Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-04-23
Reply TO Rev. @. W. Whites Ar.
'gument for Paying Preachers.


assertion that it is right for preacher
10 charge for preaching the gospel of
Jesus Christ when all the inspired
apostles teach us that it is without
price and without money, and they
agreed that Paul made the gospel with
cat charge.
Yes, he sure did too, and he ought TO
have stayed with it too, for Paul said,
II was ohargeable to no man. Why,
Paul is this so that you preached and
did not charge any man for your
preaching? Christ said, "Ye receive
freely freely give" Now, what is
this that they received freelyy Why,
10 be sure, it has a subject of spiritual
things under consideration. Then II
you receive freely, why not give as
you receiver
Now Mr.. White, if you had to buy
your salvation | would not blame You
to sell the same. but if you receive
freely, give freely. Paul said in Rom.
tl:4, Il am debtor both to the Greeks
and to the Barbarians, as much as
was in him to preach the gospel, and
also said that he desired to keep him
self from being burdensome to his
brethren. How did Mr.. White wish
to do2 He said it was his right and
liberty to have the people pay him to
preach free salvation. How, If one
charges for thing is it free? Kind
readers, / tell you no, thrice no. 1t is
not free if it costs money, and in 18th
verse he says: "For the wrath Of God
is revealed from heaven against all un-
godliness and righteousness of men
who hold the truth in unrighteous-
ness.
In John 1918 it is said that the hir-
ling aeeth and careth not for the
sheep, and some yet have the audacity
to say, yes, it is still right to hlre
them to see to the sheep. And Job
said they cared nothing for the sheep.
| 1t was the fees that caused them to
| hire Now, Paul said II long to see
you that ] may impart unto you some
spiritual gift to the end ye may be es-
tablished. That u.s. that I may be COM
forted together with you by the mutu-
al faith of both you and me. /" Why,
Paul, are you confortedY By going
among and carrying glad tidings of a
free gospel Paul said he was then no
| wanderer. He desired to keep himself
from being a burden to them, for if he
| was a burden then be would have to
share part of that. Now, | want to
tell you that it is still an awful pref
| ty sight in these days to see preach
er ready to share with the church in
comforts, sorrows, grief and so on, as
Paul did Wonder how many OF those
| kind of preachers would stand the
storms and shipwreck and then go and
say as Paul did of debt II preach 7"
Don't wish to be hired. It's debt
that Paul wanted to pay to his Master.
"Be it known therefore unto you that
the salvation Of God is sent unto the
Gentiles and that they. will hear it. :
Acts 2S: 2S. Now, notice he said 1t
was sent and did not say a word about
the price of it, either. Now, if it had
been intended for fixed price this
would have been an awful good place
to set the price, for when thing is
started, if it COSTS that surely is the
time to set the price, and place the
cost mark And, also, in Rom and
3:4,5, KNOWING that tribulation
worketh patience and patience expert
ence, and experience hope, and hope
maketh not ashamed because the love
of God is sped abroad in our hearts by
the Holy Ghost, which is given unto
u.s.
Now, we all know plainly that when
certain thing is given to us, 1T is not
legal by the laws of our land for some
one else to charge for what has been
given.
| will agree that it is preacher S
duty to go and teach sinners to repent
and learn Of Jesus Then if it be so,
has he a right to charge for what God
Himself has told us was free. | say,
no. He has not. Now, we will no
tice the ninth chapter and see wheth-
er Paul made special charge, a fixed
price, and said as some do nowadays
81 will not preach if you don t pay F"
Why, no, bless your soul, he said he
preached of necessity. Now, l am
willing to admit preacher has to live
and should live on his church after he
has served them. 1t is the church S
duty to see to his necessities but when
preacher comes to be so highminded
as to say, Il will not preach if you
don't pay me first" that doesn't sound
to me like the patterns that we have
laid in the Book | now have before me
that / try to take for my guide.
Paul preached of debt and necessity
and the church then looked after Paul S
necessities, and so were comforted to
gether, but Paul never did in any of
his letters left on record, ask the
church how much they were willing
to give him if he would come and
preach for them. Neither did he tell
them that if they didn't pay he could
mt come, but he told the churches that
if certain named brethren should come,
to receive them and to bid them God
speed. He never did mention price
or charge for preaching, but said that
one preaching the gospel should live Of
the gospel. All that is good.
Now, let's see what the gospel is.
Why, one of the inspired said it wa:
the power of God unto salvation. Their
if he is. to live of the gospel and it il
the power of God, then by this we
learn he is to live by the power Of
God, and not from money that Pau
told him to charge and collect from
his church, and if they did not pay
the preacher, for him to erase theil
names from the church book. Why
this won't do, for l learn from the bi
BILE that a lot have their names in tht
Lambs book of life and l don't fine
any authority for the preachers to erast
them either, but | have heard preach
ers tell church members that if thel
did not pay they would erase thei
names from the book. Is that wha
| paul caid for him, IN do Now Mr.