Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-29
THE BEAM AND THE NOTE
Tho Pharisafcsl Discussion Concerning Jay
Gould's Gift to the Church.

Gould's Gift to the Church.
New York sun.l
A pharisaical discussion has been started
concerning q gift of $40 000 which Mr.. Jay
Gould made for Presbyterian Church ex-
tension at . meeting of prominent Presby-
terian ministers and laymen, whom he in
vited to his house the other evening to raise
funds for the object. The ministers and
others were not loath to attend the meeting
and accept the hospitalIties of Mr.. Gould:
but now the boisterous DR.. Parkhurst pro-
fesses to have conscientious scrupes about
taking the money of the host for a religious
purpose. Where, he asks. did Mr.. Gould
"get that $40, ,000?r The insinuation Is that he
got 1t by means which are contrary to the
precepts of Chriss Undoubtedly the wealth
Of Mr.. Gould could not have been accumu-
lated by him If he had obeyed strictly the
commands OF Jesus; but neither could the
lesser income of DR.. Parkhurst have been
obtained by the minister II he had practised
strictly the principles he processes and
breaches.
According to the teachings of the Gospel,
DR.. Parkhurst has got to squeeze through
the needles eye to get into heaven, IL he
gets there at ALL with no less difficulty than
Mr.. Gould. Measured by the standard OF
Jesus, both Of them are rich men. Measured
by the average income in this community,
both of them are in the enjoyment of
wealth-Mr. Gould of much more than the
Presbyterian minister, it is true, but Dr.
Parkhurst of far greater possessions than
belong to the run Of people. Practically
the life of the preacher is as luxurious as the
millionaire's. He knows nothing Of poverty
in his own person. He is clothed in fine
linen and fares as sumptuously every day as
Dives did. He obtains his income, too from
rich men, who can afford to pay for pew
rent in the Madison Square Presbyterian
INonr
people of New York can afford to pay for
house rent. He does not give up all for the
sake of following the Master and drawing
other men to Him, but he exacts large
money recompense for preaching the Cos
pei. He gets more pay than is received by
any except few professional men and q
proportionately small number Of the busi-
ness men of the city.
Before he takes this money from the rich
Madison Square Presbyterians does he re-
quire that they shall tell him where and how
they got it? If he did, he would find that
none of them came by it in ways which
would satisfy the req 1irements of the gospel.
They got it by opposing selfshness to the
self-renunc1ation commanded by Jesus; by
enforcing the payment of their debts, in dis
obedience OF the Christian law; by taking
usury; by expending care in the accumula-
tion of earthly riches when the gospel
teaches that these are mere dross, and the
only treasures to be sought are spiritual and
heavenly. They sued the brethren for their
dues when they could not get them other
wise, in fiat disobedience OF the Christian
Injunction. Dives of the parable is their
type, and it is a type against which Jesus
p1ured out His burning denunciation.
Where do you get your salary, DR.. Park
hurst and what Justification have you for
taking so rich q recompense in money when
you claim to be a follower and commits
sioned minister of Christ? These are ques-
tioas which Mr.. Gould might ftly ask the
preacher Of Madison Square.
OAcourse, the PreSbyterians need not take
Mr.. 'Gould's $4,000. Nobody can be forced
to adept gift; but before they refuse it, as
in obedience to Christian obligations, let
them examine themselves to see whether
they govern their own lives in accordance
with the strict gospel rule, whether really
they are entitled to be called Christians any
more than Mr.. Gould This is good sub
ject for q slashing sermon by DR.. Parkhurst.
If he wants to make New York a community
governed by strict Christian doctrine, he
must make every individual rule his life in
accordance Herewith; and he could not
preach it at a better time than this morning,
or in a better place than the Madison Square
Church, which was built and
is supported by money obtained in violation
of the PRINCIPLES of Christ. Let him take
the beam out of his own eye before he as
sumes to find fault with the mote in his
eye. That is the Christian law.