The New York herald., 1879-02-09
MAMMON AND THE PULPIT.
The Salaries Drawn Annually by Lead
Ing Clergymen Of To-Day.
GREAT CONTRAST IN INCOMES
Popular Preachers Receiving Twice as Much aS
Ordinary Pastors.

about their incomes. they are go very small. Tho
HERALD recently treated Of "Mr. Beecher as Money
Maker" showing that in thirty years that distin-
guished preacher had drawn into the Golfers Of
Plymouth Church tho round sum of $l.000.OO and
accounting for $3.50 that he had made In his
eral callings his own account. The subject thus
started have attracted universal attention.
and in places the unfair inference is drawn that min
listers have big pay and easy fe The fact is that
the average compensation Of clergymen of all denom-
nations. city and country. is less than $500 per
annum. A few favored dominies are paid from
$4,000 to SIS O0o but thero thousands who have
from $3.50 to $3.50 and lucky to get hat-haf Of IL
possibly In vegetables and truck"
PAY CITIES.
Clerical compensation In cities is greater than In
the provinces. but so are the expenses Mr. Beecher
worked many years on $3.50 salary half Of which
paid by the Home Missionary Society. and he sup
ported himself literally by the labor of his hands.
Now his salary is larger than any other paid to a
preacher In this country-$20.000. For this he
breaches twice Sunday and presides at the Friday
evening prayer meeting. Formerly he also lectured
on Wednesday evening. but that habit given up
several years ago. partly because It interfered with
his outoftown work. but largely because what used
to be regular old-fashioned prayer meeting had
into o pastors 'talk." Nobody seemed to care
Beecher. The late Deacons Corning. Tanning,
and Fitzgerald fond OF asking questions. to
which Mr.. Beecher made long responses. and occa-
sionaly Brother Joe Knapp enlvened the proceedings
by ponderous peadings in behalf Of Sinners but as
o rule Mr.. Beecher did, as he does, the bulk of
the work. He has Q three months vacation each
year. that his salary is paid him for three services
a week. or l0s in nine months say s1s5 IS for each
public appearance. Mr.. Beecher does not give much
time to parochial duties the majority of them de-
voving upon DIR. Halliday, who visits the sick, drums
up religious delinquents. prays with the dying and
looks out for the Church missions earning his So 600
by real hard work.
rALMAGE.
Brooklyn has more high priced preachers than any
other city in proportion. Next to Beecher. Dewitt
Talmage has the largest salary in the City of
Churches. 1t made $4,000 last year. and will be
kept at that figure this year. Dr. Talmage has not
yet developed into national teacher and confines
himself largely the duties Of the Tabernacle the
Lay College and their outgrowths. He has two
preaching services and prayer meeting every Sun
day. He lectures once. . week and attends also Q
prayer meeting He supervises the Lay College and
makes point of visiting the Sunday School. In ad-
dition to this he is somewhat of pastor. That is,
he does not conne himself to the perfunctory duty
of preaching alone but calls around on his people
talks with the mothers and the children and interests
| himself to an extent in their domestic troubles.
REV. MORGAN DIX.
Trinity Corporation is liberal in it's dealings with
| its servants. Morgan Dix, the rector, receives
$4,000 He is responsible to the corporation for the
| no public show. He is the dscplinarian Of the
| parish. He breaches regularly in Trinity Church
or st. Pauls. attends meetings, looks out for the
| Sunday schools, now and then marries reads the
funeral service and literally holds the affairs of the
church. as he does its keys in his hands TITS often
| said that Beecher Dix. the younger Potter Storrs
| nd hers Ike four ines their
| salaries lawyers but. however that may he, the
fact remains that what they do make they make as
churchmen, and each in his way differs from all the
rest DIR. Dix was at one time designed for the law
| but having entered the church service under DR..
Berrian his predecessor, he found difficulty in
securing the prominence he now has. His father.
| General Dix is Comptroller of Trinity Parish. and
| his salary is also reported at $4,000.
DIR. TAYLOR.
DR.. William Taylor is probably the best paid Con-
gregaonaist orator in New York. receiving 81. 900
or $4,000 He works hard, breaches regularly, ec-
lures. prcsides at prayer meetings. is active on
boards and committees. looks out for the Sunday
school interests and pays special attention to
calls. This feature of a pastors life is much neg
lected by cergymen who are pressed by public dri-
ties such as lecturng. editing and attending conven-
uons There are many ministers whose chief sue
cess is born Of their sympathies. They make a
point Of knowing personally every man, woman and
house seeking opportunity to sympahze with, cheer
and succor their hocks Others have faculty OF
that sort They are merely preachers and in no true
sense pastors. DR.. Taylor Is pastor. and. although
he IL paid large salary a preacher. his chief
merit Is thought lie in his social kindly nature
WHAT DIR HEpwoRTH SAYS.
Rev. DR.. Hepworth stands on the other side Of the
line While Beecher. Storrs. Talmage. Dix. Taylor,
Tiffany. Potter and Tying can count their tens OF
Thousands. DR.. Hcpworth is compelled to support
himself by his brain work outside of hts pulpit. As
he puts II. his situation is rather Interestingly
yesterday morning hard at work in his cosey study
In Fortyseventh street. and in response to . qucs-
tion said ~Ah! that's subject in which take great
interest The under payment OF clcrgymenl why.
certainly the world Is fun of it and here's bright
example,"
-Wny, thought you were rolling In richcs.-
"Nonsencc. Why, II didn't 10 work outside Of
my pulpit I'D have nothing to live on. When I
stanch friend. We had a debt of sloOooo That ia
reduced 70 $S5.O00. My salary was $2.5O0; but
didn't get it: 1t is and has been for two years
5000: but don't get it."
Are clergymen generally underpaidT'
'@rhey are. decidedly They don't get half what
thcy could make as lawyers. tor instance. II money
lie what they after they In the wrong place.
Then. too. ministers are iearfuy neglected. Just
soon ss anything happens 70 them they are bundled
takes care OF Its n1rm and aged ministers. That
wonderful organization understands what to do with
It's servants. II man isn't good In one position
they put him In another, where he is of benefit The
Dutcn church makes better provision than any other
Protestant denomination"
"But your city ministers have an easy life and
plenty OF money"
well. you don't know anything about It. see tho
other side. When you see o man with his boots q
little broken and his coat somewhat rusty you may
st least infer that ne isn't overwhelmed with cash.
Out OF the ON ministers IN new hOrk don't
believe there half dozen who save q cent
from their salaries. They have to live in respectable
style. they have to give continually and they arc
quite likely 10 be taken sick any body else and
then where thcy7"
what is your sslaryf'
"Nominally $4,000. but II 1t we're not for my work
couldn't live. don't get It, and suppose others
In the box"
Dr. Hepworth bcars his troubles like . man. and
his church gives evidence of growth.
DR- STORMS
DR.. r. 3. Storrs, Of the Church of tho Pilgrims. has
$1,000 salary. He has lived over thirty years in
fair house in Perrcpont street, In Brooklyn, and
keeps very modest establishments He visits great
deal among his people. who arc generally men OF
means and make him valuable presents; send him
10 Europe and Dr. Storrs breaches twice
sunday. although he frequently exchanges intro
duces brother who pleads for one or other OF the
several causes In which the Church IL interested.
lie also lectures. attends the regular prayer meet
ings. the social gatherings the sunday school and
the church committees, of which he Is chsrmsn.
DIR CUYLER