The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-10-08

are mission schools to be supported and
mission chapels to be built; there are
printing-presses to be set up, and the
leaves Of that word, which like the leaves
of the tree of life are for the healing of
the nations, are to be scattered through
out the earth. For the means to do these
things, an appeal is to be made to the
people of Christ, and the appeal can only
be based on information concerning the
great wants of the world. But, the sup
bort of the ambassadors Of Christ is an
other thing. This is matter Of right,
which has been adjusted by the King;
and here no appeal need be made,
DIVISION OF THE TITHEs.
Suppose, however. some man makes a
calculation like this. He estimates the
aggregate of the tithes of the Presbyterian
Church in our land. He then takes the
sum Of all our Presbyterian ministers,
whether at home or abroad; and by
division, he finds that the amount appor-
toned to each is excessively large What
shall we say to this? We answer that
this simply shows, what is no doubt
real fact, that the number of ministers
supported by the Presbyterian Church is
too small. That the number OF foreign
missionaries is sadly scant, no one, we
think, will deny. The harvest is plente-
Gus, the laborers are few. AS long as we
are called to send forth our bands of
sewers and reapers into those vast fields
which stretch before US in China and ia
pan, in Africa and in South America, we
need not fear that our tithes will prove
an excessive support. But, there is a view
apart from this. When we turn our eyes
homeward, we see a state of things which
is widely at variance with the Scriptural
model. 1t is admitted by intelligent and
candid Episcopaians, such as Canon
Mghtfoot and Dean Stanley as well as
by all Presbyterians, that the churches
organized by the Apostles, were taught
and ruled, each one Of them, by body
of pastors or bishops, all of whom were
styled elders. These elders were over
seers indeed-that is, bishops-of the
flock. (Acts Xxx: 28.) They fed the
Church of God. They were apt to teach
| q Tim. iii: q; and for their service they
received compensation. The very text
on which Presbyterians found their dis
tinction of ruling and teaching elders, q
Tim. V; II, 49, directs that both classes
of elders shall receive pay, only setting
the pay of the ruling elder, who was pro
badly engaged in secular business as well
as in the affairs of the Church, below that
of the elder who preached. And because
these II ling elders in the primitive Church
had lremuner; ton in their office, they
gave largely of their tine to the work of
the Church. They were the drill-mas-
tiers of the sacramental host. They train
ed and disciplined and strengthened Il ose
churches, which by their self-denial anu
love at last brought the Roman world t,
the feet of Christ. How far below al
this we have fallen, we need not pause tC
portray. With us but a single elder, the
one who is known par excellence as the
pastor, receives any compensation at all
The other elders are expected to support
themselves entirel y, and to give ouly the
spare scraps of their time to the Church
The result is that the Church languishes
and worldliness comes in as a food
When we return to the inspired model Of
church administration, we may be sure
that the tithes will not be found in ex-
cess of the requirements of our ministry.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
In a matter so simple as tithing, it may
seem superfuous to enter into any prac-
teal details. Yet, some church member
may ask, How can we bring in this re-
form? Where ought we to begin? In
reply to this question, we venture to Of
fer few suggestions. If you are per-
suaded, as We trust you are, that we
should honor God by giving Him our
tithes, begin by tithing yourself This is
matter between each Christian and his
Lord In a case of duty, it is idle to
think of screening ourselves behind the
practice of the Church or of the age in
which we live A contemporary of NAL
achi could plead the example of previous
generations and his own generation in de-
fence of his failure to pay tithes; yet, he
was none the less robber of God. Here,
every man must bear his own burden,
and if he honors God then shall he have
rejoicing in himself alone and not in an
other But, in the next place, there
may be others in your church who are
convinced that they ought to adopt the
system of ministerial support which the
Bible describes. If there are, then you
may meet together, and covenant to OBJ
serve some such rules as these:
l. The 1.-THE is to be paid to God in
humble, grateful acknowledgment that
all we have comes from God and is his.
4 Chron. xxx: a.
2. 1t is to be 1.-THE of all that God
nires rs "Of al that thon shalt give