Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-04-03
which sustains the life Of common

which sustains the life Of common
men. He has great reward in the
future. He must live on heavenly
things. We remember an anecdote
told Of Christmas Evans, the great
Welsh preacher. The Welsh had a
wonderful appetite for sermons, asso-
ciated with a strange disregard for
the temporal welfare Of their preach
ers. The great man had preached one
day with his usual power, and a good
woman meeting him at the door Of
the church, exclaimed, "Ah, that was
grand sermon and I hope you will
get your reward" But said he, What
am I to do till that time, and what is
the old grey mare out in the grove to
live on?" We submit that so far as
his worldly support goes the minister
should be treated on business princi-
Piles, and he should be paid as one pays
his merchant or his butcher.
But again, many Christians have no
definite sense Of personal, individual
responsibility to the church. They
think that the church is an institu-
ton that once set in motion will run
itself. Somebody will pay the preach
er, somebody will pay for missions,
some one will meet all assessments
and If that be so, 1t Is enough. Why
should I worry myself about the sup
port Of the church? How many thus
talk to themselves, and in their reli-
ance on the organization, in their re-
lance on the body Of the membership.
lose all sense Of their own personal re-
lationship to the church and the pas
tor; but If ones worldly business is 60
ing to move it must be by ones
own effort. If one Is going to sue
ceed in life, 1t is because his
business has his time, his energy and
his means. Now let one consider that
his church Is his spiritual business,
and that 1t is not going to make head
way unless he recognizes his RESPONSE
bility and does his part. That part
cannot be done by another. It Is
mine, and no one else can do my work.
If neglect that which is clearly my
duty, then T suffer and the church Is
injured. Apply this principle to the
support Of the pastor, and you will see
that If every man recognized himself
as debtor, willing to do his part, the
minister's support would not be lack
ing. The problem of ministerial sup
port is upon us in our church. It is a
present one. Perhaps it has always
been problem. feel 1t Is more press
ing now than 1t ever has been. How is
it to be met? How are our ministe-
rial ranks to be filled? Is this problem
to be met by an increasing spirit Of
self-denial in the ministry, so that our
pastors will be willing to live on the
salary Of the boy clerk in the store?
Have we not brought the self-denial
Of the ministry already down to the
point where the minister cannot go
farther and maintain his self-respect?
Have we not reached q point where
we say to the mothers and the fathers,
you need not consecrate your sons to
this work unless they are willing to
enter a service where the promise Of
a reasonable support Is exceedingly
small; or unless you are willing to en-
dow them with such sum that they
will not need the contributions Of the
people.
This is not the way to meet the
problem. Let the people rise to a spir-
it Of liberality, and determine that her
priests shall be clothed with might,
and be made increasingly useful by
more generous support. Brethren, un-
less the church awakes to her duty, we
are afraid Of the results. We shall
have a diminishing number Of candt-
dates for the ministry. That result
is even now upon us. The young men
will turn to law, medicine. business,
teaching and farming, and think that
they can do Gods service without the
labor and self-denial that the minis
try requires. Is not the poor support
an answer Of the church to the young
man asking whether he is called to the
ministry? Is it not refusal to his
earnest desire? A message to the can
didate, bearing these words, 1--WE do
not want you for we will not sup
port you"
But another deplorable result. The
quality Of our candidates will be af-
footed We will have some candidates
for the ministry, doubtless; but they
will not be the choicest young men Of
the church. Those best fitted by ma
ture and by training for this glorious
work will turn aside to something, as
they think, more remunerative. And
we shall have a cheap and poorly
equipped ministry. And be assured
that we shall not get rid Of the merce-
nary candidates by small salaries. We
shall always have some men in the
ministry who have entered 1t from
unworthy motives. But in the poor
support we shall have both evils; the
iil-fitted candidate and the meagre
living as we'll, for a salary Of $500 is as
much an attraction to the mediocre
as $1,000 is to the gifted. Alas for
the church If she shall have a minis
try both parsimonious and feeble, a
ministry Of weaklings indeed.
SURGERY BY Observation-Disclosures
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