St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-06-06
How to Pay Church Debt---The En-
velope System Improved.

Thinking that many of the sugges-
tons contained in it might prove valu-
able to some of our struggling cOngre-
cations, we reprint great part of let
ter which lately appeared in the col
umns of our valued contemporary the
Christian Intelligencer.
My DEAR Mr.. B. Il have not for
gotten my promise to send you a state
ment of the operation of the envelope
system in making collections for the
payment of our church debt. l have
no doubt but that your little church
could support pastor if all would
heartily cooperate in such plan.
! To bring an offering is in the Old
Testament equivalent to being a wor-
shipper of Jehovah, and those who do
not bring offerings are regarded as hea-
then. Similarly, in the New Testament
every one of Gods people is to make
unto the Lord an offering; to do it reg
ularly and Systematically as an act of
worship on the Lords day; and in pro-
portion to the ability which God giveth
''as the Lord hath blessed him."
Under the Old Testament God requir-
ed tenth of each mans income, thus
settling it that every man can afford to
give a tenth. The greater grace of the
New Testament makes no legal claim
for any amount, but implies that all
right-minded Christians will give as
much more than tenth as love and
gratitude and greater grace may indi-
cate.
The divine direction for every one to
lay by in store on the first day of the
week as God hath blessed him, is gen
orally disregarded by the professed fol-
lowers of Christ. As consequence,
the gospel chariot drives heavily. The
heather still perish. Multitudes in our
own land die in sin. The people of
God themselves are still greatly under
the power of the world. And this,
among other reasons, because giving,
which is designed to be one of the chief
of the means of growth in grace, is by
the common practice made to produce
often quite the contrary effect.
You know all this. Let me tell you
as simply as possible with what success
we have tried the more excellent way.
After that it will be easy to make
plan adapted to your circumstances.
We have debt which we despaired
of raising by the ordinary methods, and
the pastor wished to make the payment
OF 1T conducive to the advancement of
his people in the divine life. According.
he preached upon the subject again and
again, presenting it in various lights.
making prominent the ideas above sug-
gested. He matured plan and talked
it over with few pious women, who
iabored with him in the gospel. until
they were familiar with it. These then
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house, explaining the plan, and trying
to induce "every man" woman and
chlld-to fix an amount which each
could, and would, give every Sunday
for one year No attempt was made to
enlarge the amount from that indicated
by the giver, but only to ulge that it be
put into an envelope every Lords day
as an act of worship, and that it be SOL
emn y regarded as an offering unto the
Lord. 1t was understood that the
promise might be retracted, or the
amount lessened at any time on due
+ notice to the solicitor. If any preferred
to give total sum in advance. it was
not refused; but endeavor was made
to induce every one to follow out the
apostolic plan, for the sake of example
to Others as well as for personal benefit.
The amount contributed by each was
to be known only to the solicitor. and
to those who kept the books. Three
} members of one family were found
willing for Christ's sake to spend two
= or three hours every Monday morning
IN keeping a book account with each
one OF the contributors; this labor be-
ing very much simplified by the use of
the Record of Church Offerings
Flfty-twe envelopes were furnished
each subscriber-with his name and
, register number, as well as the date Of
each of the ffty-two Sundays in the
year-printed upon each of them. The
e name shows that it is his, the number
Is for convenience in the kook- keeping
; and the date is constant reminder Of
D the promise. We regard these as very
: important parts of our plan. The pre-
e sence OF an envelope with a past date
upon 1t is constant reminder that the
amount vowed unto the Lord has moi
e yet been paid. 1t furnishes a constant