The Leavenworth weekly times., 1877-11-01
MINISTERIAL SUPPORT.
tor First baptist Church, Leaven.
worth, Kansas. sunday Morning,
Os.inher 5i. 1871.

| October 81. lSJ5s
81 uerceived that the portion of the Levites
had not been given them, for the Levites and
the sizuers that did the work Were fieG every
Z one to his field. Then I contended with the
ulers, and said- why is the house of God ior-
, SAX. k.n:"-NEHEMIAH Is; IL, Ia.
| DIR. Guthrie says: 1T Is not pleasant TO
the patriot to see his country cleared OF its
inhabitants, nettlcs growing where the gar
/ den bloomed-the snoke-stained gable
the roofes5 ruin, the empty window, out Of
which the fox is peering the merry
, sun WIS wont TO shine upon the Bible and
/ Il pious patriarch"
! Ii is no feeble evidence Of mans depravi-
/ ", and Of the unfaithfulness of Christians
/ to see land once vocal with Sabbath
! belis-and the songs OF love and praise -
destitute of temples, with here and there
a faithful minister deyoting himself to the
| hercuiean task of resisting the tidal waves
/ Of error, as well Is the temptations which
his poverty sirews along his pathway
! The teuple service hal been discontin-
| ued, the tiIbes due the Leyites withheld,
| the sacred apartments of the Lords house
given up to an uncircumcised Pagan, and
I the Levite had returned To his field.
How mournful the condition OF once
great and devotional people. How revolt
ing To the feelings Of patriotic and firm
man like Nehemiah. But he did not des-
pair, nor set down in mournful silence to
| brood over the desolations that had come
upon his people. Nor did he merely init
mate to the rulers that it might be bes, to
restore the Levites to their places in the
| temple, but he commended with them," and
had the Levites restored, and he also conf
PEELED the people to bring their tithes into
hsa ,,f b.. l rI 4 4 h.a aI
by wha fright this was done, We reply, by
both law and custom. Whether the princi-
pies of religion have been taught by priests,
prophtes, apostles or ministers, provision
has been made for their support. Under
the old dispensation one-tenth of the gross
income Of every man and woman was given
the Levites. They gave a tenth of all they
| received TO the priests then there were the
revenues Of certain cities as well as parts OF
every animal offered in sacrifice, together
with large free-will offerings, which were
devoted to the support of the ministers of
religion This was required under an I'M
perfect, shadowy, temporary dispensation.
DO not Christian ministers sustain as i'm
pOrtant relation to the church as the
priests and Levites did to Judaism? Who
will deny that they sustain more intimate
large?
The religion of the Jews was given to
one people confined to one land. That of
the Gospel is given to all nations. How
much more important that the ministry of
the new dispensatiOn he sustained, and con-
secrated to their work
Special peOvision was made by God for
the maintenance of the priests, that they
,s..ks h.. 4 l.
For this purpose the Hebrew was required
to pay tenth of all that he received, and
he who refused to do this, or who kept back
even part, was accused of robbery. Will
man rob God? "Ye have robbed me in
tithes and offerings"
With less light and fewer privileges than
We enjoy, the pious Hebrew not only paid
his tithe, but in addition TO this made an
nually free-will offerings, which amounted
TO more than the Christians of America
have paid their ministers, or contributed
for missions and other charitable purposes.
Th Jewish priests and Levites
were required by divine law To
devote or consecrate themselves to one work
They were chosen for tins, and fidelity to
Jehovah demanded that they perform it as
He had directed.
The ancient priest had no warrant for
leaving the temple, and engaging in any
secular bua; :, so long as his wants were
supplied no one had a right TO the
priesth, - he descended from Aaron,
80 no o. '.-s right TO the privileges of
the ministry Uniess he be called of God. as
was Aaron. rs Aaron was separated IRON
everything secular, when he was placed by
the direct special call to the priesthood, 50
is the minister Of the Gospel. The priest
hood descended by right 10 the descendants
of Aaron. But the ministry is a direct en-
tailment by heaven. IL then follows that
the ministry should be consecrated to their
high calling The apostles We're 80 pro-
foundly impressed with the importance of
conservation that they were willing to dis
burse the charity fund of the church, and
had dcacons appointed foI that purpose. II
a man devote the whole of his time labor
ing for another, he is entitled To support
1t follows that this is true of the ministry,
unless it can be shown that its work is not
conducted upon any business principle
whatever. We find the doctrine of COM
pensation running through the Old and
New Testament.
now propose to show that each minister
of tine Gospel, who devotes his time to the
ministry, is entitled to a support.
Permit me to inquire: Why have so
many of Gods ministers been compelled TO
resort to secular business? Why have they |
been made the victims of neglect, and COM |
PEELED TO labor in want and sorrow, or with |
the paralyzing fear of want ever harassing |
them? Has justice fled the land? Have |
We no appreciation of the importance, no |
regard tor the sanctity OF the ministerial |
office? lay the blame at the door of the /
ministry. They have, through feeling OF |
delicacy, refrained from teaching the peo-
pie cH he nuy in which they should walk.
There are hundreds and thousands of our
most intelligent Christians, who simply re-
gard what is paid the ministry as dona-
ton or a charity, which one can bestow or
not, as he may choose, without any viola
tion OF the law Of Good. This is mistake.
Ii is no charity to remunerate our lawyer
or physician, for ser,i es rendered. Why is
it a charity TO compensate him who labors
for us in word and doctrine?
All that Christ has commanded, or that
the apostolic churches did by the direction
of inspired apostles is binding upon US.
All admit that il is a minister's duty to
preach the Gospel. Christ commands them
to go into all the world.n hear one say,
that's true-and he also said: "Provide
neither gold nor silver, nor brass in your
purse, nor scrip for your jou ney, neither
two coats, neither shoes, nor yet slaves, for
the workman was worthy of his meat"
Their mission was 80 important, the GUS
tom of sustaining those who devoted them
selves to the duties of the priesthood was so
universal that it was necessary for them to
wait day to make any preparation for
their journey. This was missionary tour,
and the right of those who labored in word
and doctrine to support was SO generally
that the people enabled them
on their return TO say: I'VE lacked for
nothing"
Subsequently churches were organized,
pastors were placed over them, and l chal-
lenge any one to point to one single instance
in which either OF the churches presided
over by the apostles ever refused, when il
was required, to give their pastors sup