Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-10-04
Shepherds and their FlOeks.

physician may be. and in multitudes Of in
stances is, the dearest family friend but
he lives by his profession. and his services
have recognized money value which he
expects to receive without a question. He
wolld prefer perhaps, to render his SER
vices without reward, especially to those
whom he loves but be has mouths TO feed
aud provision to make for rainy days, aud
for the days of helplessncss that come to
all. So. though love aud sympathy, and
self-denial for love aud sympathy's sake
may have actuatel him in all his daily
round of duty, he goes home at night, takes
down his bIotter, and enters his charge as
formally as if he had been selling farm
produce or tin-ware.
There is a feeling in many parishes
that it is the gift by whatsoever any pas
tor may be profted by them, that pas
tor earns nothing, and that in all things
he is the beneficiary of the parish. To
make this matter a thousand times worse,
there are pastors not few who take the
position TO which the parishes assign them
and assist in perpctuating the mistake
They are men whose hands are always
open to receive whatever comes who de-
light in donation parties, and who grasp
right and left, with Unsuitable greed at
gifts. They become so mean-spirited that
they do not like to pay for anything, and
do not really think it right that they should
be called upon to pay for anything. They
are sponges upon their people and the
community. Wherever they happen to
be, they "lie down" on the bretheren
There is nothing of value that they are
not clad to receive, and there is nobody
that the. are not glad to be indebted tt
for favors. Sometimes they are extravl
CANT, and have a gracelcss way OF gettln!
r into debt, out Of which they are helpeC
Il yearly, and out Of which they expect t.
y be helped yearly. The abject meanenes
d into which a pastor can sink, and the cor
responding and consequent poweriessnes
g into which he can decend, find too frc
u auent illustration among the America
il ministry. 1t is shocking and sickenin
that there are some men who seem force
II bv their parishes to live in this way, an
'e it is still more disgusting to find men VIII
% toleraby comfortable and contented viii
Us living in this way. If man is fit to preac
IN he is worth wages. If he is worth wag
u they should be paid with all the busne
II regularity that is demanded aud enforce
or in business life. There is no man in Il
en- community who works harder for the mo
ed ev he receives than the faithful mlnlste
There is no man-in whose work the col
,d. munitv is interested-to whom regul
ri. wages, that shall not cost him thougl
are SO important. Of what possible U
fe in the pulpit can any man be whose wee
,u are FILTERED away IN mean cares and d
rot ty economies? Every month, or eve
IT, quarter-day, every pastor should be ST
MI that there will be placed in his hands,
nix his just wages, money enough TO pay
!, his expenses. Then, without a sense
, it special obligation to auybody, he c
i've preach the truth with freedom, and
,bo pare for his public ministrations with
Tho distraction. Nothing more cruel to a
III. tor, or more disastrous to his work,
or be done than to force rpon him feel
20 of dependence upon the charities of
l;,r flock. The Office Of such man does
,s rise in dignity above that Of eourt-t
~ He is the crca ure Of the popular VIII
,bo and preacher without influence to tn
,.o who do not respect him or his office SUI
0ti. ieutly to pay him the wages due to
-; who devotes his life to them. Manlll
caunot live in such Il man, except 1t b
,.oo torture-a torture endured simply bec'
9, = there are others who depend upon
Il. charities doled out to him.
. Good, manly pastors aud preacher
not want gifts: they want wages.
was not A kindness 10 exc out insufficient
Ie Of ries by donation parties and by bene
day. tions from the richer members OF Il
or 1t is not merit, as they seem to rel
seat it, lor parishes or individuals to do
cher 1t is an acknowledgement OF indebted
heep which they are too mean to pay In
been ness way. The pastor needs 1t and
SUBJ owe it, but they take to themselves
here credit Of benefactors, and place HIM
and awkward and false position. The
who, ence Of this state of thing upon the
! our that lies outside Of the sphere OF Chrl
feet belief and activity is bad beyond Cal
'Ae tion. We have had enough OF the
ronage of Christianity by halt.sco
Tenn. hall tolerating world. II Chrlstla
not sufficiently recognize the legltlma