The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-06-09
Ministerial support.

The Report on Sustentation being con-
sidered by the General Assembly at Lou
isville, DIR. Stuart Robinson said:
MIR. MoDERAToR:-I am in favor of this
scheme of sustentation. l intend to speak
my mind plainly on this subject. | have
been public beggar in the Church here
since the division of the Church in 1866
There is certainly a decrease of liberality
amongst US. There is want of interest in
the work. There is desire and willing
ness to throw our work off on to the should
ers of our brother. We are guilty of the
sintof Ananias and SapI hira am afraid
which was not merely telling story-a good
many of US would be struck dead if that was
their crime-but withholding that which
belonged to the Lord. 1 fear there is a great
deal of it in the Church. look out first
for No. 1"has got to be the gospel of our day.
Why, the deacons are getting afraid to go
and tell the people what to DO; and the
ministry is drifting in the same direction
] don't believe in this new doctrine of re-
quiring one, part of the ministry to do the
piety. and another to do the begging and
working. We have the people with US, but
no money. We haven't the means we used
to have.to prosecute the work of the Church
with. In the providence of God our
Church has Jared badly. The flood, and fire.
and sword have turned the fortunes of our
members and swept away that spirit of lib
crafty that used TO exist. This is probably
Mr.. Moderator, l have noticed that when
ever we find any defectiin the Church and
trace il to its source. we lind that lt origi-
mates in some false idea. / am afraid that
if you preach the Church without any Cos
Del in it. as the fashion SO much is n0w-a-
days, you will find that you are failure
You will preach a mutilated Gospel.
All the calls on Christian people are based
on the communion of saints-the oneness of
the Christian family. Giving is part OF re-
ligion. 1t is as much part of religion as
praying, preaching, reading the word of
God, or singing. In Baltimore. thirty years
ago, was building the cOngregation--now
the Central Church. The people did not
like TO hear the jingling of money on the
Sabbath. and talked against the collection;
so told them 1t made me think their asSo-
Citations with money during the week was
such as to make their guilty consciences
pain them when they heard it jingle. They
had gold and silver In those days that made
a noise in falling. Now. they have green
backs that glide in so quietly it need not
pain their ears.
The idea of aiming to give every minister
$3.50 Is q big thing, in order that man
shan't be sec1larizedl as much as you pay
gardener or hrst-class servant. If this is ali
we can do for the support of the ministry,
am in favor Disseminating them. 1t is better
for them to spend six hours day in birchlng
boys and making good men and Preebyterl-
ans of them. instead of working nine hours
q quarter into two halves. The ministry
compelled to live on this small sum- Why. 1t
would take twenty-one hours our of the
twntY-four TO solve the problem how 70
make it pay for the marketing and fuel and
clothes, and even then we would have to 60
very much such tatteraemalIiOns as when
we went 20 the Deacon Assembly, just after
the war llaughter.l Seven hundred and
fifty dollars TO keep him from being secu-
larizedi No. let it 90 higher. The Synod of
Kentucky has given $1,000 and would like
to tell you about its scheme of sustentatioR.
hope this scheme of the Synod viii sue
coed, so that we may show the rest Of the
Church what weean do. and, when the Syn
DDS get = little better able, they should take
this whole work out Of the hands of the As
0fpower. ~ er-.a4.. ,ly~r