The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-02-13

1t is happily done, but it is beset will
embarrassment in the doing of it. TIL,
call is strictly demd ntic for ever,
member has Il vote, but after the cal
is made and the preacher ordained a.
pastor the presbyteiy locks the door
and puts the key in its pocket and saws
now that You have got him you mus
keep him till say no. It is like the
law of marriage and divorce. 1t is easy
enough to get married, but it used to be
quite difficult thing to ge4 unmarried.
/ say sit used to be. 1t is not much
trouble now, neither is it as much
trouble as it used to be for a preacher
to get divorced from his church. If
he gets tired he goes. If he has q
more inviting call he goes. If the
climate does not agree with his health
he goes. If his salary is not promptly
paid, he goes, and see in aIate paper
that preacher says the reason why he
resigned his passionate and is seeking
another is that he has finished his
work In that community. That is
what the paper said. / would like to
see that church. Everybody sainted,
l reckon, and no outsiders to be
sainted. Surely he dident say that.
When Presbyterian pastor has made
up his mind to change his base the
people had just as well submit as
gracefully as they can, for the presby-
terry will ratify it. No congregation
should try to keep an unwilling, dis
satisfied pastor, and they don't. Preach
ers are just human, and will seek to
better their condition. The best preach
ers get the best places, and this is
right. 1t is the .unwritten law of the
church and of the state-the law of
business and commerce and art and
society. For ministerial talent there
is always room at the top,
was Eliminating about these things |
because we have lost our preacher and
are looking around for another. He |
had call to bigger and maybe bet
ter place with larger salary; and he I
accepted before we hardly knew he was
called. He hadent finished MP this
church and he knew it but reckon
was afraid that it would finish him up
Il he staid, for the times were 80 hard
we couldn't pay him promptly, though
we did the best We could. Preachers
want their salary in tie bank, and it
ought to be. / was prcsent once when
! preacher was ordained. After the
CEREMONY, when the people went up to
1--WE him their hands and their bene-
Lotions, one old man said, "aay the
lord keep You humble; we will Keep
gu poor" And they did. For forty
ears l have been looking for country
hurch that paid the preacher sufi-
lent salary and paid it promptly.
aging the preacher is the unsolved
roblem and has been ever since there
Iere preachers. Deacons and stewards
ught to get to heaven, for they have q
ard time here. Goldsmith tells us of
he village preacher e
A man he was to ell the country dear.
nd passing rich at. forty pounds.a year."
So great and good man sas Jona- ]
ian Edwards after twenty fur years /
faithful service at Northampton was
oted out OF his pulpit, and like an old
case turned out 10 Craze and die. We
nd a good deal of fanlt with the preach 4
s and sometimes with their wives and &
lildren, but after all they ere as i
ass the best people we have got and !.
It us the best examples. How soon
9 would lose our morality without 9
em. They have their likes and dis n
zes, and perhaps their favorites in O
q church, and SO do we In the old n
mes they preached for smaller sala- /
es. The salary was secondary con- :
Iteration, but now it is the first. o
yer fifty years ago I went to school o.
an Irishman who suddenly took a Il
'tion that he would quit teaching and .,
to preaching. He studied year
d then applied to the presbytery at =
'lumbus for examination and license. Il
lie committee reported fayorably and d
was about to PASS successfully, it
len DR.. Goulding, the moderator, :;
med forward and said: 81 will ask
e candidate single question. Broth "
Gray, do you feel in your heart that m
Lord has called you to preach the
spell to the people?' eyes, said he,
they pay me for it." He was not to
ensed. He attached too much i'm =,
rtance to the pay. =
The other day | met my friend Mil 81
| Gambler in Atlanta and asked him 81
out young preacher, and he said: "
es, he is very promising man. I TEL
oect you can get him. What salary g,
l you pay?" When [ told him he ,
ked surprised and said: 'sNo more q
IN that? I don't think you can get tai
n. Good preachers have gone up" I'M
There are but few long continued fe,
torates in these later years. As 49,
n as preacher gets g reputation he
allied to q wealthier church, and he m'
IS. 1t is easy for him to see that pit
way is clear and it is the Lords pc
when the salary is increased. The cal
torates in England and Germany mi
lifelong and their is.no chance for 80,
college graduates save to wait for -,
II death or superannuation or for oli
! churches to be established. use
he Presbyterian mode of calling sur
tor has no fixed rules or usages. mo
awhile the vacated church is all at -
but by and by the applications be- 'eo
to come in and references are ant