The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-03-10
The Beam and the Mote.

OOOAhih6 @ 6hAO VI %1VsOOVs WhlCA NIL 10Y
Gould made for Presbyterian Church ex-
tension at meeting of prominent Presby-
terrain ministers and laymen. whom he
invited 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 hos.
FATALITIES of Mr.. Gould; but now the b0is-
ferrous DR.. Parkhurst processes to have
conscientious scruples about taking the
money of the host for religious purpose.
Where. he asks. did Mr.. Gould "get that
$50. OO0?" The insinuation is that he got it
by means which are contrary to the pre-
cepts of Christ.
Undoubtedly the wealth of Mr.. Gould
could not have been accumulated 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 if he had practiced strictly the
| principles he processes and breaches
| According to the teachings of the Gospel,
DIR. Parkhurst has got to squeeze through
the needles eye to get into heaven. if 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 Presby-
terrain minister. it is true, but DR.. Park
hurst 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 stump.
tuOusly 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 Church more than the
vast majority of the 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 a large money recOmpenSe for
preaching the Gospel. He gets more pay
than is received by any except a very few
professional men and a prOportonately
small number of the business 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 requirements of the
Gospel. They got it by opposing seltishness
to the self-renunciation commanded by
Jesus; by enforcing the payment of their
debts. in disObedience to the Christian law;
by taking usury; by expanding care in the
accumulation 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 otherwise. in fiat disobedience of
the Christian injunction. Dives of the par
able is their type. and it is type against
which Jesus poured out his burning denun.
Citations.
Where do you get your salary, DR.. Park.
hurst, and what justification have you for
taking so rich a recompense in money when
you claim to be a follower and a commits
stoned minister of Christ? These are
questions which Mr.. Gould might fifty ask
the preacher of Madison Square.
OF course, the Presbyterians need not
take Mr. GOuld's $1O.O 900. Nobody can be
forced to accept gift; but before they re-
fuse it. as in obedience to Christian Obliga-
tiOns. let them examine themselves to see
whether they govern their own lives in &C.
cOrdance with the strict Gospel rule.
whether really they are entitled to be called
Christians any more than Mr.. Gould.
This is good subject for slashing SER
|
make New York community governed by
strict Christian doctrine, he must make
every individual rule his life in accordance
Herewith; and be could not preach it at a
better time than this morning, or in bet
ter place than the Madison Square Presby-
terrain Church. which was built and is sup.
ported by money obtained in violation of
the principles of Christ.
| Let him take the beam out of his own
| eye before he assumes to find fault with the
mote in his neighbours eye. That is the
| Christian lawn. Y. Sun.
Queen Victoria has lately had occasion to COM
plain that official communications from some of
her ministers have been too much saturated with
| tobacco smoke to be agreeable. One of her prede
| cessors. King James, would have dealt more sum-
marily with these officers of State. He might not
have been able to slit their noses-the penalty inn
posed atone time upon snuff users; but the!offend
ers would have been compelled to read the
kings treatise against tobacco. Perhaps the
Queen might find it desirable to republsh some
copies of that work. and distribute them among
her officials. King James was earnest in his eff
forts to stop the introduction of tobacco. and 1t is
a pity he was not more successful.
Economy ia wealth.