The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-02-13

IN de and the preacher ordained as pas
tor the presbyieT locks the door ard
pY& the key III its pocket and says now
nat you hare got him you must keep
him till I say no. IT is like the law of
marriage and divorce. It is easy
enough to get married, but it used to be
quite a difficult thing TO pet unmar-
ried. I say ~it used TO be-" II is not
much trouble now. neither is il as much
trouble as It used . Be for a preacher
to get divorced from his church. If be
gets tired he goes. If he has a more
inviting call be goes. If the climate
does not agree with his health he goes.
II his salary ia not promptly paid he
goes, and 4 see in a late paper that q
preacher says the reason why he re
signed his pastorate and is seeking an
other b that he has finished his work
in that community. That is what the
paper said. I would like to see that
church. Everybody sainted, 1 reckon,
and no outsiders to be sainted. Surely
be didn't say that. When a Presby-
terrain pastor has made up his mind to
change his base the people had Just as
we'll submit as gracefully as they can,
for the presbytery viii ratify 1t. No
congregation should try to keep an I'M
willing, dissatisfied pastor, and they
don't. Preachers are just human and
viii seek 10 better their condition.
The best preachers get the best places,
and this is right. It 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 at the top.
I was Illuminating about these things
because we have lost our preacher and
are looking around for another. He
had q call to a bigger and maybe a bet
ter place with a larger salary, and he
accepted before we hardly knew he was
called He hadn't finished up this
church and he knew it, but reckon was
afraid that It would finish him up if he
staid, for the times were so hard we
couldn't pay him promptly, though we
did the best we could. Preachers want
their salary in the bank, and it ought to
be. Twas present once when a preacher
was ordained. After the ceremony,
when the people went up to give him
their hands and their benedictions, one
old man said: MAY the Lord keep you
humble; we will keep you poor" And
they did. For 40 years L have been
looking for a, country church thai paid
the preacher a sufficient salary and paid
it promptly. Paying the preacher is
the unsolved problem and has been
ever since there were preachers. Dea-
cons and stewards ought to get to
Heaven, for they have a hard time here.
Goldsmith tells US of the village
preacher:
"A NAB he was to all the country dear,
And passing rich at forty pounds a year"
So great and good a man as Jonathan
Edwards after "a years of faithful serv-
ice atNorthampton was voted out of his
pulpit Ind like an old horse turned out
TO graze and die. We find a good deaj
with the preachers and some
II tinsas with their vvtvesanhahiIdrhn but
nfter 1Rthey are as q class The best PEG
pie have got and set us the best ex
aPbiaf How soon would we lose oul
ty without them. They have
then likes and dislikes, and perhaps
them avorites in the church, and so d.
We a the old hines they preached TO,
small + salaries. The salary was o sec
onua considerations but now it is tn
hrsta Over so years ago l went Il
schoc to in Irishman who suddenl,
took notion that he would quit teach
ing a Id go to preaching. He studied
year nd then applied to the presby
terry Columbus for examination an,
licen The committe reported favor
ably nd he was about to pass success
fully when old DR.. Goulding, til
mod@ ator, leaned forward and said
Il W ! ask the candidate a single ques
ton. Brother Gray, do you feel in you
heart that the Lord has called you t
preach the Gospel to the people?
"Yes," said he, 'if they pay me for it.
He was not licensed. He attached TO
much Importance to the pay.
There are but few long-continue
pastorates in these later years. "A
soon as q preacher gets q reputation b
is called to a weather. church, and h
/; goes. 1t is easy for him to see that th
4 way is clear and it is the Lords wi
D when the salary is i increased. The pa.
~torates in England and Germany ar
: lifelong and there 10 no chance for th
o college graduates save to wait for the
death or superannuation or for me-
. churches to be established.
n Tie Presbyterian mode of calling
{ pastor has no fixed rules or usagel
IS For awhile the vacated church is all
sea, but by and by the applications b,
d gin 70 come in and references r giveI
A correspondence is had and inquire
k are made as to the applicants charal
/: ter S a man and apreacher and a worl
i er, AID as to his wife and children. If.
be pRcticable he is invited to come an
ii preaA q trial sermon and mingle for
= day + two with the people. This is
as hardPxperience on any sensitive Chri
1t tian ban, for he realizes that he is q
trial%nd that the jury Is composed (
10 perhibs 100 men and women to whol
st he lila stranger and who know notl
ID ing l4hfs inner life, his emotions, b
ut struggles and misfortunes, The situj
d.. tionfs against him, for people wi
he nataiallS wonder why he does not sta
e. wheg he Is II he is the right sort OF
man Maybe he does not wear well an
O. his Rbpie are tired Of him. And so l