The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1899-12-01
the king is the head OF the church. and

aos euoio 40 JustluCdtlJu Ol bQl6
method in the letter of the Old Testa-
ment 30 undenia5le, ,!that this method is
out of harmony with the spirit of the
New Testament, is certain.
What then, is there no provision in
the New Testament for the meeting OF
the physical necessities Of those who
minister in spiritual things?
The system which obtains among US,
is known as the voluntary system,
whiob, 1 am sorry to say, is sinterpreted
by some to mean: give if you want to,
and if you do not desire to, you need
not Its voluntary, no compulsion.
But, if there is no fallacy in the things
which I have presented there is log
ical necessity in every one who receives
of the spiritual things which we minis
ter, to give of his temporal thinga.
He must give, or be logically incon-
sistent. In which case he has no
right to complain if he lose the re-
spect of his associates, for it ia certain
he can have no respect for himself, and
he ought not to ak his neighbors to be
more charitsble towards him than he
is toward, himself. .
So far, I have spoken only as man,
but as a reasonable man to reasonable
people, judge sye what I have said.
But now l seek to take you into the
presence of an authority. An author
ity which you cannot reject without
very serious consequences.
You may reject what have said, aud
suffer only the impeachment of your
reason, but the rejection of the author
ity [ am to present, will impesch your
Christian faith, conduct, character ard
experience Mark 6: 7-12, and St. Luke
saye, He added, the laborer is worthy
of his hire.
This teaches: ~ That it was not
intended by the Lord that they were to
provide for their physical needs. The
reason for this is in the fact that this
would divert them from their supreme
mission, occupy their time and exhaust
their energy. ~ That it was intend.
ed and ordained, of the Lord, that
those to whom they ministered, should
support them. (3)1 The Lord affirms
the reasonableness, the equity of this
arrangement, when he says the Lahore,
is worthy of his hire.
To these same men, he said: "Go ye
into all the world, disciple all natione
teaching them to observe all thingl
which have commanded you and, 10
am with you unto the ends of tn.
earth"
Personally they did not, they coult
not do this. But what did they do
They went and originated churchss
set apart men to have the oversight o
these churches, and they wrote t,
churches to set apart men for thi
work and the early churches in SOM
cases at least, ordained their own men
to find the flock of God. These mel
became the SUCCESSORS of the apostles
inherited their obligations to discipline
all nations, aud they inherited tn
gracious promise, $50 1 am with you
even to the end of the world" an.
the people who received their mimic
try inherited the obligation to supper
them.
In harmony with all this we find
written in Epistles, thou shalt no
muzzle the OK that treaded out tn
corn" We are not sent warfare a
our own charges. But this is not sal
to teach that God takes care of oxer
but for our sakes, no doubt this
written, that he that ploweth shoul
plow in hope. If We have so~n unit
you spiritual things, is it great thing
if We shall reap your casual things
} Then he after referring to the fac
that he had made an exception {
} them in this matter, and had not bee
chargeable to them. Others havin
ministered to our necessitiea, say
Do you not know that they who mimi
ter about holy things, live OF the thing
OF tho temple, and they which wait .
the altar are partakers with the alta
Even 30 hath the Lord ordaihed tbs
they which preach the gospel. shoul
live OF tho gospel.
; l have thus, too brief r'ed to Civ
you the logic and ~ .cripture
reference TO the duty If the miuiste
} viz: to minister spiritual things.
preach the gospel, and second tt
duty Of tho people TO support him.
! Note the rule governing contrib
} tons If GAS the Lord hath prospered
} rguments drawn from the anciel
} ntb, are neither just or scripture
for that tenth was for the support
the stnte as we'll as the church, ar
) applied to ue, would juitify us, in d
, ducting the amount OF our take
, which, in some cases would leave not
, ing for the Lord, as we now; with SO
aration of church and state, understal