Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-10-21


( rage, attempting To draw Il through ehe
mud. / was pnlline With al my might.
aud had reached point NOT far from my
church when the mud scmed 10 get deep
or and deeper. ] almost sank down cx-
hausied This seemed very strange. for
IA looking back ] saw the whole congrc-
radOn npp1rentiy pushing IL along. But
the more J tried the harder Il became.
al finally | stopped and went 10 the rear
90 examine the difficulty. None Of the
cougregato could BE- found | called,
sud voice answered. II was one Of my
dcacuns looking cUmplocegily out of the
window. Upon going to the door of the
cirrage. 60 ny utter establishment, / saw
The whole congregation quietly sitting in
side"
MINISTER'S SHOULD BE AIDE.
QUAFEIY SUPPORTED.
How were ministers supported under
The iheocraeyf According 20 the Levitt
ical law. all members We're educated for
Their work at the expense OF the church.
and while engaged 10 active work be-
tween the ages Of thirty and fifty, they
were kept free from all worldly cares
and ayocatioiis. and their families lived
as We'll a any of their parlshioners and
when they retired from uciye service
they were magnltcently cared for in
Their Old age. aud their families after
decease were never thrown upon the cold
CHARITIES Of q heartlcss world. When a
church extends a call ~ minister, this
Language is used: And that you may be
free from worldly cares and ayocafions.
we hereby promise and oblige ourselves
- pay you the sum OF - dollars in req.
pIhr monthly or quarterly payments"
How well do orr churches fulfill this
solemn promise and obligationy How
many churches In the synod Of TEXAS
are behind in paying their ministers All.
hriesf suppose | take vote 10 ascer-
tain. We have model treasurer Ia the
inctropOhs-wherc our pastor calls at
his Office the LIST Of the month. How
many ministers of Texas fail to paw their
store DIS promptly because their
which they sOlcmnly promised? How
many ministers in our church today de-
ny themselves not only the luxuries, hut
many OF the neccs snries, because of In
ndeluatc support How many minis
ters failed TO attend the Worlds fair
because they could not afford itY--fhe
grandcst exposition this world has ever
srrh' with all its colcomitants of con-
gffss, parlNments and conventions: and
what IS grlnder than all. the maguifi-
cent religious campaign conducted bv
ar Moody and bic colaburers. Every
minister ought TO have gone to catch Tho
H4sp'fuiluh OF those meetings. and return
mNs1rntcd and enlarged. How many
MINISTER'S are enabled 10 give their SONS
anu daughters q liberal education be-
cause Of the hack u meansy and whose
tHult ia ny who is responsible for this
ggo lllh OF thingsf answer, the office
bearers OF our churches, chiefly the e-
uNFs nnh dclcous. OF all the learned
lroiesSlOus The ministry Is the most poo,-
~ paid, and ] might add Il ~ most
wretchedly underpail.
see before me members Of the synod
OF leAas,. who in point Of mental endow-
iuchls-of brains, Of scholarship mud ruI.
luse. would be an ornament 10 the pro.
teAoh OF law or OF medicine; who are
lAr peers Of our national legislators.
governors, railroad presidents hut WHO
are working hard for the more pittnnce
oi Si1yo or even 5000 year Why are
ministers allowed to ride ON railroads ON
halt-f. re- tickets or passes, nud why do
theF ge- a ministerial discount Oh many
hfLrltn 81 mCirhuudiscl Is ID a rp.og-
hitpn OF their eminent tlscfnluessy I
grant lt ia part but chiefly il Is a mobile
confession that they are undergrad and
cannot afford H. Oh, the tiiggnr,lline.i
Of many Of our churches. In compelling
these men Of God TO live from hand 10
mouth and 10 end their days Ia poverty.
IL Is the same spirit which cr0pped ont
IA The prayer Of the Yankee dencOn--hn
was praying for his pastor, After ask
ing for the blessings Of health. and
strength aud spiritual gifts, he concludei
by adding feryently: 20, Lord, keep thy
servant humble aud We will keep him
poor
Some people seem to think that when
man cn,riss The miuistery he somehow or
oher ly'S 10 t0rudiAacal places, Where
no rent Y inid THAI his clothes, ns thuse
of Israel In the Wilderness, never wax
old; that Providence supplies his family
with barrel of ineXhnustible meal and
cruise of perpctually flowing oil, or
feeds them like Elijah through the minis
IVY Of ravens or else on Angels food and
Ia L. fn f.FI ia. 1 L..
or suspends the animal ton of the diges-
tive organs; Or makes them live OH prom
iseSi never suppOsing tlut they are Ia
need Of such vulgar things as mutton
chops, healsteak and bread and arr
rather proud of the pastors long lean
iacc, which they regard us distinguish
ing marx OF personal piety, when il IN
really The result Of poverty OF provisions.
But, felow officers, ali pleasantly or
sarcasm aside, IA the Lcyitc age there
were no students pinched With poverty;
no ministers with aching hearts crushed
with unAlety about their bread; no de-
spending hours on the dying bed Of n
priest about provision for the loved wife
and children he was leaving behind;
no widows or orphans of Gods servauts
left without q LIVING; no aged or inirm
prophets OF the Lord left housecss aud
homeless rs they were nearing their
eternal rest. ShaE Gods servants live lcas
comfortably and magnihcenty under the
g0spel dispensutiOni
Sometimes we hear that ministers are
secular and mercenary because they ASK
TO be supported by the people among
whom they labor, A Scottish iliehlendsr
after hearing one of Chalmers chntdY
sermons, which urged self.lcnial ON no
audience, suid: lie is a guild preacher.
but he's DER worldly" In the name oi
Q harlworking aud honorable body Of men
l repel the charge with disdain. Those
Who make Il are ignorant Of the very
fundamentals OF ministerial support AZ
!ah down in the ninth chapter OF first
CorintlhJnS by Us large-hcaricd and hon |
orable, stnd Logical q man as ever walked |
Gods. green earth-thut grand old Cal, |
whistle Presbyteriun-the apostle Paul. |
After rohearsing the reasons for minis. |
tcilA support with mdtchless logic. III. |
cruwais ha argument with the highest |
and most invincible authority: Even "a |
hath The Lord ordained that they wbo |
prach The cope, should live of the eos. |
pol Christ hiuisrlf also said; .fThn
laborcr is worthy Of his hire" and "'The |
workman il worthy Of his meat"
SALARIES or MINISTER'S.
The average stlaTies OF pastors In orr
country q far too low. In The Methn |
DIST, Baptist aud Lutheran churches