The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-03-19
FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
THE DUTY OF CHRISTIANS IN REGARD
TO GIVING.
No. IA.

"For our sakes no doubt this is writer" III Cor
ix 10.
The object of this article is to state that
an appeal to the Mosaic law as guide to
Christian duty is legitimate. Although we
do not "go back to Judaism for precepts to
stimulate people to their duty" We initiate
the Apostle in going back to Judaism to en-
tighten ignorant and stingy people as to
what IS duty. The Apostle in the 9th of
l Corinthians is arguing that ministers are
entitled to a support; and, to prove it, he
appeals to the law of Moses lie uses the
application of the offerings of the Jews to
enforce similar duties among Christians. He
takes from that part of the law which suited
his purpose. His proof is the case of the
Jewish priesthood "They which wait at
the altar are partakers with the altar" But
that the whole system under the law was
tnesnt TO impsrt irs lessen under the gospel,
he intimates in the 8.h verse; "Saith not the
law SO Also" But it was as much the teach.
ing of the law that the people should offer
to God a tenth, as that the priests should
obtain portion of the offerings. 1t is
therefore as incumbent on Christians to give
a tenth to God as to support their ministers
The same law which teaches the one teaches
the other also.
If this doctrine were only taught by the
ministry as it ought to be, we should not
have so many piteous cases of ministers who
after tithiOg their paltry salaries, "do not
leave bread enough at home to make them
strong for their appropriate work" We
shall prove by figures before we get done, that
"the very first operation Of the law of
titheS," instead of making these consecrat-
ed men the objects of charity" as is feared,
would be to raise them at once from the posi-.
tion of mendicants to that "ordained by the
Lord, that they which preach the gospel
shall live of the gospel"-yes, liUe, and not
starve on bread and water. If it is in fact
true that "every man who is renewed by the
Holy Spirit wants to do every thing in his
power to glorify God in his body and spirit,
(which We fully belieye) how comes it that
so many "consecrated men, are permitted
to starve on a "meagre support of bread
and water," by congregations abundantly
able to provide for all their wants? The
reason is clear. These same "cOnsecrated
men" have never insisted on the law of
Christ in their teachings. Christian men,
no more than other men, "want to do"
duty until they know it to be duty. Why,
under this vague and indefinite teaching
we were about to say, this air.built declama-
tion-about the "law of love" many min
listers in Virginia have been almost paupers,
and the heather have been perishing for
century. Many churches in the valley have
been systematically trained to penuriousness
under this underlined and shadowy CLAW of
love-" Rev. W. S. White, D. D., in his
"Letters to ProbatiOner," tells the story
of rich church that applied, sOith the ap.
prOval of its pastor, to Lexington Presbytery
for permission to reduce his salary from
$500 to $3.50. And he says, "The most
surprising part of the whole business was
that the petition was granted" Not sur
priSing at all. These same presbyters had
never distinctly formulated the law of Christ.
They had been preaching, all their lives, the
doctrine that the love Of Christ will con-
strain men to do their duty without ever
telling them that the least Christ would ac.
cept was tenth of their incomes; which in
the case of this church was more than $780,
900. 0ne-tenth of it would have given their
pastor 81, 900 and left $4,000 for the aggres-
sive work of the church. They had preached
the mOtive without ever expounding the rule
of obedience.
If then the love of Christ constrains all
men to consecrate all to his service, one of
two conclusions is inevitable: either there Is
only small handful of the 1000 members
of our Church who are real Christians, or