge them who are rich In this world that they
be ready to give and glad to distribute, laying up
in store for themselves a good foundation against
the time to come, that they may attain eternal
life." Thus wrote St. Paul to Timothy when dwell.
ing upon the subject now under consideration.
Let him that is taught In the word, minister unto
ceived God is not Knocked for whatsoever q man
soweth that shall he reap" that is, he that soweth
little shall reap little, and he that soweth plente
ousy shall reap plenteousy." And what shall they
reap who SOW not at all Alas it is greatly to
be feared lest large proportion ofthose " who pro-
fess, and call themselves Christians" will be nun.
bered with that throng, OF whom our blessed Lord
has said: Not everyone that saith unto me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven
but he that doeth the will Of my father which is
in heaven" If the people be thus instructed, and
these first and only true principles be continually
taught and insisted upon. the means of sggres.
sion will be forthcoming.
But If the leading clergy of the church continue
to so far forget the dignity and purity of their
high calling as to be willing to hold their position
at the pleasure, and lose them at the displessurs
of one or two narrow.minded laymen urged forward
by as many "strong.minded women" where the
pew system has kept the treasure of the Lord
locked up until IL has pleased Him to send
blight upon 1t, the church win still langush, and
tacse clergymen who have not the snowy ability
Or rather exibilty to hold these paying positions
be looked upon by. the laity as semi-mendicsnts.
st. Paul seems to have foreseen, with prophetic |
sye, just what would come to pass In these our |
lays and has left on record in his Epistes, which
ire the heritage OF the church in all eyes, frequent
illusions to the principles that should govern |
Christian liberality. When We read these peril. |
tent allusions or hear them read in the ofertory
II the church as to the proper manner Of support.
ng the clergy, how differently do his views fall
lpon the ear from those which nOwiprevails. / /
ave lately witnessed scene that was well cal
ulated to make 1.-THE earnestminded churchman |
lang his head with shame. was present when, /
fter much preparation and no small amount of |
speech making and "ysrn spinning" /
he bishop of Louisiana, successor of him who /
vrote most Of the ofertory sentences, began to |
cad them to large congregation, but was inter.
upted by some untimely singing. II was painful
indeed, TO listen TO the silly innovation but sbso.
utely disheartening TO behold the combined COM
acency and parsimony Of the people.
When the church asked for the free will offer
ng Of those "who are rich in this worlds goods,r
many dainty hand that sparkled with the re-
ected splendor Of precious stones dropped into
he basin q fraction of dollar-in many Instances |
8 small and base as a nickel five.cent piece. The
bought occurred to me while this scene was pro.
ressing, perhaps this trashy currency and this |
CHASED coin, when compared with what we |
ad in the good old days of the republic, but too !
pity symbolic the degenerate character Of the
Of the nineteenth century as com.
AIRED with that Of pentecostal times.
That just and beathful sentiment, "They that |
reach the Gospel Should rfve or the Gospel is
ell nigh obsolete.
II our people would but give MP their innova |
ions and heed the voice of inspiration, letting the
rinciple which st. Paul sets forth, when he e.y.
upon the first day of the week let every one of
on lay by him in store as God has prospered
i'm, sink deep into their hearts, what change |
'ould come over the church. The discovery of |
be law of gravity did not produce greater
hange in the philosophy Of the world than the
bedence to this simple rule would in the moral
ondtion Of the world.
The wretched, beggarly appeals for Christ, and
DOR, perishing souls, which now fill our religious
reeg and take unueh of the tina nf those |