Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-06-12
Free Psws.

HOrk C~nufcNNiQN, anu ItCOu1AnCHNA II
to the thoughtful consideration Of the
readers of the APPEAL Of every Chris
tian communion:
In the name Of the Father, ard ofhe
Son, and Of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Recognizing the inherent evils OF
the system OF rented pews, which has
so extensively prevailed IN h Church
for the past two hundred years, and
desiring to do whatsoever heth IN Us
to exclude from the working OF he
Church every principle that fails 10
harmonic with the original organiza-
ton as it came fr n the hands Of
Christ and His Holy Apostles
And with the increasingly numeT-
Gus cuccessful examples, both In
England and in this country, within
the past quarter Of a century, Of the
substitution Of free and open church
seats for the unchuTchly, nay worldly
system Of exclusiveneSs which IS
bound up in the rented pew method.
commend to my flock a similar
substitution in IN Parish Church,
with the following views thereon:
First. That the rented pew system
had its origin in the darkest hour Of
the history Of our Mother Church Of
! England, among the Puritan nOn-cOn-
formists, in a spirit CT pride and OPP
position to the customs Of the Church.
Secondly. This system has, 70 an
| alarming degree, converted the House
| of God into an establishment private
ly owned-intrOducing and cOunte-
! nancing the sin so sternly rebuked by
| ST. James, By practically saying to the
/ rich man: ''Sit thou here In a good
1 place, and to the poor, stand thou
| there. or sit here under my f~OOtstOOl."
| And the rich man accepts the tlattery
and patrOnizes Gods house, and the
poor fings back the insult, and too Of
| ten throws away at the same time, for
himself and his children, all the bles-
sings of our Heavenly Fathers home.
And it excludes as well, the posi-
hility Of obedience, On the part OF
| Gods Priest, to Gods command: go
out into the highways and hedges and
compel them to come in, that My
House be filed"
Thirdly. Apart from the principles
involved, the rented pew system IS a
~wretchedIy cOntrived policy. IL has
signalIy failed as a method Of raising
/ church revenue. FOrthere is scarcely
/ a parish in the whole land, conducted
ON this method, that is not shametully
| deficient in meeting the pecuniary OBJ
| lilo atiOns that lie within its " boz
| ders. to say nothing Of Gods Church
/ outside. a.,
Our plans broaden into symmetrical
prOpOrtions when u personal ag-
| GrandiZement is concerned. They
| Contract into a narTOwness that COM
pels the contempt Of the world when
the claims Of the Church of Christ our
King demand our time and our
money, which are Gods time and
Gods money.
Gods business is conducted by Us
in the most unbusiness-I like manner.
There is too little of that largeness OF
view aud wise Hberality of eXpendi-
ture that characterize the most sue
cessful schemes Of human enterprise.
What, then, must we do? There IS
only one thing we can do. We must
betake ourselves with very plain hon
esty to that prayer which the Church
puts upon our lips; That we may
both perceive and know what things
we ought to do, and also may have
grace and power faithfully to fulfill
the same"
we must get out Of the rut of self
ISL purposes, and purpose something
for Gods Church in some good degree
commensurate with the claims Of that
Church, the character Of its Lord, and
the means He hath given US.
t is not said to US as to that young
man. whom the words turned back
from Christ to the world, go sell al
thou hast and give to the poor, anC
thou shalt have treasure in heaven
But we may well ask OUrselve;
whether through desOlate church
walls. and a cramped ministry, and
ever vanishing opportunities for good.
God is not saying TO Us, sell part o.
what thou hast-make some real,
living sacri6ce-unfOld the napkin in
which thou hast slOthfully and meanly
hid thy talents-While thou hast time
thou msyest not have it long, dc
GOOD to ali men, especially to the
household of faith"
AS a watcher, therefore, for your
souls. as a servant that must give ac-
count, 1 counsel you to be faithful in
this matter.
I remind YOU that every man is
indeed according to that he hath, and
not according to that he hath not. 1
point YOU to that grand sacrifice con-
summated on the first Good Friday,
the source of all other acceptable sac
| rifce. and to the glad triumph of the
first Easter morning as the strongest
incentive to a life ever new. l direct
you to the principle which Qet no man
deceive YOU with vain Words shall
govern the awards OF that fearful, hnal
Judgment summed up in the words,
- 10 I'D ffff 0nh AAfnnn-
much as We did it not"
By the Holy Incarnation OF the Son
of God; by His Baptism, Fasting and
Temptation; by dis Agony and
Bloody Sweat; by His cross and Pas
sion; by His Precious Death and
Burial; by His Glorious Resurrection
and Ascension; and by His Second
Coming to Judge the Living and the
! Dead according to the deeds done in
ne bOdy-I e%ntreat, l charge you to
he faithful in this thing.
T1ke this paper each n of you by
himself. Let the devil tempt you to
give ~utterance to no light word or
lest about il, as he will most surely
frv to do. Retire to some secret
chamber. Lock cut all except your
self and God. Ask His ever ready
helm i'm a few, brief, honest words.
Put aside, as in His holy presence,
every consideration of ~seltshness, OF
vain glory, of measurement by other
mems standards. And between your
self and your King, resolve this SIN
ole Doin6: What portion OF n means
which God has given me in trust shall
7 mt into His hands for the further
ance of His Church for the twelve
months that lie between this Easter
and the next?
Write you decision upon the two
| blanks which accompany this paper
giving one 10 your Rector, reserVlng
one yourself.
Divide that amount into htty-tWO
portions; and, on each Sunday OF the
| year, place in an envelope with your
| name marked thereon n OF those
portions with the offerings to be laid
by Gods representative upon Gods
altar.
If you find in the course of the year
| that YOU have either Over-estlmated
or under-estimated your ability, come
to your Rector and make the aItera-
ton.
If moved during the year by special
blessing to make special Offering, 90
it thankfully and heartily-sS 70 the
Lord and not to man.
Remembering Nonsense.
It is sometimes hard enough to COM
NIT a sensible sentence to memory,