The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-10-01
The Rev. Brownies New Departure

ss'N stSNs 6t0WnO - NOW 1G1drTuF6.
We observe that the Rev. Mr.. Browne,
venerable and pious gentleman, who for sew
eral years past has been city missionary in
Biddeford, announces that he shall no longer
accept the salary of 500 year which has
heretofore been paid him, but will take only
what the Lord will send. Mr.. Browne has
been at the Old Orchard camp ground where
DIR. Simpson holds forth occasionally, and
has become impressed with the idea appar-
emily that it is wrong for a clergyman to
stipulate, like lawyer or doctor, what he
shall be paid for his work, or that he shall
be paid anything. So Mr.. Browne is to ac-
cept no more salaries, but is going to rely
upon the Lord Mr.. Brownies faith is al in
to the faith of the faithcnrisis. There is
this difference however. The disciple of the
faith cure when be is sick discards all medi-
cines and all human agencies and trusts to
the direct interposition of Almighty Power
to heal him. He will not have anything to
DO with doctors or medicines. indeed he fire.
quently acts as If he was under the impress
sion that resort In the smallest degree to
human agencies would be an affront that the
Almighty might resent by refusing to heal
him. But Mr.. Browne, it will be observed.
does not cut loose entirely from human agen-
Giles. He does not intimate that he will re-
fuse dollar when it is offered him, or a
donation visit, and trust the Lord to send
mama to feed him, as was done with the
Israelites. On the contrary he yery dis
tinctly tells the Bddeford people that he
intends to rely for his support on their vol.
untary offerings, which is to all intents and
purposes an invitation to them to contribute.
Had the Rev. Mr.. Browne said nothing to
the Biddeford. people about his intention not
to accept any salary, and had conveyed that
information to his Maker alone, then he
would have manifested the same amount of
faith that the disciple of the faith cure does.
There would have been direct reliance upon
the Almighty. But when he proclaims to
the world his intention to take no salary,
but to trust to voluntary contributions. 1t
seems to us that his direct reliance is on
mankind just as much as was the case when
ne relied upon salary. He may expect the
Almighty to move people TO contribute, and
~ TINS way be may be said TO be relying upon
lne Lore, but his salary was a contribution
winch, II Is Just as reasonable to believe,
was inspired from above. So far as we can
See, therefore, Mr.. Brownies new way of |
seWiDg living Is no more reliance unon |
tne Almighty than his old way. In both
cases MS living comes in the shane Of con.
tributions OF dollars and cents from neonla
directly or Indirectly benefited by his WORK
ana they are not compulsory contributions in
either case. II tits wrong, as Mr.. Browne
appears 70 think, for clergyman to receive
salary we cannot see why 1t is not Just as
wrong ior him to accept voluntary contribu-
IOns and appropriate them to feed and
ciO'ne MS body. If he believes it is wrong
70 accept salary, ought he not. as does
the ialth curist. rely entirely unon
the miraculous interposition Of DIv,na