The record-union., 1896-09-27
PREACHERS NOT HIGH LIVERS.
Ministerial Salaries Were Extremely
Meager in the Early Days.

We have heard a great deal about
plain living and high thinking, with IL
Illustrations from men who had hardly
whereWithal to keep soul and body to-
eether, but who, in spite of that, have
written books that have left the i'm
press not only upon their own times, but
upon after generations. We are d little
suspicious of such stories, lest they
should be quoted to justify the nlggard-
liresS of those who receive of the gos-
pel1 in providing for the wants of those
who preach the gospel. But the follow
ing instance is too remarkable to be
overlooked, and we can give 1T to our
readers, since we can vOuch for its accu-
racy, having examined the record only
Saturday last:
Jonathan Edwards is the greatest
theologian that this country has ever
produced. Robert Hall, the famous
English preacher, used to devour his
books with such amazement at the
power of reasoning they showed that he
exclaimed: Edwards is the greatest
perhaps he meant solely in the field
os philosophical and theological specu-
lation-"of the sons of men," Yet this
great man was settled in a country par
ish in Northampton, where the people,
who could not appreciate his greatness,
fairly drove him away, after which, as
if he would find a lodge in some vast
wilderness, he went over the mount
aims and took refuge at Stockbridge, on
the banks of the Housatonic, where
there was a mission of the Indians, with
q few settlers from Eastern MasSachu-
setts, and there the records tell US that
meeting of the town (not of the
church, for in those days there was but
one church. which was established by
law, and the town was to provide for its
supporD held on February %, 1870
(when perhaps down in Old Virginia
George Washington was celebrating his
eighteenth birthday. it was voted that
''in case Rev. Jonathan Edwards should
settle with them in the work Of the min
istry,'' he should receive the sum of f6
los 4d per year-about $780, 1t was com
forting to know that he was assured in
the contract that it should be lawful
money"
When I read this I confess I could
hardly believe it-yet no rubbing of
eyes or of spectacles could change the
figures; there they stand as they have
stood for 146 years, for the benefit Of
whosoever may have a curiosity to read
them. The amount seems indeed incred-
IDLY small, and perhaps was supple
mented by contribution from the Eng
lish Society for the Propagation Of the
Gospel in Foreign Parts. But so far as
the record goes that was the salary, and
the whole salary, SO far as it was paid
in money. But with this there was also
q provision for keeping the minister
warm. If the people could not supply
much to stimulate him inwardly they
would at least keep the blood from
freezing in his veins by keeping the fire
burning on his hearthstone. And. ac-
cordingly, with this munificent salary
il was voted also that he should have
! 10C sleighloads of firewood, of which the
Indians We're to furnish eighty and the
white settlers twenty, which they Were
to chop in the woods and draw on sleds
| to his dwelling housei With this very
modest supply of that which could buy
| food and clothing, yet with the fire
| burning brightly on his hearth, iona
than Edwards wrote books that will be
! immortal in the history of his country
Plain living and high thinking, indeed
| New York Evangelist.