The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-05-01

From the above statement.it will be
seen that the District is due the Presid-
ing Elder and that the several
charges are due their pastors, in the
aggregate, to date, more than they have
paid them. AMI less than half a support.
| This is a fearful exhibit, a sad show
ing for the church OF God, and a dam
aging expose of the financial system of
Columbia District, Tenn. Conference. -
What is the matter with our financial
system, and what is the remedy? We
are in trouble. There are heavy de-
mands upon Us, and while we feel that
the church is equal to these demands, IL
is feared they will not he met. Why
Not for lack OF ability, nor yet, we be-
lieve, tor lack of liberaIiJy. Then why
we repeat. We believe the foregoing
lamentable deficiency is due to a failure
| OH the part OF The church TO appreciate
in its fullness the obligations upon her
to support the Gospel-a failure on the
part of the membership to come up 20
the apostolic measure OF Solving as God
has prospered u.s." If under the law,
the divine standard was a tenth, how
much more should christian liberality
abound under the dispensation of Cos
pei gracel Christian men and women of
Columbia District, your pastors are
to the poin: OF suffering. Brethren.
Eye know the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that though He was rich, yet for
your sakes He became poor, that We
through His poverty might be rich."-
"Verily i say unto you, inasmuch as ye
have done IL unto one of the least OF
these my brethren, We have done It un-
to me-" Do we recognize this 'grace OF
our Lord Jesus Christ" Tor our enrich
ment, and shall we neglect Him, In the
person of His em bassadors? DO we for
get the reciprocal obligations OF pastor
and people? II we have partaken OF
their spiritual things, shall they not
share in our carnal things? It Is ordain-
ed OF God thar they who preach the Cos |
pei shall live OF the Gospel. God is the |
giver, we the almoners of His bounty, |
and His ministers the rigbtful claimants
of decent support at our hands. We
are stewards OF the manifold grace of
God. If those possessed Of means could |
realize this stewardship, not long should |
we be confronted by the state Of things |
now atilicting the church in Columbia |
District.
What a wealth of unconsecrated capt. |
tai In the church in this year of grace l
ls79-cspital that does not recognize the |
great Giver; capital that pays no tribute |
TO the treasury Of the Lord. True il Il,
there are many instances of liberal |
wealth, yet 10 remains true, tlrat the /
middle ranks and The generous poor |
must, and do, support the Gospel. IL Is |
their birthriglt and their privilege
Come, brother, let no man take thy 1
crown in this grace of giving. Ii times |
are hard and many be poor, still let our |
''poverty abound unto the riches OF our
liberality.n Upon every member ofthe
church of God rests a solemn vow 10 |
support her institutions. In the due |
course of Methodist Church Govern
ment, the preacher comes annually 10 |
serve us. We receive him and by our
Representatives fix his salary with an i
eye to has necessities and oar ability to I
pay. Thus results contract as bind |
ing as moral obligation can make it-a |
contract that he shall watch for our
souls" by "giving himself continually TO /
prayer aud the ministry o. the word"
while we promise TO minister OF the
substance that God has given us to his
temporal wants. How the pa tors have
observed their part OF this covenant we
know not. Whether the membership
have redeemed their pledges In the
premises the financial returns made 20
your commit ee must answer. The Dis
trict is more than 100 per cent. short
on the amounts due the preachers TO
date. This Is a lamentable derelictiOn,
and must tend Inevitably 10 one Of the
following results Either the preacher
must draw on his private resources. II
he has them, or incur debts with little
prospect of meetiRg them-Or he and
his family must suffer, or lastly, he
must partially seeularize himself, In or
der 70 supplement the scant mainten-
ance accorded him BY delinquent con-
Qrega'iop. And thus is many = minis
ter crippled in his usefulness, and lore
ed In measure, from the minister's vine
yard, and made ito servo tables" And
now often under the stress OF necessity
must the strange minister present HIM
self at the counter OF the strange mer-
chant, asking accommodation And
how notify ing TO the one, and embar-
raising TO the other, must be such an In
terview, In which the one must disclose
his destitution and his dependence
while the other betrays an evident I'M
easiness IN making the doubtful ven
ture before him. This IL n0t a sketch
Of fancy-such cases are occurring year
by year, here or there. IL may be that
these debts are sometimes made with
too little prospect OF meeting them, but i
certainly not without a just ground OF
hope that they will be met Oak Of the sal
airy fixed and promised by the stewards,
Your committee offer the resolution that
the duty be urged upon our ministers Of /
indoctrinating their congregations In /
regard TO supporting the Gospel.
w. Il. JogEs,
II. l.. HAKwFLL,
JSFO a. 4stuuwB. ]